The Art of Bargaining in Vietnam

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When traveling in Vietnam you barter, bargain, and haggle. Its part of the culture. Its a way of life. And that’s the way it is.

For foreigners and tourists it is not the way things work at home. But with the right attitude, it can still be a lot of fun, and can save you money. Here are a few helpful hints to get you started.

First and foremost you need to smile and embrace the entire process. From picking up things and investigating their value, to the haggling, to the actual purchase, it is important to remain positive and friendly. Having a pen and paper, or a calculator will help greatly if you haven’t yet brushed up on your Vietnamese. As well, coming into the barter with a little background information – an estimated price – will also be to your advantage. And, predetermining a fair price that you are willing to pay is key to the success of the experience!

When bargaining, don’t be a afraid to really low ball. If you’ve gone too low, you will know by the look on the sellers face. Nevertheless, continue with poise, tact, and strategy with the back-and-forth negotiations. A little acting and drama goes a long way, and might add an extra dynamic to the show. So go ahead, let it all out, especially if you have found that extra special something.

You can consider adding a number of items to the tally, helping to discount the overall price – remember to be strategic here though. Also, finding a small flaw could also be a means of marking down the price.

Finally, if you just can’t seem to get the price you want, but think you are close, you can try the ol’-thanks-but-no-thanks and walk away approach. This is a little risky because if it doesn’t work you will loose face by returning, and thus be forced have to start all over somewhere else. Nevertheless, ever so often it works like a charm!

At the end of the day, be proud of the items you bought and the prices you paid. Reflect on the people you dealt with, and forever cherish your purchases and memories of traveling in Vietnam.

Angkor Wat Cambodia Tour

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The trip we had booked to Angkor Wat Cambodia was very good, which made our 5-day Angkor biking tour a memorable experience. We stayed at the most comfortable hotel and had delicious breakfast. The hotel staff was very friendly and helpful. 

After that, we continued our Cambodia adventure tour and saw the scenic villages and the large metros of the countryside while reaching the Pre-Angkorian temples named Preah KO and Lo Lei temples which have some beautiful carvings and inscriptions on the walls.

After enjoying the beauty of temples, we had a boat trip in the Tonle Sap Lake and then explored Phnom Kulen – the great mountain ranges passing through the dense forests and local villages and enjoyed the beautiful view. Then we reached the top of Phnom Kulen and we enjoyed the beautiful view from there. There was a waterfall for swimming, a Pagoda and a river of a thousand Lingas. We continued the Angkor biking tour to the Angkor National Park to visit the beauty of South Gate of Angkor Thom, which is the most beautiful wall in the history of Cambodia.

Later, we planned a visit to the Bayon temple and the Ta Phrom temples, which were surrounded by giant trees and vines, which gave a delightful look to the temples. The beauty of Cambodia was delightful while we were lucky we found a really good guide and some really great people along. After that we went to visit Prah Khan, which had the ancient statues and sculptures. We then visited to see the greatest attraction of Angkor, the Neak Poan, which is a monument shaped in an artificial island which created a beautiful sense of aura around us.

After enjoying the beauty of Neak Poan, we visited the East Mebon and Pre Rup temples to explore these magnificent temple sites and on the last day of our Angkor Wat Cambodia tour we visited the Banteay Srei temple which was a beautiful ride through the flat countryside.

We landed back into the city at late afternoon feeling the most relaxed and beautiful but tired because of the journey but it was the most memorable trip that gave us an incredible experience on our Cambodia adventure tour. 

Matachica, The authentic and relaxed luxury of Belize, reborn

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Matachica, the award-winning beach resort located on the island of Ambergris Caye in Belize has just completed a multi-million dollar redesign and expansion. The result is wonderful and we would love to inform you all about it, and also offer you the opportunity to experience our hotel.

We thought this news would certainly be of interest to you as you most certainly would want to update with this new information on our hotel. Recent additions include 10 brand new and even larger casitas, an infinity pool, full upgrades to all existing rooms, a fleet of new kayaks and sailboats, and much more.


Please do let us know if you have any questions. Furthermore, if you are planning any trips to Belize definitely let us know as it would be a pleasure to host you.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Thank you and all the best,

Marjorie

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Marjorie Dumas
Senior Account Manager
ZOÏ Agency
430, Sainte-Hélène Street, suite 305
Montreal, (QC)  H2Y 2K7
514.282.9888 ext. 23