Vietnam maintains a two-tier pricing system , with foreigners paying many times more than locals for transport and accommodation. The system is, however, rumoured to be on its way out, and there are signs of some standardization of prices, though it will probably be a while before two-tier pricing disappears completely. For the moment, it remains something of a grey area and the amount you pay may well depend on the person you happen to be dealing with.

Vietnam's unit of currency is the dong, usually abbreviated as "d" (occasionally "VND"). Notes come in denominations of 200d, 500d, 1000d, 2000d, 5000d, 10,000d, 20,000d and 50,000d; there are no coins. The American dollar operates in parallel to the dong as unofficial tender and most travellers carry some dollars as back-up for when banks won't change travellers' cheques. Because dong amounts tend to be more volatile, we've given prices in US dollars ($) throughout this chapter. At the end of your trip you can change leftover dong back into dollars if you have an exchange certificate. At the time of writing, the exchange rate was 22,000d to A?1 and 14,000d to $1.

US dollar travellers' cheques are the easiest method of carrying money around in Vietnam. They can be cashed at major banks (Vietcombank usually charges the lowest rates), but often not at banks in smaller towns. Dong are not available outside the country at present, though if you take in some small-denomination American dollars you'll have no problems getting by until you reach a bank. Banking hours are Mon-Fri 8-11.30am and 1-4pm, though in major cities you can change cash outside these hours at registered exchange counters and hotels. A black market of sorts exists in Vietnam, but is best avoided, especially as the markup is tiny.

Major credit cards - Visa, Mastercard and, to a lesser extent, American Express - are slowly becoming more acceptable in Vietnam. You can withdraw cash from 24-hr ATMs (in the Visa, Plus, Mastercard and Cirrus networks) in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Even outside the major cities, banks will now advance cash against cards (generally Visa and Mastercard) for a small commission.

If you need to have money wired , contact the Vietcombank in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh, though some provincial branches can also now handle telegraphic transfers. Vietcombank has arrangements with selected banks across the world, including Lloyd's Bank in London; the Commonwealth Bank in Sydney; the Royal Bank of Canada; and the Chase Manhattan Bank and Citibank in New York (Vietcombank has a full list). Payment can be made to you in dong or dollars, but hefty charges are levied at both ends. Vietcombank and major post offices also accept the faster, but even more expensive, Moneygram; again this has to come from a designated bank, but charges are levied at the sender's end and to collect the money all you need is the sender's eight-digit reference number.