Hello, my friend and I, just the two of us, decided to meet at Mo Chit at midnight after work to start our trip. It was Friday, April 10, 2015, and a long weekend due to the Songkran festival. A huge crowd gathered at Mo Chit, and we were among them. We traveled from April 10th to 16th, 2015. This trip was over two years ago, and I'm here to share our story and how we managed our limited budget. We wanted to travel and had only a certain amount of money, so we had to figure out how to make it last and get back home.

Travel

- Bus from Mo Chit to Rong Kluea Market

- Tour bus crashed - Ho Chi Minh City

- Ho Chi Minh City – Mui Ne

- Mui Ne – Ho Chi Minh City

• Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN) (Ho Chi Minh City) - Bangkok, flight with Jet Airways.

Currency exchange

We exchanged USD at an exchange rate of 32.60.

SIM

We did not purchase it. Someone came to sell it, but we did not think it was necessary at the time.

April 10, 2015

00:00 We met at Mo Chit, looking for a ticket booth. At that time, there was already a group of people sitting and waiting in front of the booth. The first bus was at 03:30. We walked straight to 7-11 and filled our stomachs with instant noodles and grabbed a piece of bread each, just in case we got hungry on the way. During that time, there were soldiers maintaining order at Mo Chit. We sat down and ate our noodles. The soldier asked us where we were going. He said, "The line will be long all the way to there," pointing to the entrance and exit gate. We were a little surprised, but we didn't believe him at that time. After we finished eating, we didn't hesitate and went to join the line. We were among the first few in line. We talked to a Cambodian man who was also in line. As the time approached, the unexpected happened. The line really stretched to the front door. When the ticket booth was about to open, people rushed in. We were sitting on the floor in front. In the midst of bad luck, there was still some good luck. The Cambodian man let us buy tickets for him, and he was around the 5th person in line. With his skill, he managed to get the tickets very quickly. I think I wouldn't have been able to fight my way through the crowd. We met a man in the line who was going back home to Cambodia. He was very skilled and could speak many languages, including Khmer. We got on the same bus, which was at 04:10. On the way, we looked for a place to stay. My friend, whose English was a hundred times better than mine, chatted with the accommodation and told them that we were going to stay there, which was a kind of implicit booking.

April 11, 2015

Upon arriving at the Rong Kluea Market, we freshened up and crossed the border. There was no need to fill out entry or exit forms; we simply got our passports stamped and walked through. The person we met in line and shared a ride with invited us to join them. They seemed to be waiting for someone to pick them up, but it took a while. We exchanged some money for Cambodian Riel and waited for a while longer, but the person they were waiting for never showed up. We decided to take a bus to what looked like a local bus station. The ride was free, but once we arrived, we were told we couldn't leave, even if we had our own transportation. We had to take their bus. There were quite a few Thai people there, and an argument broke out about why we couldn't leave. In the end, we had to buy tickets from them and wait for another bus to take us to Siem Reap. The tickets cost 10 USD each. We saw some vans at the border that were packed with people, but we didn't know how much they cost. We had planned to stay only one night, but it was already late afternoon. We got off the bus and bargained with a tuk-tuk driver to take us to our hostel. We stayed at the OneStop Hostel for two nights. We really liked it. We stayed in a 10-bed dorm room, which was clean and had a nice view from the rooftop.

The hostel we stayed at was close to Pub Street, so on the first night we went for a walk to explore the area and soak up the atmosphere. We were looking for something to eat and found some delicious stir-fried noodles that we highly recommend. They were sold from a motorbike with a sidecar. Some bars had very cheap beer, but in nicer restaurants or pubs, the prices were higher. We'll show you more of the nightlife here later.

Upon returning to our accommodation, a friend noticed a counter at the hostel where we could book a one-day tour and transportation to Vietnam. We promptly booked a tour for the following day and decided to reserve a tour bus to Ho Chi Minh City, departing on the 13th.

April 12, 2015

We ordered breakfast downstairs at the hostel for a reasonable price between 1-3 USD, although we cannot recall the exact amount. We then prepared for a one-day tour costing 5 USD for ourselves and our Japanese companion, who shared our fate. We booked the tour through the hostel, ensuring that we would not be abandoned or cheated.

Let's begin!

The Angkor Pass for one day costs $20. Take a nice photo for your pass and keep it safe, as you will need it to enter several other attractions.

Card Appearance

The car will take us to different drop-off points. The first stop is Angkor Wat. Let's take a look at the surrounding atmosphere. We don't have any specific information, so I suggest sugarcane juice.

We did not capture every place we visited. In the evening, we were unable to watch the sunset as Angkor Wat was closed due to a ceremony.

The last stop was Ta Prohm Temple, which was my favorite. The atmosphere was magical at dusk, with few people around, the sound of birds singing, and the crumbling ruins shrouded in a mysterious gloom.

Return safely to the hostel.

As evening fell, we ventured out in search of sustenance. The price of beer, a mere 0.30 USD per glass, was an incredible bargain. After satiating our appetites, we returned to our lodgings to prepare for the night's festivities. We meticulously calculated our budget for the evening, ensuring we had sufficient funds for the revelry ahead. With a resounding cry of "Let the party commence!", we embarked on our adventure. The establishment we selected proved to be an excellent choice. Our visit coincided with the Songkran festival in Thailand, and Pub Street was abuzz with revelers engaging in a spirited flour fight. In contrast to the remarkably affordable beer we had enjoyed earlier, the price of a beverage at this establishment was considerably higher, ranging from 3 to 4 USD per glass. Naturally, we extended an invitation to our Japanese companion, who eagerly joined us in the merriment. ^o^

On the way back to the hostel, my Japanese friend and I split up to buy some snacks. I let her walk alone, and in her drunken state, she dropped her money and walked past our accommodation. I thought I wouldn't see her again, haha! We continued drinking on the hostel's rooftop, enjoying the pleasant weather. It's truly amazing to visit a place where nobody knows you. We went to bed separately, and tomorrow we'll be heading to Ho Chi Minh City on the 7 pm bus, if I remember correctly.

April 13, 2015

Waking up late today, we had plenty of time to spare. As a result of the previous night's activities, we completed all tasks and checked out. We left our luggage and went for a midday stroll.

Public transportation here is very efficient and makes the most of its vehicles.

Opposite the hostel where we slept

During the New Year, there will be things like this hanging on trees, in front of shops, and in front of houses.

Take me to see the temples in that area.

Stopped by to buy food for my uncle to eat at the hostel.

After finishing our meal, we sat and lay down to watch TV in the hostel's common area. My friend fell asleep first, and I soon followed, sleeping soundly without a care. Foreigners were also sitting and lying down, watching cartoons and reading books in the same area. While we were sleeping, my friend made another friend, a Canadian who was waiting for the same bus as us to Ho Chi Minh City. The three of us lay down waiting for the time to come. When it was time, someone came to call us to board the bus. The bus stop for Ho Chi Minh City was just a short walk from the hostel.

Our overnight train had double-decker seats, which was perfect for our long legs. We were thankful to have gotten the top bunks, while we felt sorry for the tall foreigner who had to sit on the lower bunk. As you can see in the picture, some people's legs were sticking out. We ended up sleeping so soundly that we almost missed our stop, unaware that the train was going to continue on a different route and that we needed to switch to another train.

In Vietnam and Cambodia, before boarding tour buses, passengers are given a bag to store their shoes, which they must then carry with them on the bus.

April 14, 2015

This morning in Ho Chi Minh City

We encountered a Thai uncle on the bus with his Vietnamese girlfriend. The uncle asked his girlfriend to exchange USD for Vietnamese Dong. She went to exchange the money and came back to count it. Then, she went back again and said that she was not given the full amount. She went to claim the remaining amount. We are truly grateful to the uncle. After some conversation, we found out that his real wife is in Bangkok. Wow, uncle! Is it okay to have a casual wife? Haha. We didn't exchange much Vietnamese Dong in case we needed it. We mostly paid in USD after crossing the border. Someone also came to sell SIM cards, but we didn't buy any.

Ho Chi Minh City is still unsure of what to do next. There is no accommodation yet, and it is unclear how to continue to Mui Ne. The tour bus stopped at a public park on the side of the road. We don't know where it is, so we followed our friends and walked to the accommodation they booked.

Fortunately, my friend's accommodation was able to book a car to Mui Ne for 150,000 VND. We booked it and waited in my friend's room before the car came to pick us up. I really like the car here, it's perfect for people with long legs. And as usual, they gave us bags to put our shoes in and we carried them on the bus. We got to sit on the second floor again, which was great.

The car stopped for a break to use the restroom and buy food for our first meal. We hesitated for a long time about what to buy, and then we got this huge bun.

Just kidding, it's not a dog, haha.

As before, we did not book accommodation in advance. We only looked at options online. My friend did a preliminary search and remembered what the places looked like, and then we walked in.

Entering Mui Ne.

The car continued driving, and it seemed that we had already passed the accommodation we had looked at. So we jumped out of the car and met a Chinese woman who was staying at the same place as us. The three of us walked back a considerable distance without hiring a ride. We were determined not to spend any money. When we arrived, we found out that we had not booked a shared room and it was full. So we ended up staying in a single room at a higher price. However, there was another day available, so we agreed to stay in a single room for one night and then share a room for one night. We stayed at Muine Backpackers. The Chinese woman had booked her room in advance. We booked a one-day tour for tomorrow through the hotel, and as usual, a car came to pick us up at the accommodation.

After packing our bags, we went for a walk and let out a scream of excitement at the sight of the South China Sea.

The beachfront seating area offers a stunning atmosphere, with waves crashing powerfully against the shore, reaching the very edge of the seating.

Today, we decided to indulge in a seafood feast. With our budget in mind, we headed to a local market where we could handpick our desired seafood at affordable prices. The total cost came out to 9 USD per person. Unfortunately, we didn't capture any photos of this delicious spread. After our meal, we returned to our accommodation and relaxed by the pool. This was on April 15, 2015.

The one-day tour began with a jeep picking up around 8 participants, including us, 7 or 8 people in total. There were also a few foreigners, around 3.

The entrance fee to Fairy Stream is 5,000 VND.

Next, we visited the Fisherman Village.

We haven't been here for long, but every time we come back to the car, the driver is gone. Where do they go?

Next to the Red Sand Dunes

Next, head to White Sand Dunes.

We watched the sunset together here. There were ATV activities here, but they were expensive, so we chose to walk. Then we realized where our driver had gone. He was in a large circle, gambling. Since we were already there, we decided to stand and cheer him on.

Note: The original text provided was empty, so the translation is also empty.

After finishing the tour, I returned to my accommodation and invited my Chinese friend to have dinner together. As it was my friend's birthday, we had a small party at a nearby restaurant. Later that night, I waited to see my friend off at the bus station as they continued their journey on April 16, 2015.

We booked a bus ticket to Ho Chi Minh City through our accommodation, and as before, the bus picked us up at the front of the accommodation. Before boarding, we still had to take off our shoes. There was Wi-Fi on the bus, and my friend chatted with the friend from Canada they met on the way there. They asked them to come out and meet them when we got off the bus, but we didn't know where that was. We eventually found each other and went to eat. We flew back at five or six in the evening. After eating, we walked back to our friend's accommodation and asked the hotel to call a taxi to take us to the airport. It was here that we realized we were running out of money. They told us the price of the taxi, and we couldn't afford it because we didn't have enough money. I can't remember how much they said, but I took out all the Vietnamese dong I had and told them that was all I had. They called to negotiate the price of the taxi, and we got the price we wanted. The taxi picked us up at our friend's accommodation, and we met the uncle with the real wife and the fake wife at the airport. Haha! Maybe the uncle didn't want to see us. We returned home safely. That's the end! Thank you to everyone who has read this far.

Ending with a picture of us.

Our own friend

We have summarized the expenses.

We exchanged USD at an exchange rate of 32.60 at that time.

We had 6,000 baht, which is equivalent to 184 USD. We had 20 USD left, so we spent approximately 5,400 baht (including everything).

A friend had 7,498 baht and exchanged it for 230 USD. They had 50 USD remaining, which means they spent 5,900 baht (including the money they lost).

The bus fare from Mo Chit to Rong Kluea is 223 baht.

The bus fare to Saeb Reub is 10 US dollars.

The cost of a room at the Saeb Reeb Hotel for 2 nights is 14 US dollars.

The cost of a one-day tour to Angkor Wat is 5 US dollars.

Angkor Wat entrance fee: 20 US dollars

The cost of a car from Saeb Reub to Ho Chi Minh City is 23 US dollars.

The cost of a taxi to Mui Ne is 150,000 VND.

The cost of accommodation in Mui Ne for the first night is 10 US dollars.

The cost of accommodation in Mui Ne for two nights is 8 US dollars.

One-day tour of Mui Ne for 4 people

Entrance fee to Fairy Stream: 5000 VND

The cost of a car from Mui Ne to Ho Chi Minh City is 15,800 VND.

Taxi fare to Airport 16500 VND divided by 2

The cost of a hearty meal in Mui Ne is 9 US dollars per person.

The cost of a return flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Don Mueang is 2080 baht with Jet Airways.