My time spent in Viet Nam was life changing. Not only did I meet my daughter, but I was able to experience her amazing country. I would like to share a view of Viet Nam with you each week. If you've already been to Viet Nam, I hope these views bring back happy memories. If you're waiting to travel, I hope they make you feel more connected to the country you'll soon be experiencing for yourself!

The exchange rate and dealing with Vietnamese dong took a little getting used to. Good think my husband is a quick thinking, good with numbers kind of a guy! When we were there $1 US converted to approximately 15,000 dong. When we converted large amounts of US dollars for even larger amounts of Vietnamese dong it was fun to call ourselves millionaires...even if only for a few days ;)

When we were out shopping or eating in a restaurant, I was ok with the converting as long as items cost over 15,000 dong. It was when they worked out to be worth 33.5 American cents or some other small amount that it took some figuring and dusting off of that part of my brain!

The Vietnamese deal mainly in paper money, though we did come across a few coins. I would strongly recommend cashing in your larger bills (dong) for smaller denominations. Many shops, taxis, etc. will not have the change to break a 500,000 dong bill for you. It's also a good idea to hang onto some of your American $1 bills. These are perfect for tipping at the hotel, restaurants and in taxis, and it is widely accepted in the city. This site has some more great information about dealing with money in Viet Nam.

If you're interested in seeing how much your dollar is worth today, visit this online currency converter for current rates.

This picture shows what $100.00 US dollars looks like in Vietnamese dong: