22 Affordable Destinations That Feel Like Luxury Without the Price Tag
10. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Vietnam’s largest city, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), is a vibrant mix of French colonial charm and modern luxury, offering visitors an indulgent experience at incredibly affordable prices. The city boasts five-star hotels with rooftop pools, where you can sip cocktails while overlooking the bustling streets below—all for a fraction of the price you’d pay in Bangkok, Singapore, or Hong Kong. High-end spas, fine dining, and boutique shopping in the city are remarkably budget-friendly, allowing travelers to indulge in a luxurious urban retreat without overspending. For food lovers, Ho Chi Minh City is a culinary paradise. While its world-famous street food is unbelievably cheap, the city also has a thriving fine dining scene, with gourmet Vietnamese-French fusion restaurants, rooftop cocktail bars, and trendy cafés serving artisanal coffee at a fraction of Western prices. For those seeking relaxation, the city’s many high-end spas offer luxurious treatments, including herbal steam baths, hot stone massages, and traditional Vietnamese beauty rituals for a mere fraction of what you’d pay in Europe or the U.S. Beyond the city, you can take a luxury cruise along the Mekong Delta or escape to the pristine beaches of Phu Quoc, Vietnam’s hidden island paradise, making Ho Chi Minh City an ideal gateway for both urban indulgence and tropical relaxation.
