moblie phones

You can buy a second hand phone in Vietnam for less than $50USD that will work for you.

BUT, phones are pretty expensive in Vietnam compared to other places. You may want to consider buying a phone before your arrival. We bought the cheapest phone available and it was 850,000 dong (about $60 US).

Bring your own phone and buy a SIM card in Vietnam. Simple.

Why not just forget the phone and use email instead? I believe you can also call internationally at any post office - is this true?

#2, you need to shop around. I've seen phones as cheap as $30 in HCMC.

The cheapest way to ring overseas from Vietnam is to go to any internet cafe, and buy an internet phone card. 80,000DVN ($7-50 Aust) gives 3 hours of phone to Australia.

Hey Nicky

Y not do as I did, leave yer sim card at home in NZ, pick up a new one in Vietnam with your own local number then you can call or txt to your hearts content, enjoy, yu will love Vietnam

Bisbee-

Either things have changed in the past year, or things are much cheaper in HCMC (than Hanoi). We shopped around, and for a new phone, that was the best price. Alas. And then I put it in the washing machine -- amazingly it still works!

I wasn't talking about a new phone. That's why my original post said, "second hand". Really no reason to buy a new phone in VN. Plenty of good second hand phones to be had.