Currency?

[glutenhab]

Am I OK with just American Dollars & a Credit Card for Australia, New Zealand & the Pacific Islands or should I get some local currency?

 

Also travelling from there up through to Hong Kong.

Any recommendations on money for thes places (Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thialand etc) ?

[Aus Traveller]

Am I OK with just American Dollars & a Credit Card for Australia, New Zealand & the Pacific Islands or should I get some local currency?

 

Also travelling from there up through to Hong Kong.

Any recommendations on money for thes places (Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thialand etc) ?

Australia - US dollars not accepted. You will need Aust dollars or credit card.

New Zealand - same (except obviously use NZ dollars)

Pacific Islands - depending on which islands you are going to. In French Polynesia it is virtually only the Pacific franc, although when a cruise ship is in port, Aust dollars are accepted in some places.

Other pacific ports - AUD are accepted in many places. In Noumea Pacific francs are required for buses/taxis and local attractions. AUD is accepted in market stalls and tour offices in the cruise terminal and some other places.

Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand - US dollars are fairly widely accepted.

[Aus Traveller]

US Dollars can be cashed everywhere - often you can use them for purchases, especially in tourist towns. Banks in smaller towns may not cash other currencies, however, though you can almost always cash any bills you're likely to have at a gold shop. Some will try to cheat you, but others will give you a better rate than the bank - be sure you know what your bills are worth, and you should never have to settle for less than 1 or, at the most, 2 percent below the current rate. There are many international banks in Vietnam, but be aware that Agribank is domestic only--useless to foreigners unless they have an account there. The place to cash travellers checks is at a Vietcom bank, which charges no commission for dollars to dong. ATMs are widely available, but not all accept international cards. Look for BIDV, Incom, Techcom, Sacom, and Vietcom ATMs with Plus System logos.

I presume you are talking about the Asian ports mentioned, not Aust, NZ or Pacific ports. :)

[Billy and Charlie's Mum]

I presume you are talking about the Asian ports mentioned, not Aust, NZ or Pacific ports. :)

 

Yes, I was thinking the same thing....... US dollars are not accepted anywhere in Australia. Buy some Aussie $ before you come. The banks tend to charge quite a lot to exchange.