Getting HKD for VND
 

Hi, has anyone had any luck getting HK$ for Vietnamese dong while in Hong Kong? Web searches haven't turned up much besides general warnings about taking out dong from Vietnam.

If you manage to find anywhere in HK, you'll get a very low exchange rate. Better to exchange it before leaving Vietnam - or do a deal with someone who plans to travel there. Dong is such a volatile currency that it's not in people's interest to hold onto it outside Vietnam (or even in Vietnam in some cases!)

If you don't have too much and give me a good rate I might buy them. PM me.

Chungking Mansions?

Not VND. Even Berlin Exchange doesn't buy them. The nearest place I know of that gives a reasonable rate is Superrich in Bangkok with a spread of 2%.
http://www.superrichthailand.com/new/exchange.html

No kidding? Chungking is my usual go-to for currency exchanging.
What about a couple of places by Shun Tak Centre...do you know of any in that area?

Your best bet is probably the airport, no one wants VND outside of Vietnam unfortunately. Or you can try exchanging VND at another airport outside of Hong Kong as well. Either way I'm sure you'll get hosed on the rate.

Sorry, thought I had replied here--we ended up being able to get USD for them at the SGN airport. Had heard that wasn't able to happen, but turned out to be an option.

Hmm. Why wouldn't you?

Though for my travels into Vietnam, I find that getting money in the airport I land in is best (more or less same as taking money out of ATMs). I try to card my way through Vietnam, dump the cash balance at the hotel I'm staying (minus a small balance for tipping on the way out; there's no exit tax in VN airports as far as I recall) and card the rest.

I have yet to have to exchange VND back to USD.

I think my mother retains her VND. In true Hongkie fashion she rather keeps her cash float for the next visit rather than have to stop to get more VND. In the same vein she pays for twice the going rate to get our Visas from the consulate here rather than queue for VOA.

IIRC, in the hostel we stayed at we got reports from other guests that it would be problematic to change VND into something else, regardless of where we tried.