An Indian Reddit user has gone viral after sharing a savvy travel-and-shopping hack that saved him money on a high-end MacBook—while giving him an 11-day vacation in Vietnam. Even after including the cost of flights, stay, food, and sightseeing, he still spent less than what the MacBook alone would have cost him in India. You would be wondering how this happened?
The Reddit user, who goes by @Shuict, was planning to buy a MacBook worth over ₹1.85 lakh in India. But after factoring in India's high import duties, Goods and Services Tax (GST), and Apple’s premium pricing, he came up with a clever plan: take a short, budget-friendly trip to Vietnam, buy the MacBook there, claim a tourist VAT (Value Added Tax) refund — and sneak in a vacation on the side.
“If you’re planning to buy a MacBook or iPhone worth ₹2 lakh+ in India, trust me, it’s worth making a short trip to Vietnam,” he wrote in the now-viral post.
He booked the cheapest round-trip ticket to Hanoi, worked remotely while staying there, and explored the city in his free time. Over 11 days, he visited more than 15 Apple retailers to find the best price and ensure the store could issue VAT refund documents, which not all do.
“Always ask: ‘Do you provide VAT refund documents for the airport?’ Some stores won’t,” he advised.
The MacBook he wanted cost ₹1,85,000 in India, even with card offers. In Hanoi, with VAT refund and smart shopping, he paid just ₹1,48,000 — a direct saving of ₹36,500, roughly the cost of his flight.
Here’s the full cost breakdown that made the trip both economical and rewarding. In India, the MacBook would have cost ₹1,85,000. However, by purchasing it in Vietnam and claiming the tourist VAT refund, the buyer managed to get it for just ₹1,48,000. The total cost of the 11-day trip before the VAT refund came to ₹2,80,000. After receiving the refund, the final trip cost was reduced to ₹1,97,000. When the cost of the MacBook is deducted from this amount, the effective net cost of the entire vacation comes to just ₹48,000 — a smart travel-tech combo that offers both savings and a memorable experience.
“Net savings on MacBook alone: ₹36,500. So basically, add ₹5K and you got yourself a brand-new MacBook and a vacation in Vietnam.” Even more impressively, he continued working remotely while abroad, making it a productive trip with bonus travel perks.
The post blew up across Reddit and X (formerly Twitter), with users calling it a “crazy genius travel hack.” One user wrote:
