Vietnam: Saigon hostess bars

[Guest]

I'm in Saigon now and have visited a couple of the hostess bars in the Hai Ba Trung area. Now I've bought drinks for girls there only a couple of times. Once we soon moved together to an upstairs dark and romantic couch area and snuggled/etc. for a fairly long time, two drinks total for her. Now she did not ask me for a tip but her boss told me I should give her a good tip when I was leaving. There was the little problem though of my buying her a drink and then within 5 minutes being told the club was closed and I'd have to take off. So the tip was less than what they were hoping for.

 

Now in another place, everything was very similar (2 drinks, makeout time alone, plus the idea bounced around about going to a hotel) but here even though the place seemed to be just like the first one, prices were insane. I was quoted a price of $80 to bring the girl to a hotel. That broke down to $20 bar fine(!) and $20 for the hotel, plus $40 to the girl. I heard its more expensive here, but $20 bar fine? Let's see, in Nana Plaza it's 1500 for the girl and 500 to the bar --so its mainly the bar fine that's out of whack here.

 

OK well anyway I did not go for that.

 

But then when I paid my check to leave, the girl strongly suggested I give her a $20 tip. TWENTY U.S.!!! And not suggested so much as fought with me about it.

 

The lady drinks were already $5 a pop.

 

Was this scam city? What should such a tip be in Saigon?

 

I did not pay her that much, but still paid far more than I wanted to (200,000 dong).

 

The deal was that if I gave her that good a tip, I wanted to meet her in off hours. We made an appointment for next afternoon at my hotel. Of course she didn't show. (stupid me)

 

Anyway, what IS a proper tip for a place like this in Saigon?

 

and please spare me "up to you" -- which I now take to be code word for "I'm not going to tell you how much until afterwards when it's time for you to pay, at which time I will shock you with how absurdly high the price is that you are now asking for." Basically, "up to you" is a technique to stop you from bargaining beforehand until after you have the goods and are no longer in a position to choose another option.

 

In an American restaurant, 15% tip is expected, and less means it wasn't up to snuff and more if you are especially happy. I'm sure there are expected standards for these things. I'm sure it's not the $20 price I was quoted.

 

 

[Torneyboy]

Last time i was in saigon the rates were 100kVN tothe bar and $50usd for ST for girls as for tips not asked for nor implied.

I guess it varies from girl to girl and how many punters are in town.

When i was there about 1 year ago at least 15 girls to each punter in most bars i saw.

[Guest]

what if the girl was all over me, lots of kissing and touching for the half hour or so that I was there? (2 drinks for her in that time)

 

 

[Torneyboy]

Says willpower:

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what if the girl was all over me, lots of kissing and touching for the half hour or so that I was there? (2 drinks for her in that time)

 

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They nearly all want to play pool with you.

You buy the drinks if you can manage to get some action during this ok.

But they are pushy and i think half hour and 2 drinks would be ok but then walk out alone you will get some long dagger looks IMO.

 

They dont do the all over thing like in BKK english is very good not as good in Hanoi but you will be fine.

 

They will call you in from the street and stand all around you till you go to the bar or speak to one of them.

 

Then she will hold your hand and take you towards the pool rooms.

 

The first few minutes can be a bit overpowering as some do not smile they just look at you.

Is not LOS but still worth a look.

Good luck

[Prosal]

Willpower

 

I've been appreciate your objective report on Cambodia and your useful updates on Saigon nightlife ; as i project this summer a two weeks stay in Vietnam before going to Indonesia , just a question about the atmosphere in town (i'm not talking about the surely rough and expensive 'flesh trade' spots or hostess bars, but about general nightlife in fine clubs/discos/cafes, or daytime street/mall hunting) : is HCM really loaded with fine babes and does approach seems easy ?

 

Thanks to share your views about those points

 

Cheers

[Guest]

Hi thanks for the tips.

 

One thing, I have to disagree -- in these hostess places I visited, definitely positively absolutely they were all over me like in BKK. We skipped pool completely and went right to the heavy petting -- which included tongue kissing and touching anywhere and I suppose if I'd pushed a little harder it would've been even more than that. Knowing I wasn't going to take the girl home I didn't want to take it too far -- would've been taking advantage pretty unfairly I think. Both times they were definitely working this toward our leaving together, and I was going with the flow as if we were ... so... yes. It seemed as if anything that could be had at one of those bars on Soi Cowboy (Afterskook etc) would have been possible here too.

 

I guess my feeling is that if things go as far as that (like if my hands are down the girls panties, tongue kissing, etc.) then some tip is in order -- but not $20! You can get short time for less than that here.

 

OK now just to clarify: what exactly do you mean by the girl will take you toward the pool rooms? what happens there? (other than pool)

 

 

[Torneyboy]

Just fun game of pool.

She will chat and prices are talked about and if you dont want her she will point out another girl to come over and take over the pool games.

Not much else (in all the bars i visited in Saigon anyway) but then girls come and go so you maybe got a live one by the sounds of it.

 

Apart from them all hanging out of the bar yelling and waveing i found them to on the shy side compared to BKK girls.

[Guest]

my take on it is that Saigon is awesome.

 

I see far more beautiful girls here (according to my standards at least) than anywhere else -- it was noticeable as soon as I arrived in Vietnam, at Chau Doc. They tend to be lighter skinned than in Thailand or Cambodia, and also more feminine and ... delicate I guess is the word I'd use. Or elegant. For one thing, even in Apocalpyse Now (totally western-oriented disco) you will see girls showing up in dresses and high heels -- wearing nice makeup -- some of them very sexily dressed without being tarty or tasteless about it. Conservative sexy I guess you'd call it. That was a stark contrast to what I saw in places like Angels, etc., in Thailand or Martini in Phnom Penh -- where it's some kind of t-shirt with jeans 95% of the time. You don't get that loud obnoxious bar-girl kind of screaming that you see so often in BKK Sukhumvit area all the time. They seem to have better manners here.

 

Of course all over HCM you see girls wearing Ao Dai (traditional costume) or pajamas -- which both for me have a certain strange appeal.

 

I'm finding women here pretty easy to meet, friendly.

 

The non-sex scene (bars/discos/etc.) also seems pretty cool here but the main problem is the midnight closing time. Adjust your watch and just get out earlier and it will all work out well. If you ask me what types of places you're after maybe I can help point you in some directions. I'm new myself here though. But I've got a short list of some good nightpots to hit (mostly discos). Actually now that I think about it, the main problem is that these places are geared toward Vietnamese, and a bit of a challenge to crack into. I've heard it's possible -- we'll see.

 

The backpacker area is notorious with Vietnamese as a den of crime. Everytime I talk to a local and say where I'm staying, they tell me to be very careful over there, especially of the "ladies". They probably are right. Better to do your socializing in other neighborhoods.

[Torneyboy]

I had couple of wierd moments in saigon walking back to the Cavelle Hotel.

A motor bike girl pulled up at the curb and said you want lady.

No thanks.

She rode slowly as i walked and then rode on to the sidewalk and rode side by side untill i got to the corner when she got the hint i was not interested,

 

Another night just on my way to a new bar (first night of opperation) the cowboy bar near the river and next to the Riverside hotel a bike (again ) pulled up at the curb driven by an elderly lady with her daughter(looked 15 maybe) and offered her services so once again said no this time i was just about outside the bar so went inside.

 

 

Most of the girls in the bars were dressed in basic dresses and plain looking clothes at that only thier smiles lit up the rather drab bars.

Some pretty ones i must say but not a pinch ont LOS girls IMO

[Guest]

go check out some of the hot spots but on a friday/saturday, such as apocalypse now .... club 777, liquid -- another place if money is not an object would be catwalk. You'll see plenty of amazing girls in those places.

 

And I suppose I'm thinking about the ones who we westerners have a chance to meet -- so not the lovely girls you see all over Siam Square but the ones in Angels or Nana or Thermae.... I'd say here the selection of course is far lower but the quality (attractiveness) a good deal better. I spot true beauties more often... and then of course you see so many more girls making themselves up so much better (dress, high heels, hair done, etc.).... I mean really, in BKK, there are SO many girls who just throw on jeans and t-shirt and head out to the clubs. So many of the ones here, you could take out immediately to a nice restaurant and no one would turn a head. Can you do that in Thailand? Not unless you take them to a department store first. And a beauty salon.