any info on HCM / Saigon

[vinod]

hi

Will be making a short trip to HCM mid feb. Looking for a 3 or 4 star hotel or any decent guest friendly hotels. I am aware that HCM hotels are not the same like Bkk hotels when it comes to overnight guests Looking for infomation on bars & FL places also . thanks

 

cheers

vinod

[Torneyboy]

Hi

Hotels...Rex Hotel

Legend Saigon hotel

Caravelle Hotel....this hotel is in best location.

Walk out of the lobby and turn right at first(only) street.

Bars a plenty...the girls all call out to you to come to the bars.

USD50$....short time

They were building a Hyatt opp the caravelle,,,should be open by now as well.

All guest friendly...ID in most.

Also:

Palace Hotel

Grand hotel

Renaissance Riverside...stayed here as well as the Caravelle(roof top bar) great bar.

 

Look out for the motor bike gals on the sidewalks...they aint what they appear to be

[vinod]

Hi

 

Thanks for a quick reply . I think I'll stay at Caravelle based on your recommendation. I'll be arriving on 17th Feb. Any other tips ::

 

thanks again

 

cheers

Vinod

[dvarpala]

torneyboy said:

 

Bars a plenty...the girls all call out to you to come to the bars.

 

USD50$....short time

 

I can confirm this - ( Hey, you paid the same as me...I thought I was being ripped off ! )

 

Don't know about the hotels though, bit out of my price league on that trip - I was staying in backpacker heaven (Pham Ngu Lao), the bars fit your description tho'.

 

The bars on top of the Caravelle and the Rex were pretty good, except for the roaches in the Rex ( No kidding )

 

torneyboy said:

Look out for the motor bike gals on the sidewalks...they aint what they appear to be

 

Really ? Tell me more, I was tempted to get on with one of them - but I was pissed, and it would have been a waste....

[harihari]

I stayed at the Kimdo not too far from the Caravelle. There are many bars, usually they have a number on them, as in 74,or there will be ladies calling to you to enter. Often they will have a room upstairs. They will know a hotel nearby, at aabout $20. Ask to talk to mamasan and negotiate, still will be around $40.

 

Also, pimps will find you and have you look at girls while riding a motorcycle....interesting. Look for a small guy outside of the Kimdo.

 

harihari

[june11]

There used to be a "vietnam fun" forum on delphi (same place nanapong is on)....but it now gets about 1 post per week.....It's interesting how that forum faded out....a slow death. Was getting about 20 posts per week last year, then 19, 18..... then 4, then 3, .....by next month it'll be totally dead.

[Torneyboy]

Hi

Two types!

 

First.

they will follow you on the sidewalk for blocks...if you then get on the bike you are taken to a short time hotel..down back streets really scary stuff...where the hell are we..etc.

Anyway pay the girl hop in the shower ...zap..off she runs

Second

Mom and daughter on the back ...

Follow you and offer the girl ...sometimes the girl will jump off and grab your hand ect...found all of these to be way to young and i just kept walking.

[Torneyboy]

Hi

Notice that most of the bars are like Saloons ::

 

The girls want to play pool with you before you even get a drink.

Also found that the first words were ""how old are you and where are you from""....they dont like to hear you say you are divorced for some reason as well...single is the way to go

 

 

A new bar opened a day or so before i left for Hanoi (next to the Renaissance hotel on the water side as you walk up to that huge roundabout.)

 

All the staff dressed as cowgirls...just looks crazy to me Asians with cowboy hats on.

[Torneyboy]

vinod said:

Hi

 

Thanks for a quick reply . I think I'll stay at Caravelle based on your recommendation. I'll be arriving on 17th Feb. Any other tips ::

 

thanks again

 

cheers

Vinod

 

Tip..yes a few.

They have a dual currency USD and VN Dong

VND is a bit like LOS..1$ about 15k so best to use US imo for most transactions.

 

The shops and restaurants all have the daily rates and no problems with this at all.

 

I found ATMs hard to find..not like BKK for instance.

 

There is an OZ bank just up on the left from the Renaissance hotel so i just took enough for each day.

 

A taxi from Airport is USD7

Departure tax USD 14 or about 220k vnd see what i mean about carrying US

 

Last..and the best tip i can give you is.

 

 

Walk ...very very slowly when crossing the roads in VN.

You will not find many ways to cross at lights etc.

 

The traffic Cars motor bikes and a zillion push bikes ...will not stop/slow or swerve..you walk..they go on past.

 

My first attempt was just a very scary minute or so ::

 

Walk slow they all yelled at me..i learnt real quick after that..oh English is widely spoken.

 

Have a great trip.

[gobbledonk]

Walk ...very very slowly when crossing the roads in VN.

You will not find many ways to cross at lights etc.

 

The traffic Cars motor bikes and a zillion push bikes ...will not stop/slow or swerve..you walk..they go on past.

 

Hi TB,

 

Exactly the same in China - move slowly, let oncoming traffic see where you are going and they will simply swerve around you. I was initially pissed off with the 'pedestrian as lowest form of life' angle, but can you imagine the traffic in Asia if everything had to come to a halt to let a few pedestrians cross every two minutes or so ?