Ho Chih Minh is an impressive city

[Nowisee]

I liked the Pho for breakfast, huge bowl of chicken breast, noodles, veggies and sooooo flavorful... trying to process bahn mi for bf was not for me. I liked it for lunch. But after a while that white fibrous bread was more than I could take. The noodle/pork/veggie dish was my go to lunch.

The guy that owned the guesthouse I stayed in Da Nang was really a friendly guy. I had dinner with him, his wife and their daughter... then he and I had beers with the guy across the street. The conversations that night were great. We talked about local and world issues. You are right. NONE of that has EVER happened to me here. We have stayed in touch and when I go back, I'll be staying there. Very cool family and genuinely friendly. Something I haven't felt here.

I dunno abut the Pho in the morning I love the Bahn Mi in Vietnam,BBQ Pork with lots of vegetables and chilli in a super-crusty,French-style mini baguette for breakfast and very cheap also.
And as you say you can have a true conversation with the super-friendly locals in Vietnam,the men actually talk to you and are genuinely friendly,the polar opposite to Thailand!

Edited June 19, 2016 by Nowisee

[mike2011]

I just got here, again

Flight was on time. At the passport control the grumpy official wanted to see my onward ticket out of Vietnam. I had none. He was really unhappy. Showed him my departure ticket from another airport in 2 weeks. it wont do the trick. Called another official, I showed the guy my Cambodian 1-year visa and that I had a outbound flight from another airport. Luckily the man agreed that the bus to Phnom Penh would do.

Now I do not know if I was just lucky to get in without an outbound ticket or unlucky because of the official? Difficult to say. When I entered Vietnam by land nobody asked a question. Any input? I m eager to learn.

Left the terminal and asked for the bus. All said last one gone. BS I told them. Saw the bus waiting and off we were 20 minutes to district 1 for less than 1 USD. Nice aircon service, unbeatable. Tickets are sold on the bus (20K dong) and the seller makes sure they tell you when to get off the bus (assuming you know where you want to go). Mine spoke some English. Good service.

I had booked Airnb as I arrived very late = early. People were waiting and friendly. Very clean and centrally located.

Now I am vacuum cleaning some food places and I cant complain

I should add that I was very popular in the bar area last nite when I walked by to my place. I should add my only interest was a bowl of soup and not the friendly attention Pattaya stile. Ok, some motorbike taxi guys tried to sell something, including themselves, but a silent smile was enough to keep them away.

In sum, all very nice - no hassles in that night spot despite many claims to the contrary. This is current info. Time for food )

[tw25rw]

I also had no return ticket to show. After huffing for a few seconds, she let me in and said to remember it next time.

[mike2011]

I used HCMC as my airport for Phnom Penh as there was no flight from my departure point to PP. The bus takes 6 hrs to PP, incl. the border, that is better than anything from BKK or Siem Reap etc.

Anyhow, I had a great day. Walking in the city is nice. Overcast sky so not too hot. Food....Well, there is so much I can eat even if I eat like a horse here. Last nite 7 pieces of dim sum on the street 15K dong = less than 0.75 USD. Was better than in many Chinese places. I will check tonite if the standard is the same ) One needs to be diligent when posting here.

Another nice episode: Went back to the Vietnam History Museum for 15K dong. I love the Cham and Khmer pieces there. Really great stuff and well presented. When I took photo of the exhibits the guard came and showed me a ticket which I needed. The permit was 40 K = less than 2 USD. When I pulled out the money he was very happy. Other just walked on. So he left and came back with my photo ticket and the change and was eager to take my photo for me with budda. Really nice guy. Seems most tourists are extra cheap. The 15 K entry free wont keep the place running and they obviously need any cent they can make. So the 40K were well spent. Good for them and I got some nice photos. Try that in Thailand.....

Referring to some earlier discussion here I had programmed my nose for detecting bad smells. Happy to confirm my earlier impressions were right. No stinking corner, walls etc. For that connoisseurs need to go to the Philippines, the world's single largest urinal.

What else? I m a hero. I withstood all attempts by the massage and barber ladies. They charge 5 USD for the massage, extras are very likely and would be, right, extra.

I should add that I had some Hue food. I left the Vietnam History museum turning right and then at the next intersection turned left in the direction of the independence palace. After about 2-3 blocks on the left hand side tons of good food places. 2-3 USD will make you happy. No English spoken but the photos on the menu helped.

HCMC makes me feel much younger. It is like being back in BKK in a time past. When I m in BKK now I have often difficulties to recognize the places and the whole atmosphere is just stressful. Here in HCMC the pace suits me well.

Edited June 28, 2016 by mike2011

[Tomtomtom69]

I used HCMC as my airport for Phnom Penh as there was no flight from my departure point to PP. The bus takes 6 hrs to PP, incl. the border, that is better than anything from BKK or Siem Reap etc.

Anyhow, I had a great day. Walking in the city is nice. Overcast sky so not too hot. Food....Well, there is so much I can eat even if I eat like a horse here. Last nite 7 pieces of dim sum on the street 15K dong = less than 0.75 USD. Was better than in many Chinese places. I will check tonite if the standard is the same ) One needs to be diligent when posting here.

Another nice episode: Went back to the Vietnam History Museum for 15K dong. I love the Cham and Khmer pieces there. Really great stuff and well presented. When I took photo of the exhibits the guard came and showed me a ticket which I needed. The permit was 40 K = less than 2 USD. When I pulled out the money he was very happy. Other just walked on. So he left and came back with my photo ticket and the change and was eager to take my photo for me with budda. Really nice guy. Seems most tourists are extra cheap. The 15 K entry free wont keep the place running and they obviously need any cent they can make. So the 40K were well spent. Good for them and I got some nice photos. Try that in Thailand.....

Referring to some earlier discussion here I had programmed my nose for detecting bad smells. Happy to confirm my earlier impressions were right. No stinking corner, walls etc. For that connoisseurs need to go to the Philippines, the world's single largest urinal.

What else? I m a hero. I withstood all attempts by the massage and barber ladies. They charge 5 USD for the massage, extras are very likely and would be, right, extra.

I should add that I had some Hue food. I left the Vietnam History museum turning right and then at the next intersection turned left in the direction of the independence palace. After about 2-3 blocks on the left hand side tons of good food places. 2-3 USD will make you happy. No English spoken but the photos on the menu helped.

HCMC makes me feel much younger. It is like being back in BKK in a time past. When I m in BKK now I have often difficulties to recognize the places and the whole atmosphere is just stressful. Here in HCMC the pace suits me well.

Great post. In Thailand there is usually no extra "camera fee" more likely it's just a discriminatory "tourist fee" in general. Whereas in Vietnam, everyone pays the same 15K Dong, if it was Thailand locals would be paying the equivalent of that (around 25 Baht) while tourists would be paying perhaps 250 Baht.

On the other hand, in communist countries like Vietnam and Laos, they are strict when it comes to "no photography" signs. I once witnessed 2 western tourists being shouted at and threatened with being arrested for taking a picture of an exhibit in the former royal palace in Luang Prabang. Now that would never happen in Thailand.

[Tomtomtom69]

I just got here, again

Flight was on time. At the passport control the grumpy official wanted to see my onward ticket out of Vietnam. I had none. He was really unhappy. Showed him my departure ticket from another airport in 2 weeks. it wont do the trick. Called another official, I showed the guy my Cambodian 1-year visa and that I had a outbound flight from another airport. Luckily the man agreed that the bus to Phnom Penh would do.

Now I do not know if I was just lucky to get in without an outbound ticket or unlucky because of the official? Difficult to say. When I entered Vietnam by land nobody asked a question. Any input? I m eager to learn.

Left the terminal and asked for the bus. All said last one gone. BS I told them. Saw the bus waiting and off we were 20 minutes to district 1 for less than 1 USD. Nice aircon service, unbeatable. Tickets are sold on the bus (20K dong) and the seller makes sure they tell you when to get off the bus (assuming you know where you want to go). Mine spoke some English. Good service.

I had booked Airnb as I arrived very late = early. People were waiting and friendly. Very clean and centrally located.

Now I am vacuum cleaning some food places and I cant complain

I should add that I was very popular in the bar area last nite when I walked by to my place. I should add my only interest was a bowl of soup and not the friendly attention Pattaya stile. Ok, some motorbike taxi guys tried to sell something, including themselves, but a silent smile was enough to keep them away.

In sum, all very nice - no hassles in that night spot despite many claims to the contrary. This is current info. Time for food )

I'm assuming you're visa exempt. They only ever hassle non-ASEAN visa exempt visitors for onward tickets. If, like me, you need a visa for entering Vietnam (including the on-arrival option) onward tickets are never asked for. However, I've seen numerous Scandinavians being asked for evidence of their return tickets, but only if flying in. By land no problem.

[Tomtomtom69]

I liked it.

After reading all the negatives about Saigon I was armed and ready for my trip.

The only place I found the touts to be in your face was the food court in Banh Than market. The rest of the places, a smile and no thank you was all that was needed.

There are millions of motorcycles and a lot of horns, the difference is most drive way slower and civilly than the nut jobs in Chiang Mai.

Crossing the street was not as scary as many had written about, just don't do the deer in the headlights.

The motorcycle parking is incredibly organized and not blocking the pathway.

Banh Than market is a trip, I loved negotiating with the vendors. They were generally friendly, easy to start joking around with them and so willing to find my size and the color I wanted.

I picked up some nice clothing for pretty cheap. I didn't feel the need to beat them out of their last .24 cents for a shirt that I was already only paying $2.40 for.

Saigon Square was fun too, soooo much you can buy there.

Next time I am going with just the clothes on my back and will buy everything else I need there.

One girl set me straight about negotiating down the price with here and then not buying.

I had more spontaneous and intelligent conversations, in GOOD english, about current affairs and historical things than I have ever had here in years. When texting, they can actually write a complete sentence rather than piece together 5 words.

The locals in many of the places - Saigon, Da Nang, Hue and Hoi An were easy to approach, talk to and joke with.

In my opinion, most of the girls were better looking than the thai girls of the same age. Genuinely friendly and WAY more mature acting.

The people appeared much more fit, more muscle tone to them. A lot of people out exercising.

Another observation I made about the people, they are much more ambitious and seemed to move about with purpose. Not the shuffling along mopes I see here so often.

Most were always helpful AND they actually know how to give directions.

The streets were clearly marked and shops had their address on the front.

I took several taxis to and from the airports/hotels in other cities, not one problem about fares.

In Saigon I only took the bus, both the 5000 and 20000 dong one. Really quite easy, and Google Maps worked wonderfully there helping find the bus stops and routes.

The food was pretty good, I didn't eat as much variety as I wanted and locked onto a couple good places and stuck with them. Didn't eat at any chain food places. I admit to eating Pho almost every morning.

I tried just about every local beer there was. Overall I could say the taste was better then here and cheaper too.

They love their coffee shops. TOO much smoking in them.

Quite a few parks, they were clean and people using them to exercise, read, a lot of sitting and eating and playing the birdie kicking game.

I liked walking the paths along the major waterways.

Easy to find public bathrooms, most were clean.

Being able to somewhat read things there was so much easier than there.

I will be spending a lot more time in VN exploring the countryside and more of the districts in Saigon. For sure I will be spending Feb-Apr there and not in CM.

Your post describes my impressions of Vietnam very well. You are right about the maturity level of Vietnamese, though I find the guys more mature than the girls. In Thailand I find this to be true as well, though in general Thais are much more immature than their Vietnamese counterparts - a group of girls standing together are not going to have anything more interesting to talk to you about than the size of your nose. That's how shallow some Thais can be - and yes, I am completely fluent in Thai so am not lost for words when communicating with the locals. In Vietnam, interesting conversations abound - about business, politics even (all in English, since my Vietnamese is almost zilch). Not laughing at someone's physical features even if the Thais usually remark: "oh, I wish I could have some of your nose".

[Tomtomtom69]

Burma (now called Myanmar) might be. Cambodia, highly doubtful. Nice country and people, but too dirty (rubbish everywhere), chaotic and corrupt. It's like Thailand 30-40 years ago.

Nice country and people, but too dirty (rubbish everywhere), chaotic and corrupt?

​Isn't that Thailand now?

Anyhow, if one think there are many motorbikes inn Thailand, have a look at Vietnam.

Imagine, all these drivers want to have a car in the future. That would be some traffic.

Based on Land Transport Department statistics as of Dec 2015, there were roughly 20 million motorcycles (scooters and mopeds making up the vast majority of these) registered in Thailand, while there were around 14 million cars, pickup trucks and vans, 1.03 million trucks, 106,000 taxis (the vast majority in Bangkok) and a couple of hundred thousand buses. The ratio of 2 wheelers to vehicles with 4 or more wheels is thus approaching 50/50. Provided Thailand's economy continues to grow and it doesn't get stuck in the "middle income trap", I would expect sales of smaller motorcycles to stall, in favour of more cars and possibly big bikes, thus allowing cars to overtake motorcycles as the majority vehicle type on the roads, as in western countries, Japan, Singapore and other developed countries. While I have nothing against motorcycles (I own one too, but only use it for local travel within a few km of home) they are represented in over 80% of fatal accidents in Thailand and reducing their prevalence would certainly be a good thing for society.

Meanwhile, in Vietnam an estimated 37 million motorcycles (again, mostly scooters and mopeds, nothing much over 125cc) roam the streets amongst only 2 million cars, pickup trucks and vans. Not sure if trucks and buses are included in these figures, the statistics I read seemed to indicate that the 2 million figure includes all non-2 wheelers, which would seem to imply yes. For years, growth in car ownership was hampered due to exorbitant taxes, low incomes and a policy to generally make car ownership very unattractive. Recently however, growth in vehicle sales have boomed - only a few years ago Vietnamese purchased fewer than 100,000 cars a year, compared to over a million cars purchased by Thais. Now, around 250,000 cars are sold in Vietnam (based on the last figures available, probably from last year), whereas the weak economy in Thailand has meant just 750,000 were sold here last year, a far cry from the 1.44? million sold in 2012 under former PM Yingluck's tax refund scheme.

[Nowisee]

Assuming all these drivers want to have a car in the future. I would imagine most are satisfied with a MC.

Anyway, Tomtomtom69 I miss your point to this heavily statical post reply....???... related to the OP. F'me.. am I missing something? 55555.

Since you want to talk about motorcycles... the Vietnamese drive so much more sanely then the crazy thais... at least here in CM.

[Tomtomtom69]

Assuming all these drivers want to have a car in the future. I would imagine most are satisfied with a MC.

Anyway, Tomtomtom69 I miss your point to this heavily statical post reply....???... related to the OP. F'me.. am I missing something? 55555.

Since you want to talk about motorcycles... the Vietnamese drive so much more sanely then the crazy thais... at least here in CM.

I don't want to talk about motorcycles, you are the one who brought this up. However, my point was that clearly, Vietnam has many times more 2-wheelers on its roads than 4-wheelers. Even Thailand still has more motorcycles than cars, though one day in the next few years this is likely to change.

Indeed Vietnamese drive slower than Thais, but then again, all their road space is taken up by other two wheelers so it's not like they have a choice. Try going a bit out of the city though and you'll start to find some pretty insane driving antics, which rival even those in Thailand.

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

Your post describes my impressions of Vietnam very well. You are right about the maturity level of Vietnamese, though I find the guys more mature than the girls. In Thailand I find this to be true as well, though in general Thais are much more immature than their Vietnamese counterparts - a group of girls standing together are not going to have anything more interesting to talk to you about than the size of your nose. That's how shallow some Thais can be - and yes, I am completely fluent in Thai so am not lost for words when communicating with the locals. In Vietnam, interesting conversations abound - about business, politics even (all in English, since my Vietnamese is almost zilch). Not laughing at someone's physical features even if the Thais usually remark: "oh, I wish I could have some of your nose".

Right on. Several friends who have visited many times and lived in VN, like myself, have said the same thing. There's a maturity level that Thais can only dream about. The Thais I'm talking about work in shops and malls and for foreigner owned firms, although the latter are more capable -- not by much. An American friend who is advanced in Thai fluency (he teaches university courses in Thai) has remarked that it might not be worth learning Thai because then you will know the "filthy" truth. Anyway, you immediately sense the difference with Viets. Now, if only long-term visas (6-month and up) were not so difficult and, of necessity, obtainable only via the backdoor and at an exorbitant price.

[MyFrenU]

Your post describes my impressions of Vietnam very well. You are right about the maturity level of Vietnamese, though I find the guys more mature than the girls. In Thailand I find this to be true as well, though in general Thais are much more immature than their Vietnamese counterparts - a group of girls standing together are not going to have anything more interesting to talk to you about than the size of your nose. That's how shallow some Thais can be - and yes, I am completely fluent in Thai so am not lost for words when communicating with the locals. In Vietnam, interesting conversations abound - about business, politics even (all in English, since my Vietnamese is almost zilch). Not laughing at someone's physical features even if the Thais usually remark: "oh, I wish I could have some of your nose".

Right on. Several friends who have visited many times and lived in VN, like myself, have said the same thing. There's a maturity level that Thais can only dream about. The Thais I'm talking about work in shops and malls and for foreigner owned firms, although the latter are more capable -- not by much. An American friend who is advanced in Thai fluency (he teaches university courses in Thai) has remarked that it might not be worth learning Thai because then you will know the "filthy" truth. Anyway, you immediately sense the difference with Viets. Now, if only long-term visas (6-month and up) were not so difficult and, of necessity, obtainable only via the backdoor and at an exorbitant price.

Same with most languages though,in Spain I'd walk into a local bar,cafe and they'd be nudging each other in the ribs and whispering under their breath,to indicate that I understood EXACTLY what they were saying about me it's not just reserved for Thais believe me!

I thought that it was pretty easy to extend 3 month tourist visas in Vietnam,just go to the local travel agent and they'll deal with it a bit like the Philippines?

Actually it's better in the Phils to do it this way as I was in Cebu a few years ago and it got to the farcical stage where the immigration put a notice on the door saying 'No slippers',their name for flip-flops/thongs!

I ended up standing outside while a friend sorted out the visa and I had to wave at them through the window at the right time,it's more fun in the Philippines!

[mcfish]

Been once. It's a total dump and didn't meet any farang in ten years that left thailand for it. nice if you like pho but that's about it really

Sent from my SC-01D using Tapatalk

[ev1lchris]

People are kind of skeevy.

[ggt]

Having worked and lived in Vietnam during the 1960s...was a bit apprehensive as an American returning to the place where the US was involved in so much unnecessary human strife, misery, and destruction...

I was not certain how the Communist Regime would accept a former enemy...

Could not have been more surprised when people's faces would just light-up when they found out I was a returning American...they seem to go out of their way to assure me that all had been forgiven...yet not forgotten...the biggest tourist attraction in HCMC (former Siagon) was the Vietnam War Memorial...I attended of course...and after viewing the captured US Military arsenal...and especially the pictures of people who were born deformed from the criminal use of agent orange to defoliate the Vietnamese forests...I could not put my mind around how they could now be so accepting of Americans...

..

ggt,

I lived in Saigon for 7 years. The so-called "communist regime" was and is just another kleptocracy. VNese communism was in large part: "if someone has something you want, you steal it from them."

Property was one of these things. And after stealing the house and/or property you sell it for profit.

Many Southerners do not like Northerners nor the VNese government. The Politburo is entirely composted of Northerners. The traffic cops you see are usually Northerners.

The VC did a lot of the work, only in the end to get shut-out by the Northerners.

As for the "war museum," yes bad things were perpetrated by the US and it should be remembered. And the VNese were killing VNese as well. But don't expect the state run media, education system, or even people to every tell you the truth about it.

Thanks for the input...

My exposure was strictly cursory...every place I have lived for any length of time...tends to expose it's worts over time...

As a tourist I had the advantage of enjoying the culture...without getting embroiled in the day to day politics...

Somewhat like a tourist who views Thailand as an adult Disney World...then lives there for a few years and has an entirely different take on the place...

[Tomtomtom69]

Your post describes my impressions of Vietnam very well. You are right about the maturity level of Vietnamese, though I find the guys more mature than the girls. In Thailand I find this to be true as well, though in general Thais are much more immature than their Vietnamese counterparts - a group of girls standing together are not going to have anything more interesting to talk to you about than the size of your nose. That's how shallow some Thais can be - and yes, I am completely fluent in Thai so am not lost for words when communicating with the locals. In Vietnam, interesting conversations abound - about business, politics even (all in English, since my Vietnamese is almost zilch). Not laughing at someone's physical features even if the Thais usually remark: "oh, I wish I could have some of your nose".

Right on. Several friends who have visited many times and lived in VN, like myself, have said the same thing. There's a maturity level that Thais can only dream about. The Thais I'm talking about work in shops and malls and for foreigner owned firms, although the latter are more capable -- not by much. An American friend who is advanced in Thai fluency (he teaches university courses in Thai) has remarked that it might not be worth learning Thai because then you will know the "filthy" truth. Anyway, you immediately sense the difference with Viets. Now, if only long-term visas (6-month and up) were not so difficult and, of necessity, obtainable only via the backdoor and at an exorbitant price.

Same with most languages though,in Spain I'd walk into a local bar,cafe and they'd be nudging each other in the ribs and whispering under their breath,to indicate that I understood EXACTLY what they were saying about me it's not just reserved for Thais believe me!

I thought that it was pretty easy to extend 3 month tourist visas in Vietnam,just go to the local travel agent and they'll deal with it a bit like the Philippines?

Actually it's better in the Phils to do it this way as I was in Cebu a few years ago and it got to the farcical stage where the immigration put a notice on the door saying 'No slippers',their name for flip-flops/thongs!

I ended up standing outside while a friend sorted out the visa and I had to wave at them through the window at the right time,it's more fun in the Philippines!

Yeah maybe, but how often would a Spanish person talk about another white, western person from another country behind their back? I don't think this is a common experience. In Thailand [or for that matter, any other Asian country including Vietnam] it happens because westerners are still "exotic" enough to be considered outsiders, in Spain another European person doesn't really stand out from the locals and in any case, their country is more multicultural so even an African or Asian person is not going to get the locals to react. Only maybe if you're a handsome, young lad and are talking about an experience at a bar where 3 young, attractive Spanish girls are looking for a date and spotted you.

I agree with Kaoboi. Although I am glad I know Thai, sometimes I feel like I have to put up with hearing uncomfortable things that most expats who don't understand Thai never hear.

In Vietnam, locals are less likely to expect foreigners (including expats) to speak their language, maybe because it's more difficult? I have never heard a foreigner speak anything more than passable Vietnamese and almost never does a Vietnamese person wish to speak their language with a foreigner. Quite different to Thailand, where if you speak Thai well enough, the vast majority of Thais are happy to speak their language with you.

Vietnamese does have more tones than Thai. Even so, one doesn't receive different treatment if you can't speak their language, other than (in some places) slightly better prices when bargaining. In Thailand, if you speak the language you are usually treated far better BUT that does sometimes come with certain disadvantages. As a Thai speaker, I have been treated exactly like a Thai at work, which means when I make an (unintentional) mistake (usually cultural mistake, not a mistake related to my work), co-workers get more upset with me than if I were just another clueless, English speaking "farang". Or at least, that's the way it has seemed to me.

[McMacao]

On 4/27/2016 at 6:02 PM, sgtsabai said:

I've never been to Saigon, and to me it will always be Saigon. Spent my time up in I Corps on a lovely expense paid vacation courtesy Uncle Sam's Misguided Children. Been back in SE Asia for 15 yrs., never been back and I left nothing there I didn't want to leave. But I do luv the women. Quite a few around Udon, if you can find them.

The people in Saigon also call it Saigon.  It is only the Hanoi gov't that calls it HCMC.

[McMacao]

On 5/24/2016 at 4:34 PM, Tomtomtom69 said:

Nowadays few Vietnamese would harbor any resentment towards Americans for what happened to their country just 4 or 5 decades ago (whatever you were doing there in the 1960s I'm sure back then there would have been resentment towards you but definitely NOT now). Plenty of tourists and expats and the behavior of the current lot is much more likely to affect perceptions of you than what happened before most of the current generation were even born (the Vietnamese population is still overwhelmingly young).

1

Well, Vietnamese were at war with French, Chinese, AMericans, and Cambodians...for like hundreds of years.  So that decade with the Americans was quite small.  Plus most Vietnamese will tell you that they won all of their wars...so it's a point of pride.

 

Plus Saigon, most of the Vietnamese there, they would have fought along side of the Americans as well.  Not against.

[tutsiwarrior]

20 hours ago, McMacao said:

The people in Saigon also call it Saigon.  It is only the Hanoi gov't that calls it HCMC.

 

BS...the only people that call HCMC 'Saigon' are the former south vietnamese that live in Garden Grove and in San Jose in California...most of whom are actively involved in sedition with right wing US anti communist organizations and are not welcome...

 

the Sai Gon river runs close by and ye can't really change the name of the river...there's a nice party down river in Vung Tau...

 

 

[McMacao]

5 hours ago, tutsiwarrior said:

 

BS...the only people that call HCMC 'Saigon' are the former south vietnamese that live in Garden Grove and in San Jose in California...most of whom are actively involved in sedition with right wing US anti communist organizations and are not welcome...

 

the Sai Gon river runs close by and ye can't really change the name of the river...there's a nice party down river in Vung Tau...

 

 

I guess I need to get back to Saigon/HCMC again.

I spent some time there in the year 2000, and I was surprised how frequently I saw and heard the word 'Saigon' around the city, at least at that time.

[tutsiwarrior]

14 hours ago, McMacao said:

I guess I need to get back to Saigon/HCMC again.

I spent some time there in the year 2000, and I was surprised how frequently I saw and heard the word 'Saigon' around the city, at least at that time.

 

as I remember in 2006 there was an organization called Saigontourist in HCMC that organized tours...but all of my local professional associates used HCMC as well as the staff at the accommodation, etc...

[chado]

impessive in its noiceness and air pollution.

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

On 1/5/2018 at 3:46 PM, tutsiwarrior said:

 

as I remember in 2006 there was an organization called Saigontourist in HCMC that organized tours...but all of my local professional associates used HCMC as well as the staff at the accommodation, etc...

 

Indeed. Here in the deep south of VN, the big city is known as Ho Chi Minh. There are indeed businesses, geographical spots and services with the name Saigon but for all, the city is called HCMC. A further note, Saigon Tourist taxis are to be avoided. They monopolize the Ben Nha Rong ferry terminal, ripping people off, e.g., charging them "by the meter" a million dong for an airport run -- which is 150,000 regularly.

[steelepulse]

On 1/25/2018 at 11:56 AM, Kaoboi Bebobp said:

 

Indeed. Here in the deep south of VN, the big city is known as Ho Chi Minh. There are indeed businesses, geographical spots and services with the name Saigon but for all, the city is called HCMC. A further note, Saigon Tourist taxis are to be avoided. They monopolize the Ben Nha Rong ferry terminal, ripping people off, e.g., charging them "by the meter" a million dong for an airport run -- which is 150,000 regularly.

I'm heading to HCMC  and then either Nha Trang or Vung Tau.  Anything changed in HCMC of significance since this thread was last updated?  

 

I've got two full days to get out of HCMC and see something else.  Leaning towards Nha Trang but I see that Vung Tau is reachable by high speed ferry vs airline flight to Nha Trang.  

[Jip99]

Vung Tao is easy to get to by ferry (90 mins ??) and is a pleasant place.

 

Personally, I would avoid weekends as it becomes overrun with Vietnamese weekenders

[steelepulse]

Thanks, it would be on a weekday, but maybe it's too quiet?

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

3 hours ago, Jip99 said:

Vung Tao is easy to get to by ferry (90 mins ??) and is a pleasant place.

 

Personally, I would avoid weekends as it becomes overrun with Vietnamese weekenders

 

Got that right. The roads are choked with local visitors most weekends. Midweek is just fine, really and room rates are lower in many hotels. Bars and restos operating fully. I have not visited Nha Trang but several friends live there and really like it. As for HCMC, I'm good for 2 nights max and then out of there.  

[steelepulse]

4 hours ago, Kaoboi Bebobp said:

 

Got that right. The roads are choked with local visitors most weekends. Midweek is just fine, really and room rates are lower in many hotels. Bars and restos operating fully. I have not visited Nha Trang but several friends live there and really like it. As for HCMC, I'm good for 2 nights max and then out of there.  

Thanks.  Only reason I'm not fully committed to Nha Trang is I need to be back in the afternoon to pick up my passport at the Thai embassy and I've read that the internal flights can be notoriously late.

 

Speaking of passports, will arlines and hotels accept a copy of my passport seeing as it will be stuck in the embassy?

Edited March 8, 2018 by steelepulse

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

4 hours ago, steelepulse said:

Thanks.  Only reason I'm not fully committed to Nha Trang is I need to be back in the afternoon to pick up my passport at the Thai embassy and I've read that the internal flights can be notoriously late.

 

Speaking of passports, will arlines and hotels accept a copy of my passport seeing as it will be stuck in the embassy?

 

Yes, true. VietJet has a horrible record in particular.

[Mojomor]

I have been to Nha Trang. It is okay, but I would not rave about it. Regarding Saigon, yes the locals call it Saigon. Some of the politically correct call it HCM Saigon