General Info

[Playsafe]

A quick google & this is what I found:

A43 Truong Son, Tan Binh District,
Ho Chi Minh City
Phone: +84 8 885 0188
Fax: +84 8 845 8119

[Phordphan]

Pacific Airlines also do domestic, they're usually cheaper than Vietnam air, although on board service is limited to a very short menu.

You can catch the hydrofoil to Vung Tau, takes about 1.5 hours.

Good call on Pacific Airlines! Their web site is better than VNA's, but it's all in Viet, so a bit difficult for me to decipher. But it looks like their SGN-HUI flights are about $20 cheaper than VNA. Maybe I'll go to a travel agent in Little Saigon and have 'em book them for me.

Do you know if they fly out of Suvarnabhumi or Don Muang? I'm thinking of taking them from BKK to SGN, too.

Thanks

PP

[Nonthab]

Pacific Airlines also do domestic, they're usually cheaper than Vietnam air, although on board service is limited to a very short menu.

You can catch the hydrofoil to Vung Tau, takes about 1.5 hours.

[Phordphan]

I wouldn't bring heaps of US $. Not necessary. There are ATM's everywhere in the main cities and you'll be paying more if you use USD instead of Dong. And the price for flights isn't cheaper if you book in advance, unless the airline has a price hike. If you want to pre-book flights before your arrival, you can use these guys. http://english.ivivu.com/

Thanx. I usually use ATM when in Thailand (no point in Cambodia, not possible in Myanmar). But on my last trip I found that my frippin' bank's service fees more than mads up for their slight advantage in exchange rate, and it actually cost more to use the ATM than to change a $100 at a change counter. :-(

Are the domestic flights all handled by Vietnam Air, or are there others?

PP

[Saigon Daze]

Hi Phordphan,

I've been living in HCMC for 4 months now so I'll try to answer your questions.

From Saigon you can book day trips to Cu Chi tunnels & many other places for about 6$. Just book thru your hotel when you get there. I haven't been to any beaches yet, so can't help you there. There are available hotels everywhere I'm sure. But booking flights early should save you some $'s but there should be space if you want to leave it to the last minute.

As for $'s virtually all hotels & travel agencies will happily take dollars so you can bring a heap of them. They can easily be exchanged for Dong many places at about 16000VND per $. You can also use ATM's no problem or travellers cheques or over the counter Credit Card withdrawels with a 3% fee.
So bring some with you, get more when you need it. There are some places that accept Dong only, usually less touristy places, so be prepared for that.

I wouldn't bring heaps of US $. Not necessary. There are ATM's everywhere in the main cities and you'll be paying more if you use USD instead of Dong. And the price for flights isn't cheaper if you book in advance, unless the airline has a price hike. If you want to pre-book flights before your arrival, you can use these guys. http://english.ivivu.com/

[Member #2041]

Some beaches nearby would be Vung Tao, an 1 1/2 hour boat ride from HCMC or Mue Nie about a 3 or 4 hr bus ride. Vietnam Airline offices can book your ticket to Hue, my favorite hotel is the SaiGon Morin in Hue, but there are some cheaper and just as nice. Location is best at the Morin. No need for a guide but companionship is a must..... pm me for my GF hotels.

I booked my internal Vietnam flights (Hanoi-Hue, and Danang-HCMC) in advance through a highly reputable travel agency named Buffalo Tours - they got me the domestic price (under $60 for each flight), which was far less than on Expedia. They also booked me some of my other tourist-type arrangements, such as my 2 day-1 night trip to Halong Bay. They delivered my plane tickets to my hotel in Hanoi.

www.buffalotours.com

In Hue, I stayed at the Orchid hotel. It was quite nice, and cost under $25/night, but I doubt it would have been guest friendly.

[OzzieSuds]

Thanks! I'll give it a try.

Also, is Vung Tau a day trip, or is it more of an overnight thing?

PP

Can be either.

[Phordphan]

If you keep your eyes and ears open in and around District 1 you will probably find a young lady who wants to 'practise her english' and who will be happy to show you around and probably more. Be polite and smile a lot. Same applies to the ferry terminal area at Vung Tau or even on the ferry to and from VT.

Thanks! I'll give it a try.

Also, is Vung Tau a day trip, or is it more of an overnight thing?

PP

[Phordphan]

Some beaches nearby would be Vung Tao, an 1 1/2 hour boat ride from HCMC or Mue Nie about a 3 or 4 hr bus ride. Vietnam Airline offices can book your ticket to Hue, my favorite hotel is the SaiGon Morin in Hue, but there are some cheaper and just as nice. Location is best at the Morin. No need for a guide but companionship is a must..... pm me for my GF hotels.

Thanks! No doubt about it, companionship is a definite must! :-)

I looked at the Morin's web site. It looks like a nice place. Have you tried any of their tours?

Usually I book a double and get less static about guests, but that's in Thailand and Cambodia. Is it worth doing in VN, or a waste of money?

I'll PM you later, as plans firm up.

PP

[Phordphan]

Hi Phordphan,

I've been living in HCMC for 4 months now so I'll try to answer your questions.

From Saigon you can book day trips to Cu Chi tunnels & many other places for about 6$. Just book thru your hotel when you get there. I haven't been to any beaches yet, so can't help you there. There are available hotels everywhere I'm sure. But booking flights early should save you some $'s but there should be space if you want to leave it to the last minute.

As for $'s virtually all hotels & travel agencies will happily take dollars so you can bring a heap of them. They can easily be exchanged for Dong many places at about 16000VND per $. You can also use ATM's no problem or travellers cheques or over the counter Credit Card withdrawels with a 3% fee.
So bring some with you, get more when you need it. There are some places that accept Dong only, usually less touristy places, so be prepared for that.

I'll be here in March for sure, I'll have my membership activated soon so ya can contact me if ya like.

Thanks for the tips. I'll bring some $$ and a couple of ATMs.

I'll try to PM you later, as the plans firm up.

PP

[OzzieSuds]

[QUOTE=Phordp

My MO in other countries is to get a “tour guide” to spend the time with me. From reading the threads, it looks like this may not be an option. Am I correct? If not, any suggestions?

PP[/QUOTE]

If you keep your eyes and ears open in and around District 1 you will probably find a young lady who wants to 'practise her english' and who will be happy to show you around and probably more. Be polite and smile a lot. Same applies to the ferry terminal area at Vung Tau or even on the ferry to and from VT.

[Dragonfly22]

Some beaches nearby would be Vung Tao, an 1 1/2 hour boat ride from HCMC or Mue Nie about a 3 or 4 hr bus ride. Vietnam Airline offices can book your ticket to Hue, my favorite hotel is the SaiGon Morin in Hue, but there are some cheaper and just as nice. Location is best at the Morin. No need for a guide but companionship is a must..... pm me for my GF hotels.

[Nonthab]

Hi Phordphan,

I've been living in HCMC for 4 months now so I'll try to answer your questions.

From Saigon you can book day trips to Cu Chi tunnels & many other places for about 6$. Just book thru your hotel when you get there. I haven't been to any beaches yet, so can't help you there. There are available hotels everywhere I'm sure. But booking flights early should save you some $'s but there should be space if you want to leave it to the last minute.

As for $'s virtually all hotels & travel agencies will happily take dollars so you can bring a heap of them. They can easily be exchanged for Dong many places at about 16000VND per $. You can also use ATM's no problem or travellers cheques or over the counter Credit Card withdrawels with a 3% fee.
So bring some with you, get more when you need it. There are some places that accept Dong only, usually less touristy places, so be prepared for that.

I'll be here in March for sure, I'll have my membership activated soon so ya can contact me if ya like.

[Phordphan]

Hi, all

I’ve been reading as much as I can in this particular section, as I’ll be making my first trip to VN in March.

I’ve been all over Thailand, Cambodia and parts of Myanmar. I posted a bunch of trip reports in the Burma thread last year, in case anybody’s curious. Therefore, I’m somewhat familiar with this part of the world.

So, enough of the bona fides. I’m hoping that some of you can assist with a couple of questions.

I’m only going to have about 6 days in VN this trip. Besides the ladies, I want to see some of the war sites (Cu Chi, Museum of American Aggression or whatever the hell they call it now, etc.), some of the beaches and, maybe, Hue. Can anybody recommend an itinerary that might cover most of these in the allotted time?

My MO in other countries is to get a “tour guide” to spend the time with me. From reading the threads, it looks like this may not be an option. Am I correct? If not, any suggestions?

Maybe I missed it, but what’s the best way to exchange USD for VND? Are ATMs an option, or is it best to take some Benjamins?

For flights to Hue, is it OK to just go to the airport and buy a ticket, or is it better to book in advance? Same question for hotels.

That’s all I can think of for now. I’m really looking forward to seeing VietNam. If anybody’s around mid-March, and wants to hook up for a drink, the first round’s on me.

Thanks

PP

[OzzieSuds]

Hi Everyone. Really enjoy reading all your posts.

I have a question:

I'm coming to Vietnam in Feb with my girlfriend (couple days in HCMC, but mostly in North Vietnam). She's really into picking up a working girl together. Anything from watching me get a BJ in a massage parour, to bringing WG to hotel to watch me have sex, to having her join in as a 3some (maybe with a strapon).

So. Any advice on how to make this happen? Is this an unusual request? Are many WG's bisexual? Is it cool for couples to go into massage parlours, Fontana, etc or do mamasans freak out? Will a WG go to a hotel with a couple? Should I expect to pay a lot extra for this "special" service? Any places in Hanoi or HCMC that are better for hooking this up?

Looking forward to any advice.

Thanks!

You should find what you want in the bars on Hai Bai Trung in HCMC. Don't bother with the massage places - they will freak out.