Ho Chi Minh City - General Info

[Zergut]

OK. As promised, here are some more info. Last night I went to a bar/discotechque called VIVAS on 69 Huynh Thuc Khang. The girls there are cute. But the story is you have to pay for a bottle of of rum, gin, vodka or what ever. The girl will come to help you drink and serve you. She will also dance with you and you can feel her up. You will need to tip her about 50kvd to 100kvd to get her phone number so, that you can call her later when she is not working. It is a long process and not all of the girls can speak English. The girls told me that they have 1 day off a week and if you call her to reserve her table and come to the bar 3-4 times a week then she will go out with you on her day off. Girls there work from 5PM until 2AM on working days so, do not listen if they ask you for money with the promise that they will go with you later that day. I also went to another bar and found a girl who would do almost anything you want if you reserve a table at the bar with her a few night. I forgot the place name but it is near where I stay. Her name is Bich Van and her phone is 0908895672.
I also went to a steam bath/massage place about 100 meter from the corner of Nguyen Kiem and Ho van Hue in Phu Nhan district. You pay the front desk 50KVD to have a steam room then about 1 hour of straight massage. If you tip the girl about 150-200KVD then you can get a hand job.
At night I took a taxi and told him that I want him to find me a girl for the night. He took me to a group of lout on XeOm and had them drive a few girls out for me to look. I saw one that I like and took her back to my hotel for 500KVD overnight. I have her sister (also her boss) phone number if anyone wants to call but, they do not speak English so you will need a translator to tell them what you want. I found out that she had only been working for about a week. Her name is Phuong and her boss is Lien. As her boss to send her to your hotel for 200KVD for 1 hour or 500VND for overnight.
So far, HCMC proved to be a tough nut to crack for the types of girls I want. It just take way too much time to build up a contact list.
I am heading to Vung Tau today so, I'll post what I find there when I get back to HCMC. Hope the above help someone.

[Zergut]

I got in to HCMC on Monday. Met some friends and just learn my way around today. HCMC is more expensive then Hanoi by almost 2X. The standard ST is 200KVD with your own hotel to 300KVD for staying at theirs. The overnight fee is 500KVND for 7 hours at your hotel. I have not try at their hotel. Do not try the Pham Ngu Lao area. There are nothing there except for some druggies. Most of the contacts on this board are out of date. Apocalyse, U2 and other places sucks big time. Your best bet would be to go to a bar or a dance hall and get a phone number to call back the next day. The girls at the bars are paid to drink with you and they will do almost anything to get continue client at their table. If they don't have steady client, they get fired.
I have a few pictures I will post when I get back. I found a few big boobs girls but most are short. The taller ones are rather skinny. My contact number is 0909445001 if anyone wants to hang out. I am heading out to 'thu duc' tomorrow with a local guy who know places to go. I also heard that Bien Hoa is nice so, I might check that out.

---Z

[B Bardill]

Try Nova travel online, they might have something, I have used them before and are usuallyl pretty reliable. www.novatravel.com

Anybody know where I can get tickets to fly out from LAX to Vietnam for the end of december beginning january time frame? my travel agency screwed up and me and my buddy are out of our tickets. We had a pretty sweet deal going on too.... Thanks if anybody has any useful info PM me and beers on me in Vietnam

[Poppasan]

My friends and I will be there from the 15th to the 24th. PM me if you want to hook up. Lets go crazy for 1 week. I can't wait.

[Green Gopher]

Anybody know where I can get tickets to fly out from LAX to Vietnam for the end of december beginning january time frame? my travel agency screwed up and me and my buddy are out of our tickets. We had a pretty sweet deal going on too.... Thanks if anybody has any useful info PM me and beers on me in Vietnam

[Zergut]

I'll be in HCMC on the 20th. Have a few girls line up. They will help me get a hotel there and maybe introduce me to some girl friends of theirs. Email me at zergut2014@yahoo.com with your email so that I can send you my phone number once I get there. I would love to have a wingman on during my trips to the bars and discos. Let me know if you would be up for it.

---Z

Hello everyone!

I will be traveling to Vietnam end of December and would just like to introduce myself onto the board. Alot of very useful information here and hopefully when I return I will be able to do a full right-up.... I plan on traveling throughout VN from HCM to Hanoi while visiting numerous area's along the way. It's just me and another friend and really the only thing I am quite worried about is getting ripped off b/c we are viet kieu and this will be our first time in VN.

I sort of have the travel bug so I look forward to exploring the untamed parts of VN.

PS When in VN is it possible to get a cell phone service activated for 1 month? I am told to bring a bunch of old cellular phones back to VN as they are wanted.

Thank you very much,

I'll be looking forward to adding much info to this section.

[Big Bossman]

Hamilton W. -

I also need info. (your items 1 +2) for HCM as I'll be there for a spell starting Nov. 22. Anybody please share your advice.


As for the touristy things to do, my research show the following:
1. Chu Chi tunnels/ Cao-Dai temple ( for some info.: http://www.mishalov.com/Vietnam_Cu-Chi.html and http://www.offtherails.com/caodai.html )

2. Take a day or overnight tour to the Mekong Delta region (an travel agent can set you up for such a trip).

3. In the city itself:
-War remnants museum
-Ben Thanh Market
-Notre Dame Cathedral
-HCM's own Chinatown
-a slew of bars and restaurants to discover

Good luck and I hope also that somebody shares some more info..

BBM

[Hamilton W]

My 4th trip to SE Asia is coming up and I've provided much info in the Thailand section over the past 18 months. Been to Thailand, among other places, three times now.

I'm going to VN for the first time beginning Nov. 15 and staying for four to seven days. If anyone here will be there during that time frame, please pm me.

After reading the archives for about an hour (starting from 2002 posts), I got burned out and started reading the recent ones backwards, so, I hate to say this, but I'm looking for some clift notes. It's clear this is different from the Thailand scene. If someone could please take a few moments to help out a Senior member, that would be awsome.

So, in a nutshell, here's what I'm looking for:

1) Hotels - "Friendly", reasonably priced, clean, good location. Please provide some details and recommendations.

Do hotels have safes? Seems advisable only to carry small amounts of cash, copy of US passport, and carry all valuables in secure travel wallet.

2) Night Scene - how to, where to go, do's & don'ts, is the midnight closure in effect, what time do things get started, dance and discos, etc.

3) Day (non-sexual) tourist activities

Since I'll only be in HCM for less than one week, I'd like to make the most of this trip and not spend the whole time trying to figure things out.

I plan to continue to read-up here as much as I can, but it's hard to absorb eveything all at once.

[Green Gopher]

Hello everyone!

I will be traveling to Vietnam end of December and would just like to introduce myself onto the board. Alot of very useful information here and hopefully when I return I will be able to do a full right-up.... I plan on traveling throughout VN from HCM to Hanoi while visiting numerous area's along the way. It's just me and another friend and really the only thing I am quite worried about is getting ripped off b/c we are viet kieu and this will be our first time in VN.

I sort of have the travel bug so I look forward to exploring the untamed parts of VN.

PS When in VN is it possible to get a cell phone service activated for 1 month? I am told to bring a bunch of old cellular phones back to VN as they are wanted.

Thank you very much,

I'll be looking forward to adding much info to this section.

[Prosal]

After 12, when all above mentioned places are closing (with exceptions), your best bet would be to go to the backpacker area around Hai Ba Trung Street and visit the beer bars there. Very mixed scene with lots of freelancers and the vn "in" crowd. Some of these bars close very late (early), 5 or 6 am.

Ratufreddie, thanks for the report.

As you mention Hai Ba Trung area, what are the best currents late-night bars to meet the "in crowd" cutties and the best freelancers ?

Also any recommandation for some "before disco" good bars/happy hours, with this kind of crowd ?

Thanks

[Big Bossman]

Ratufreddie,

Thank you for the update. I'll be there in three week's time and i cannot wait.

Those dating and chat sites, any web site addresses you suggest? I would love to line up a non-pro.

Peace.

[RatuFreddie]

short update:

in the disco scene apocalypse now is dead, nothing happening at all. waste of time and money, esp now that priices for drinks have doubled. only known happening spot with many freelancers is the niteclub level 23 in the sheraton. not for the budget minded!
apart from this there are a couple of discotheques with 99% vietnamese patrons, which usually have their share of fl's. they'll find you. environment is very loud, very crowded, very dark, ...for example speed.

girliebars on hai ba trung are working, nothing much has changed here.

after 12, when all above mentioned places are closing (with exceptions), your best bet would be to go to the backpacker area around hai ba trung street and visit the beer bars there. very mixed scene with lots of freelancers and the vn "in" crowd. prices are lower than for the example in sheraton, as it is late and these gitrls are obviously left over or on ther second stint, and it is the backpacker area. starts at around vnd 300.000 for a one time shot, depending on the girl. lt never more than 50 usd, please. some of these bars close very late (early), 5 or 6 am.

another good option, for those willing to go this way, are all the vietnamese dating and chat sites. load and loads of girls, have to sift through and sort out the ones wanting to get married and so on, there is still a good selection left over. if you are in hcmc you can usually meet them on very short notice for a coffee. these are not professional girls, they are looking for romance, adventure, marriage, whatever. don't offer them p4p, buy them presents.

ho chi minh is really bulging with girls, and believe me, at least half of them want to f**k a foreigner. but it is not thailand, nothing is in your face.

[Zergut]

Tom, and others:

Just give me a call when you get to SG. I'll add more time to my phone once I get there. I am currently working on a few leads but, I heard that it is very easy to get anything you wanted in SG. So, this might not be needed. Is the city still shutdown after midnight like in Hanoi? I know that the goverment has an on going policy for all commercial stores to close at midnight but, after all this is SG.

---Z

[NobuSFO]

Hey,

I will be in Saigon on Nov 13. Would you like to hook up for a drink? Will call you when I'm there.

Cheers mate,

Tom

[Fred Gold]

Good Question

When you get the answers, can you share the info here?

Thx,

Fred