Hanoi

[WaterTraveller]

Hi guys,

Presently in Hanoi, first time in Asia, plan on spending 1 month in Vietnam then on Cambodia then fly back home August 17 from Thailand but no solid plans. If I find fun might just stay in Vietnam. If possible would like to get together with someone to explore chick places and clubs. I stay in 25-30 $ places and would like to try to find Asian girlfriend.

I've spent 5 months ea of the last 12 years in Coata Rica, Panama, Nicaragua, and Cuba, started out with no Spanish and a phrase book and did pretty good.

Would like someone to check out FS places and clubs with someone well mannered person.

[Fritobugger]

Posting your own add with a throw away e-mail address is also not a bad idea. I have had good luck with this also. Nothing too overt.

It's worth taking a look at the personal ads in the classified section of "The New Hanoian" web site which is a website for expats living in Hanoi and over the years I have had some success using this site. Occasionally you will find a working girl looking for business but more often girls who are not professionals just at times short of cash and are happy to be wined dined and fucked for a little present, or some ladies who are just looking for fun with a western guy. I have met some lovely young girls but the best has been some very classy middle aged ladies who not only know exactly what they want and how they want it but also what a man needs as well

[Riverstar]

It's worth taking a look at the personal ads in the classified section of "The New Hanoian" web site which is a website for expats living in Hanoi and over the years I have had some success using this site. Occasionally you will find a working girl looking for business but more often girls who are not professionals just at times short of cash and are happy to be wined dined and fucked for a little present, or some ladies who are just looking for fun with a western guy. I have met some lovely young girls but the best has been some very classy middle aged ladies who not only know exactly what they want and how they want it but also what a man needs as well

[Mrdurden]

Well, I'll be staying at the Westlake. Travel folks needed an aswer today. If anyone knows of any fun places nearby, please let me know.

Sharky

Please report back on your experiences. I'll be a Hanoi first-timer in a couple of months also at the Intercontinental.

[Sharky Skinner]

Hi Guys:

I'll be in Hanoi in a few weeks. 10 Hotels are being offered, any advice based on :

1. Nearby mongering possibilities.

2. Ability to bring a lady back to the hotel.

3. Others, safety etc.

Here's the list:

Intercontinental Hanoi Westlake

Thanks!

Sharky (1st time to Hanoi.)

Well, I'll be staying at the Westlake. Travel folks needed an aswer today. If anyone knows of any fun places nearby, please let me know.

Sharky

[Sharky Skinner]

Hi Guys:

I'll be in Hanoi in a few weeks. 10 Hotels are being offered, any advice based on :

1. Nearby mongering possibilities.

2. Ability to bring a lady back to the hotel.

3. Others, safety etc.

Here's the list:

Renaissance Saigon Riverside Hotel

Mercure Hanoi La Gare.

Caravelle Hotel

Sofitel Plaza Hanoi

Hilton Hanoi Opera Hotel

Hotel Lanvien.

Intercontinental Hanoi Westlake

Hilton Garden Inn Hanoi

Moevenpick Hotel Hanoi

Sofitel Saigon Plaza

Thanks!

Sharky (1st time to Hanoi.)

[OnTheLookOut]

Hi,

So this is possible at 469 Thuy Khue St. Large house so you can just drive in. There are a number of Tam Quats along this street that you can drive into.

Been twice and both gals took the load then quietly spat it into a tissue.

Second visit the gal Su Su let me stand and she knelt. After so tit and pussy play. So could hold her head to be sure she took the load.

Both times about 400, 000vnd without any bargaining.

Gals 6-7, friendly, let you play with tits and pussy. Didn't inquire about full service but who knows.

Rooms upstairs. Much nicer / larger than normal Tam Quats. 3 beds / tables with curtains and I was alone both times.

Semm to be open from lunchtime onwards.

[OnTheLookOut]

Went to Nguyen Hoang Ton the other day...

Hi,

Twice now I have been to 469 Thuy Khue St on edge almost of Westlake and headed upstairs to a room. 3 beds / tables and curtains but quite clean compared to usual Tam Quat.

First time had a CIM laying down. Gal dropped her underwear and brought out her tits to play with and same second time but this gal was okay about kneeling down and giving a CIM BJ while I was standing and could hold her head to be sure my load went in to her mouth. Then she discreetly spat it into a tissue. Her name she said was Su Su

Both probably 6-7, quite young and pleasant and skill level okay!

Cost 400,000 vnd but I didn't really bargain and probably could get it down to 200,000 vnd maybe.

Its a big house so you can just drive in the entrance straight of the street and seem to be open from lunchtime onwards

[JohnAppleseed]

I've had bad experiences when asking random cabbies for advice. Most of the time you will get scammed. You're better off relying on the advice in this forum on where to go.

Yeah first rule in Vietnam is to never accept offers from cabbies or motorbike taxis who say they will bring you for a massage, KTV or "boom-boom".9 times out of 10 you will either be cheated or worse, robbed. Sunday8493's experience was bad but believe me, I've heard a lot worse including people being held up at knife-point by a group of thugs inside a KTV.

[Gromit8]

Hanoi scam, told cabbie to take me to happy ending massage, went to the first one and he quoted 500, 000 downstairs for a happy ending, which seemed acceptable, walked up 4 flights of stairs to the crusty sauna and showers area, strip off to have a shower, as soon as the water hits me...

I've had bad experiences when asking random cabbies for advice. Most of the time you will get scammed. You're better off relying on the advice in this forum on where to go.

[Sunday8493]

Hanoi scam, told cabbie to take me to happy ending massage, went to the first one and he quoted 500, 000 downstairs for a happy ending, which seemed acceptable, walked up 4 flights of stairs to the crusty sauna and showers area, strip off to have a shower, as soon as the water hits me he says one million, so I'm stark naked having an angry confrontation with these 2 pimps. Dress and leave, hail another cab and go to another joint,

This one is a karaoke bar and all the gangsters / pimps are asleep in the karaoke lounge, they are all hustled out and the half asleep pimp (this is at lunch time) tries to sell me a half hour karaoke package while he goes to wake up some girls, no dice.

Take a third cab to another massage parlour. The friendly guy downstairs says yeah 400 for happy ending or 600 for boom boom, just pay the girl and tip me something later. All too easy. Went to the room and picked the prettier of the 2 girls on offer. She proceeds to give me a scrub in the bath, facial treatment, lame massage and finally terrible hand job all in about 40 mins. I gave her the 500, 000 only because I promised it to her beforehand, and went to leave.

Not so simple, after some discussions outside, suddenly there are three gangsters in the room, the main one lights up a cigarette and presents me with a trumped up handwritten invoice for 1. 8 million itemising the facial, bath scrub, cup of tea and other misc bullshit. The sudden realization that you are in a scam is a very sobering experience I can tell you, and having the three pimps blocking the exit, well you can imagine, one minute you're having a shit massage, massage the next minute you're in a be grade gangster film. I tried disputing the bill, but I knew where this was headed, I was their ATM machine today, after a few minutes I agreed to pay a further 1. 5 million which was about all I had in my wallet. I was 300, 000 ($13. 84) short of their invoice and the gangsters didn't like it. So surreal to see these guys operate their scam face to face. I suppose a bog standard extortion and hostage setup till the bill is paid. They talked about it not being their money, it was their bosses money, did they want me to call the big boss? I didn't like the sound of that.

So they basically kidnapped me and took me to the ATM by taxi. 2 of them plus a random driver 4 in the cab, heading to an ATM in a very public street in broad daylight. My head was spinning. 4 days earlier I had heard about an aussie leb that had been driven to an outer suburb ATM while pissed at night, then he had to empty his account at knifepoint. But I had to calm my nerves and think what to do. This was a small time scam, $90, certainly not worth starting a scuffle. Police advice is always to do what they say. If you do start something, move towards the road where you can attract attention. The guys were not big, but for gangsters; winning a street fight is a point of honour. What kind of gangster wants to lose a street fight to a tourist? I was also unsure of what weapons they were carrying if any, but I would not have been at all surprised at all to see a knife come out of a pocket if things went bad. In hindsight, these guys were conscious of the fact that I could have guided police back to their shop, so they didn't want to rob me, that really worked in my favour as I had a credit card in my wallet. I was thinking of ways to throw the credit card away in the gutter before they got to it. Maybe I could run but that would likely end in a scuffle or fight, where they would likely want revenge as well. At the ATM they were trying to look inconspicuous about 6m away from me and didn't try to get my pin.

Local people in the street were looking at us, they knew something was not right, but they didn't do anything helpful. The ATMs were not working we tried 3. Thank Christ my Australian bank set a limit on my daily withdrawal. I showed them the error message each time. Finally back in the cab just driving around slowly as I tried to explain the daily limit using sign language their English was rubbish. Finally they called the big boss, and his English was better so I spoke to him on the phone. He asked how much I had already paid. 2 million I said. 500 to the girl and 1500 to the gang. Come on, I tried to bargain with him, it's enough already! He more or less agreed and after speaking with the pimp clowns they agreed I could be released, I ended up joking with them 2 million! Its good for you. What a fucking relief. But I wasn't out of the woods yet. They left me with the random cabbie, who one gangster had given detailed instructions earlier during the drive, suddenly he didn't want me to get out either, but I was way less afraid of him. Likely they instructed him to find the name of my hotel which none of them knew so far, I showed him my empty wallet, but he still didn't want me to get out. So I jumped out, ran away and hailed a second cab. Jumped in the second cab like something out of a Jason Bourne film and laid down in the back and told him go, go go! We took off with the other cab in pursuit. I still had no money so after about 5 k's I threw my last 20k on the front seat jumped out when he stopped at the light, sprinted off into an alley with cab in pursuit. Turns out the alley was a dead end and a second cab had joined the pursuit, possibly the gangsta cab, couldn't be sure. Neither of them wanted to fight, so I just bolted out of the dead end and escaped into a nearby high end mall. I don't think they saw where I went. I holed up in the mall for an hour to regroup and figure out what to do next. I was still ten k's away from my hotel and no money.

After an hour I walked back to the hotel through the afternoon heat. The whole thing only cost me $2 million, so all a bit silly really. Lessons learned: Never use massage parlours in Hanoi. Always have a limit on your ATM daily withdrawal. Being a walking ATM is not a joke, it is a fact. You are a legitimate target in Vietnam.

[Geneva Guy]

Where ever I travel I link up with local girls via facebook finding them is easy- Singapore Doll, KL Chick, Hanoi Doll- link up have a chat and within a couple of days for the price of a lunch- bingo.

This approach also lets they and you check each other out to make sure both parties will be happy with the net results- happy hunting.

My own experience for my 5 hanoi trips was to get a local girl also. A regular girl. Found a couple of them. My only expenditure is for dinner and taxi if they take one. These are not sex workers, they have real jobs and families. They speak english to varying degrees and range in age from 25-40 (I'm fine with older women, really not into the 18 year olds myself but that is me). As for hotels in Hanoi, if the girls bring their I'd and you pay a bit extra, they can stay over. I'm told that the police from time to time drop in and check the "register" so the hotels where I stay (boutique places) like to have all IDs on file and no questions are asked then by authorities.

Agree with the poster who says if you go to SAPA bring you own girl. Since you stay there for a short time, its hard to get 'wheels on the ground" quickly, at least that is my experience.

GG

[MutantChicken]

Maybe it is just me, but 400k is about $19 USD. Bloody expensive? I am visiting soon and hope to spend so little.

Yes well actually the TOTAL price is 400+400tip =800k, and yes 40dollars for a HJ isn't expensive, but given that locals know places that AT MOST you would pay ONLY 400k total, then yes it would be considered expensive relatively. BUt then with attitudes regarding what is cheap and expensive like yours, then you would never find these cheaper places like posted online.

[Johhnny]

Dropped into Zeus today, for research purposes.

It's fancy, really fancy. And bloody expensive. Cheapest option was VND400k for massage only for 80-90 minutes. I asked about a 30 minute option and was quoted 300k.

I reckon it would be a great place to hang and enjoy some pampering and some fun if you had the dong to shell out at the time. I'm going to keep it in mind and go back in the near future when I have the time for a 90 min massage.

Maybe it is just me, but 400k is about $19 USD. Bloody expensive? I am visiting soon and hope to spend so little.

[CaseyStar]

As I've said before, I'm a bit of a sucker for VIP massages. Something I have been trying lately is going local and trying the places never mentioned on here.

What I can say is that going to a VIP place near your home is likely to be a lot cheaper for the same result. I have tried a few in my area and each has their pluses and minuses. Today I went to my nearest local haunt. Had a girl who rates about a 6-7 overall. Very generous in the tits department. Good service, lots of nice teasing and a lovely build up to a HJ near the end, followed by a hot bath. Total cost. 300k for the 90 minutes plus 300k as a tip. The attendants indicated BJ is available now that I am a bit of a regular. I suspect FS as well as there's a hotel thingo over the road that frequently has lunchtime activity. Usually I expect to offload up to 1m VND for a good VIP at a well known place. Going local makes it a lot cheaper and I still get pretty girls who do everything I am after.

Local for me is around Cau Giay area and there are heaps of options.

Try local. You just never know.