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Silly puppy, thanks for the tip, though I am surprized. Are you saying the horror stories I have read about getting in trouble in HCM are going on in far away places also? Are there no nice bars, where one can go in and have a drink, and chat to a couple of girls?
1ball: I can't answer your question accurately enough because I've never been in PQ. However, I have been in small cities/districts and these areas are difficult to find girls. The reason is that good or decent looking girls go to big cities to meet people like us and they DON'T want to work in their home town for being afraid of bringing shame to their families. There are possibly some little bars for you to have drinks, and hopefully, some girls to flirt with. But I am not so sure. Local girls don't go out with strangers, let alone foreigners. To have better chance you must stay longer (weeks or months) or go to Saigon.
[QUOTE=1Ball]Hi to the VT regulars.
I am planning on going to Dao Phu Quoc in january. I have done a search, but nothing. is there anything going on there?
Also will a HCM regular be around in january? I have been to HCM once, but it was a long time ago, and after RTFF, it seems it is easy to get taken for a ride in this lovely town. Anyone wish to take a newbie around?
thanks in advance.[/QUOTE]
i'm sitting in my HCMC room right now, trying to figure out what can be found here to match LOS....not coming to any great conclusions.
calling for in house $100 ST and $150 LT according to my local partners. last visit back nov 2005, got girl from bar for ST $70, what a fucking waste
Sorry to hear Traveller is having such a hard time. On my recent trip I enjoyed in house over night for $60USD with no haggeling and excellent service. Except for the incessant cell phone ringing. Price varies as does serice but maybe it's your contacts that are the problem.
Dragonfly,
I will be in HCMC in Jan 2. I would love your contact for the in house services. Do you also have any contact for Hue.
Pham2929
[QUOTE=Traveler1234]i'm sitting in my HCMC room right now, trying to figure out what can be found here to match LOS....not coming to any great conclusions.
calling for in house $100 ST and $150 LT according to my local partners. last visit back nov 2005, got girl from bar for ST $70, what a fucking waste[/QUOTE]
Rules for HCMC.
#1 do NOT stay in 2,3,4,5 star hotels. Stay in small GF hotel that is less than $30 per night.
#2 do not go to places like Catwalk or Club Renaissance unless you want to fork out over US$100 for a primma donna. Same with call for delivery.
#3 scout the bars but avoid those bars where the mamasan is greedy. You can still get LT with good lookers for $50-60 but some of the mamas either want more or want 5-6 minimum lady drinks.
#4 negotiate with bar girls and massage girls to meet outside
#5 keep an eye out for nice freelancers around the D1 area.
In HCMC you can not just walk up and pay for action as easily as LOS. It akes a little more patience and negotiating. On the other hand I have found that much more freindly experiences can be had without the problems of flighty pro bar girls.
Sudsoz, you give some good advice.
I have gone through 30 or so pages, and it seems things are all over the place. Can you elaborate a little on your point number 3? I am used to LOS, and JKT, where you can go to different bars, have a few drinks and a few laughs, nego directly with a girl, and off you go. it seems not to work that way in Vietnam. I am not interested in having a girl knock on my door, i like a bit of "let's get to know each other" first. So where can we find this, if at all? Also what is the best area to stay in to be farily close? I was there 7 years ago, so memory is a bit foggy, I think I remember an area which had quite a few backpackers, travel shops, etc, maybe near the river? I was not alone, so didn't investigate the scene though. Am I on the right track?
thanks
Hey guys, sorry for the delay in responding to questions. I haven't been on the site lately. My sincere apology!
Silly Puppy - Thanks for handling the clarification of my posting for The Chief.
The Chief - Just FYI. I am caucasian but have worked in a Vietnamese community in the States for more than 10 years. I have learned the culture very well and have many Vietnamese friends. When in Vietnam, you must remember it is nothing more than a "game" or sort of like haggling on the price of a car. Caucasians are at a disadvantage from the beginning so you must remember how the game is played. The massage girls are superb players no matter how young. They usually start with the sweet smiles and giggles while sizing you up. This will usually get the typical caucasian to drop his guard down a notch or two. Then the broken English small talk begins which will almost always include, "This you first time Vietnam?". If you answer yes, they automatically assume you are uninformed and your price for HJ/Happy Ending just went up. The massage girls always start negotiations high but will always come down. Remember, the massage girls are typically hustling 12-14 hours each day. It is no accident that the Happy Ending tip negotiation doesn't begin until you are laying there with your tool at attention. The girls know at this point you just want relief and you are more vulnerable to overpaying just to get that much needed release. I can't fault the girls for hustling. I too want to get paid as much as possible for my work. Then again, when I spend my hard earned dollar I want the best quality for the lowest price obtainable. I suggest going in with a set price in mind and stick with it. I always do and always leave happy. Hope this helps!!
Goober - I apologize for taking so long to respond.
The police came to my hotel lobby and simply checked passports along with VN identification cards. They were checking to make sure there were enough rooms for the number of passports and ID cards held at the front desk. The staff at my hotel get nervous rather quickly these days since one of the night time clerks was arrested earlier this year for promotion of prostitution (pimping). He was working at another hotel the night he was arrested so it hasn't brought any unwanted attention to my favorite hotel. The guys there are still a little jumpy at times.
Just a suggestion. When my buddy and I travel together we always stay in separate rooms. If our hotel insists on our overnight guests having their own room then we rent one room for the girls to share and split the cost between the two of us. Of course, the girls never use the room but all of the bases are covered.
[QUOTE=Traveler1234]i'm sitting in my HCMC room right now, trying to figure out what can be found here to match LOS....not coming to any great conclusions.
calling for in house $100 ST and $150 LT according to my local partners. last visit back nov 2005, got girl from bar for ST $70, what a fucking waste[/QUOTE]Traveler1234,
The easiest solution to your problem would be to take a taxi to a disco called GOSSIP. I don't remember the exact address but it is in Dist. 1 or very close. All of the taxi drivers will know the place. It is a nice place but the techno music is a bit loud for my taste. The staff will treat you very well and the place is loaded with pro and semi-pro working girls. You can't miss. Just remember to make repeated eye contact with any female that interests you and does not have a male companion. They will let you know if they are mutually interested by the same constant eye contact and then a smile or giggle. At that point, the only thing left is price negotiation. They will always start at $80.00 US for ST and $100.00 US (1.6 million VN) for LT or all night. Some will come down in price and some will not. The club closes at midnight so you can wait until the last couple of songs and usually get a better deal. Some money is better than no money for the night!! The selection of girls has always been outstanding when I have gone. This is not your cheapest avenue in HCMC but one of the easiest when in a bind.
Wished I was there to help you out. Good Luck!!
I have to agree with Sudoz's advice ,his informaion has always been spot on.I have personally withdrawn[ most of the time ] from mongering in Ho Chi Minh City due to my personal circumstances here ,mainly now Phnom Penh and Bangkok.
The area you are talking about is Pham Nga Lao, One Ball , I was down there last weekend with some friends on last weekend and the going rate with a good looker was 700,000--1 mill long time.Be careful tho lots of druggies.
I agree with Sudoz, good girls in many bars HBT and Smilies etc but get their numbers, much cheaper [good for daytime action 2]
Hope this is useful.
Shearer
PS: I posted that the Sports Bar Latin was shutting down -could have a reprieve,but not so sure about the girly Saigon Bar.
[QUOTE=1Ball]Sudsoz, you give some good advice.
I have gone through 30 or so pages, and it seems things are all over the place. Can you elaborate a little on your point number 3? I am used to LOS, and JKT, where you can go to different bars, have a few drinks and a few laughs, nego directly with a girl, and off you go. it seems not to work that way in Vietnam. I am not interested in having a girl knock on my door, i like a bit of "let's get to know each other" first. So where can we find this, if at all? Also what is the best area to stay in to be farily close? I was there 7 years ago, so memory is a bit foggy, I think I remember an area which had quite a few backpackers, travel shops, etc, maybe near the river? I was not alone, so didn't investigate the scene though. Am I on the right track?
thanks[/QUOTE]
The girls in the bars (as distinct from freelancers in discos) are tied to the bar and the mamasan controls prices and negotiations. Some of the bars have recently been trying to impose a minimum lady drinks level before you go out - effectively a bar fine. But 6 LD can be US$60 and the same again for the girl makes it very expensive. Others are just trying to push the prices up - one recently wanted $80 for a SYT and would not negotiate. But there are atill several that are more reasonable about it.
Compared to LOS the girls in Vietnam seem a little more natural and less commercial but if the prices go up then they become less attractive.
There are a number of small GF hotels near Benh Than market an more near the backpackers area but I prefer the small hotels in the centre of Dictrict 1 around Mac Thi Boui and off Hai Bai Trung.
[QUOTE=Tricky Richard]Hey guys, sorry for the delay in responding to questions. I haven't been on the site lately. My sincere apology!
Silly Puppy - Thanks for handling the clarification of my posting for The Chief.
The Chief - Just FYI. I am caucasian but have worked in a Vietnamese community in the States for more than 10 years. I have learned the culture very well and have many Vietnamese friends. When in Vietnam, you must remember it is nothing more than a "game" or sort of like haggling on the price of a car. Caucasians are at a disadvantage from the beginning so you must remember how the game is played. The massage girls are superb players no matter how young. They usually start with the sweet smiles and giggles while sizing you up. This will usually get the typical caucasian to drop his guard down a notch or two. Then the broken English small talk begins which will almost always include, "This you first time Vietnam?". If you answer yes, they automatically assume you are uninformed and your price for HJ/Happy Ending just went up. The massage girls always start negotiations high but will always come down. Remember, the massage girls are typically hustling 12-14 hours each day. It is no accident that the Happy Ending tip negotiation doesn't begin until you are laying there with your tool at attention. The girls know at this point you just want relief and you are more vulnerable to overpaying just to get that much needed release. I can't fault the girls for hustling. I too want to get paid as much as possible for my work. Then again, when I spend my hard earned dollar I want the best quality for the lowest price obtainable. I suggest going in with a set price in mind and stick with it. I always do and always leave happy. Hope this helps!![/QUOTE]
This is a very enlightened view from someone from the US. These comments about massage girls apply to the bar girls and mamasans as well. Negotiate, negotiate, negotiate and then do it some more.
Had dinner at Legends Hotel w/ client and as I was leaving, swore saw a few FL walk up to receptionist to get their ID....hmmmm and I thought 4 and 5 star were strict?
Thanks for all's advice. Agree with S's advice, except when on business, I don't have the time or energy to follow them....LOL.
Next visit, will try to find some spare time to roam around.
So what I am reading here, is there are NO FL bars in SGN? it seems strange that there is no venue for the secretary looking for a few extra dongs at the end of the month to make ends meet.
So where do these girls go to round off the month?