Travel tales and tips for getting around in Vietnam by asiahotels.com

Traveller's Tales: Getting around in Vietnam

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D Bryan	02 February 2004
Stayed at Empress Hotel Ho Chi Minh City - Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam.
To see the city you must take a tour with a Cyclo rider (a bike with a passenger seat on the front). It's just the best way to see the real city. I came across a guy called Teo who has been doing the job for 22 years & is just excellent. He'll show you anything you want to see & will take you for food/coffee/beer where the locals go - much better than a taxi! You can find him at a noodle bar (ask one of the waitresses) called Noodle 2000 (or something very similar - it's on the first roundabout on the way to downtown HCMC). A couple of other tips: 1) go to the War museum (it's very biased against the Americans but a sobering advert against war). 2)Get out of the city on a tour or two (Mekhong Delta is excellent) but don't be shy to ask how much a tour will cost.
S Burger	31 January 2004
Stayed at De Syloia Hotel - Hanoi, Vietnam.
Hanoi is a wonderful city. The atmosphere,the people, the food, the art galleries, the shopping, wonderful!! Going through the art galleries was like wandering through museums, the more you saw, the more you fell in love with the Vietnamese artists' work. There were many great restaurants catering to any budget if only there were more meal times in a day! All of the coffee shops we went into were good. The Vietnamese drip coffee served at 'Au Lac'was to die for. The restaurant at the De Syloia hotel was excellent as was a restaurant called 'Nam Phuong'. Going during Tet was not a major problem. The streets were quiet and we were able to wander all over the old quarter without any hassles and visited many art galleries. Many places were closed though, so if you want an action-packed holiday, it may be inconvenient at Tet. The only place we did not like was a place called 'Hoa Lu', it was an old temple area. Unfortunately the hawkers and beggars make it very difficult to walk around and after a short time we gave up and left. It is a pity that they harrass you so much as it left us feeling really upset and not willing to visit what should have been a relaxing and beautiful place.
E Chan	26 January 2004
Stayed at New World Hotel Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam.
Stayed at New World Hotel, good location, friendly staff, rooms spacious & clean. Would recommend anyone visiting Ho Chi Minh to book hotel rooms & air tickets thru internet & join their local tours which is great value for money. Many travel cafes along De Tham, just across New World Hotel separated by the park. Whole day daily tours start from US$4 to US$6 with free lunch for some tours according to distance. There are so many tours to choose to up north of Ho Chi Minh & prices are very cheap compared to joining from hotels or from your own country. No tipping to tour guides or drivers as none expect it but when you join tours organised in your country, agents make it compulsory for everyone to tip. Must try their pastries & french loaves, excellent. Crossing the road is chaotic but after few tries, you will get used to squeezing through. Relatively cheap & very clean non-stinking public toilets which caught me by surpise. So far a safe place, hardly saw beggars in the city & they hardly hassle tourists. Enjoyed our 1st trip to Ho Chi Minh & will definitely be more adventurous to try Hanoi & provinces southwards in our next planning.
L Hodes	25 January 2004
Stayed at Best Western Chancery Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam.
Beware of the traffic. The best way to manuever is just to walk; the mopeds and cars will go around you. A sidetrip to the Mekong is nice way to get out of the city.
A Hartley	24 January 2004
Stayed at Saigon Morin - Hue, Vietnam.
The Citadel and Forbidden City are very interesting-we were there for Tet and witnessed a beautiful fireworks display. We recommend renting motorcycles and exploring the countryside-beautiful!!
W Miyashiro	15 January 2004
Stayed at Que Huong - Liberty 6 - Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam.
I took in all the sites and also some tours to the Cu Chi Tunnels and the Mekong Delta. I would recommend this tour called : Jason-Tours (jasontourssaigon.com). It was awesome. He speaks in English, University Educated and schooled in the History of Vietnam and studied both sides of the Vietnam War to give a balanced perspective. Highy recommended. His tours are suited to you as your time is his time and If you want to stay one place longer it is okay with him.
L Vevers	05 January 2004
Stayed at New World Hotel Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam.
A visit to saigon is not complete without a visit down the mekong river, war history museum and down in the cu-chi tunnels. Saigon is a city full of shops of every descriptions where there is certainly plenty of bargains to be had! There are plenty of bars and nice restaurants with varied dishes. Everyone is very friendly but be aware of the street sellers and don't get on a cyclo without agreeing a price and sticking to that price.
D Nguyen	03 January 2004
Stayed at Amara Hotel Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam.
I loved HCMC! I went to visit the War Crimes and History museums, which were worth the effort. The Cu Chi tunnels were an absolute must, if not for the sweaty tunnel crawl, then the propagandist films, shooting range and random caged animals dotting the whole theme parkish place. Shopping is an experience in itself, with everything for sale at a fraction of the price. I bought a North Face backpack for six dollars, and several hand painted souvenir dishes for a quarter each. Do bargain, as they expect it. My friend got authentically labeled Diesel jeans for sixteen dollars! Food was ridiculously cheap, obviously more so at the local restaurants. As for spas, I went to a pretty upscale one called Qi Saigon Shisheido. They have a nice package for 54 dollars for a five-six hour treatment. Afterwards, if you have the time, get your nails done for two dollars. They do a wonderful job and it may not be the dollar massage at some sketchy street corner, but it also is not what you would pay back at home. Do check it out if you have the time, and the men's section is reputable. One more last thought. I swore to my mother I would not get on the back of a moped for a xe om, but now I wonder why I didn't as much as I should have! It was so fun, pretty safe (they do know what they are doing) and way cheap!
J Koizumi	01 January 2004
Stayed at Duxton Hotel Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam.
The one-day trip to Kao Dai Temple/Cu Chi Tunnel is recommended. Upon arrival at the airport, there are so many unauthorized taxi drivers who try to take care of your baggage, but just tell them "don't touch" so that you can take an authorized airport taxi which costs only VND 50,000.00.
H Avent	01 January 2004
Stayed at Hoi An Hotel - Hoi An, Vietnam.
Hoi An is a photograher's heaven. Pictures at every turn. Great light - overcast in the AM and sunshine (not harsh) in the afternoon. It is a tropical climate, so be ready for the humidity. Also take extra batteries, some types were not available. Old town is within walking distance of the hotel. Cyclos (manpowered tricycles) are also available for transportation. Shopping opportunities abound and some of the vendors can be persistent. The US dollar is used interchangeably with the Vietnamese dong. Bargaining can be very successful using either. My favorite restaurant was "Faifoo" at 104 Tran Phuc Street - great and varied spring rolls and the local "white roses" (dim sum/dumplings, but special, in addition to other traditional Vietnamese food). Wondeful place for a respite after Hanoi or HCMC. It is "not to be missed" on any trip to Vietnam.

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