vietnam guide thread 3

[alanis_junkie]

me and my cousin will be in hcmc on may 29. We might stay in luanvu and get cuchi tours from sinh cafe? Is it cheaper via sinh cafe o sa hotel nalang?tia!

kung may offer ang hotel might as well sa kanila ka na lang kumuha. Service lang yun to and from the hotel.  6usd ang binayad namin for that hiwalay pa yun entance fee sa cu chi mismo.  yun guide sa bus namin ang nag collect nun fee kaya hassle fee on our side. nun time kase na nandun kami may pila sa ticket booth pero inuna yun guide namin.

what's good about dun sa guide namin, according to him, veteran sya nun vietnam war. half filipino half vietnamese sya. pero he grew up sa new york nun dun na nag stay yun father nya na filipino. he joined the US Navy and na assign sya sa vietnam war nga.  He decided to stay sa saigon and be a guide, sabi nya he trains din daw yun ibang batang tour guides na kasama dun sa ibang bus na kasunod namin.  Medyo familiar ako sa vietnamese side of the story esp sa mga docus na napapanood re: vietnam war (tunnels).  So much more ang info na nakuha namin from pov naman ng side ng us troop. marami pa sya personal kwento during the war. His name is Mr. Bean daw (i don;t know if ganyan spelling hehe basta sabi nya kase call him Mr. Bean).

[southpaw]

I just want to share, when we were in HCMC, we availed of the "Saigon by Night" tour by XO Tours. I was encouraged to try the tour because of good raves at Trip Advisor (they got the top spot of the Tours List!).

We toured the city in two wheels - yes, we were sight-seeing on the back of scooters with cheerful and friendly Vietnamese ladies as our drivers/tour guides. 

We got to see some areas of the city that were beyond the ‘touristy’ areas, places that we could not have reached on our own. We saw parts of China Town (they told us Benh Tanh was a tourist trap and everything there is overpriced --- too bad, I found out too late! ) and drove through different Districts.

We had Banh Mi, Sugar Cane Juice and some yummy dry noodle dish (forgot what it’s called, sorry!) during the trip.

I would definitely avail of the “Foodie Tour” once I get a chance to go back to HCMC. The price is a bit steep, but I guess the experience would be worth it. Do check out their site, it might be of interest to you, too. 

http://xotours.vn/

[ingrid_mediarito]

We were in Ho Chi Minh last February 22-26 and we had so much fun!!!!  This is despite the fact na naiwan namin and di na nakuha pa ang dslr ko sa isang taxi on our second to the last day   It will be another reason for us to come back since halos wala kaming picture na maipost 

We stayed at Tang Hoang Long Hotel in District 1 and I find this hotel very recommendable! The frontage of the hotel looks very small but okay naman ang mga rooms especially the Superior Room.  The Standard Room kasi medyo masikip na talaga.  US$55 per night ang Superior Room, with free breakfast na.  The hotel is walkable within the tourist areas and 5-star hotels.

Every night nilalakad lang namin ang Ben Than night market.  Ang init kasi pag tanghali kaya usually we just stayed and rested sa hotel pag mga after lunch until medyo di na mataas ang sikat ng araw.

We booked our Cu Chi Tunnel (235,000 VND for the transpo and 80,000 VND for the entrance fee) and Water Puppet Show (na medyo nakakaantok siguro dahil sa exhausted ng konti dahil earlier this day naiwan sa taxi ang camera ko and we tried to look for the taxi...plus in Vietnamese ang salita sa show!!!).

Super OC ako and todo research in all out diy tours...pero (hello!) napasakay pa rin kami sa hindi registered na taxi company.  Talagang you should ONLY ride either Vinasun or Mai Linh tapos aalamin n'yo ang taxi number na sinasakyan n'yo.  We rode the Co operative Taxi na Innova.  Ayun, na-over charged kami ng 50,000 VND plus di na namin marecover ang camera kasi nga unregistered ang taxi company na yun and di namin man lang alam ang taxi number.  Hay!  First time ko mag-post dito even though I always read in this forum to plan our yearly trip.  Para sana may mabalaan ako sa mga sis natin.  Parang walang silbi ang police dun   Dinala kami ng isang taxi sa police station (daw) to report pero parang wala lang...wala daw marunong mag-English and wala talagang sympathy na pinakita.  This may happen in any country naman siguro and not solely in Ho Chi Minh.  We still felt safe naman sa every day and night that we walk around District 1.  Sayang lang talaga yung sa camera namin. 

GOD is great talaga naman na despite what happened super nag-enjoy pa rin kami!  Hope my experience can "remind" all of us to be more careful especially pag nasa ibang bansa tayo

[yby2476]

@sis fruitypop-di ko matandaan kung san dun...isa sa mga parang malls nila...pero nag haggle kami, kasi ang dami naming binili nun eh...:-)

@sis alanis_junkie-ang mahirap kasi kung dun sa tour ng cu chi na susunduin ka sa hotel mo, ang daming iikutan diba? compared mo kung mismong dun ka sa sakayan na mismo sasakay...kami rin, we arranged it sa hotel namin, pero grabe, parang 1 oras na ikutan para sunduin yung mga kasama, tapos may isa pa kaming nakasama na mga indonesian,na nag-cr break pa, kaya medyo nahirapan yung shuttle bus namin sa paghanap ng cr, kasi closed karamihan ng mga cr nung time na yun, wala silang mahanapan...

@sis fruitypop- ulit, pahabol, pero nice pa rin ang experience ng cu chi sis...kahit sabihin mo pang its all about tunnel and traps...nung una rin, di talaga siya kasama sa itinerary namin, last minute inclusion lang namin yun, kasi we came from cambodia nun, feeling namin, pagod na kami para mag cu chi adventure,pero sabi ng sister ko, gawin na namin, kasi minsan lang naman kami nasa saigon...:-) worth it naman, partida pa yun, kasi talagang sumakit ang katawan namin sa kaka-akyat ng mga temples sa cambodia...:-)

@ sis southpaw: kami rin sis,pumunta ng chinatown...malayo lang nga sa place ng pinag-stayan namin, pero sabi nga nila,mas mura kasi dun...:-) pero pumunta yata kami dun, para pumunta sa mga temples...:-)

[wickedlovely]

Hi girls, is the weather okay in Hanoi during early November? And anybody here who has done the Halong Bay tour from Hanoi?

[delphinos2005]

Sisses,

Is there an overnight bus from HCC to Siam Reap? How much and where can I book?

If you only have 1 whole day in HCC, what activities would you suggest? Cu Chi daytime and River Cruise night time or Cu Chi and XO tour at night?

I only have 4 whole days for HCC and SR. I am flying in HCC on day 1 at 1am and fly out at SR on day 4 at 11pm. I am alloting one day for bus day trip from HCC and SR. Carry kaya?

[huit]

@delphinos2005

There is a bus that departs at nigh time in Saigon to Siem Reap.  Try booking sa Delta Tours, not sure how much.

For the day tour, you can try the half day tour ng Cuchi Tunnel then pag ka drop off sanyo ng after lunch sa Saigon, just roam around the city. Visit the War Remnants, Ben Than Market, Saigon Zoo, reunification Palace and Saigon Central Post Office.

[barefoot_taka]

naalala ko yang cu chi na yan..ang downside naman ng pagbook sa tours inuna nilang i-pick up ang mga nagbook thru the hotels. tapos last kaming dinaanan dun sa office nila. kaya yung coaster puno na. we had the last seats available kaya di kami magkatabi ni hubby sa byahe. ang masaklap antok pa naman kaming dalawa kasi puyat at ang upuan yung center seat kaya ang hirap.

[thesoloist]

san po ba ang backpacker's area? sa district 1 ba?

[alanis_junkie]

^ as far as I know, yep sa District 1. we stayed there and puro tourists ang nandun. sa isang maliit na street hilera ang mga guesthouse.  maraming bars and buhay na buhay yun lugar at night.

[huit]

^

Yup sa District 1 sa Pham Ngu Lao near De Tham street. =)

[herroyalbleakness]

^yes, they call district 1 the backpacker's area.

[barefoot_taka]

sis thesoloist pham ngu lao is in district 1. yan yung backpackers area 

[Mackyheart]

hi sisses!

would u know what nearby countries ang pwedeng isabay if i will visit Vietnam? i want to maximize kasi my vacation and para mas tipid ang pamamasyal.

possible ba ang Thailand-Vietnam-Myanmar or Vietnam-Myanmar-Cambodia?

thank u thank u!

Hi.. suggestion lang....

i think better if you do it Vietnam - Cambodia - Thailand

  :)In Vietnam better stay at Pham Ngu Lao street; 1. why because walking distance in Benthan Market just pass the traffic light ; you have to cross the street and walk at the side of the park and straight to tourist shopping area open until late night.... 2. all the bus connecting to other province and country are here... 3. back packers hotel are here most of them are $20 below.....

  TO Cambodia - use only this bus , this is what we always use since these people are very much more oriented than other bus company im using this bus company since 2005.
 2. better shop in Toul Tom Pong or Russian Market open 8 to 4 pm - from bus station fare 9  (Motor taxi) tuk-tuk is $3.50 or less but not more than this... super cheap price but beware or fakes....

Mekong Express Limousine Bus ( $12Vietnam to Phnom Penh Cambodia with Snack )

Ho Chi Minh City Office

275F Pham Ngu Lao Street, District 1

  To Thailand

Use Capitol Tour Bus in Orresey Market ($22 or below to thailand )  this will stop to Poipet border and you will change another bus on the other side...Better bring some food since they dont offer any food here. and expect that most of the passenger are Khmer..  You will leave early in the morning around 6am and will arrived in bangkok around 8-9 pm the same day....

( if you have other concern; just ask... hope this help...)

[thesoloist]

^thanks po sa mga nagreply. now i know at what area i should stay.

[gab54]

just bought cebu pacific promo ticket to ho chi minh, mura lang ang fare but hating gabi na ang arrival ko. 
any advise how to plan my 3 day vacation?

[yby2476]

yes, but cebu pac, talagang madaling araw ang dating dun...mga 3am yata...backread ka na lang sis, kung anong pwedeng gawin sa 3 days...:-)

[design21]

^ ganyan din kami dati ingat lang sa taxi kasi naloko kami pinaikot ikot kami buti staff ng hotel nakipagaway half lang pinabayaran samin

[yby2476]

^kami kasi nung pumunta ng vietnam, puro lakad...:-) minsan lang kami nag-taxi nung pumunta kami ng chinatown, di kayang lakarin eh...:-) pero di naman kami naligaw or niloko, yung sinakyan namin eh yung taxi na parang R and E taxi natin dito, i just forgot the name of the company na reliable and hinde nanloloko

[design21]

from the airport kami linoko we landed 2am. vinasun taxi wala na at that time