Vietnam - HCM (Thread 3)

[BobDole]

Hi All,

My first visit to Vietnam just before CNY. I was travelling with relatives and friends. I didn't expect any hanky pankies given that I was sharing a room with group members.

For the interest of Hurricane88 and others who are planning to visit Nha Trang, Da Nang, Hue and Hoi An in the future, my travel log below may help you.

HCMC

Landed in HCMC in the afternoon. The airport smells like a Vietnamese grocery shop (sweet & sour).

Had my return flight e-ticket printed just in case the immigration officer "fined" me for not having one. Before queuing up at the immigration desks, looked around to avoid chi bai face officers. Ok. Queue up on the female officer line. She asked me whether I speak Viet. I replied no. I am no Viet but my name has similarities. I think she was trying to find an excuse to "fined" me. Clear that hurdle and Custom.

Got out of Custom. There is a row of stalls on the left that sells mobile SIM cards and transport/hotel services. I went for Vinaphone and the group went for Mobifone. I went for 600Mb data for about 186k Dong. Mobifone are slightly more expensive. I'm getting HSDP+ speed most of the time. No problem with either company during our stay. I asked a Malaysian guy queuing up at Vinaphone his experience. He said he use it whenever he is in VN. He is picking his replacement SIM as he left his at home.

Already arranged hotel to pick us up so no experience in getting taxi voucher.

Boss Hotel 3 is very standard and clean. Hotel manager warned us about flashing mobile phones and cameras around (haizzz these youngsters), thieves are particularly active before New Year.

We had dinner on a boat, Tau Ben Nghe, follow by a river cruise. The boat moored just opposite the Majestic Hotel. It has a feature of a fish.
We had hot pot which is similar to steamboat. Food is good. My first 333 beer. The whole dinner worked out about $11 pp inclusing seafood, beer and river cruise.



Nha Trang

Alarm went off before day break. Jumped out of bed and waking up the others. Then realised that I adjusted my watch but not the mobile. I was an hour too early!

First time on Vietnam Airlines. Fully-serviced price that served water only. The Russian/Ukrainian pilot landing was smooth.

Cam Rahn Airport is at least 30 minutes away from Nha Trang. There are a number of resorts planned along the road to Nha Trang but they are just sand dunes and cliffs currently.

Nha Trang is what I called Russian's Bali. Majority of our hotel's guests are Russians. Hotel pool is full of beached whales and walruses. Didn't see any Russky beauties of Sharapova quality until we went to Vinpearl island the next day.

Had my fisrt Mi Hoanh Thanh (Won ton mee). Realised that some of their loan words sound Cantonese, like Xi Yau (Soy Source, not sure of spelling). Some group members had local famous fish soup noodles.

Our hotel is at the northern part of Nha Trang away from the pubs and night clubs but closer to local market (Cho Dam). If you want actions, then stay in middle part of the town near Nha Trang Centre. Like Wikitravel stated, Nha Trang is dead after 10 pm. Only hookers and drunks after hours.

Nha Trang is famous for their sea produce. If you are interested to buy cultured pearl for your love ones, the road-side stalls on Hai Ba Trung leading to Cho Dam market sells them. Pearls come in different colours, white, black, silver and pink. Haggled like crazy but we have relos that speak Viet.

Nem Nuong @ Vu Thanh An Restaurant on Le Loi. Like satay but wrapped the meat together with raw banana, salad, garlic (yes, must try the local small garlic) with rice paper. A true beer food. Biah Saigon has more hops than 333 so more bitter.



Vinpearl island. Can't afford to stay at the resort but just there for the theme park. The theme park has both wet and dry activities and an underwater world. Cable car across is longer and taller than Santosa. Cost 500k for the theme park rides, cable car and underwater world. We went during winter so the beach was closed due to rough sea. Unless you are into theme parks, you can skip Vinpearl but if you want to see dua neh neh Russian in bikinis then go. Note your mileage may very as there are probably more beached whale than beauties. Other sea activities are out of the questions as the sea is rough; SCUBA or snorkelling in soup is not my cup of tea. Relos said by March the sea is calm like a lake.

Mud Bath @ i-Resort Hot Mineral Spring. There are different packages but this one doesn't offer massage. The drill is change into swimming costume provided. Sit in a huge tub and they filled it with warm clay water. Wash body and face with muddy water. Out of water into warm shawer in the open. Back into the tub with herbal brew. Get out and move to a pool of hot spring water. Out of water again and sprayed by chilled water fountain. Finally move to a warm swimming pool. My skin was tingling after this shock treatment. After that choose a snack. I had tempura prawns.

Vietnamese BBQ @ Lac Canh Restaurant on 11 Hang Ca. Like Korean BBQ all DIY. Sotong, prawns, beef, pork, chicken... Goes down so well with Biah 333.



Hua Hung Bakery on 39 Phan Boi Chau made nice cakes.

Note: I am not affiliated with any of the venues mentions in my posts.

Next stop, Da Nang.

[sammykia]

Bros, any idea if Hoang Hai Long South (56 - 58 Pham Hong Thai, District 1) is girl friendly as well?
Saw there is HHL 1, HHL2 and HHLS under the same group.

[Hurricane88]

Originally Posted by BoyFriend

Mr Phighter, can advise on which rd name do you usually stay? Or which rd name you recommend for good massage with nice gal (tabaoable) and good street food? Thanks for sharing the market rate..

why dun you click and read my Self Help DIY...plenty of places to eat...

Originally Posted by BoyFriend

Does the ktv gal understand mandarin/english/hokkien/teochew? Wats ur opinion on the market rate for bringing the ktv gal out for overnite session? Say, 1 am to 10 am. Btw, tabao means bring out gal to hotel. Thanx a million for your sharing.

why dun you search my thread...use the thread search feature...

Originally Posted by sammykia

Bros, any idea if Hoang Hai Long South (56 - 58 Pham Hong Thai, District 1) is girl friendly as well?
Saw there is HHL 1, HHL2 and HHLS under the same group.

never stay before...why dun you ask the hotel...or select one from my Self Help DIY list...

[Hurricane88]

Originally Posted by BobDole

For the interest of Hurricane88 and others who are planning to visit Nha Trang, Da Nang, Hue and Hoi An in the future, my travel log below may help you.

Next stop, Da Nang.

thank you for sharing your experiences...I had visited Nha Trang before...

[iSaigon]

Originally Posted by MIFAcafe

.

I want to thank H88 for teaching me everything he know about HCM and also make me learn to speak and type basic Tieng Viet within 30 days. I am very happy to be able to speak to locals in VN, and they really warm up to me when I utter my lousy TV and they are all willing to teach me more TV everytime I eat and drink with the locals.

The VN experience is priceless.

Wish everyone Huat Ahhhhh!

PS: For those whom wonder whether I did learn TV in 30 days?
It is true; and I did it because of a girl I promise to converse in Tieng Viet 30 days later. I kept my promise.

You are good! I can't even if i wanted to.

[BobDole]

We bid farewell to Nha Trang and flew to Da Nang, our base for the next few days. Vietnam Airlines' Russian captain performed a perfect landing again. However, their non-existent food service is a letdown.

Da Nang
Da Nang is very laid back compare to HCMC.

Since we were a large group, travelling to places requires a minivan. We used Dich Vu Du Lich - Sa Lem tel: 0913 431 850, 0122 255 5610.

My Khe Beach (China Beach). Again, wrong time of the year. March/April would be good. Saw a huge statue of Goddess of Mercy lit up across the bay. Will explore later.

Han River Promenade runs between Bach Dang Road and Han River. Good view of the Dragon Bridge and Rainbow Bridge. One night I went for night photography with my group member. As we walked past a man, I thought he was urinating into the river. Double-take. Hello, there was a pair of squatting legs between the railings and the man!

Nui Son Tra. Huge Goddess of Mercy statue. From here, good view of Da Nang across the bay. Temple shop has sandalwood mala bracelets. Not as cheap as Xa Loi Pagoda at HCMC (District 3) but treat that as a donation to the temple.

Marble Mountain. Inside there is a huge cave but not as big as Batu Cave near KL. Can hear bats. Underground cavern has statues depicting hell similar to Haw Par Villa. Once you've been to hell, climb up and pray to Di Zhang Wang Pu Sha (Ksitigarbha, 地藏王菩萨) for delivering you out of Hades before climbing the steps to heaven. Good view from the top.

Bana Hills. This place is half finished. Reminds me of Genting (though no casino) in the 70's where there are still constructions going on. The cable car ride to the top is not worth 500k. Most rides at the theme park require additional fees. There is a temple and pagoda up there. I can't see why it received 4 stars on Tripadvisor. Maybe an ang moh's thing. Don't bother.

Food-wise, it is cheaper than HCMC. We had our real street food one evening. Fully-cooked so no problem. Two notable eateries are:

A-Hai Com Ga (Chicken rice) on Thai Phien. Chicken boiled and deep fried, served with fried rice. Their business is so good that they have three shopfronts on the same street. One across the road, one served as their kitchen.

Sorry left phone at the hotel so no photo of the chicken rice.

Nem Lui & Banh Khoai pancake @ Phu Hong on 19 Yen Bai. Satay stick meat and salad wrapped in rice paper. Their pancakes are sprinkled with bean sprouts and prawns. Both dishes are Hue origins.

Nem Lui


Banh Khoai being cooked



Hue

Early departure from Da Nang for a day trip to Hue, the Nguyen Dynasty capital. It was along way (2 hrs?).

First stop Imperial Citadel. Smaller version compare to Beijing's Palace Museum. Even their Tahi Hoa Hall (太和殿) is much smaller compare to the Chinese's. The empress' residence is still under renovation. In fact the whole place needs major renovation after two major battles that took place here. There is also a museum displaying vases, canons etc.

Tu Duc's tomb is the only royal tomb we visited.

Local dish is Bun Bo Hue (Beef Noodle Soup).. yum. Bought some Me Xung (chewy peanut sesame candies) to distribute at home.

Bun Bo Hue



Hoi An

To me, Hoi An is similar to Malacca. It is about 30 minutes south of Da Nang.

Facilities-wise, accommodation and food are cheaper the further away you are from the river. Restaurants and pubs along the river charge tourist price but they are always packed.

Local speciality is a noodle dish call Cau Lau. We tried it at Sunshine Cafe on 46 Tran Cao Van. There are a number of good reviewed hotels in this area, away from the crowd.

Cau Lau


White Rose Dumplings @ White Rose 555 Hai Ba Trung.

Tailored Suit @ Nhatsilk on 36 Tran Hung Dao. There are a number of tailors around but relo picked this one because of his previous good experience. Due to the number of orders and adjustments, we could not pick up the suits on the same day. Two suits had to be delivered to our hotel room in Da Nang after we left Hoi An on the third day.

In Hoi An Old Town, you buy a ticket and decide which places of interest you want to visit. The ticket doesn't allow you to see all. Hockien Meeting Hall, Cantonese Assembly Hall, Japanese Bridge must visit.

Didn't have the chance to visit My Son ruins 20 kms away. The sea condition doesn't allow enjoyable SCUBA/Snorkelling at Cam Island either.

Back to Da Nang to catch a flight to HCMC.

Note: I have no association with the vendors mentioned above.

[lamergod]

Any bro can kindly recommend some good clubbing scene in HCMC ? As in big discotheque something like New Square Club in Hanoi etc...

[Dixiontse]

just wanna ask if those dirty saloon still exist/active near Ba Vi , Giai Phong street? going to explore this May...hehe
and currently in dealing with Thien Xuan hotel for booking(in e-mail)..but the manager there insist me to pay full payment which is USD 163(plus 3% from bank credit charge) full amount to them for the booking because he said that the date I go is HIGH SEASON for travel..so any suggestion from seniors here? should I bank in for them? or go there only book? coz normally I book hotel at hcmc (Indochine & Boss 1) there's no need to deposit for the hotel..
Thanks..

[phighter]

Originally Posted by Dixiontse

just wanna ask if those dirty saloon still exist/active near Ba Vi , Giai Phong street? going to explore this May...hehe
and currently in dealing with Thien Xuan hotel for booking(in e-mail)..but the manager there insist me to pay full payment which is USD 163(plus 3% from bank credit charge) full amount to them for the booking because he said that the date I go is HIGH SEASON for travel..so any suggestion from seniors here? should I bank in for them? or go there only book? coz normally I book hotel at hcmc (Indochine & Boss 1) there's no need to deposit for the hotel..
Thanks..

just use www.agoda.com bro. $31 USD per night at Thien Xuan.

[sailsingapore]

Originally Posted by lamergod

Any bro can kindly recommend some good clubbing scene in HCMC ? As in big discotheque something like New Square Club in Hanoi etc...

ATTICA BAR : https://www.facebook.com/AtticaBar

[Dixiontse]

Originally Posted by phighter

just use www.agoda.com bro. $31 USD per night at Thien Xuan.

Thanks for the reply..but I take the room for 3 person..not 2 person..anyway agoda price is much cheaper then the price he offer to me.

[Hurricane88]

Originally Posted by Dixiontse

ju
and currently in dealing with Thien Xuan hotel for booking(in e-mail)..but the manager there insist me to pay full payment which is USD 163(plus 3% from bank credit charge) full amount to them for the booking because he said that the date I go is HIGH SEASON for travel..

I have never paid in advance for hotel in hcm for all my years travel here...hehe...

Originally Posted by lamergod

Any bro can kindly recommend some good clubbing scene in HCMC ? As in big discotheque something like New Square Club in Hanoi etc...

click and read my HCM self help DIY...look for disco...most are big famous disco...

[Dixiontse]

[QUOTE=Hurricane88;10464532]I have never paid in advance for hotel in hcm for all my years travel here...hehe...

this hotel is from your list and I already confirm with the manager there I can bring girls to overnight..plus this hotel has a high rating at tripadvisor..price is cheaper compare to tan hai long and A&EM..hehe..gonna prepare more homework to discover more hidden place like airport fs..

[lamergod]

Thank u Bro SailSingapore and Hurricane88

[volcano]

Originally Posted by Dixiontse

Thanks for the reply..but I take the room for 3 person..not 2 person..anyway agoda price is much cheaper then the price he offer to me.

all hotels which have dealings with Agoda will not offer a price lower then Agoda...its an agreement between them.

all online hotel booking website will require customers to pay in advance.refunds for cancellations are base on hotel's policy.

for those that are uncomfortable with paying upfront,i am booking agent for several 1-3 star hotel located in District 1.the price is the hotel rake price,customers can check out the price from the hotel website.

reservations for hotel rooms will be made under my name and payments direct to the hotel when check out.

for those that are interested,simply send me a PM.