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Posted

Seasons greetings to one and all

 

I will soon be going to HCMC and staying in South VN for the 15 days visa free and was hoping for any advice on locations worth stopping at for a couple of days/nights at a time. I would also like to know whether taking a bus in VN is as risky as Thailand or is it better to use the rail system? I don't ride motorbikes and seeing as i am travelling alone, hiring a car would be costly. I will also be hoping to go to Phu quoc and have done some research on how to get there already although I have not looked at where good spots are on the island

Posted

Thanks Andy, much appreciated. I have been advised HCMC is a love it or hate it place :smile: can you tell me which district the backpackers use? Also have you been up the coast to Phan Thiet and/or Mui Ne? I will be heading there and would like advice on best way to travel. My plans at the end of my 15 days is to enter Cambodia via Chao Doc up the Mekong delta

Posted

I have just looked on XE Currency and £1000 equates to $1350US

 

$1350US equates to 30.656.000 dong

 

£1000 equates to 30.667.000

 

Would you still recommend changing GBP to USD? Im not asking to save 30p in a thousand pounds of course hahaha but would you say it's better to have dollar or song? Cheers ?

Posted
20 hours ago, andy said:

Best bet is to book a tourist bus to the delta from HCMC.  Can Tho and Ha Tien would be good stopovers.  At Ha Tien you can get the boat over to Phu Quoc.  Nice place but I hear it is being built up to cater for Russians now(?)  There are some nice rides around the island if you rent a scooter and great seafood.  From Phu Quoc you can fly back to HCMC cheaply (check VietJet air) and I hear there may be a direct BKK-Phu Quoc flight now as well.

 

HCMC is fantastic.  Stay out of the backpacker area but otherwise it is a great city.  Bring USD to get the best Dong exchange rate.  Most of the ATMs there have fees and spit out really low amounts like 1 million.  You can exchange Baht cash as well but the rate is poor.

+1...

 

I traveled overland from HCMC to a project site in Ca Mau in the extreme south and the Mekong delta area, especially the ferry river crossing on the main highway is very impressive, toobad I didn't have time to stop...most of it is mangroves which I don't particularly like but if you have yer own transport and can chose yer itinerary then better...it's a tourist area so that 'western facilities' should be available...

 

HCMC is a nice town but I lived in district 1 over 10 years ago with all expenses paid so things will be different for the casual traveler...if yer a first time visitor to VN you'll be impressed regardless...a very lively town...

 

 

Posted

I live 2 hours from HCMC and can only take it for one or two nights. It's so congested in D1 and the shops change every 6 months. Foreigner restaurants charge about the same as in Bangkok, which is rather hefty. But the food is usually always good. The bars are a lot of fun, the booze cheap. The amazing thing for me is that despite the congestion, you can usually make progress in a taxi. Just only take Vinasun or Mai Linh taxis. 

 

The backpacker area is Pham Ngu Lao/Bui Vien. Stay away unless you like tripping over the "hippies" and holding onto your wallet pocket the whole time. And never let go of your bags. 

Posted

thanks kaoboi

 

I will only be there for a couple of nights myself as I will be on the 15 days visa exempt and want to cover up to Mui Ne and maybe up to Nha Trang if possible. Also want to squeeze in PQ island but I am not a fan of fleeting stop offs I like to stay and enjoy places rather than try fit everything in a short space of time and regret it later. As long as im alive it will all be there on my next visit ☺

 

As for eating, I can get by on street food most of the time

Posted

the disruption to traffic due to construction of a rail transport system in HCMC is hard to conceive, the congestion is horrendous in the best of times...believe I'd stay away from HCMC until that's finished...but my favorite hotel is on Thi Sach Street near downtown and away from the activity...

 

lotsa good eats around D1...Loteria burgers and all kinda western fare; I even found a place up a block from Thi Sach with good shwarma and hummous...and a lot of the western bars have good eats as well...mostly during the day make do with pho bo (am) and banh mi sandwiches...a good place to walk if the weather's OK (not too hot), D1 has some well preserved colonial architecture...very leafy...

 

 

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