Thank you everybody, I do appreciate all the advice I can get.

I see taxis and tuk tuks getting plenty of bad press, even on official government warnings.

Even warning about the CMX airport...

 

I rarely use them; 8 weeks in now, all on foot and I've taken a total of 1 taxi and 1 tuk tuk.

Dozens of red truck rides and several local buses however.

I do go miles on foot per day...

 

But it is good to hear the advice as each country has it's nuances and Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia don't sound like the the sorts of places you can just amble about on foot, mindlessly exploring side streets...

1 hour ago, JackThompson said:

As to Taxis in HCMC - I have not been there, but hard to believe they could be much worse than the terrible Tuk-Tuk mafia in Laos (Vientiane and Savannakhet - maybe not a problem in other areas). 

 

I recall a thread where a particular taxi-company was recommended for use in HCMC, to avoid questionable-billing.  Perhaps someone could recommend this company to the OP, should he decide to go there?

 

One problem in HCMC taxis is rigged metres and I had experience in one of those even though the taxi appeared to be one of the recommended companies.

 

On the positive side, I received great service from Uber and Grab and cheaper prices so if you really have to go there I would recommend getting a local SIM with data at the airport and then using those two services. The bus app above also sounds good and there's a decent airport bus too.

 

The other thing about HCMC is that it just isn't that interesting. Definitely not enough there for a 2 week holiday. Hanoi to Sapa on the other hand or Vientiane to Luang Prabang would be a great 2 weeks.

 

And no one has mentioned Burma so far. I had a great time on my visa run to Yangon.

Edited September 27, 20187 yr by edwardandtubs

If you go to HCMC, and need to use taxis, look for the taxis of the company Visasun. A warning, though, you need to know the correct phone number that should be on the side of Visasun taxis. There are fake Visasun taxis. I have never heard of a scam involving taxis from Visasun. They really value their reputation, and fares are pretty cheap with correct meters used consistently.