Saigon - Paris de l'Orient

[Told Stool]

Sweet Saigon. The Paris of the Orient is right. My Vietnamese friend took me to see a museum and we drove past some famous cathedral. Notre Dame or some name like that.

Went to the same bar every night for dinner and a drink.

Guesthouse was nice and comfy with aircon.

I'm too lazy to post any pics anymore on the Net.

[Accidental Ajarn]

After 10 years in LOS, I have moved to Saigon, been here a little over a week. I haven't decided if I like it yet or not.

[barbaro]

After 10 years in LOS, I have moved to Saigon, been here a little over a week. I haven't decided if I like it yet or not.

Take time in "deciding." It may or may not take a while. You have to give this new culture, city, and situation, some time....

I am close to you.....

[Bobcock]

I stayed in one of the A & EM hotels.

Which one, details please, i am having trouble getting hotels in Saigon that can accommodate the family. two rooms in a smaller hotel like this could well be an option.

[Accidental Ajarn]

Weel, have been here in HCMC (Saigon) for a few weeks now. Guess time to report.

In some ways it is very different from living in Bangkok and Thailand and in other ways it is the same.

Of course the language is different and this takes some adjusting.

Overall the people have been friendly and pretty good to work with. I loved living in Thailand and doubt that on average one could find a place with nicer people. But the Vietnamese aren't all bad.

I have had some limited experience with the communist government. I had to make a police report (nothing serious), and the first police station I went to was a total joke. They wouldn't do anything, obviously expecting a bribe.

Second station was staffed by friendly professionals.

As far as after work activities, well it ain't Bangkok but there is a active expat community and enought to keep one busy.

I would recommend giving the Viet pros a pass, but the amateurs are extremely friendly.

The job is good, and the people and culture aren't quite what I expected, but the surpise has been of a positive nature.

Although I am surely a newbie here, it does appear that the people of Saigon tolerate the Northern dominated government, but only give lip service to communist idealogy.

Anyway, the place is worth a visit.

[EmperorTud]

I stayed in one of the A & EM hotels.

Which one, details please, i am having trouble getting hotels in Saigon that can accommodate the family. two rooms in a smaller hotel like this could well be an option.

There's 4 branches of them in district 1 within walking distance of each other. Two of them are on Ly Tu Trong.

A & Em 4 Hotel in Ho Chi Minh - A & Em 4 Hotel in Saigon

[EmperorTud]

Found their official website.

A & Em Hotel

[Butterfly]

This also needs to be a sticky, most excellent travel thread with a lot of important info about bars, beers and night clubs

[Marmite the Dog]

most excellent travel thread with a lot of important info about bars, beers and night clubs

Apart from the dummy spitting, Sweaty prick deleting his photos.

[grasshopper]

MarmiteTD. The smiling kid in your post no. 3. I remember her from visits to the old haunts. Name was pronounced Tiet with an accent or grave or some such thing. I asked her what it meant in English - "snow". From a local family and she had the chance of one in hell of seeing and feeling what it meant. Sweet girl, about 16, I think. The street of restaurants and bars, Bui Dienh? Great place to spend a few months but the real fun was at the Huyng Vinh, especially late on Friday, Sat nights. Maybe I should do a thread on that, I have some pics on cp and some memories.

[Butterfly]

Ok staying at some nice guest houses,

where do I find the players for an afternoon session ?

a lot of hippies and druggies, a bit annoying, 100 times worse than Ko San Road

farangs here starts drinking with their local tilac at 9am

[Butterfly]

Huyng Vinh,

which district is that ? can't find it on the map

the one thing I like here is that the locals are everywhere, sitting outside in the streets, eating, playing card etc... you don't see that anymore in Bangkok, they are all staying in their aircon shopping malls

[grasshopper]

Butts, the district is District 1, Hung Vinh is on cnr Pham Ngu Lao and some little lane off it. There a big hotel opposite side of the lane. HV runs around the cnr into the lane and the ladies of the night and sometimes day operate out of it and the hotel across does a fair bit of trade. Thats unless the lady comes equipped with a Vespa.
Those people at 9 am were probably long stays from the night before. Were they two desperates, one with moustache, and the other a beer gut and vacant look? I wonder if they are still living.

Ask for "Arsehole", the waiter to serve you. He got the name from one of the two desperates after knocking a beer over onto the larger one. Promptly swore at him and said "You are an arsehole!" Poor kid proudly told everybody from then on, "I am Arsehole". Pleased as punch too, about the appellation

[Butterfly]

Traffic is mental, tooks pics and movies

it's the Vietnamese New Year so everyone is out, quite nice, got to see all levels of society

there was a group of 20 in a dirty small Soi operating and singing on some makeshift Karaoke, completely drunk and half naked, I was offered free beer and food while I was watching, very friendly and entertaining

Saigon is very authentic, it has this thing about SE Asia that has been lost in other countries like Thailand

Communism might not be a bad thing after all,

[Butterfly]

Hung Vinh is on cnr Pham Ngu Lao and some little lane off it

I stay on Bui Vien, so it must be very near since Pham Ngu Lao is right behind it

is the lane DQ Dau ?

[grasshopper]

I lent my Saigon book to a friend who never returned it. Maybe she is getting more usage out of it. So I cant look up the maps right now.
The bar is opposite the big park and the cyclo drivers sleep in their cabs across the road from the bar. The hotel across the lane is a big one, well known to the backpacker fraternity. Across the lane are a few restaurant, one of which was specialising in Mexican food. There was also a pizza joint.
Thats about the best description I can give - having a senior's moment, y'know.
Friday night's a big night and the place should be full. Walk along PNL road towards the big cross road that cuts the park in two. Its not far from that intersection.

Have fun but watch out for the service girls on the vespas.

[Butterfly]

Walk along PNL road towards the big cross road that cuts the park in two. Its not far from that intersection.

got it, I know where it is, thanks

[Butterfly]

Have fun but watch out for the service girls on the vespas

saw a few, but not that many

will try the clubs, last night was a bit different, everything was packed as it was new year but everything was cleared by 12am, must be a working day today

[wefearourdespot]

where do I find the players for an afternoon session ?

Nowhere.
This is Vietnam.
Read the relative section on ISG and cringe back to your room.

[wefearourdespot]

will try the clubs

prepare to be skinned alive. Thai scammers are a joke compared to their Viet peers.