Sorry haven’t learnt how to multiquote . No time unfortunately to travel up north. Thanks for the warning . I generally walk with my hands in my pockets , to the amusement of my friends.
Nm
I did not know that. I thought Hanoi was all business and the less savoury characters preferred the south. Good to know.
We’ve had good experience flying Vietnam Airlines, both internationally and inside Vietnam.
They’ll invite to you go through the tunnels and see how far you can make it. There are exits at intervals, and the wife and I had to get out pretty fast. We’'re normally not claustrophobic, but man, those walls were closing in. Only one person on our fair-sized tour group was able to make it all the way to the end of that particular tunnel, and our guide joked that he now had to be requisitioned for military service. And when you’re down in those tunnels, bear in mind these have actually been enlarged a bit to accommodate Western tourists. There are some tunnel networks in central Vietnam that have not been enlarged, and those are SMALL.
I actually tried to get pickpocketed but to no avail. I kept a fake wallet in my back pocket, an old beat-up one ready for the trash that was empty except for a note that read: “FUCK YOU!” I kept poking my ass in the direction of any shady person I saw, bit there were no takers. (I mean for the wallet.) The wife was horrified that if the wallet did get snatched, the perp would be so enraged that he’d come back to get me.
I AM CLAUSTROPHOBIC ! Though i survived the catacombs in Rome . It’s probably worse than that here.
In Southeast Asia I negotiate for almost everything, even hotels.
Offer half the asking price, and then go up a little from there.
Be polite, and you will find that most of the people enjoy the negotiations.
Many Asians think that you are a fool if you accept the first price.
Here is my YouTube video which I made from my visit to Halong Bay Halong Bay House Boats - YouTube
Although we love the Vietnamese food that they sell in Melbourne, we found that the food in Vietnam was terrible. We tried eating cheap, we tried eating up market, but never found a decent restaurant. Luckily there was a Pizza Hut just along the road from our Hotel in Ho Chi Minh, so we ended up eating a few meals there.
Someone dipped their hand into my friend’s bag in Hanoi, but she noticed and pulled it away. He just vanished.
The Cu Chi tunnels were cool; I wouldn’t want to have been one of the invaders going down first.
I don’t remember much in particular about Saigon, but it was a good introduction to Vietnam, the traffic, the food, the bargaining. Most of the food we had was delicious, not just in Saigon, but everywhere. The traffic is pretty crazy and you have to be bold crossing the street (or god forbid, driving). Hoi An is lovely and so was the Mekong delta, but just about everywhere was interesting. I only went for two weeks and I’d love to go back at some point.
Whoa, criticizing HCMC for bad food is a bit like criticizing Las Vegas for being dimly lit. Still, I could see how it would be bewildering for a tourist. Some safe bets are:
Bun Bo Hue 3A3, 39A Ngo Duc Ke, Distrct 1, Ho Chi Minh City –
Great Hue (central Viet Nam) dishes. Bun bo is their specialty, but try banh beo and banh bot loc as appetizers. Nice central location, but can be a bit cramped.
Ngoc Suong (Marina) Seafood, 172 Nguyen Dinh Chieu St., Ward 6, Dist. 3. Hồ Chí Minh –
(not the one on Ngo Duc Ke, which is just ripping off the name). My favorite is prawns steamed in a coconut shell
Ashima Mushroom Hotpot, 35A Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Dist. 1 –
Yeah, just mushrooms, but a huge variety of them. Even my friend who said she couldn’t feel full without some meat in a meal loved this place.
Pho Ngheu, 52A Nguyen Binh Khiem, District 1 | P. Ben Thanh, Quan 1 –
Pho soup, but with fish and clam instead of beef. It’s a very modern and casual place, and very good. It’s also centrally located.
Wrap and Roll, 62 Hai Ba Trung St | 111 Nguyen Hue St, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam –
two central locations. Fast food, and a cutesy name, but they do a good job. I wish we had them here.
Quan Nuong, 29 -31 Ton That Thiep, Q1, Ho Chi Minh City
– open-air terrace serving barbecued satay-style meats, prawns, and probably other stuff I can’t remember because I was so full, my eye were bubblng. This place is very popular, so expect some wait if you get there at the busy time.
Temple Club, 29 -31 Ton That Thiep, Q1, Ho Chi Minh City
– downstairs but upscale from Quan Nuong. It’s mostly popular with ex-pats, but it’s worth a try.
Many of the stands around Ben Thanh market at night are excellent as well. There are food courts in all the big malls … Diamond Plaza, Huong Vuong Plaza … in case you just want something fast and easy, and don’t want to sweat while you’re eating. There’s also a place called Quan An Ngon, which I hate, but is very popular with overseas Vietnamese and even some locals for some reason.
Ask locals for advice. Many of them are dying for someone to practice English with, and you’ll find them really helpful.
Oh, and if you can make it a couple of miles from District 1, try out: Chi Nghia, (Papaya), 68 Pham Viet Chanh, Binh Thanh District, HCM City. It’s more northern style, but the chef is a friend, and I helped her set up the restaurant. http://chi-nghia.com