HCMC in June

nev · Post by **nev** » 23rd May, '12, 12:16

Any tips for things to do/places to eat/nice hotel for a weekend in HCMC? It's going to be my first time there, and only for the weekend, to help a good friend settle in. She's moving there in the first week of June, and I'll be there end of June. Other tips are also welcome (spa/massage, good cleaner, pubs, shopping, etc.), I know JJ lived in HCMC at some point.

Thanks!

expat yorkshire · Post by **expat yorkshire** » 23rd May, '12, 12:41

Places to eat

The Elbow Room
52, Pasteur Street, District 1

Its western food but good quality and reasonable prices

Drinking ...some nice room top bars

try Chilli Ab tower this is the view

Saigon - Night View

Saigon Saigon
Caravelle hotel

View from Saigon Saigon Bar Caravelle Hotel

Tas · Post by **Tas** » 23rd May, '12, 13:12

starting point: viewtopic.php?f=33&t=247

nev · Post by **nev** » 23rd May, '12, 14:17

Thanks

looked at Duxton as you suggested in the other thread epy, looks good. Tas thanks for the link, I obviously missed the thread completely!

expat yorkshire · Post by **expat yorkshire** » 23rd May, '12, 14:22

That old thread is a little out of date

Q bar is no longer there
undergroud is not longer there

Bo Tung XEo ..... is still there are recommended if you can eat beef

Bo Tung Xeo Saigon

expat yorkshire · Post by **expat yorkshire** » 23rd May, '12, 14:24

just one note of caution .

In the last 4 weeks

I have had my camera stolen ( ripped by a motorbike thief)
my colleague witnessed a bag snatch where a girl held on and got dragged
Another colleague nearly got his iphone snatched while he was taking to someone walking down the street

There is a problem at present with snatch thieves so be careful

JJ · Post by JJ » 24th May, '12, 12:44

Yes, I lived there 2003 - 2007. I travel there quite often still. Its changed alot and not for the better.

Crime is now commonplace in D1, whereas previously Saigon used to be one of the safest cities in the region for tourists (well at least in D1). Handbag and handphone snatching from a passing motorbike is the key thing to watch for because it involves the most danger (ie. you can be dragged along).

Positive things:
Hotels: Service at the Magestic and the Continental has improved dramatically... Intercontinental has opened.... the Duxton is ok but its just a rubbish biz hotel, so if your budget can stretch then...

Restos: If western, then I would take a boat down the river to the Riverside apt complex and go next door to the DECK which is loverly. If D1 and I only had one night then I would go to Temple (Ton That Thiep st, off Nguyen Hue/Le Loi). There is a great Middle Eastern resto off Mac Thi Boi - Warda... go for dinner upstairs. For Vietnamese - Temple is viet but there is a great BBQ vietnamese place on the roof, or any outlet of Ngon is great (the one by the palace is housed in a colonial building and great). For lunch, Pho 2000(D1) or Pho Pasteur (D3), any Wrap&Roll place, The Refinery (western - housed in the old opium den) just off Hai Ba Trung, or Au Parc for good sarnies deli type place (its on Le Duan near the Palace).

Bars: Lots of options but happening at the moment: check out the Amber Room on Dong Du just off Dong Khoi.

Have Fun!

nev · Post by **nev** » 29th May, '12, 14:39

JJ: Between the Majestic and the Continental, which one would you choose? The Majestic's rooms look less garish, but the Continental's location seems better. Which one has better beds and pillows (very important!), and closer to bars (equally important for my traveling companion-within stumbling distance would be perfect).

JJ · Post by JJ » 31st May, '12, 10:49

Continental and Majestic are only 10mins walk apart, so very much in the same neighbourhood. One is at the bottom of Dong Khoi by the river, the other is mid-way up by the Opera House.

Last time I went (in March) I stayed at the Majestic (corporate hotel). I was upgraded to a suite. It was good in a colonial (but in true Viet style, still managed to be garish) kind of way. Bed and pillows were good. Service was stellar, which is unusual in gvt run hotel. Its such a beautiful building on the outside, but the lobby is like a shop, which is a bit disappointing.

I havent stayed at the Continental but they finally did it up a few years ago. It looks better from the outside, but not sure about the inside. Continental is (marginally) closer to the central bar kind of area, and overlooks the Opera House.

They are equi-distant from my fave place - Temple on Thon Tap Thiet.

Not much help, am I.

I would blow the budget and stay at the Park Hyatt.

nev · Post by **nev** » 31st May, '12, 14:00

I'm not the type to blow my budget on a hotel room unless it's for a romantic getaway

This is just a weekend trip with friends, so we'll probably be out all day, possibly all night. Park Hyatt would be a waste.

To be honest, photos of the rooms in both the Majestic and the Continental made me cringe... Garish is obviously trendy in HCMC.

Have you heard of the Palace Hotel? Any thoughts? The rooms look less garish, and I can get a suite there for the price of a standard room at the Majestic.

My corporate hotel is The Nikko Saigon which looks nice but a little far from the city, but I'd be happy to be corrected.

Tas · Post by **Tas** » 31st May, '12, 14:21

I thought the Caravelle was pretty comfortable, maybe you should go back and have a look at that, breakfast pretty good too.

(And they are on my #1 of places in all my work travle to get anything washed- I had some foul stuff coming off a work trip, soaked in very very smelly stuff - don't ask, cream linen pants terribly stained with road dirt on the bottom, and some stuff I probably should have binned, and they got everything cleaner than what I could have hoped possible)

no memory of costs though, it was selected for a work group thing.

edit: just noted a mentioned special http://www.caravellehotel.com/en/1/14/358/products.aspx
edit2: I walked everywhere from there, distance not a massive issue across that area at least. The war memorial not a bad visit even if you just get to the journalists section with their writings - it was only area in my case to as had to catch a plane home and teh darn place closed for a ridiculous length of time across the lunch period, so watch for that if doing late morning itinery!
edit3: if you hardly want to spend hardly anytime in hotel and want to treat like a doss house then just look back at the Bong Sen type place mentioned in the earlier thread, they were clean and tidy, but no luxury stuff or internet

Tas · Post by **Tas** » 31st May, '12, 14:33

pretty good pricing for Caravelle on wotif with discounts http://www.wotif.com/hotel/View?hotel=W ... 1534997312

JJ · Post by JJ » 31st May, '12, 16:33

Oh well, look, Bong Sen is ok but a bit old.

You might want to try this one
http://www.hotelcatina.com.vn/

Also on Dong Khoi (used to be Rue Catinat)... I heard that some of the rooms dont have a window though, so best upgrade to a more $$ one.

nev · Post by **nev** » 2nd Jul, '12, 11:22

Is it true that I can only buy the Vietnamese currency in Vietnam? Why????

JJ · Post by JJ » 2nd Jul, '12, 13:26

True. I just sent you a FB.

Dong is not considered legal tender anywhere outside of the Nam so you cannot buy it til you arrive, and remember to exchange back to US before you leave HCMC...

nev · Post by **nev** » 2nd Jul, '12, 14:42

Thanks JJ

nev · Post by **nev** » 4th Jul, '12, 10:51

My traveling companion found some Vietnamese currency for sale at Jurong Point, although the exchange rate is really quite shite. We bought USD instead.

Kooky · Post by **Kooky** » 4th Jul, '12, 16:06

Possibly quite illegal to trade in it too, nev. Wait 'til you get there.

nev · Post by **nev** » 9th Oct, '12, 16:41

I forgot to update this thread after the trip. Here's a short summary: I love Saigon! It's chaotic, the traffic is scary (even though I drive in Indonesia all the time), but utterly charming and the people are unbelieveably nice.

We ate at:
Quan An Ngon (good food and amazing variety)
Huong Lai (food was so-so but the place was amazing, a really charming colonial building, I'd love to live in a house like that)
Pho Le (best pho I've ever had) 303-305 Vo Van Tan, Q3 HCMC
Banh Chanh Cua Nam Giao (opposite Ben Thanh market, in a little alley: Hue cuisine, fantastic!) http://namgiao.com/index_en.html
Various street vendors (most memorable was the snails and shellfish vendor opposite Ben Thanh market, they open til the wee hours, fab after-drinking snack!)
Pacharan (Latin cuisine, great salumi plate and sangria)
Ca Phe Nguyen Hoang (random coffee shop, but best coffee ever!) 277E Le Thanh Ton

Wanted to try Temple Club but it was heaving with people and there was no way I was queueing for anything! Ended up at Pacharan (great Latin band, real Latinos) one night, and another club next to it the next night. New club, can't remember what it's called. The rooftop is a nice chillout space.

One of my friends booked all of us at a great budget hotel, albeit the dodgy sounding name (Asian Ruby 4 - sounds like a skin flick to me).

Thanks all for the recommendations! I'm going there again at the end of Oct! Gonna really get to Temple Club early this time!

Some of the places on my list for the upcoming trip:
Bobby Chinn Saigon (reserved)
Cuc Gach Quan
Monsoon
Banh Xeo 46A
Soft Shell Crab Saigon
Chill Bar
Yoko

Anything else I should add to the list?

umi1303 · Post by **umi1303** » 19th Oct, '12, 23:13

You should try CUC GACH QUAN the upcoming trip don't miss it! That's my favorite place for Vietnamese food. The house is designed by a French-Vietnamese architecteur and it is really Vietnamese in many ways. But there are 3 branch of CUC GACH QUAN that you should try only 1 on Đặng Tất. The others are not so special.
The other Vietnamese resto I recommend is "Papaya restaurant" on Phạm Viết Chánh street. This is very small rest and not so famous but the customers here when they come they just wanna come back If you wanna ask for the food that you should order I could recommend you tho
For the Western food I have soome recommends as well depend on which country's cuisine that you love. But for the Pizza, you must try Pizza 4P' you can find the address on TRIPADVISOR for sure they know. I went there from the day they opened til the day I left to Singapore. And I come there each time I come back to Sai Gon (The Mozzarella there they make it them self and the tomato too, they have field in DaLat to grow tomato, hope you enjoy it!)
And, AND, for Pho, you might try Phở Hoà Pasteur which is the best for me. I don't like Phở 24 which is becoming comercialise so it is not as good as it should be ...
Banh Xeo 36A is also a nice address to try ...
And for bars :
- Apo is fun but there are lots of hookers But I like to come there anyway I often come up stair there are less ...
- Lush is not too bad but there are lots of Vietnamese youth who come there to show up ... Me I dont like but it is quite popular
- Carmen is nice with flamenco music
- Seventeen Salon you also can try ...
- Chill Bar was my good choice but I like it less coz of the way the staffs there behave with me sometime when I dress not so "partily"
On the other side, if you have time, you should try the Vietnamese street food I know a lot of place.
P/s : I'm a Vietnamese girl who loves eating and cooking so trust me, I know what is the good Vietnamese food!

nev · Post by **nev** » 23rd Oct, '12, 12:38

Thanks umi1303, Papaya looks very interesting, I'll have to try that.

We're going to Da Nang for the weekend, so excited

I'm really hoping the hotel lives up to the hype.

nev · Post by **nev** » 30th Oct, '12, 09:41

Cuc Gach Quan was the bomb! The place was amazing, and the food absolutely delish! It was so good I went there twice over the weekend

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