Ho Chi Minh City - Anything to recommend?

[Sabian]

u ask Altivo betta...

my version of tight no need KY.

[Conned]

..I know the feeling..

 

Sabian :I rather teach and give opportunities to the ladies. More auto.

The guys expected everything to fall on their laps. "

[Dwoon]

Say guys, apart from those attractions mentioned, are they any others that might be suitable for a family?

 

Thought of going there for a visit as I've never been there and budgets flights are rather cheap now (2 adukts + 1 kid for SGD$420)

 

Would the place be recommended for a family holiday to begin with? (Quite sian of the usual Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia for regional trips)

 

Thanks

 

[Ngck]

Say guys, apart from those attractions mentioned, are they any others that might be suitable for a family?

 

Thought of going there for a visit as I've never been there and budgets flights are rather cheap now (2 adukts + 1 kid for SGD$420)

 

Would the place be recommended for a family holiday to begin with? (Quite sian of the usual Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia for regional trips)

 

Thanks

 

 

 

try Dalat... 6-8 hours bus ride from HCMC.. abit like cameron highlands....

[Chisiang]

Say guys, apart from those attractions mentioned, are they any others that might be suitable for a family?

 

Thought of going there for a visit as I've never been there and budgets flights are rather cheap now (2 adukts + 1 kid for SGD$420)

 

Would the place be recommended for a family holiday to begin with? (Quite sian of the usual Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia for regional trips)

 

Thanks

 

Not particularly a child friendly place I would say. Traffic is considered by some as hazardous. And due to language problems, if you need help if your kid fell ill like ate the wrong food it will be quite tough.

 

Foreigner cannot use their hospital. Must go private ones which can cost an arm and leg.

 

Other than that, tourist attraction is quite challenging, like a lot of walking within District 1.

 

It will be better to go with tour groups if you want to bring kid.

[Dwoon]

Thanks bro for the advise. Maybe will give it a miss then.... until my kid is much older.

Not particularly a child friendly place I would say. Traffic is considered by some as hazardous. And due to language problems, if you need help if your kid fell ill like ate the wrong food it will be quite tough.

 

Foreigner cannot use their hospital. Must go private ones which can cost an arm and leg.

 

Other than that, tourist attraction is quite challenging, like a lot of walking within District 1.

 

It will be better to go with tour groups if you want to bring kid.

 

[Voodooman]

Went to HCM numerous times for business, on those fly in today, out the next type of trip. Planning a 4D3N leisure trip there with family this month to see see look look. Will probably do Cu Chi and Mekong River but more to rest, relax and chill, ie. food, massage, night market, etc. Will be staying at Nikko Saigon in District 1, any good Vietnamese restaurants and massage places (clean) to recommend?

 

 

[Djim]

Went to HCM numerous times for business, on those fly in today, out the next type of trip. Planning a 4D3N leisure trip there with family this month to see see look look. Will probably do Cu Chi and Mekong River but more to rest, relax and chill, ie. food, massage, night market, etc. Will be staying at Nikko Saigon in District 1, any good Vietnamese restaurants and massage places (clean) to recommend?

 

too commercialized HCM today; the beef noodle is apparently must try

[Latio2005A]

thx bro for the info and heads up.. how come bring USD only? the money changer only buy USD?

 

No la.

 

Bring s$.

 

Change some at the airport upon arrival. Rate is around 1: 16,000

Then whenin HCMC District 1, go to Ben Thanh market and you can get slightly better rate. But no time, then forget it, change at airport and if qty not much, say around 500 s$.

 

I dun want to bring US$, cos I change US$, I loss. Then US$ convert to Vn dong, I loss again.

[Latio2005A]

Yo bros and sis..

 

Would be going Ho Chi Minh City in few week's time.. Just to get away from SG.. Any good hotels to recommend? Got any places of interests or tourist attractions there?

 

For hotel, I strongly recommend this one:

Catina Saigon

 

It is about S100 a night. Clean, good breakfast, and right in the heart of D1 (which is safer).

 

If you are on budget say about $50 alight, then try the A&Em hotel chains.

 

The rest of the cheap hotels, can also, but prepare to hear bed rocking and ecstasy screaming all day.

[WTF]

After 5 years of his post, he should have been there liao lah........

[Voodooman]

too commercialized HCM today; the beef noodle is apparently must try

 

Agree but the food is really superb, pho, the BBQ chicken... seafood is also very reasonably priced. Surprisingly, the best pho I have tried so far was in Melbourne, maybe it is the beef. Hope to visit some of the better beef noddle shops in HCM this time round, can't really hunt down the famous shops while on business.

 

 

[WTF]

Agree but the food is really superb, pho, the BBQ chicken... seafood is also very reasonably priced. Surprisingly, the best pho I have tried so far was in Melbourne, maybe it is the beef. Hope to visit some of the better beef noddle shops in HCM this time round, can't really hunt down the famous shops while on business.

pho in Hanoi is better than in HCMC imho.....

 

if in HCMC, can visit one pho shop by the name of "Pho Lei" in D5, road name think is called "Nguyen Trai" though they also got another outlet but I can't rem where......

Edited September 14, 2013 by WTF

[Voodooman]

pho in Hanoi is better than in HCMC imho.....

 

if in HCMC, can visit one pho shop by the name of "Pho Lei" in D5, road name think is called "Nguyen Trai" though they also got another outlet but I can't rem where......

 

Thanks, just checked it out, it is near very my hotel at Nikko Saigon, will definitely try it. Thanks for the recommendation.

[Latio2005A]

After 5 years of his post, he should have been there liao lah........

 

My bad.

 

Didnt notice this was sooooo long ago.

 

 

 

 

[Webbercarb]

Nikko has got Japanese toilet seats installed in the rooms. Had fun learning how to use.

 

Their restaurant on level 2 serves a nightly seafood buffet with unlimited Spiny Lobsters grilled or done Sashimi style. Fed myself twice here.

 

Ate at this other restaurant four days in a row. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Quan-Bui/252685218099597

The Boss and English speaking waiters were sharp enough to remember us on our second visit.

 

Did not bother with Ben Thanh Market. Went to An Dong Market instead. Prices are better. Some stall holders can speak English or Mandarin. Even more speak Cantonese, even among themselves, so no problems bargaining.

 

Could not resist walking in to this place near An Dong when looking at their roast duck and char siew window display. https://foursquare.com/v/sun-yeong-wai-restaurant/

Was treated to a meal of char siew arguably even better than what I get in Hong Kong. Turns out that this place is actually an Ipoh setup.

 

If you need more eating information, Nikko's concierge has a prepared recommended list of restaurants, but I never got to try any of those.

 

[Voodooman]

Nikko has got Japanese toilet seats installed in the rooms. Had fun learning how to use.

 

Their restaurant on level 2 serves a nightly seafood buffet with unlimited Spiny Lobsters grilled or done Sashimi style. Fed myself twice here.

 

Ate at this other restaurant four days in a row. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Quan-Bui/252685218099597

The Boss and English speaking waiters were sharp enough to remember us on our second visit.

 

Did not bother with Ben Thanh Market. Went to An Dong Market instead. Prices are better. Some stall holders can speak English or Mandarin. Even more speak Cantonese, even among themselves, so no problems bargaining.

 

Could not resist walking in to this place near An Dong when looking at their roast duck and char siew window display. https://foursquare.com/v/sun-yeong-wai-restaurant/

Was treated to a meal of char siew arguably even better than what I get in Hong Kong. Turns out that this place is actually an Ipoh setup.

 

If you need more eating information, Nikko's concierge has a prepared recommended list of restaurants, but I never got to try any of those.

 

I stayed at Nikko twice, very nice room. The sumptuous local and international buffet with a slight Japanese slant and free flow of wine or beer is value for money, our standard. The hotel is a little out of place, do you get around via taxi?

 

Quan Bui Facebook page looks machiam like fishtank shop, you sure they are selling Vietnamese food and not service? LOL

 

Ben Thanh Market is a tourist trap, will check out An Dong. The review seems good. Heard coffee and pawn rice are good buy, anything else?

 

Anyone tried the spa at Regency Hotel, came highly recommeded, sibei cheap I heard.

 

 

 

 

 

[Webbercarb]

I stayed at Nikko twice, very nice room. The sumptuous local and international buffet with a slight Japanese slant and free flow of wine or beer is value for money, our standard. The hotel is a little out of place, do you get around via taxi?

 

Quan Bui Facebook page looks machiam like fishtank shop, you sure they are selling Vietnamese food and not service? LOL

 

Ben Thanh Market is a tourist trap, will check out An Dong. The review seems good. Heard coffee and pawn rice are good buy, anything else?

 

Anyone tried the spa at Regency Hotel, came highly recommeded, sibei cheap I heard.

 

 

The "fishtank girl" sitting in the middle is, I think, Miss Vietnam 2006. If you look further down the page, I think you can see her in a checked shirt sitting next to the boss.

Sadly, I didn't get to see any of them dining there.

 

If you want to have hot girls servicing you, try this place along Nguyen Trai, less than 1 km from Nikko. http://www.nhahanghuongrung.com/buffet.html

In the ala carte part of the restaurant, they've got a mamasan running a team of beer promoters dressed in super skimpy outfits, and all this in a family themed restaurant, mind you.

 

Tailored a pair of trousers in An Dong. Wife bought beef jerky, dried almonds, cashew nuts, lotus seeds. Also saw dried seafood delicacies like abalone, scallops, sea cucumber, dried oysters, much the same as what you would find in the shops along Des Voeux Rd in HK. Lots of other things to discover there on your own.

 

We moved around only by taxi, and yes, stuck exclusively to Vinasun. The staff at the better restaurants we ate at also helped to hail a taxi for us when we were ready to leave.