Wondering if it is worthwhile to make a day trip from Saigon to My Tho (see trip description below). I will have one full day in HCMC, the day after my arrival in Vietnam, before heading to Hanoi, Ha Long, and Hoi An. Then I will have one full day, in HCMC or to visit My Tho, before heading back to LAX.

It is a pretty busy trip, and am not sure if My Tho is worth a day. I'm leaning towards not going. The "transfer" to My Tho is by private car.

"Transfer to My Tho. Capital of Tien Giang province, some of the most beautiful rural areas of the Mekong Delta. Cruise on Tien River. Visit of Thoi Son Islet, Tropical Fruit Garden and Vinh Trang Pagoda. Back to Ho Chi Minh."

yes, worth to travel,Thoi Son islet is quite beautiful and alot of fruit tree. it's more interesting if you go to Caibe floating market, but may be your time is not enough.

well mrwunrfl,

guess i was sitting too far away at the gtg to even hear that you were going to vn! i lived in saigon 1996-2000 and have been back twice.

i'd also advise against my tho, largely bc i'm not a fan of long car rides, esp on vnese roads in vnese traffic. driving in vn is rarely in a straight line bc of everything a car has to swerve around--slow motorbikes, bicycles, oxcarts, pedestrians. swerve-driving is also often at maximum achievable speed. the scenery would be beautiful, but it sounds like you'd be guided from tourist attraction to tourist attraction. i'm not sure if that's your preference, but if it is, it sounds alright. cu chi tunnels are also a half-day or a day trip, a very educational one.

if you've never been to vn, you might want both days to hang out in saigon just to chill. saigon is like nowhere else i've been in asia--millions of motorbikes gone amok, people spilling out of buildings and off sidewalks, everything on the steet for you to see and smell and taste. people are so easy to talk to if you smile. the city still has a raw feel that makes you want to shrink from and embrace it all at the same time.

you could hang out at one of the big markets, have an avocado smoothie and a bowl of noodles at the food stalls, go to the old presidential palace or war remnants museum, have a beer and swap stories in the backpacker district, go to the rooftop bar of the rex, majestic or caravelle and order wine. depends entirely on your tastes.

Thanks to both of you for the replies. Wow, mari808, I didn't realize you were an expert on VN. I will take your advice, esp. after reading your description of what the trip would be like. I will probably have had enough of that in Halong and Hoi An and it would be nice to just take it easy for the day before the long flights home.

I have read that the Rex is on the tourist route, for the visit to the rooftop. I hope it is a nice place to stay.

NO! rex is NOT a nice place to stay! i mean it is, in a uniformed bellhop sort of way, but i don't like it for 2 reasons. it's a pretty big hotel, and therefore impersonal (i'm a boutique hotel and b&b fan), altho in the architecture and decor u will feel a bit of colonial history. i hear they've renovated since, presumably w/ better security, but while i lived in hcmc thieves were prowling the hallways, knocking on doors as housekeeping or room service, and, i don't want to be too specific bc i don't recall the details of how, except to say guests were being relieved of their belongings.

lots of other choices, if u can still change. v big hotels include park hyatt or the delta caravelle, which has my favorite rooftop bar, saigon saigon. boutique hotels or guesthouses too.

i like the spring hotel on le thanh ton street, my old street. used to recommend this place to people and stayed there myself this year. the suite was something like $70/nite incl breakfast and free hi-speed internet. it's not in the backpacker district, but is in district 1 on an expat street w/ loads of cheap foreign and vnese restaurants and upscale boutiques.

Ok, so the Rex does not sound so good. I am not committed yet. The TA (Asie Lointaine Travel, 144 Bu Vien St, Dist 1) called it a 4*. They previously offered me the Palace Hotel and called it a 3*.

I don't mind the huge and impersonal hotel or a small boutique place. Just want a good bed, quiet, and some comfort. And safe. I will have to take a look at the places you mentioned.

If you've never been to VN, then you might chose to do a Delta tour. This way you'll get to see Can Tho, take a boat trip around several islands, see coconut candy being made, have lunch, enjoy some honey tea while listening to some young Vietnamese girls sing and take a small boat through a small waterway. All this for approx $8. Bus ride to Can Tho is A/C and comfortable.

Rex Hotel is currently adding another wing, so avoid it. Caravelle, Park Hyatt and Sheraton are good upmarket hotels. Grand and Majestic are nice mid market hotels on Dong Khoi.

spring hotel has a website. u can google to find it. it's a boutique hotel owned by a vnese-american in virginia, i hear. clean and quiet. i loved the suite (they have several) for the spaciousness and the french doors separating bedroom from living room (had a lot of guests), bathtub and bidet. can't speak abt the bed, which was huge, bc i don't notice beds unless they're foam on wood, and i slept on that for 3 years. spring hotel breakfast has choice of western or pho! i chose pho, black coffee and fruits every day. i'm hoping this hotel can accommodate my foodie tour group next may.

ur ta is in the heart of the backpacker district, appropo of nothing. i lived there before i moved to le thanh ton street. this thread is making me homesick.

let me know if i can help w/ specific suggestions for eating, drinking, sightseeing, wandering.

One guidebook review of the Spring Hotel said to go as high up as possible because street noise is a problem. I would have no problem getting the suite if it guaranteed a high floor.

I found a spring hotel website but it was not the place on l.t.t. street (and all of the rooms were $17 or less). mari808, please post the link for the Spring, if you have it.

Am also considering the Sheraton.

http://www.vietnamonline.com/spring/

don't recall street noise being a problem bc suites are at back of hotel overlooking a small residential courtyard.

great, thanks. i will ask my ta to book it.

I think I've decide to skip going to Hoi An.

Itinerary WAS:
Nov 4, two nights in Saigon
Nov 6, two nights in Hanoi
Nov 8, one night in Halong
Nov 9, one night in Hanoi
Nov 10, two nights in Hoi An
Nov 12, two nights in Saigon

I decided to take the My Tho trip today. It was a fun trip, interesting to see the river. It is a very tourity route, though. But I was not interested in spending my last day in VN in the city.

I had to cancel my res at Spring Hotel unfortunately, when I missed my flight last Friday. Found it easier to book the Sheraton and am quite happy with it.

You made a much better choice staying at the Sheraton. Hope you enjoyed VN! It's a pretty interesting place!