Saigon- where to go for shopping and the sights
Oct 8th, 2003, 12:26 AM
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Saigon- where to go for shopping and the sights
Heading to Saigon in Dec for a business trip. Staying at the Sheraton Saigon and will have the weekend free to roam around the city. Have a couple of questions and need pointers:
a) How safe is it for a single female (besides the normal precautions)?
b) Staying at the Sheraton (not by choice but who's complaining). Any reviews about the hotel?
c)How much cash should I bring along considering that I'm addicted to bargain shopping and dont want to spend the time hunting for ATMs? Will probably be there for a week with only the weekend for active touristy stuff - is $200 enough
d) Since USD is readily acceptable, should I even bother to convert $ into the local currency, dong?
d)Getting my Xmas shopping done and need help with local souvenirs. Heard to silk and laquer products are definite buys. Is there any must have gifts that I should know about? Other than Ben Thanh mkt, any where else?
e) Fell in love with the romantic stories of the Mekong river. Any idea where I can get the cruise/boat, and how much?
Any help would be appreciated!
a) How safe is it for a single female (besides the normal precautions)?
b) Staying at the Sheraton (not by choice but who's complaining). Any reviews about the hotel?
c)How much cash should I bring along considering that I'm addicted to bargain shopping and dont want to spend the time hunting for ATMs? Will probably be there for a week with only the weekend for active touristy stuff - is $200 enough
d) Since USD is readily acceptable, should I even bother to convert $ into the local currency, dong?
d)Getting my Xmas shopping done and need help with local souvenirs. Heard to silk and laquer products are definite buys. Is there any must have gifts that I should know about? Other than Ben Thanh mkt, any where else?
e) Fell in love with the romantic stories of the Mekong river. Any idea where I can get the cruise/boat, and how much?
Any help would be appreciated!
Oct 8th, 2003, 04:19 AM
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a.hcmc is a pretty safe city, but there are a lot of pocket thefts, but if you stay in an open street,where there are a lot of people,you wont have any problem,the people are friendly, but you will get tierd of all the people who wants to sell you all kinds of things, but the city exotic,the food is great, so you will have a great time.
b.have to say no....
c.depending of what you are going to bye, but there is a lot to bye in saigon, a lot of markedes, shoes,etc, and the price are very low,and there are a lot of tailors.
d.convert your us into dong, but not at the airport, you will get a better rate in town.(but you can use your us,almost everywhere)
e.silk and laquer are cheep, and no problem to find, but there are about 10000 markeds,and shops in hcmc, so shop till you drop!!!!!
f.never tried it, but a lot of people says its great,so do it.. i will do it in march.
must see::
1.the war museum
2.former us embassy(you can not get in there, but intresting to see)
3.chu-chi tunnels (about 1/2-1hrs outside hcmc)
4.markeds,markeds,markeds.
5.former president palace.
6.take a trip around town with a cyclo, but make the price before you get on the cyclo, and get someone who speaks english, who can tell you about the city.
7.walk around the small allys, and see how the people live.
8.you can get a lot of info when you get there if you go to distc 1, kim and singh cafe, its the place where there are a lot of tourists.
9. HAVE A GREAT TRIP........
b.have to say no....
c.depending of what you are going to bye, but there is a lot to bye in saigon, a lot of markedes, shoes,etc, and the price are very low,and there are a lot of tailors.
d.convert your us into dong, but not at the airport, you will get a better rate in town.(but you can use your us,almost everywhere)
e.silk and laquer are cheep, and no problem to find, but there are about 10000 markeds,and shops in hcmc, so shop till you drop!!!!!
f.never tried it, but a lot of people says its great,so do it.. i will do it in march.
must see::
1.the war museum
2.former us embassy(you can not get in there, but intresting to see)
3.chu-chi tunnels (about 1/2-1hrs outside hcmc)
4.markeds,markeds,markeds.
5.former president palace.
6.take a trip around town with a cyclo, but make the price before you get on the cyclo, and get someone who speaks english, who can tell you about the city.
7.walk around the small allys, and see how the people live.
8.you can get a lot of info when you get there if you go to distc 1, kim and singh cafe, its the place where there are a lot of tourists.
9. HAVE A GREAT TRIP........
Oct 9th, 2003, 01:55 AM
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i lived in hcmc 1996-2000 and went back for a visit in june. agree w/ much of jannik's advice. some notes:
atm's in hcmc? this is the third world--the only one i know of is in hongkong bank in the new world hotel (i never used it). at hotels and tourist restaurants and shops u will be able to use ur mastercard or visa. otherwise, convert money to dong. paying in dollars (esp if prices are given in dollars) is a sure sign of inflation, unless u bargain down in dong first and then pay in dollars.
i don't think $200 is enough, esp if u plan on xmas shopping. i just bought $66 worth of lacquer, mostly $5-$10 bowls, trays etc. i'm also a sucker for brush paintings on rice paper (starting at abt $1 for postcard size and going up), elegant chopsticks of mahogany and ebony (v cheap at ben thanh). le thanh ton street in district 1 is now lined w/ tourist-oriented boutiques (a huge change from when i left 3 yrs ago), and they sell beautiful scarves, bags and clothes. not v cheap, but gorgeous stuff: $18 for a tanktop, $28 for an intricately woven, lacquered shoulderbag, $23 for natural silk scarves.
a day tour to the mekong delta (preferably a 3-day tour) wd prolly give u a more sedate experience than the cruiseboat (i thot it was a noisy speedboat, but never went that route). budget tourist cafes (think jannik mentioned kim and sinh, both in pham ngu lao backpacker district) offer cheap tours.
pickpocketing and traffic will be ur major safety concerns. have u been to rome? saigon reminds me of rome in this aspect. keep cash unobtrusive and well-protected, don't carry a bag, backpack or fanny pack if possible, and if u find urself suddenly in a jostling crowd in a market or on the sidewalk, get out of there. when u cross a street, walk slowly and make sure drivers see u; better yet, find some vietnamese abt to cross and stick to their side.
as for traveling as a single female, my first solo trip to vn as a single female was what prompted me to move there. u'll have a blast.
atm's in hcmc? this is the third world--the only one i know of is in hongkong bank in the new world hotel (i never used it). at hotels and tourist restaurants and shops u will be able to use ur mastercard or visa. otherwise, convert money to dong. paying in dollars (esp if prices are given in dollars) is a sure sign of inflation, unless u bargain down in dong first and then pay in dollars.
i don't think $200 is enough, esp if u plan on xmas shopping. i just bought $66 worth of lacquer, mostly $5-$10 bowls, trays etc. i'm also a sucker for brush paintings on rice paper (starting at abt $1 for postcard size and going up), elegant chopsticks of mahogany and ebony (v cheap at ben thanh). le thanh ton street in district 1 is now lined w/ tourist-oriented boutiques (a huge change from when i left 3 yrs ago), and they sell beautiful scarves, bags and clothes. not v cheap, but gorgeous stuff: $18 for a tanktop, $28 for an intricately woven, lacquered shoulderbag, $23 for natural silk scarves.
a day tour to the mekong delta (preferably a 3-day tour) wd prolly give u a more sedate experience than the cruiseboat (i thot it was a noisy speedboat, but never went that route). budget tourist cafes (think jannik mentioned kim and sinh, both in pham ngu lao backpacker district) offer cheap tours.
pickpocketing and traffic will be ur major safety concerns. have u been to rome? saigon reminds me of rome in this aspect. keep cash unobtrusive and well-protected, don't carry a bag, backpack or fanny pack if possible, and if u find urself suddenly in a jostling crowd in a market or on the sidewalk, get out of there. when u cross a street, walk slowly and make sure drivers see u; better yet, find some vietnamese abt to cross and stick to their side.
as for traveling as a single female, my first solo trip to vn as a single female was what prompted me to move there. u'll have a blast.
Oct 13th, 2003, 01:54 AM
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Starlight, when in HCMC in May 2001 we used the ANZ Bank ATM - sorry, didn't keep a record of the address but I'm sure the Sheraton staff can point the way. It's worth changing even US$100 into dong just for the fleeting pleasure of becoming a millionaire. BTW, "dong" seems to be pronounced a bit like "dom", but don't take my word for that.
Definitely make time for the Mekong Delta. If you can manage the Cu Chi Tunnels and/or the Cao Dai temple at Tay Ninh, all the better.
Definitely make time for the Mekong Delta. If you can manage the Cu Chi Tunnels and/or the Cao Dai temple at Tay Ninh, all the better.
