im going to vietnam
- Thread starter ilovebush&blair
- Start date
Rajjie
ready to be liberated?
The problem with bia hoi (or advantage, depending on how you look at is...) that all it does is make you piss. Piss piss piss. I´ve sat and quaffed stupid amounts of the stuff over a looooong period of time and it doesn´t make girls more attractive or your attempts at chatting up Spanish backpackers in Spanish any better than usual.
ilovebush&blair
Well-Known Member
flight was £615, visa cost just under £100 and im thinking about taking £1000 spending money with me.
sim667
All aboard the 303 bus.
Its the spending money that would kill me off.,...
Don't know about Vietnam, but in Cambodia you could easily get by on 10 quid a day.
sim667
All aboard the 303 bus.
I was just working it out on the basis of what he was taking, but at £10 a day i could easily do.
Mind you, at 10 quid a day you'll be living in a pretty basic fashion. But it certainly can be done--most of the locals manage on half that.
craigxcraig
Prefers 'cxc'
Cambodia was only slightly cheaper - everything there is in dollars, a can of coke is a dollar, a sandwich a dollar etc etc. Soon adds up!
craigxcraig
Prefers 'cxc'
The train is great, not at all filthty, we thought they were very good though as you say extremely memorable. We're in Thailand now, and used the trains to both north and south - we've some great memories!
ilovebush&blair
Well-Known Member
so will i need to take us dollars with me?
craigxcraig
Prefers 'cxc'
All the cashmachines will give you dollars - you'll pick up small amounts of riels(?) as you go along, try and change the larger denominations at hotels, decent restaurants etc - not in taxis or street changers.
purves grundy
ambient clown remix
I'll be dropping into both countries next month too!
craigxcraig
Prefers 'cxc'
We loved both but Vietnam was deff the better - you'll have a fantastic time. Again, if you need any hotel/other suggestions do ask.
captain_insano
wirevangelist
I decided to take the overnight sleeper bus from hanoi to hue instead of the train as it worked out a couple of pounds cheaper - big mistake. It was a very uncomfortable journey. I met some friends who left on a bus a couple of hours later (same journey) and their bus had overturned yet somehow they arrived in hue before us depsite waiting an hour for ambulances and police etc...
Our bus driver was driving particularly fast around mountain roads so I still don't understand to this day how they got there before us.
If I went again, I'd definitely take the train. Apart from that mishap, Vietnam and Cambodia are both absolutely fantastic - enjoy! £1000 should be ample -especially in Cambodia.
ilovebush&blair
Well-Known Member
i want to book somewhere in saigon in pham ngu lao, just for a few days when i arrive. have you got any suggestions?
craigxcraig
Prefers 'cxc'
We stayed in a couple of places, both owned by the same group. The first one was Bich Duyen which was tucked down a really nice alleyway so very quiet (though we moved as there was building work going on) but moved to their sister hotel called Hong Han Hotel. Both hotels were very good, extemely helpful staff etc. Even though Hong Han was on the drag, it was still very quiet and the room was lovely, bright and airy, comfy bed!
Do check out the foodstalls at the indoor market - one only does shellfish and is superb - they'll even source you a bottle of white wine to go with your dish/es! Unfort I don't know the name or number of the stall though i can send you a photo of the ladies so you'll recognise.
Hope you're having a wonderful time there, its a superb country.
BTW, think both of the above hotels can be booked on agoda, cheaply, i've added reviews below.
If you hire a motorbike, you can get a soviet minsk just up from where you're staying, again shout if you want the details - we rode to the Cu Chi Tunnels - was a great if hectic ride!
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g293925-d646306-Reviews-Bich_Duyen_Hotel-Ho_Chi_Minh_City.html
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g293925-d633138-Reviews-Hong_Han_Hotel-Ho_Chi_Minh_City.html
ilovebush&blair
Well-Known Member
both of those are booked on the days i will be in saigon, i dont plan on hiring or even going on any motorbikes not really my thing. i plan to eat lots of weird food like snake, dogs, cats and any other unusual animals. did you go to the mekong delta?
craigxcraig
Prefers 'cxc'
Not surprised as both are very good hotels, excellently priced as well!
We did stay at one of the Madame Cuc hotels - they have several in that area. We booked for our first night and then moved to one of the above - give them a try. Did snake elsewhere and some scorpion - you'll have to hunt around for dog, we saw plenty of dogs in cages (like 8 in a cage) being ferried around on the back of bikes looking very sorry for themselves.... couldn't quite bring myself to try it! Are you also planning on trying the egg foetuses?
We chose not to see the Mekong Delta - didn't feel the need to see it, been told was very touristy etc. From Saigon we flew to Phnom Penh, there for a couple of days then down to Kampot...
We did stay at one of the Madame Cuc hotels - they have several in that area. We booked for our first night and then moved to one of the above - give them a try. Did snake elsewhere and some scorpion - you'll have to hunt around for dog, we saw plenty of dogs in cages (like 8 in a cage) being ferried around on the back of bikes looking very sorry for themselves.... couldn't quite bring myself to try it! Are you also planning on trying the egg foetuses?
We chose not to see the Mekong Delta - didn't feel the need to see it, been told was very touristy etc. From Saigon we flew to Phnom Penh, there for a couple of days then down to Kampot...
craigxcraig
Prefers 'cxc'
Just to add, the alleyway where Bich Duyen has several hotels so if stuck maybe have a walk down there - it's a nice little alleyway adn I'm sure you'll find somewhere.
ilovebush&blair
Well-Known Member
yeah going to try the fertilised egg, did you try that?
craigxcraig
Prefers 'cxc'
Almost - its still on the list of things to try though I did try (honest) a couple of times and bottled it!
Rajjie
ready to be liberated?
You flew from Siagon to PP?!
How did you find Kampot? Did you go to Bakor Hill station?
Kep, just down the road on the coast is also really nice. Rabbit Island (Koh Tonsay) is paradise. $5/night hut on the beach, seafood everyday. Really wonderful stuff.
When I went into Vietnam I hired a motocycle from Kep to Ha Tien just over the border in Vietnam and then went to Can Tho and Mi Tho which were the dullest places I'd been to in South East Asia.
The Meekong delta is not the one - should have stayed in Sihanoukville.
ilovebush&blair
Well-Known Member
You flew from Siagon to PP?!
How did you find Kampot? Did you go to Bakor Hill station?
Kep, just down the road on the coast is also really nice. Rabbit Island (Koh Tonsay) is paradise. $5/night hut on the beach, seafood everyday. Really wonderful stuff.
When I went into Vietnam I hired a motocycle from Kep to Ha Tien just over the border in Vietnam and then went to Can Tho and Mi Tho which were the dullest places I'd been to in South East Asia.
The Meekong delta is not the one - should have stayed in Sihanoukville.
im going to head to the ha tien border crossing to go to kep and kampot.
ilovebush&blair
Well-Known Member
yeah it sounds awesome, gonna do all that, i love seafood and gonna visit bokor hill station. just got $450 in $10 bills today. just over a week to go cant wait.
ilovebush&blair
Well-Known Member
how much did the squid and the whiskey set you back?
Rajjie
ready to be liberated?
I think Meekong is about $1.50 for a bottle, and I paid around $2ish dollars for a simple meal at a street stall.
Meekong Whiskey is everywhere and is a very nice tipple indeed. It's actually a rum as far as I'm aware, slightly sweet and tastes bloody nice with coke.
Meekong Whiskey is everywhere and is a very nice tipple indeed. It's actually a rum as far as I'm aware, slightly sweet and tastes bloody nice with coke.
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