Vietnam

[Techadd]

mmm, better not...i tink i trust the tour agency more

duh....
maybe you dun know me well enough

 

[Techadd]

but in district 1 area, easy to find money changers or banks?

shd primarily change USD or dong?

do they accept S$ at money changers and banks?

If you are changing USD to VND, then the goldsmiths shops at ben thanh market would give a better exchange rate.

yes, money changers accept sin dollars, y go to bank when u gotta take a queue number?

 

[Telur17]

mmm, better not...i tink i trust the tour agency more

I think techadd is ok. His tour agency handled my hotel booking fast and efficiently. Had no probs at all.

 

[Techadd]

I think techadd is ok. His tour agency handled my hotel booking fast and efficiently. Had no probs at all.

thank you for your testimonial~

 

[Telur17]

thank you for your testimonial~

u r welcome. just speaking the truth. will book again with you if I have the chance to go back to Vietnam.

 

[mrkiasu]

Do Not Take Sapaco Bus

hi,

I was in Vietnam the past 5 days and i just came back last night.
I took the Sinh cafe bus to cambodia and on the return trip i tried out SAPACO bus.

I have to say Sinh Cafe bus was new and the service was ok. Just normal to me. The usual bus guide service, took the passport and got it stamped while we wait one side without the wait at the line. which is normal, all bus services guides does it. The quality of the bus was the same as those 44 seater tour bus you see in Singapore.

I stayed over in Cambodia for 2 days.

I booked a SAPACO bus at the guesthouse i was staying and i was picked up at 730am at the guest house and the outlook of the bus was ok, not very good.

The bad part was the inside of the bus, its smells , the floor was dirty, the seats were smaller than normal 44 seater bus. The bus was completely jam packed with customers and cargo. I would refer them as cargo and not luggage. I got an aisle seat but i got a european seated behind me who was over 6 feet tall. he cant move at all.

Anyway, long story short, the SAPACO bus stopped along the way to drop people off and the tour guide left the customers at a chop-shop place to eat our lunch while he went off to do the usual passport stamp for all the customers. The food sucks not like the one by Sinh Cafe bus stop.

Overall experience for SAPACO , SAPACO SUCKS. Do not take SAPACO bus to anywhere. I strongly believe that SAPACO does not clean their bus. SBS bus is cleaner than SAPACO bus. or rather Sinh cafe and Minh linh bus are cleaner than SAPACO.

A direct point of view from a paying customer.

 

[leogeo]

any good shopping in Co Chi Minh?

 

[weird]

but in district 1 area, easy to find money changers or banks?

shd primarily change USD or dong?

do they accept S$ at money changers and banks?

for my case I bring SGD, USD and some Dong
if im to go again, i will jus bring SGD and Dong will do. But I think spend Dong over there is more hu hua.
eg during my taxi from hotel to airport, the driver quote mi USD$8 but i realised tat I have too much dong. Bring back also no use so I offer to pay in Dong
16500 * 8 --> This is the rate i give him which I consider to b very gd liao.. guess what.. he dare to tell me is 17000!!! but its ok for me cos i dont need dong at all. USD I still can use anywhere..

duh....
maybe you dun know me well enough

I think techadd is ok. His tour agency handled my hotel booking fast and efficiently. Had no probs at all.

I think Techadd should b ok lar.. if he sux, I think by now hwz broz will already scold him inside out le.. but I dont see anyone cursing him for now.. lolz.. I have never meet Techadd b4 hand.


Techadd: are you a vietnamese? can tell me a little bit more about urself? where are u now (SG or viet)?

 

[Rawlinson]

Hi Techadd,

I am planning to visit HCM this yr end from 23 - 29 December. Do you have any decent hotel to recommend me with a budget of less than S$50 for a double room?

 

[foofam77]

for my case I bring SGD, USD and some Dong
if im to go again, i will jus bring SGD and Dong will do. But I think spend Dong over there is more hu hua.
eg during my taxi from hotel to airport, the driver quote mi USD$8 but i realised tat I have too much dong. Bring back also no use so I offer to pay in Dong
16500 * 8 --> This is the rate i give him which I consider to b very gd liao.. guess what.. he dare to tell me is 17000!!! but its ok for me cos i dont need dong at all. USD I still can use anywhere..




Techadd: are you a vietnamese? can tell me a little bit more about urself? where are u now (SG or viet)?

though techdad could be good...but becoz he has no physcial shop here in sg,..i feel safer to opt for brick and mortar tour agency in sg


now i don even know where techdad is located...


I think Techadd should b ok lar.. if he sux, I think by now hwz broz will already scold him inside out le.. but I dont see anyone cursing him for now.. lolz.. I have never meet Techadd b4 hand.

 

[foofam77]

just booked tiger airways for nov travel..never know need to pay $16 convenience fees just for visa payment...

sianx...now net fare per pax become 175 instead of 160+..

btw can i use credit cards in HCM easily?

as for hotel choice...can suggest between Elios, Vien Dong or Le Duy?

thanks

 

[Techadd]

Hi Techadd,

I am planning to visit HCM this yr end from 23 - 29 December. Do you have any decent hotel to recommend me with a budget of less than S$50 for a double room?

er..for that super peak period.. it'll hard to find, you could try opting for budget motels online and try to make advance bookign as soon as possible

 

[Techadd]

for my case I bring SGD, USD and some Dong
if im to go again, i will jus bring SGD and Dong will do. But I think spend Dong over there is more hu hua.
eg during my taxi from hotel to airport, the driver quote mi USD$8 but i realised tat I have too much dong. Bring back also no use so I offer to pay in Dong
16500 * 8 --> This is the rate i give him which I consider to b very gd liao.. guess what.. he dare to tell me is 17000!!! but its ok for me cos i dont need dong at all. USD I still can use anywhere..

I think Techadd should b ok lar.. if he sux, I think by now hwz broz will already scold him inside out le.. but I dont see anyone cursing him for now.. lolz.. I have never meet Techadd b4 hand.

Techadd: are you a vietnamese? can tell me a little bit more about urself? where are u now (SG or viet)?

most of the locals will go by the rate of 17,000 now off the market rate of 16500vnd..

Only a handful of hardware forumers ever got to meet me actually..and i'm of neither viet or sg nationality..

and yes spending using Dong is better since u won;t get short changed using foreign currency as payment

 

[Techadd]

just booked tiger airways for nov travel..never know need to pay $16 convenience fees just for visa payment...

sianx...now net fare per pax become 175 instead of 160+..

btw can i use credit cards in HCM easily?

as for hotel choice...can suggest between Elios, Vien Dong or Le Duy?

thanks

Le Duy and Vien Dong are newer and nicer looking than Elios, but more pricier than Elios. in terms of convinience and hospitality.. Elios doesn;t disappoint, i'm not sure about the other 2 but they should be alright as well..

credit cards are accepted in most restaurants and shopping centers..

 

[Techadd]

now i don even know where techdad is located...

er.. did you check out my signature?

 

[foofam77]

Le Duy and Vien Dong are newer and nicer looking than Elios, but more pricier than Elios. in terms of convinience and hospitality.. Elios doesn;t disappoint, i'm not sure about the other 2 but they should be alright as well..

credit cards are accepted in most restaurants and shopping centers..

but after checking website, i realised Elios actually has the most expensive room rate, followed by Le Duy then Vien Dong.

Looking at the reviews, Elios is the best, followed by Le Duy.


Room look wise, Elios also best.

THinnk i will go for Elios, followed by 2nd choice Le Duy...


are these hotels all very near each other and in heart of city shopping?

Which shopping centres and marktetss shd i go for shopping?

thanks

 

[foofam77]

er.. did you check out my signature?

oppss sorry...just realised your signature...thanks....

 

[pyrrhous]

Just came back from HCM. Booked Elios through Techadd. (Thanks!)
Elios Hotel is in a convenient location and staff are nice and friendly. Less than 5 mins walk to Sinh Cafe.
Think along the Pham Ngu Lao street where Elios and a few other hotels are located is good. Quite centrally located. 10 mins walk to Ben Thanh. 20~25 mins to Rex Hotel area.

Shopping? Cant really comment cos wasnt there to shop. Ben Thanh is very touristy but affordable. An Dong market in District 5 is catered more towards the local so you might not fancy the fashion there. Saigon Square is a more fashionable place to shop. Another street to walk is Nguyen Trai (10 mins from Elios) where there are pockets of nice shops and also a street stall selling particularly nice banh mi (baguette sandwich)

 

[Telur17]

though techdad could be good...but becoz he has no physcial shop here in sg,..i feel safer to opt for brick and mortar tour agency in sg


now i don even know where techdad is located...

up to u. I've never met him too. Am just a satisfied customer.

 

[foofam77]

another question...

which restaurants in District 1 are recommended? all sorts of food are alright, except those eating creepy crawly stuff...

thannks