Saigon

Saigon advise please, do a ship tour or on our own, how safe is it

Saigon advise please, do a ship tour or on our own, how safe is it

If you only have one day probably best to go with the ship's tour as it is still quite a hike to Saigon from Phu My and back although the new "freeway" has reduced the travel time.

Another alternative is to check your roll call to see if anyone is organising a private tour to Saigon.

If you have not been to Vietnam before I really believe Saigon is a must do, the central city area is delightful and having come that far would be a shame not to see it.

Some cruise lines offer a shuttle bus to an from but for a few extra I would probably opt for a "tour" rather than do it on your own..

If you want to do it on your own - research Saigon on Trip Advisor for tips and advice.

Two thing to avoid - do not take a cyclo and make sure you get the right taxi company if you need to take a taxi - many problems with both in Saigon.

With limited time I would do an organized tour whether that is a ships tour or a private tour.

For a private tour I would recommend Zoom.

Here is his e-mail.

dungzoom@gmail.com

Keith

Hi, & a belated welcome to Cruise Critic.

First up, yes, Saigon is as safe as any tourist destination in the world. The usual scamsters & such of course so you need to keep your wits about you, but no need for paranoia.

One thing to watch in Vietnam is the local currency. It has an awful lot of noughts on it. So make sure you're not handing over ten - or even a hundred - times as much as you intended.

The upside is that for a day or two you'll be a millionaire. :D

Vietnamese dong are now available in the UK, though not from all the usual suspects & you'll probably have to order them.

As with any cruise ship, don't use ship's currency exchange cos the rates are very poor.

USD are widely accepted in Vietnam, a useful back-up currency. Some folk don't bother getting dong, but IMHO its always best to carry some local jingle.

If you're on a mid-to-large ship you'll be berthed at Phu My, which is about 90 to 120 minutes from the city, and the availability & quality of transport on-the-fly is very dubious so you need to fix at least transport to Saigon.

You can book a reliable private transfer over the 'net, or you can book Celebrity's "Saigon on your own" transfers, or you can search and ask about shared transport through the RollCall, which you've already found.

The alternative of a pre-booked tour has its pros & cons, but IMHO isn't necessary.

Once in Saigon (treat the Rex Hotel as the centre), the major sights - Reunification Hall, War Remnants museum, Ho Chi Mihn museum, Ben Thahn market, Notre Dame etc - are all walkable & you'll comfortably get by without transport. BTW, opposite Notre Dame, the central post office - an iconic & historic building in itself - has an excellent tourist info desk & currency exchange.

If your ship overnites in Phu My, consider a Saigon hotel for the night - the saving on transfers will almost pay for the room, avoids the time waste of double-shuffling, and gives you an evening in Saigon.

Downside to that is that the ship may not offer their transfer split over two days.

Change the words "Phu My & Saigon" to "Laem Chabang & Bangkok" and all the same advice applies, other than that you'll occasionally need transport - taxi, ferry, Skytrain or tuk-tuk - in Bangkok itself. Taxis are available to hire at the quayside in Laem Chabang, but they have a cartel and charge seriously OTT - so it's another port to fix up transfers in advance.

Great itinerary, Asia is rapidly westernising & homogenising so its good to go now rather than later.

Have a good one

JB :)

JB, we were docked at Phu My this past March and the drive was around 45 minutes each way. There is a tunnel that was built a few years ago that has helped relieve much of the traffic getting into town. This was our third time there and the best in terms of the drive between the port and the city.

Keith

JB, we were docked at Phu My this past March and the drive was around 45 minutes each way. There is a tunnel that was built a few years ago that has helped relieve much of the traffic getting into town. This was our third time there and the best in terms of the drive between the port and the city.

 

Keith

Hi, Keith.

Tunnel.

Under the Saigon River, close to the city centre?

We were on a small ship berthed at Nha Rong near that tunnel entrance during construction about 3 yrs back, & the associated roadworks made life very difficult outside our port gate, no sidewalk & no option but to walk in the busy road. :eek:

But don't tell the OP about crossing Saigon's motorbike-packed streets, let them find out for themselves :D

http://sharpieandjane.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/img_55211.jpg

JB :)

JB I think the tunnel takes you under the Saigon River. It was quite nice and traffic moved.

Yes, crossing the streets in Ho Chi Minh city is quite an adventure. Key is don't run. LOL, but so true.

Best to you.

Keith

Just another suggestion. The ship's shuttles usually ho to the Rex hotel. My husband engaged one of the many taxis to take us on a several hour tour for a very reasonable charge.

We were able to see everything on our list and return to the hotel for a nice drink in the roof garden bar. One of our favorite days.

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Don't wait for a gap in the traffic to cross.....you'll wait all day. Just close your eyes (well, maybe not literally[emoji4]) and walk purposefully. The motor cyclists will drive round you

Thankyou for all your replies, traffic does look bad.Do you have any advise on Hanoi Thanks Jan

Thankyou for all your replies, traffic does look bad.Do you have any advise on Hanoi Thanks Jan

First off, Saigon's two-wheeled traffic. :D

Looks daunting, but no worries if you:

- try to cross with other pedestrians, on the down-stream end.

- make it clear that you're about to step into the road, then walk across at a slow but steady pace, same as everyone else.

- Don't deviate or speed-up or, particularly, don't stop.

- And watch out for the traffic but don't make eye-contact with the riders.

As Suekay's post, leave them to avoid you.

Doesn't work with cars, buses & taxis. ;)

Hanoi is about a 3.5 hr drive from Halong Bay.

No suitable public transport & not something to DIY. You need a ship's tour or a well-reviewed private/shared tour - check out if others are putting together groups on your RollCall.

Overniting in Hanoi makes a great deal of sense - a day-trip will be more travelling than sight-seeing.

Or skip Hanoi & research a junk cruise in the moonscape of Halong Bay, an eerie & magical place.

Most references are to overnite junk cruises, but a day cruise of minimum 4 hours & preferably 6 or 8 hours is great.

Difficult to fit in both Hanoi & a decent junk cruise during a day-and-a half visit, the two hour cruises offered on ship's tours are inadequate since much of that time is spent crossing the open bay before getting up-close-and-personal with the limestone karsts.

JB :)

Everything said about crossing the streets true! Just cross at the "crosswalks" or corners and believe the drivers will avoid you.

More seriously, this is the only city on our spring 2014 trip that our tour groups had a theft. One of our party had his camera grabbed by a masked guy on a motor bike. Be aware where you are. We were standing near the main square with our guide who had just warned us about snatch and grabs. A policeman was across the street. One man unfortunately was standing slightly apart from us, on a drive-up to a fancy hotel. We were on the hotel steps and safer. The motor bike zoomed in, wrong way on the street. Our fellow cruiser was okay but his camera (and all his photos) were gone and his back wrenched a little. If he hadn't been a big guy, he could have been badly hurt. And it happened in a flash.

So, go, enjoy the city. Just back up your photos or change your memory card to a new one. Be alert. Stay near others.

JB - loved the video[emoji1] We crossed the road many times at the point showed on your second clip and wish we'd thought to video it to show everybody at home

With limited time I would do an organized tour whether that is a ships tour or a private tour.

 

For a private tour I would recommend Zoom.

 

Here is his e-mail.

 

dungzoom@gmail.com

 

Keith

Hi Keith

I have been in touch with Zoom, and did you do the tour that he recommends, he called it the private Saigon city tour? He asks for passport details, and I have read on CC that they need this to get into the port, just want to check your opinion and whether you did this?

We only have 1 day and so want to make the most of it, and I try and get private tours rather than ship tours.

thanks

Pat

First off, Saigon's two-wheeled traffic. :D

 

Looks daunting, but no worries if you:

 

- try to cross with other pedestrians, on the down-stream end.

 

- make it clear that you're about to step into the road, then walk across at a slow but steady pace, same as everyone else.

 

- Don't deviate or speed-up or, particularly, don't stop.

 

- And watch out for the traffic but don't make eye-contact with the riders.

 

As Suekay's post, leave them to avoid you.

 

 

Doesn't work with cars, buses.

 

 

 

JB :)

LOVE that video! Thanks for sharing. It looks like something you'd have to do on a dare!

We are thinking of taking the me kong delta tour that is offered by the ship, but that would likely mean missing Saigon. We're on an 11 day cruise, so it's a bit about balancing the whole experience (cities, countryside, busy and relaxed).

Cheryl

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Watching that video reminded me of being stuck at Central Market in Phnom Penh, just couldn't cross the road. Eventually, a local grabbed hold of my hand and saw me safely across - so kind.

Ok, I'll be honest - this crossing the road thing has me terrified :eek:

I'm doing the Sapphire Princess cruise in February, so will do a ships tour to Saigon - solo female, so seems by far the safest bet

My - somewhat embarrassing - question is about the ships tour if anyone has done it

Are you left alone at any stage? If you are is it possible just to stay in whatever area that might be and not have to cross any roads? :o

I'm looking forward to visiting Vietnam, but this honestly has me worried :confused:

Don't know about Princess tours but Zoom gave us free time at the market. We ate lunch at Pho 2000 then he shepherded us across the road. I cant see Princess guides bring any less helpful

Don't know about Princess tours but Zoom gave us free time at the market. We ate lunch at Pho 2000 then he shepherded us across the road. I cant see Princess guides bring any less helpful

Thank you :)

darcy15, I'm also a solo female traveler and i'll be there on the sapphire princess in October. I have a cruise line tour booked that includes a bit of free time at a market. if I am uncertain about something, I usually glom onto a group that looks safe and tag along. I expect there will be a ton of tourists in the city with the ship and in my experience in other ports, there is always a guide nearby and always folks who welcome you on your own.

darcy15, I'm also a solo female traveler and i'll be there on the sapphire princess in October. I have a cruise line tour booked that includes a bit of free time at a market. if I am uncertain about something, I usually glom onto a group that looks safe and tag along. I expect there will be a ton of tourists in the city with the ship and in my experience in other ports, there is always a guide nearby and always folks who welcome you on your own.

Thank you so much :)

Feel more reassured now

Have a great trip :D

We had a full day 9 people private Saigon tour with Zoom last month. He can be reached at dungzoom@gmail.com

I can highly recommend Zoom services. He is very knowledgeable his prices are very competitive. The communication with Zoom was very quick and easy. The time to get from the port to Saigon does not take that long now with the new expressway open. Also the walk from the ship to the outside of the port gates does not take long at all, so save yourself the money for the pick up inside the gate permit and there is no need to send your personal details over the internet.

We loved all the places Zoom had taken us to. The lunch at the Clinton noodle restaurant was fun. The place is very busy and the food is delicious. We also enjoyed the coffee at the Rex and Majestic hotel.

Zoom takes a lot of pictures everywhere and posts them on his Facebook page for everyone to share.

We had a great day in Saigon with Zoom despite heavy traffic and crazy scooter drivers everyone enjoyed it!

I recognize that this is an old thread.

We returned home last week. We spend 4 of the last 8 weeks in Vietnam travelling independently from Phu Quok in the south to Hanoi in the north. Planes, buses, ferries, and trains. Four days in Saigon, our last six days in Hanoi with many stops in between.

We never felt unsafe at any time. The reverse was true. Loved the country, loved the people. Great place to visit. But you really need more than a few hours in Saigon. The war museum can easily take up two or three hours.

Our Celebrity cruise docks there in January and we have arrange a tour of the city with a local tour company. We were told the port is quite large and it is a far distance from the ship to the gate. Do the cruise ships provide shuttles to the gate or do we need to pay the tour company to enter the port and pick us up?

Our Celebrity cruise docks there in January and we have arrange a tour of the city with a local tour company. We were told the port is quite large and it is a far distance from the ship to the gate. Do the cruise ships provide shuttles to the gate or do we need to pay the tour company to enter the port and pick us up?

If your port is Phu My (which I think it will be) the walk to the gate will take between 10 -15 minutes - on flat pavement and completely safe to do.

On our last cruise there we had one lady with a walking stick and she was able to manage it ok.

The ship will not provide shuttles to the gate but on the return to the port we were able to ride the "golf cart" that the port provides for it's workers back to the ship.

The cost of $25 USD per person to allow pick up at the ship side is just a way for the port staff to extract money from travellers and can be avoided by the short walk

I can guarantee the cruise lines do not pay the $25 "access fee" for their tours.