Vietnam: On our own or do an excursion? HELP

[petlover]

We will have 1 day port stops in DaNang and also Ho Chi Minh City. We've never been there and have no idea what to do. Any suggestions? Is it doable on our own? Do taxi drivers speak English?

[tiegs]

I would strongly suggest that if there ever was a country that you should use ship tours this is it. I spent a year in Viet Nam in 1970 and returned for a visit several years ago. Threre are several things to consider, the distance from the port to Saigon, most tours are run by the government and if you have a problem your resources to correct will be limited. I would not suggest that you attempt to anything on your own. Most of the people will welcome you and try to please you, however there are too many things that can go wrong. Use the safety of a ship tour in both locations. You will find the country beautiful and the people friendly and eager for your dollars.

Have a great trip.

 

Bill

[Hlitner]

I was also in Vietnam during 1970-71 when it was not quite as friendly as it is these days [smile]. We have returned on two cruises, the most recent being last July on the Pacific Princess when we called at Vung Tao and Nha Trang. On our previous visit we were in Saigon (I refuse to call it any other name) and were fortunate because our ship (the Marco Polo) was allowed to dock on the river in downtown Saigon. At all 3 of these ports we chose to do things on our own and had a great time. If you are docking in Phu My (for Saigon) than you should use a ship's tour or transportation because of the long distance to the city. However, when within any of the major cities we would not have a problem doing our own thing!

 

Hank

[petlover]

Thanks so much for the good info!

[slgjhg]

Hi All,

 

We were there in 2004, October on the Royal Princess. I believe the best way to maximize your port visit is to take a private tour. We had a van and a very inexpensive price, however, when we discussed our day with others it was clear that the way to go is independent but with a guide. (If you don't want a guide it is because you are totally knowledgeable about the port.) A recent cruise used Shortcut to bookview in arranging their tours. You may want to check it out.

 

Goood luck with with your trip.

 

Regards,

 

Shannon

[slgjhg]

Hi All,

 

Sorry about the last post. I didn't have my act together about cutting and pasting. Try this site, The website that I found for this shore excursion is http://www.asianventure.com., a group of Royal Princess Cruisers who are currently on the Royal for 30 days from Bangkok to Capetown used this company and having looked at the site it looks great. I believe they booked the Siagon day tour for six people.

 

Good Luck with your trip,

 

Shannon

[A J Theodore]

Hi Petlover--

If you are still pursuing this topic, please post a note in this string. I was in Saigon last year and will be glad to provide a few suggestions (places to see, how to do it, restaurants, etc.)

AJ

[Crowsie]

Hi Petlover--

If you are still pursuing this topic, please post a note in this string. I was in Saigon last year and will be glad to provide a few suggestions (places to see, how to do it, restaurants, etc.)

AJ

 

 

Hi...

We will be in Saigon in March..docking at Vung Tau and taking the Princess hydrofoil transfer to the city.

The shore excursion that offered city highlights/shopping and on your own time is booked.

So..we're looking for tips/hints/ideas on how to see the city and get some quality shopping time and lunch in.

Any insight is greatly appreciated!

[A J Theodore]

Hi--

Saigon is a fascinating place and I am sure you will enjoy. I do not know exactly where the hydrofoil will drop you but it should be somewhere near city center and there is almost certain to be a shuttle bus.

Center city is a good place to start, and you can use either the Ho Chi Minh monument or the Rex Hotel as a point of reference. Rex, of course, famous from the war. You can walk down Le Loi St. (I believe) to the Ben Thanh Market.

Ben Thanh will have everything from lacquerware (quite good) to music CDs (mostly pirated, and quality can vary substantially) to clothes (at decent prices) to food stuffs to wonderful folk art. I bought a very good suitcase for $55 last year. Take dollars in bills of various denominations (none larger than a $20 bill) as they are widely accepted. Vietnamese currency is "dong" and it is now about 15,500-16,000 the dollar. Do not buy food there unless you have an absolutely iron stomach. The best thing is to smell the street food as you walk by.

I understand that there is now a new market across the street from the Rex and it is supposedly very good and will have things Western tourists are interested in.

Make sure to look for an Ao Dai (pronounced ao yai), traditional women's clothing of Viet Nam. There are English speaking shops next to the Rex. Don't forget the pants to go with the tunic.

Eating. Near the Rex is the Lemongrass Restaurant (which takes credit cards). Western sanitization standards. Food is Vietnamese and excellent - I recommend the shrimp. I have not tried any of the other restaurants, but I told that the restaurant in the Intercontinental Hotel is first rate.

Taxis can be hit or miss - some drivers speak a little English but there are some who will try to overcharge. Many of the English speakers will try to offer tour services - I am told that there are several who are quite good but I do not know how to locate the drivers.

Finally, whatever you do, watch out for traffic. If you are out on your own in the afternoon, there can be horrendous traffic jams in center city and near the docks. Plan accordingly.

Other things to see and do:

1. The National Museum. Wonderful historic collection, emphasizes Vietnamese struggles against Chinese colonialism.

2. The Must See. At the musuem is my all-time favorite attraction in Viet Nam and one of my favorites in the world: The water puppets. DO NOT MISS THE WATER PUPPETS. Rearrange your schedule if need be to see these. The puppets perform on the surface of the water. Take your video camera and do not sit in the front row - there will be dragons spouting water.

3. There is a wonderful children's park next door to the museaum.

4. Chinese Temple near the Cathedral. Good if you have nothing else to do with your time but it is like many other Chinese temples elsewhere.

5. Other historic sites include the well-restored Presidential Palace and the building where the U.S. Embassy used to be (remember the helicopters lifting off from the roof). Unless you specifically request it (or want to go out of town to the Cu Chi Tunnels from the war) there is very little about the war that the Vietnamese will emphasize.

Resources - I am partial to the Insight guides. The one on Viet Nam is excellent, including the pictures.

If you want to consider a more formal way around Saigon and if you have the usual limited time provided by a cruise, you should seriously consider getting a guide through Saigon Tourist. It is a government owned, well-run company providing English speaking guides and tour services. Two people, with car and guide, should not be more than $100 or $125 for a day of sightseeing. There is an affiliated US company, Vietnam Travel Express, with an office in Arlington, VA (across from Washington, DC), (703) 243-0313; (800) 659-6090. www DOT saigon-tourist DOT com and www DOT vietnamtravelexpres DOT com. Both web sites are helpful.

Please post with any other questions. I hope that this is helpful.

[Crowsie]

AJ..

Thank you so much for all the wonderful advice.

I especially appreciate the warning of where to eat/not to eat. We love Vietnamese food and your recommendation sounds wonderful.

 

You said to take bills smaller than $20.00. I'm assuming that currency is USD? Will the shops at the market take credit cards?

 

The national museum sounds wonderful...do the puppets only perform at certain times throughout the day?

 

Are the Insight guides readily available at places like Barnes and Noble?

 

We'll check out the websites for the tours as well.

 

Again...I very much appreciate all your advice.

[A J Theodore]

Hi Crowsie--

 

1. Money. Yes I am talking about the U.S. Dollar. It is very widely accepted and, with internal Vietnamese inflation, often preferred. Certainly easier to understand prices in US$ rather than Dong. (If you are not from the US, I would suggest converting some of your home currency to US$ before you go for this purpose.)

 

By the way, don't forget to bargain (except in those places that really do have fixed prices). You will find bargaining much more low key in the very polite society of Vietnam. Just be reasonable.

 

2. I didn't see anywhere at Ben Thanh Market that took credit cards, but that may have changed in the interim. I do not know whether the new market across from the Rex takes credit cards. But, being for tourists, I would suspect that it would.

 

3. I am not sure what times the water puppets perform - but I would imagine that it is probably four or five times per day. When I was there the show lasted about an hour. I would really try to reach the Vietnamese embassy, cultural office, or Saigon Tourist to try to find out about this. Make sure that this is generally available, not just for prearranged bus tours. (As I mentioned before, this is, to me, the one MUST in Vietnam). By the way, we just happened to spot this at the Museum and asked our bus tour guide if we could return for the water puppets - he arranged it for us for later in the day.

 

4. Insight Guides. I usually buy these at Borders. I would presume that Barnes and Noble would have these as well. Perhaps possible to buy them on line through Barnes and Noble or Amazon as well. (I tend to like the Insight Guides because they include a fair amount about history, culture, food, religion, etc., not found in other guides.

 

5. The newest Insight Guide will probably have a good, current list of places to eat that meet Western standards. I completely agree with you that Vietnamese food, well prepared with fresh ingredients, is just wonderful.

 

Glad to know that you found the information useful. I can only hope that you have a truly wonderful time when you visit. Please let me know how it goes getting information from the embassy or Saigon Tourist. Enjoy.

[Crowsie]

Thanksa again AJ..

I'll email Saigon Tourist and see if they can provide me with the schedule for the water puppets....I"ll let you know what I hear!

[Jane110]

Just a couple of additional thoughts, since so many of you already gave the OP great advice.....

 

1. Bargaining.... I found little of this in Vietnam which I was VERY pleased with. After a week of haggling in Bangkok (which I hate, so bought very little) I found the shopping in Vietnam to be pure pleasure. Prices are cheap and haggling isn't the name of the game. I hope that visitors keep up this traditiona of "the price is the price" - if everyone starts haggling, the vietnamese people will have to start playing the same games at the thai's do in order to get their price. I bought chopsticks in Vietnam for 10 cents a pair that I later saw in Sak's 5th Ave for $11.00 and the lacquer tray's I bought for between $3. and $9. were between $25. and $65. in Sak's.

 

2. Food..... I agree with the suggestion of not eating street food there. However, most restaurants are fine to eat in and we never had any tummy problems.

 

3. Currency......They happily take american dollars

 

4. Books....Yes, I agree that the Insight Guides are excellent and I also think that the Lonely Planet Guide is an excellent source of information.

 

5. Traffic......If you want to cross a street that has a lot of traffic and no street lights, your natural inclination will be to try and run. DON'T. Do the opposite. Walk VERY VERY SLOWLY and the bicycles, scooters, motorcycles, cars and cyclo's will drive around you. If you walk quickly, you're much more likely to be hit. This was probably the most difficult thing for me to adjust to when I spent 5 days in Vietnam, but it's what a local guide told me the first day and he was right.

 

I found the people of Vietnam to be lovely and warm and the food wonderful. Enjoy your time there.

 

Jane

[shoshona2]

Hi Joan

 

I think your advice was really good and the very best advice you gave was how to cross the street! We were there last November and I finally got the hang of it. Have you ever seen so many motor bikes any place else in the world?

 

Did you go out to see the tunnels?

 

My feeling is that the private tours are very cheap in Vietnam and since time is so limited, people should use the services of a guide. We have been there twice in the past 16 years and have seen so many changes.

 

Sheila

 

P.S. to AJ: We personally didn't think the puppet show was so wonderful, but that's what makes some people prefer chocolate ice cream to vanilla. I'm a vanilla person and my DH is a chocolate person!!!