CROSSING THE ROAD BY FOOT
by balhannah
Traffic in Ho Chi Minh..........I have never seen so many motorbikes in my life, at least they weren't going fast like at home!
How to get across to the other side of the road?
Mmm, rather daunting with all those bikes, but it can be done quite easily.
The trick is to stay aware, and walk slowly and confidently. The motorbike riders are watching and will simply move to avoid you - just don't make any sudden lurches forwards, backwards, or stop for that matter!
Just look for a gap in the traffic, and begin a slow but steady movement. If you hear a beep coming your way it's likely a motorbike rider is about to enter your personal space.
Be a alert and prepared to stop putting your foot forward until he passes
If you don't feel up to doing this, then go and stand with a local and cross with them!
Easy!!
Beers
by muddybok
Beers are so inexpensive in Vietnam. You can easily enjoy you chilled bottle of beer at the price of VND10.000 (local beers) and VND15.000 for imported brands (Tiger, Heineken).
I was resolved to drink only beer to regulate my body temperature (40-degree temperature daily) and hydrate.
Most big cities will have their own breweries such as Saigon Beer, Hanoi Beer & etc.
Christmas Decorations everywhere!
by shrimp56
Well at least in the tourist hotels -- including some dreadful music. ["Frosty the Snowman" etc...] This was the case in Thailand and Cambodia-- even the bar waitresses were dressed in little santa outfits. It was weird in Thailand and Cambodia, but more understandable in Vietnam, which has a Catholic tradition.
Relax and cool off for a day
by PhilEadie
If you've had enough of shopping, museums and really feel you've been offered one coconut too many then get out of town to the Saigon Water Park in Thu Duc district.
The water park, which was an Australian joint project, has been open for about 5 years and offers a total escape from the city and all the usual attractions including six slides (for singles, doubles and triples), a lazy river, wave pool and an infant pool. All are well policed with lifegaurds on permanent duty. There are no hawkers so you really will be able to escape for a few hours.
The only downside in a country with such tasty food in abundance is the quality of the food on offer inside which ranges from boring pseudo Western fair to equally average local food at inflated (by VN standards) prices. Risk the wrath of the management and smuggle your own in.
Entrance is around 70k Dong (around 4.50USD). As for getting there - There is a bus from the centre of the city or you can take a boat from Bach Dang wharf. Personally I would splash out (pun intended) on a taxi which is the easiest way to get there and should only cost about 6USD each way.
If you are in HCMC for more than four days you really should treat yourself to a day here or at one of the other water parks around Saigon such as Dam Sen.
Vietnam T-shirts
by BorneoGrrl about Ben Thanh Market
You can find many shops selling T-shirts but in Ben Thanh market, you can find many, many stalls where you can choose & bargain from
You can buy T-shirts from the upscale souvenir shops e.g in hotels but expect to pay 10x - 20x more!! I'm not going to encourage anyone out there to purchase any fake designer shirts even though they do come in very tempting prices. However, T-shirts made in Vietnam are pretty nice to bring home as souvenirs or gifts to pass around because not only they are inexpensive, they come in nice designs too especially the ones with the embroidery
Personally, I find the cheaper T-shirts are quite thin (but good to wear in a hot & humid place like Saigon) but with the low prices, it's value for money. Plus, they're pretty handy if you forgot to pack extra clothes Some stalls are notorious because even after I bargained for half the price of the item, I found other places that sell them for less than that. I guess they know the trick so they push the price higher
So, the cheapest T-shirts I bought were US$1 for printed tees and US$2 for T-shirts with embroidery
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Bui Vien Street HCMC
Ben Thanh Market
The Park outside the Palace
Mien Xao Cua
