Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam - is it easy to move around on your own?

Question

Is it safe to travel without tour guide? What language do they speak? Can they speak English, Mandarin or dialect? Which hotel would you recommend which is near shopping area? Is transport convenient? Can you also recommend some popular places of interest? How's the weather ? What is the exchange rate now?

Answer 1

I'm from Vietnam and I can make sure that it's one of the safest countries in this world, LOL. We speak Vietnamese. When you meet anybody, say "Xin Chao" (means "Hi" in Vietnamese). Or even say "Hello" is okey. They will understand, LOL. Except the language barrier, it's really easy to hang around and enjoy our everyday life. You can take taxi or cylo. And for shopping, go to Dimond Mall. Dont worry about the weather and exchange rate. You can change USD to VND in the airport so that it may be easier for you to spend later, otherwises use 1USD instead of 100USD. Hope you will have a great trip. Many thanks for asking.

Answer 2

HCMC is very easy to move around but it's quite big. When I was there I picked a few places out, got a taxi there, then walked around the neighborhood. I found it quite safe but, as you would in any other city, use your common sense.

Shopping isn't very big there, it's a poor country so they don't have a lot of money to spend on luxuries. The food is great....make sure you try Pho (Beef noodle soup).

Transport isn't great, but you can hire a Cyclo there for a couple of dollars (it's a bike with a seat in front for you to sit on, the driver cycles behind you).

The people that deal with tourists speak English (not very well), otherwise they speak Vietnamese (Mandarin is spoken by Chinese people).

I'd recommend you pick up a copy of the Lonely Planet guide to Vietnam to get a good idea of where to go.

My best tip: Bring LOTS of US$1 bills. They are really handy for paying taxis etc and are more welcome than the local currency.

Enjoy your trip there, I loved it and I'll go back.

Answer 3

It is perfectly safe in HCM City. They speak Vietnamese, of course, hardly any French these days. Most tourism operators can manage English. Stay in the Phan Ngu Lao district if you are going for low-budget, self-travel and tourist-friendly facilities like hotels. Transport is convenient. You can take buses around. Cyclos too. Visit the Cu Chi Tunnels outside the city and the Mekong River Delta. Sign up at Phan Ngu Lao. The weather is hot and humid there right now. Have USD handy, especially in small notes.

Answer 4

Hi,

Yes, nowadays Vietnam is very safe. We often offer accommodation and flight services for our clients to travel on their own.

English is nowadays widely spoken by young people. All the hotels' staffs in Vietnam can speak English fluently.

3-star Palace is located right in the center where you can go shopping around. Those popular shopping venues is Tax Center, some 500m from Palace and Ben Thanh Market, some 1km from Palace Hotel.

The room rate at Palace is USD 41 per room per night included breakfast and taxes. This should be paid through DirecTravelAsia.

Taxi or Honda taxi are numerous in Vietnam.

There are a lots of interesting places near Ho Chi Minh City such as Mekong Delta, Cu Chi Tunnels, Can Gio Biosphere Mangrove Forest, etc...

For further details, please kindly visit us at www.directravelasia.com or email me directly at [e-mail]

Best regards,

Truong. Aug 6

Answer 5

hi there!I'm vietnamese.it very easy for u to travel alone without a guide.we speak Vietnamese some can speak but not well.i dont know about hotels,Ive been there once since Ive moved there but i usually stay at my grampa house.theres this one shopping area which has the most prettiest clothes,jewelery and great food,it like a mall.I'm not a big taxi fan so i usually call a driver with scooter instead.the weather is great allways sun well not always.

Answer 6

It's safe if you travel in areas with other tourists. Stay away from small alleys and shady towns. HCM city's popular places: Catholic Church and Post Office on Le Duan street with the former SVN President Palace nearby. On Le Duan street, you can find the US consular, Shops, City Zoo and the Museum. Too many places to name. Take a city guide on your plane.

If you really want a good place to stay, Sheraton is the place. It's pricey but it's worth it. Taxi is cheap and safe.; use the Green color ones. It's very hot and humid. Dalat is cool and romantic.
HUE is my favorite city. Visit HUE and you want to come back. I do. 1U$ = 15500 Dong. Dinner at good eatery: 3u$/Heinie less than 1 buck.....Got AirTicket?????

Answer 7

HCMC is a safe city. U can move around easily in this city. But u'd better go by cyclo. It's quiet cheap and if u wanna know more 'bout the city, it's the best transportation. By the way, communist party has nothing to do with it

Answer 8

don't let the smiling faces fool you. you are just a little fish in a sea of sharks. You could be a victim if you let down your guard. I cannot tell you how many bags and cellphones i have seen snatched from tourists and locals over the years.

The Pham Ngu Lao mafia has got their boys out every night stealing from tourists. Even university students moonlight as bag snatchers at night to pay for school. and don't get me started on the heroin addicts......

Answer 9

I think that you should do a bit more research on your own before you plan on going there. Like the basic fact that the Vietnamese speak Vietnamese in thier own country. You will not be able to get around on your own if you do not know this basic type of stuff.

Answer 10

like any city if you dont act a fool you'll be just fine.be a "traveler" , not a "tourest". dont waist your money on a formal guide.[ unless you plan on going to the delta or cuu chi- then go with a formal group your hotel desk will help you].be adventureous[ but carefull] find a motor bike driver or taxi or cyclo driver you get along with/ trust and have them take you around to local places, like "cho lon"[ literaly "big market"] or the square that has the cathedral, main post office and dimond plaza. maps are more available all the time there . at hotels at book stores etc. get one study it a little. you can walk to many places seeing the sites along the way. ALWAYS have a back up plan. everybody speaks viet namese, in the area around "cho lon" they speak [some type of ] chinese you'll even see many chinese signs. most people you will come in contact with also speak english[ hotels, taxies, motor bike & many cyclo drivers...& most young adults]. the weather there will be hot. but dont wear shorts and tank tops [ 1st off it impolite , 2nd you'd rather be hot than get all that sai gon dirt on you.
as far as where to stay it depends on your taste... i like the "back pack area for the action and acessability[ de tham, pham ngu lau, and bui vien streets] most places there are very cheap [$10] and plain.. but there are more upscale places in that area [ right on the corner of pham ngu lau and de tham are 2 nice places [ very secrure] not fer away on bui vien is the "metropole" [about $50] and they have a swimming pool. between the back pack area and "cho benh thanh"[ benh thanh market] is the new world hotel where pres clinton stayed. further up the street from benh thanh is "rodeo drive"[lol] fancy shopping and fancy hotels, the rex, caravel[ priced to 2500 a night]... a good place to go for a cocktail and view of the city at night... check responces to similar question by clicking on "resolved questions" in this catagory you find "tons" of great suggestions on what to do and how to act in sai gon... di choi vui ve [ have a fun go around]... oh the exchange rate is around 15000 vn dong to $1us ... banks will give you the best rate of exchange tour offices and hotels the worst... but its all pretty close. ALL prices are negociable.. and check out rooms before you sign in.. its customary.
what i recommend most is meet and talk to as many people as you can. people on the street, at resturants , at your hotel, other travelers and expatriots... after all it is not where you go but who you meet that will make your trip rewarding... keep some small money handy and never pass up a begger and always take time to speak with them....trust me on this.... but never act like a "mark" or alow people to treat you like a mark! give respect ..and demand respect and you will be fine wherever you go.