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Started By
Message
Vietnam: The Hot HOT Heat
Posted on 7/2/24 at 6:41 pm
Posted on 7/2/24 at 6:41 pm
In the early morning I'll depart on a long series of flights to visit Vietnam for the third time. Having read several helpful and informative travel reports from other posters who traveled to other places, I plan to do a series of updates here, pertaining to my time in Ho Chi Minh City (main location, may go to others, TBD) so as to give others an idea of what it's like there.
My first trip to Vietnam was during Tet, in January 2023, I think I was there 10 or 11 days. Second trip was this time last year, basically the entire month of July 2023, both trips were 100% Ho Chi Minh City with the exception of a day trip out to the Cu Chi Tunnel complex and museum, which is a decent drive northwest out of the city. This time I'll be there much longer because they changed the visa options. I'll land in Ho Chi Minh City on July 5th, and return flight leaves August 18th. I'd like to make it down to the Mekong delta this time, and hopefully find something else to do nearby, it's been suggested to me that I should rent a motorcycle and go for a long drive in the country. We'll see.
For my two prior trips I purchased their "e-visa" which was a 30 day, single entry visa, cost $25, I think. Well, they changed the visa situation up a little and it makes life easier for people like me who want to stay there longer and use Vietnam as a place to hop out to other countries in the region. Now, the e-visa is a 90 day visa, and you can pay $25 for single entry, or $50 for multi-entry. I got the multi entry because I want to try to arrange a side trip to Angkor Wat in Cambodia.
I'm not looking forward to a full 24 hours on airplanes and in airports, but that's the process for me to get there, and once I'm there it's worth it so I quickly forget about the air travel drudgery. I booked too late to select any seats, so I got them all assigned, and what do you know, I got all aisle seats! Wonderful. I'd rather be the guy in the aisle that lets you out than be trapped against the window or worse, stuck in between two poor assholes that have to deal with my shoulder width.
It's July, I'm up in Green Country, geographically speaking....northeastern Oklahoma, so it's hot, but it's not "Vietnam Hot". It does feel different there.
My first trip to Vietnam was during Tet, in January 2023, I think I was there 10 or 11 days. Second trip was this time last year, basically the entire month of July 2023, both trips were 100% Ho Chi Minh City with the exception of a day trip out to the Cu Chi Tunnel complex and museum, which is a decent drive northwest out of the city. This time I'll be there much longer because they changed the visa options. I'll land in Ho Chi Minh City on July 5th, and return flight leaves August 18th. I'd like to make it down to the Mekong delta this time, and hopefully find something else to do nearby, it's been suggested to me that I should rent a motorcycle and go for a long drive in the country. We'll see.
For my two prior trips I purchased their "e-visa" which was a 30 day, single entry visa, cost $25, I think. Well, they changed the visa situation up a little and it makes life easier for people like me who want to stay there longer and use Vietnam as a place to hop out to other countries in the region. Now, the e-visa is a 90 day visa, and you can pay $25 for single entry, or $50 for multi-entry. I got the multi entry because I want to try to arrange a side trip to Angkor Wat in Cambodia.
I'm not looking forward to a full 24 hours on airplanes and in airports, but that's the process for me to get there, and once I'm there it's worth it so I quickly forget about the air travel drudgery. I booked too late to select any seats, so I got them all assigned, and what do you know, I got all aisle seats! Wonderful. I'd rather be the guy in the aisle that lets you out than be trapped against the window or worse, stuck in between two poor assholes that have to deal with my shoulder width.
It's July, I'm up in Green Country, geographically speaking....northeastern Oklahoma, so it's hot, but it's not "Vietnam Hot". It does feel different there.
5
Posted on 7/2/24 at 8:30 pm to DrDenim
Very much looking to your detailed trip report with a shite ton of photos
Posted on 7/2/24 at 9:33 pm to HoustonGumbeauxGuy
Dig it Dr D ...
looking forward to dispatches.
looking forward to dispatches.
Posted on 7/2/24 at 9:48 pm to DrDenim
If you are there that long, I highly recommend getting up to Hoi An, Hue, Halong and Hanoi at least. Perhaps even a day or so at Mui Ne, now that they have the new highway. Even Dalat or Danang.
As much as I love HCMC, it's gets a little repetitive (in the best way of course).
If you are single, go by and see my man Josh at the Snug Pub in District 1.
Enjoy ... i was there a few weekends ago and miss it daily!
As much as I love HCMC, it's gets a little repetitive (in the best way of course).
If you are single, go by and see my man Josh at the Snug Pub in District 1.
Enjoy ... i was there a few weekends ago and miss it daily!
Posted on 7/3/24 at 6:42 am to JW
quote:
Snug Pub
Taking tugs and rubbing rugs at the snug pub.
Posted on 7/3/24 at 6:43 am to DrDenim
Posted on 7/3/24 at 8:20 am to HoustonGumbeauxGuy
Have fun man I really loved the energy in Saigon.
Posted on 7/3/24 at 10:16 am to JW
quote:
If you are there that long, I highly recommend getting up to Hoi An, Hue, Halong and Hanoi at least. Perhaps even a day or so at Mui Ne, now that they have the new highway. Even Dalat or Danang.
I did this trip and it was one of the best of my life. Well close to this trip. Replace Halong with Sapa. Highly recommend motorcycles from Hue to Hoi An
Posted on 7/3/24 at 11:01 am to JW
quote:
Perhaps even a day or so at Mui Ne, now that they have the new highway. Even Dalat or Danang.
Our son was married in PhanThiet in Feb '20 right before everything shut down for covid.
Spent 2 weeks in Vietnam, 9 days in Phan Thiet for wedding and stayed at the Swiss Resort on South China Sea, beautiful area and cost $451 for a beach view bungalow. Area considered the Vietnamese Rivera. Basically where Russians spend vacays...
Went to Dalat, Porcelin Temple, the Flower Park and several other places were great.
4 days in Ho Chi Minh city...
Beautiful country, friendly people and so inexpensive (31 cent beers) lol...
Posted on 7/3/24 at 11:02 am to keakdasneak
Second all the Hoi An recommendations. Was a highlight for me for sure.
Posted on 7/3/24 at 11:31 am to Doctor Grind
I recommend finding a beach bungalow at An Bang beach outside of town
Posted on 7/3/24 at 12:29 pm to HoustonGumbeauxGuy
I appreciate the recs, you guys. Will look into it. Im not single, (why you think I'm visiting Vietnam so much?), but I may go to the Snug Pub anyways.
Saigon is really cool for a city of this size, I can't stand comparably sized US cities, but it is hard to find new things to do beyond yet another street food tour, but this one is "on a scooter....with a local!!!" Okay, well what do I do after I've done that a dozen times?
Waiting to board the big flight to Tokyo outta SFO, later.
Saigon is really cool for a city of this size, I can't stand comparably sized US cities, but it is hard to find new things to do beyond yet another street food tour, but this one is "on a scooter....with a local!!!" Okay, well what do I do after I've done that a dozen times?
Waiting to board the big flight to Tokyo outta SFO, later.
Posted on 7/4/24 at 9:57 pm to DrDenim
You think N. O. Is hit well…..Viet Nam is a furness.
Takes your breath away
Posted on 7/4/24 at 11:31 pm to namvet6566
I don't find it any hotter than say BR or Houston in August .... especially in the north or in Dalat.
But if you find yourself drinking a bit too much the night before, a midday walk the next day can be brutal.
But if you find yourself drinking a bit too much the night before, a midday walk the next day can be brutal.
Posted on 7/7/24 at 9:41 pm to JW
In a meteorological sense, Vietnam isn't hotter, but BEING in Vietnam you will definitely feel hotter because air conditioning, while it exists here, is not as widespread as in the states and people don't demand that they be able to cool their homes and businesses to the degree that we Americans do. So you may find that you are hotter and sweatier than you'd like at times.
I dont think the average Ho Chi Minh City resident wants to, or has the ability to pay the electric bill to chill their home to our satisfaction. I suspect that they may just not be used to that, they aren't the big AC babies we are in the states. My girlfriend is from Las Pinas city in the Philippines, basically that's an exurban area of Manila, she co-owns a home there with her sister where her mom and sister live, no air conditioning. None. Just fans. Never had one, that's just what they're used to, and its just as hot there as it is here.
My only request of my girlfriend for my time here in Vietnam is that she keep the air conditioning running full-time, just turn it down when we go out because her routine is to keep the ac units off most of the time. There are 4 in her 2br/2ba apartment, 1 of them doesnt work, 1 doesn't get used, the other is used sparingly in the living area, and the bedroom unit where we sleep gets exercised the most obviously, I demand it! She unplugs the microwave and other things like lamps when she's not using them, thinking it saves electricity. I try to tell her it doesn't but she has her habits based off her upbringing. I'm almost constantly in a state of swampass over here.
Your expectations and experience here as a tourist would be only slightly better than mine. You can expect any hotel to have AC, and you can obviouslycrank it if you want. I have to bargain with the old lady to make it cooler in this apartment where I stay, but you and I have no control over the AC in the cars/businesses/restaurants we go into, but these folks aren't dumb, and I can tell that when a car driver sees me hailing them, they turn on the AC, businesses that are in areas frequented by Western tourists are cooler, the ones that don't aren't, that's just the deal.
I dont think the average Ho Chi Minh City resident wants to, or has the ability to pay the electric bill to chill their home to our satisfaction. I suspect that they may just not be used to that, they aren't the big AC babies we are in the states. My girlfriend is from Las Pinas city in the Philippines, basically that's an exurban area of Manila, she co-owns a home there with her sister where her mom and sister live, no air conditioning. None. Just fans. Never had one, that's just what they're used to, and its just as hot there as it is here.
My only request of my girlfriend for my time here in Vietnam is that she keep the air conditioning running full-time, just turn it down when we go out because her routine is to keep the ac units off most of the time. There are 4 in her 2br/2ba apartment, 1 of them doesnt work, 1 doesn't get used, the other is used sparingly in the living area, and the bedroom unit where we sleep gets exercised the most obviously, I demand it! She unplugs the microwave and other things like lamps when she's not using them, thinking it saves electricity. I try to tell her it doesn't but she has her habits based off her upbringing. I'm almost constantly in a state of swampass over here.
Your expectations and experience here as a tourist would be only slightly better than mine. You can expect any hotel to have AC, and you can obviouslycrank it if you want. I have to bargain with the old lady to make it cooler in this apartment where I stay, but you and I have no control over the AC in the cars/businesses/restaurants we go into, but these folks aren't dumb, and I can tell that when a car driver sees me hailing them, they turn on the AC, businesses that are in areas frequented by Western tourists are cooler, the ones that don't aren't, that's just the deal.
Posted on 7/7/24 at 10:26 pm to DrDenim
i went to Vietnam, rode motorbikes around. was in saigon for maybe 10 days. started every day with a blowjob at "Ben nyes hot toc" . cost was 400k dong for the house, 400k for the girl. really was a great value.
Posted on 7/8/24 at 7:22 am to jamarr
OH yes, the hot tocs, they're still here.
This post was edited on 7/9/24 at 2:30 am
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