I dream about the future, where one day the whole world is truly connected, everyone has a 3G smartphone and there's free wi-fi everywhere - hang on a second, they have that in Saigon already!
Well, nearly. Everyone in HCMC has a phone and by western standards the cost of making local calls and browsing the internet from you phone is negligible. 99% of cafes, bars and restaurants have free wi-fi and even international calls made from a Vietnamese number are incredibly cheap.
Whilst I lived in HCMC, my monthly expenditure was less than $50 p/m and I was permanently on the Internet, my mobile was my internet hotspot at home, I called family and friends mobile phones in the UK without worrying about time and even used it for business to call Australia - my guess is that it would be 10 times more expensive from the UK or Australia.
There are a few networks in Vietnam, the main ones being MobiFone or VinaPhone and you can pick up a SIM card from almost every street corner. They typically cost 50,000 VND, but that includes 50,000 worth of credit.
Wherever you see a sign for either MobiFone or VinaPhone, they sell SIM and credit top up vouchers which come in 50,000VND, 100,000VND and 500,000VND scratch cards. There are often promotions, so sometimes you get bonus credit totalling more than you paid for, or get a few thousand VND back in change - it's insane!
There is a lively going out scene in Saigon, most young Vietnamese live at home with their parents and don't drink alcohol, so there is a thriving Cafe scene. The expat community take full advantage of the food and drink, it is often cheaper to go out and eat than to go to the supermarket, buy food and cook at home - very last season.
So the net result is that almost everywhere you go in HCMC you can access a free wi-fi hotspot. They are usually password protected, but your friendly waiter / waitress / bartender will tell you the password and if you check the settings on your phone, it should remember the password and automatically connect next time you visit.
Now when will the rest of the world catch on...
Thursday 21 March 2013
Wednesday 13 March 2013
Money, money, money...
The currency of Vietnam is the Vietnamese Dong, abbreviated as VND, and the approx exchange rate is US$1 = 21,000, AU$1 = 21,500, £1 = 31,000 VND
For the latest daily rates check out - http://www.vietcombank.com.vn/en/exchange%20rate.asp
So that's quite a lot of zeros to deal with and yes, your mathematics is correct, you will all become instant millionaires upon landing in Saigon - congratulations!
Notes in circulation include 1000, 2000, 5000 which are usually quite old and worn with a paper like feel. Larger value, newer notes are made of plastic (same place they make Aus currency) and consist of 10000, 20000, 50000, 100000, 200000 and 500000 check out the image below.
I'd recommend bringing US$100 dollars with you - a $50, 3 x $10, 4 x $5. That's enough to pay for a visa on arrival and your cab to your hotel, which should be between 150,000-200,000VND = $10
For the rest of your spending money, bring your ATM card and/or some GBP or Aus dollars with you which you will be able to change for VND at one of the local exchanges, click here for locations. Make sure the notes you bring are new, if they look like they've been through a washing machine they will not be accepted by the exchange.
There are lots of ATM's in HCMC, but you'll be charged an overseas withdrawal fee and possibly a local fee too - check with your bank. They often have a maximum limit on fees, for example my CBA account charges $2 on overseas withdrawals, you can take out up to $500 from their branches in HCMC, with no local fees! ANZ are in Vietnam too, plus HSBC however they operate as different companies and are not all connected to the same banking system, frustrating...
Things are generally pretty cheap in Vietnam, they don't have MacDonald's so I can't use the Big Mac index, but a glass of beer is between 30-50,000VND (approx $2), a main course at a reasonably priced restaurant around 150,000VND (approx $8) and the average cost of a 10 min cab ride in the CBD 60,000VND (approx $3).
You can also get 5 star food for 4 star prices, so many people including myself, go to the slightly more expensive places. The cost will be the same as you'd pay at home for a average meal in an average restaurant, but the quality of the food will be some of the best you've had. Saigon really is a foodies paradise!
One word of warning the 20,000VND note (blue) and 500,000VND look quite similar (light blue) but their value is radically different - be sure you don't mix them up.
For the latest daily rates check out - http://www.vietcombank.com.vn/en/exchange%20rate.asp
So that's quite a lot of zeros to deal with and yes, your mathematics is correct, you will all become instant millionaires upon landing in Saigon - congratulations!
Notes in circulation include 1000, 2000, 5000 which are usually quite old and worn with a paper like feel. Larger value, newer notes are made of plastic (same place they make Aus currency) and consist of 10000, 20000, 50000, 100000, 200000 and 500000 check out the image below.
I'd recommend bringing US$100 dollars with you - a $50, 3 x $10, 4 x $5. That's enough to pay for a visa on arrival and your cab to your hotel, which should be between 150,000-200,000VND = $10
For the rest of your spending money, bring your ATM card and/or some GBP or Aus dollars with you which you will be able to change for VND at one of the local exchanges, click here for locations. Make sure the notes you bring are new, if they look like they've been through a washing machine they will not be accepted by the exchange.
There are lots of ATM's in HCMC, but you'll be charged an overseas withdrawal fee and possibly a local fee too - check with your bank. They often have a maximum limit on fees, for example my CBA account charges $2 on overseas withdrawals, you can take out up to $500 from their branches in HCMC, with no local fees! ANZ are in Vietnam too, plus HSBC however they operate as different companies and are not all connected to the same banking system, frustrating...
Things are generally pretty cheap in Vietnam, they don't have MacDonald's so I can't use the Big Mac index, but a glass of beer is between 30-50,000VND (approx $2), a main course at a reasonably priced restaurant around 150,000VND (approx $8) and the average cost of a 10 min cab ride in the CBD 60,000VND (approx $3).
You can also get 5 star food for 4 star prices, so many people including myself, go to the slightly more expensive places. The cost will be the same as you'd pay at home for a average meal in an average restaurant, but the quality of the food will be some of the best you've had. Saigon really is a foodies paradise!
One word of warning the 20,000VND note (blue) and 500,000VND look quite similar (light blue) but their value is radically different - be sure you don't mix them up.
Sunday 10 March 2013
Getting to your hotel from the airport
Once you've landed, made your way through passport control, picked up your bags, you'll exit the airport and be confronted by a) heat and b) a loud throng of people eagerly waiting for friends and loved ones, who will stare at you like you're an alien - welcome to Saigon!
Westerners are still a bit of a novelty in Vietnam and after you've taken your first few tentative steps outside the airport, you will be confronted with several choices, that will define to the masses waiting outside whether you're a HCMC newbie, or a seasoned traveler.
The first choice comes when you arrive at a T-junction set amongst the walls of people, at which you need to turn right. Turning left and looking around in a state of confusion is normally met by a few giggles from the locals and will signal to every overpriced taxi driver that's waiting around - Bingo! - you're new in town and the perfect target for an expensive cab ride.
Most cities around the world have opportunistic cab drivers waiting outside airports, ready to prey on the uninitiated and charge you a small fortune, but this guide should see you safely and cheaply to your downtown hotel.
So after you've navigated the T-junction, keep walking straight and just before you get to the end of the airport building, you'll see a door on your right hand side which leads to a lift and escalators.
You'll be hassled by numerous taxi drivers on your way there, simply ignore them or to sound like a real local say "khong ca'mon" which means no thankyou in Vietnamese and is pronounced phonetically "kom ca-mun".
Go through the door and take the lift up to Level 2. Upon getting out turn to the right and exit the building through a door in the same position as the one you entered, just one floor up.
You should see some taxis directly ahead of you and there is normally a man/woman with a clipboard waiting to greet you and establish which hotel you're going to. Usually they speak some English and will be able to explain to the taxi driver where you are heading, but it is worth having the name of the hotel and address written down to avoid any mispronunciation issues.
The only taxis you should use whilst in Vietnam are operated by Mailinh and Vinasun, see images below.
Most of you are staying in downtown district 1, so your taxi ride should take approx 25 minutes depending on traffic and cost between 150,000-200,000 VND (between US$8-10).
Some of the large hotels may offer to organize an airport pickup for you, which can be quite handy, but worth finding out whether it's free or not. I've known people to be charged $40 for someone wearing an ill-fitted suit meet them at the airport, hold up a sign with their name on and then drive them round the corner.
3 weeks and counting...
The first choice comes when you arrive at a T-junction set amongst the walls of people, at which you need to turn right. Turning left and looking around in a state of confusion is normally met by a few giggles from the locals and will signal to every overpriced taxi driver that's waiting around - Bingo! - you're new in town and the perfect target for an expensive cab ride.
Most cities around the world have opportunistic cab drivers waiting outside airports, ready to prey on the uninitiated and charge you a small fortune, but this guide should see you safely and cheaply to your downtown hotel.
So after you've navigated the T-junction, keep walking straight and just before you get to the end of the airport building, you'll see a door on your right hand side which leads to a lift and escalators.
You'll be hassled by numerous taxi drivers on your way there, simply ignore them or to sound like a real local say "khong ca'mon" which means no thankyou in Vietnamese and is pronounced phonetically "kom ca-mun".
Go through the door and take the lift up to Level 2. Upon getting out turn to the right and exit the building through a door in the same position as the one you entered, just one floor up.
You should see some taxis directly ahead of you and there is normally a man/woman with a clipboard waiting to greet you and establish which hotel you're going to. Usually they speak some English and will be able to explain to the taxi driver where you are heading, but it is worth having the name of the hotel and address written down to avoid any mispronunciation issues.
The only taxis you should use whilst in Vietnam are operated by Mailinh and Vinasun, see images below.
Most of you are staying in downtown district 1, so your taxi ride should take approx 25 minutes depending on traffic and cost between 150,000-200,000 VND (between US$8-10).
Some of the large hotels may offer to organize an airport pickup for you, which can be quite handy, but worth finding out whether it's free or not. I've known people to be charged $40 for someone wearing an ill-fitted suit meet them at the airport, hold up a sign with their name on and then drive them round the corner.
3 weeks and counting...
Friday 1 March 2013
Stag & Hen party
It's 4 weeks before we officially start our wedding celebrations with the stag and hen party! We're really looking forward to catching up with friends from around the globe and whilst this is not 100% finalised, I thought I'd do a post on what we're planning so far, for Thursday 28th March...
STAG/BUCKS_
3pm-ish - golf at Saigon South (Team game, so don't worry if you've never played before)
5pm - burgers & happy hour beers downtown
7pm - more beer
9pm - shots
11pm - work out the logistics of getting a bunch of drunk guys to a disco
12pm - arrive @ disco, dance like a hero, meet a bunch of drunk hens, fall over
HEN_
3pm-ish - hit the Spa
5pm - get ready, makeup, blow dry/straighten hair, get dressed up...
7pm - salad
9pm - cocktails
11pm - check hair, makeup, etc...
12pm - meet a bunch of stags at a disco!
The parties should be fun and make a great start to the celebrations. Many of our guests know each other already, so this will provide an opportunity to catch up with old friends, plus make a few new ones. Despite the suggestion (thanks Mungo), there will be no tarring and feathering.
STAG/BUCKS_
3pm-ish - golf at Saigon South (Team game, so don't worry if you've never played before)
5pm - burgers & happy hour beers downtown
7pm - more beer
9pm - shots
11pm - work out the logistics of getting a bunch of drunk guys to a disco
12pm - arrive @ disco, dance like a hero, meet a bunch of drunk hens, fall over
HEN_
3pm-ish - hit the Spa
5pm - get ready, makeup, blow dry/straighten hair, get dressed up...
7pm - salad
9pm - cocktails
11pm - check hair, makeup, etc...
12pm - meet a bunch of stags at a disco!
The parties should be fun and make a great start to the celebrations. Many of our guests know each other already, so this will provide an opportunity to catch up with old friends, plus make a few new ones. Despite the suggestion (thanks Mungo), there will be no tarring and feathering.
Wednesday 20 February 2013
East vs. West
My last few posts have been a bit wordy, so here's a short video that shows some of the differences between Eastern and Western culture...
Click here for the YouTube version
Or click play below for PC
Click here for the YouTube version
Or click play below for PC
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