Staying in Saigon and what it costs..12. 2012

Vietnamese grape fruit-buoi

When visiting Saigon your lodging can be your biggest expense. Though, you can probably find a gritty, windowless, guesthouse room for $ 10.00 a night or less in the Pham Nu Lao backpacker’s area. Yup and even this crusty and densely packed tourist ghetto is going up-scale with modern mini hotels in the $20.00 to $45.00 range. However make note, even the cheapest guesthouse will normally include a breakfast in the rate.

I really have no experience with staying in any of the newer upscale hotels in the Dong Khoi area. Places like Park Hyatt Saigon, around $350.00 /night, the Intercontinental Asiana around $200.00 or the Sheraton Saigon at $225.00. Guess this falls in the category, if you got it and truly want to flaunt it; you truly need to book a room in one of these upscale digs.

Though, if you look for lodging outside these extremes you should be able to find a place in the $35.00-$50.00 a night range.

Then if you decide to hang around you can find a room for rent, like where I stay for $ 370.00 a month. This, for me anyway -includes AC, cable TV, fast Internet, frig, laundry and regular room cleaning, like having a room in someone’s house and this can be good or bad. Good, as there is always someone around, bad, as there is always someone around. If you come in at night after they lock up and in Vietnam it's not very late when they do this and locking stuff up, pad locks, chains, double metal sliding doors, is serious stuff. After lock up you have to ring a buzzer and wait till whoever has the duty to get up, identifies you, then unlocks the maze of locks and stuff so you can get in. As you stumble up the stairs, everything is locked down again. I always feel a little guilty while going through this process; guess it reminds me of coming home late when I was a kid and facing mom.

Now if you can stay out of the Vietnamese government created tourist areas, for example -Dong Khoi or the Ben Thanh Market area at night eats are still pretty cheap.

I made some notes on my eating costs for one day:

· Breakfast was ate at an old style open air, charcoal fired kitchen serving Pho Bo (broth with noodles, vegetables and thinly sliced beef) from the very early morning till the broth runs out, need to be there before 9:30 am. Backed up with iced Vietnamese coffee (ca phe sua da) procured from the motorbike seat repair shop a couple doors down. 42,000 dong or about the equivalent of one US dollar. In case you want to stop by Pho 32 Le Thi Reing, Ben Thanh Ward, Dist 1, HCMC. No English or menu, just point at the soup and sit down.

· Lunch at Stella's, a sort of an expat hang out in the Pham Nu Lao backpacker’s area. Before we talk food, English language "Vietnamese News" papers to read, free iced water and cute friendly Vietnamese waitress. What may sound like breakfast as it consisted of scrambled eggs, bacon, beget and coffee.... 114,000 dong or about $5.50 US.

· Dinner outside in the parking lot of the hotel around the corner from my alley - pork ribs Russia style, small salad, French fries and two Saigon beers.. 94,000 dong or about $ 4.55 US.

On my way back to the room I bought two 1.5 Lt bottles of Aquafina water at 9000 dong or US $.43 ea, two twist top cokes at 6,500 dong or $.31ea, a small bag of chips for 13,000 dong or $.63 US and Saigon beer 16,000 dong or $.76 ea US.

 

As always, your hero (Doug)
is here for you.