Ben Thanh Market
VND to AUD rate roughly 16,950 dong per 1 AUD. divide by 17 is the technique i used
USD to aud rate 0.74
Shop 431 Ngoc giau
Visited May 2017
Shop run by his brother and sister, and their Auntie?. Recommend talking to the sister.
from the appearances it looks like the shop subcontracts the work out. They may provide the material. Turn around times fairly quick- I would say 1 day turnaround. However caution because it does take time for them to make changes to your clothes if you’re not happy the first time. I would recommend taking your favourite piece of clothing to them first and let them copy it because they have not really idea about fit/or could not communicate properly.
- Short sleeve shirts – 400k dong linen ~$24 AUD
- Chinos – 450k dong cotton/elastane blend ~$27 AUD
- wool pants – 450k dong wool/polyester blend ~ $27AUD
- suit jackets ~$60AUD
In total i bought 3 chinos, 2 wool pants and 2 short sleeve shirts. I happy with the Chino and the wool pants (i was copying clothes for my brother) turned out okay. I did not buy a suit but in the end i saw another customer try theirs on and it looked good.
Saw fair few malaysian customers at the shop and you could pay in ringgit. There are a few money changes nearby which offer a very good rate (if not better than mastercard rate at the time)
Fake coffee
What i did not know in Vietnam is the presence of fake coffee. This is made of soybeans and chemicals which create the similar taste of coffee. It is cheaper than buying coffee beans so that’s why people use it. You have a higher chance of getting fake coffee from roadside vendors and the like. That could explain why some coffees i had (the one next to buy vien street) tasted different and not as nice. Could also explain some of my upset stomach problems. whether it was from the coffee or the food I will never know.
Roast Suckling Pig
Back in 2005 you could probably get this for 20USD. Reading the tripadvisor forums the price for one would set you back ~40USD these days. And it is possible to purchase half. something for me to think about next time.
Hu Teiu
Hu teiu nam vang (cambodia) more popular than pho. supplied with a variety of noodles and of course a large dose of MSG.
Uber
Used extensively while in Saigon, the average wait time for a moto Uber is 8 minutes I found which is a major inconvenience. the price for a short trip was usually $10k. I found the majority of drivers younger with less road experience. their navigation and general road driving was generally a bit scary. Preferred the older drivers.
I was talking to the Bich duyen host and he mentioned that he will take the sidewalk drivers if available because he feels pity that Uber is taking all their work. These people have no other means to support themselves and the majority of their day is waiting for a fare which may not arrive due to uber.
However people must adapt to technological disruption, it is hard that we have to move on but if we felt pity then we would still be riding horses. the Uber drivers probably get more work and can offer lower prices.
Barganing with the street motos was difficult and their price higher than Uber competitors (their service and equipment also lost out) and their ability to find your destination. Their only competitive advantage was availability. But i suspect this will soon fall with greater amounts of Uber drivers.
Ubers competitor grabTaxi had greater availability and presence, however I was unable to register my account so I could not use them.
Money Changer
Next to Libery saigon hotel. Rate for THB to VND was 655, which is pretty good rate. I wonder how the money changers make money, it is not from commission. these were jewellery and gold shops that offered the rate. Possibly money laundering? gold shops are illegal and could be arrested by the police
changing at the airport
- trapped Market
- High rental overheads
- Cheap labour overheads
Phans custom Tailor
Visited the shop based upon good reviews on trip advisor. I am of the firm belief that you should take tripadvisor ratings with a grain of salt, because these people come from all walks of life and may not have the same likes/dislikes as you.
One should trust their got instincts, and in this instance i was probably wrong. At Phans custom tailor you are serviced by ‘part-timers’ who are doing this probably as a side job. I find their expertise, recommendations and attitude fairly lacking for a place like this.
The tailor is probably 2-3 times more expensive than other shops 190USD for one wool/polyester suit. 260USD for a wool/cashmere blend and 290USD for top fabric wool suit. dungs tailor looked good and was priced at 300USD for a wool/cashmere suit. At least he is dressed the part. this tailor pants were too long and his shirt too big. Probably part of the Vietnamese culture but i would want my tailor to look the part.
L’usine
good cafe with outdoor seating. Though local saigons will avoid the heat and look for the air conditioned inside. Good date option with the large tables and available corner seating. happy hours frm 5pm-7pm is good value with half price beers and wine.
Saigon saison was 130 VND at normal price and then 50% off during happy hour. the beer is a nice floral brew which was quite enjoyable.
Went to both Le loi and Dong Khoi. Both venues are good with the Le Loi a bit quieter.
Ben thanh market vs saigon Square
Saigon square definitely has the cheaper goods with items having a much lower price than benh than market. The asking price for a bumbag in BTM was 250k dong and it took me alot of effort to bargain down to 150k dong. The same bag was 150k on bui vien street. the bag was 100k dong ticket price at saigon square.
Takashimiya – chinese restaurant on the top floor
Dim Sum is available for dinner. Items fairly standard with a different taste to hong Kong style (local flavour?). Ok fare but bill is fairly high, we ended up paying 40AUD for two people.
5 Percent a day 