double post

Quote: (12-08-2014 01:28 AM)peloozoid Wrote:  

Quote: (12-07-2014 01:43 PM)Enigma Wrote:  

This might have been posted already, but what's the visa situation looking for a long-term stay in Vietnam? Seems to be some conflicting information floating around online.

you can get a 5 years visa for 200$

Everything I'm reading online said this is for Vietnamese-Americans...?

I'm not Vietnamese

Quote: (04-22-2014 10:22 AM)natlex Wrote:  

Hey I just moved to HCM a week ago, staying at least two weeks here or more if I like. I sent you a PM if you want to meetup. Or if any other locals want to meetup, we can predrink together or meet at a club.

As for this thread, food here is a step up over Bangkok a bit, more different and stuff I never saw back in Canada in Viatnamese restaurants. The girls are a LOT more shy on the approach but often I just get the #. The thing I hate most is I am into 18-26 girls and I find a lack of clubs with these. A lot of the clubs are 25+ or at least the ones I see recommended around. I guess most "world" travelers are older than me...

So far the high end clubs like skybar are a waste of time for me, almost no girls I find cute, all 30+ girls besides the few I talked to under 30.

I was away from D1 with an airbnb apartment to escape having a hotel reception but nooo, the apartment has a security guard... SO I waked around D1 and found a great place with no guard (heavy security but I have all the keys) for $500/month with a kitchen and decently big. There are other cheaper options but they were mostly sold out and I got sick of searching for the perfect place (somewhere without needing to wake up someone when I go home late at night with a girl...)

Hey sorry all, I know natlex posted this awhile back but is it true that most of the clubs have older chicks? So where do all the 18-25 year olds hang out? The mall?

Also, is Saigon (or any other city in Vietnam) a 24 hour place?

Lastly, the Vietnamese girls I meet in California tend to dress in short skirts, heels but can also have attitude. Are the girls in Vietnam sweeter yet still have that sexy feminine style like Korean girls and Japanese girls? Or do they mostly bust out those traditional Vietnamese gowns?

Thanks in advance

Hey Dood

Lucky me I have girl already from my last trip to BKK..For now I work Vietnam Cupid and Date in Asia..And maybe prowl the streets of Saigon....Hit me at: newarrior3000 on Skype w your Viet # and I will let you know my # when I roll into town....Be well my brother !

I just returned from a two week trip to Vietnam yesterday (10 days in Saigon, 4 in Da Nang) and perhaps could help reinforce some of the observations as previously noted.

First off, although this is my first post, i've been lurking the travel forum for the better part of the year to help figure out how to allocate some of my disposable income, and have found the information to be remarkably helpful with my planning. I just want to thank Elim for providing much of the information that helped inspire my choice in choosing Vietnam and the strategy I ultimately used to make possible what was far and away the best international trip i've ever taken.

Now to get straight to the point (that being the subject of maximizing my experience with the Vietnamese women), the most effective resource for me was definitely the use of online dating to scout my prospects beforehand. As previously mentioned, Vietnam Cupid is a great tool to line up and evaluate your contacts before arriving in the country. I realize this is not for everybody, but I still believe it's relevant and a great starting point for some, including myself. This is aided by my motives which are more driven by my subjective taste in women and ability to be patient enough and willing to invest 2-3 weeks in the program in order to properly vet out those who could speak conversational English without Google Translate and could be a good local source to help me get around the place, negotiate with other locals, and avoid sticky situations.

Now while my own personal experience should not be regarded as the most scientifically sound analysis given the variables and rather modest sample size, it still worked well enough to where demand for my time far exceeded the supply, and thus I did not need to use any other resource to be in the company of my pick of an attractive woman at any single moment during my entire stay. I actually nearly made the fatal mistake of trying to see far more than I could keep up with and nearly blew it with a couple of women I really liked due to greed. I should mention that although I tend to find women universally similar at a fundamental level, Vietnamese women would become jealous and hostile more quickly than average in the event they begin to suspect they are not the one and only female you plan to meet or are interested in seeing; even the slightest mention of a legitimately platonic friendship with the opposite sex did not register as non threatening, so I would advise taking great care and being as selective as possible if you have anything besides 'pump n dump' on your mind.

Since I was having to work a few hours at night given it was the work day in the USA where i'm from, I only did a minimal amount of night life and will not be the best source for good information on this. However, and contrary to the experience of some of the others posters in this thread, I didn't observe a significant step up in quality in the clubs as compared to online. I don't recall all the names as I was mostly following the recommendations of the locals without much forethought, but I do remember Skybar in particular (which was mentioned in this thread) and a couple others I felt were somewhat similar. With that in mind, and the fact I was already in the company of the woman I wanted to be with that particular night, I still believe I would've been near equally underwhelmed with the eye candy even in the absence of my company. Still, I probably only racked less than 5 hours total at the club and late night bar scene during the whole trip, so i'm certainly not claiming that my opinion on that front to be given any more consideration than deserved.

As far as the personality of the women go, I would have to agree with the posters who said they possessed as a whole a mostly pleasant disposition and had a certain charm to them. The women I spent time with were all engaging and fun to talk to. Surprisingly, I never got the vibe that I was being hustled or drawing interest solely out of being American or of Caucasian descent. They seemed to legitimately be enamored by my personality, which is not at all typical of the cows I deal with in the USA, and even the ones in their early 20's had a maturity level of what I wouldn't see on the homefront until a woman has hit her mid 30's, another pleasant surprise. However, i'm not entirely certain I was able to enjoy the success I did solely from my personality, as there seemed to be an equal amount of importance placed upon looks, which was the subject of their initial approach slightly more often than not. Still, I don't believe this played into my favor with Vietnamese girls any more than elsewhere, so it's difficult for me to say if you would suddenly gain interest on that point if you had not before. This also may be an important determining factor in your ability to make the contacts you wish to make via online dating vs out in the field.

As far as lodging is concerned with respects to bedding the local women, I can pretty much confirm that 4 and 5 star hotels are a no go for this. This was probably the biggest pain in the ass I experienced, as I had to have the local girl I was with at the time call up several different hotels to make sure it was okay if she could be with me when I booked the room. Da Nang was a little different, as I didn't meet any resistance in getting her into the 4 star hotel I stayed at on the beach there, A La Carte, which was spectacular and a place I plan to stay at again when I go back there. Saigon however, was a different story. The best spot I ultimately settled on there was the May Hotel in the Japanese area of District 1. When i'm halfway around the world, I really don't like skimping on quality lodging, and even in a place as cheap as Vietnam, I have no qualms about spending $70 USD a night to stay in a place I like with a nice view, pool, and amenities. But if this is of no concern to you, the "no foreigners with a VN citizen" law will likely not cause you near the amount of aggravation as it did for myself.

Another thing I should mention about Vietnamese women is that they are more prone to clingy behavior than the average woman. Personally, this doesn't bother me, and I actually find it kind of endearing. However, I am aware that not everybody feels that way and can find this behavior annoying and unattractive. I still think it's important to note that you shouldn't be all that surprised when a Vietnamese girl professes her love for you in less than one month's time. It happened to me with nearly every contact I ultimately saw (and even a couple I did not get around to actually seeing), and with this passion comes the potential for bizarre reactions and flamboyant displays of emotion, so exercise the usual caution with that in mind by limiting your exposure to additional risk. I think that warning applies mostly to those that plan on an extended stay or residence, as it's harder to avoid someone when they know where you live.

Other than that, the food was excellent, as was the cheap merchandise. Having a local girl with me to help communicate Vietnamese and negotiate prices was a crucial detail that I don't think I could have done without. Since I had already been talking to them for some weeks before, I felt like I could trust them enough as I was able to detect a vibe of an emotional investment in them beforehand. This likely would not have been possible any other way given that I traveled alone and the duration of my stay. I definitely plan to go back in a few months before the rainy season and hopefully travel with one up to Ha Long Bay and Hanoi. I'll be able to do more night life next time as I won't have to do any work at night, and should gather a little bit more information on that when the time comes.

If there's one thing that i'm even concerned about, it's that I still have too many women emotionally invested and expecting me to spend more time with them when I go back. Given the nature of the Vietnamese woman's disdain for sharing, i'm probably going to have to narrow it down to just a couple (or even one) so as to not risk losing them all; i suppose they would be replaceable in the event that happened, but that goes back to my motives, for whatever that's worth. I've definitely come down with an acute case of Yellow Fever, and although i'm going to Colombia for a couple weeks in 2 days, I still have Vietnam on my mind. I highly recommend it, and hopefully my experience could help reinforce or inspire someone else who's considering this destination similar to that of how some of the other posters helped inspired me.

hey
is there really nobody else here in Saigon at the moment?

Quote: (12-08-2014 05:26 PM)RespectivePerspective Wrote:  

Another thing I should mention about Vietnamese women is that they are more prone to clingy behavior than the average woman. Personally, this doesn't bother me, and I actually find it kind of endearing.

Phenomenal post RP, hope to see continuing contributions from yourself around here. i think you'd love reading my post (and another's) about northern Vietnam in another thread which expands on their "clingy" (to put it lightly) behavior.
At this point only vaguely interested in DN due to its lack of nightlife.. but i'm still gonna check it out in Feb
.

I'll be in District 1 during the NYE holiday. Have lined up quite a few chicks already. Is anybody up for a drink sometimes?

Loved my short time in HCMC. Could definitely live there. May do so in the near future.

Damn guys, I'm leaving on Thursday for a month. Be back January 17th. Let us know how NYE in Saigon is.

Quote: (11-25-2014 11:38 PM)ballybally Wrote:  

If anybody is interested I might give good apartment for 50% off (for 2months, you can extend or cancel contract after)

Signed just 2 days ago(contract has 1 month cancellation period) and I paid rent+deposit(which converts to last rent) ... It's 12mil deposit + 12mil rent for first month. I'd pass it on for just 12mil ($550)

Apartment is in central garden(5min to Ben Than market), it's 2br, big kitchen/living room. 4th floor with balcony. Normal modern furnish.

Reason for this is because I found out yesterday there is high chance I have lymphoma(my luck...signed apartment day before), and since my travel insurance doesn't cover expensive biopsy(kinda last confirmation test), I will have to fly back to EU to have it done there and very likely stay there for treatment. Explaining this so it doesn't look like there might be something wrong with apartment and I want fast way out. Can provide medical proofs

Still not exactly 100% this will go trough(waiting for final words from insurance comapny) but close to it. If somebody is interested, pm me.

This is still available, fortunately I turned out to be ok but won't be returning to Asia at this time.

It's paid till 23th January, I am still giving it for a little less then half price which would now be $250 - so am not at total loss.

If anyone is interested shoot me pm with your mail and I'll send you pictures.

Just spoofed my tinder to HCMC in advance of my trip, and my god...

I matched 20 girls... 18 matched me back. All of which are pretty, feminine girls and half of who have opened me. I'm talking to four of them and all of them are interesting and sophisticated.

I arrive in Vietnam on Jan 15 for a month. Any RVF'ers around and interested in grabbing drinks? PM me.

Quote: (12-14-2014 08:21 PM)gamma_male Wrote:  

I'll be in District 1 during the NYE holiday. Have lined up quite a few chicks already. Is anybody up for a drink sometimes?

I will be here in Saigon at NYE, sure lets have a drink

who is in Saigon at the moment?

Here is a video of dancing Vietnamese talent. They can't dance for shit but they all pass the boner test. Bonus: the boyfriend in the video gets tossed for being a beta bitch

Can anyone shed some light on whether visiting Vietnam over Tet / CNY (around Feb 20 - Mar 2 or so) is a good idea at all? I've read that there's actually lots of celebrations and stuff going on, but also some saying that lots of shops and places will close up for a few days just like in Chinese countries. Any advice? Would be planning to hit Saigon and Da Nang.

Quote: (12-14-2014 09:17 PM)Beyond Borders Wrote:  

Loved my short time in HCMC. Could definitely live there. May do so in the near future.

Could you add some color? Pollution levels?

old guy acceptance levels?

Quote: (01-10-2015 04:49 AM)iknowexactly Wrote:  

Quote: (12-14-2014 09:17 PM)Beyond Borders Wrote:  

Loved my short time in HCMC. Could definitely live there. May do so in the near future.

Could you add some color? Pollution levels?

old guy acceptance levels?

Coming from the Philippines as you are, the pollution levels won't seem bad. I lived in Saigon before coming to the Phils, and the air in Saigon never bothered me. I don't know what the fuck is up with the exhaust in the Philippines, but it's definitely much more choking than in Vietnam.

I saw plenty of old Western dudes with fairly hot Viet girls, especially in District 7. Overall I get the impression that Vietnamese girls are more materialistic than Pinays, and the older guys I saw with banging young VN girls looked pretty well-off. Money definitely talks in Saigon.

Quote: (01-10-2015 04:19 AM)atlant Wrote:  

Can anyone shed some light on whether visiting Vietnam over Tet / CNY (around Feb 20 - Mar 2 or so) is a good idea at all? I've read that there's actually lots of celebrations and stuff going on, but also some saying that lots of shops and places will close up for a few days just like in Chinese countries. Any advice? Would be planning to hit Saigon and Da Nang.

Shops will be closed a few days. You'll be fine in either place, but that 'spark' that makes Vietnam unique will be missing. Looking at the dates you are coming, you'll miss Feb 18, which is the actual New Year, I believe. You should be OK.

Quote: (01-10-2015 08:48 AM)MaleDefined Wrote:  

'spark' that makes Vietnam unique will be missing.

Thanks, but can you elaborate on that? Since it's my first visit to Vietnam I'd rather get the best first impression I can. My travel dates are flexible anyway, but I thought of coming over to escape Chinese New Year in Taiwan. Though if it's the same situation in Vietnam (shops closed, everyone with their family) then that doesn't make much sense.

Quote: (12-08-2014 06:55 AM)fucksong Wrote:  

[quote='natlex' pid='709131' dateline='1398180169']

Lastly, the Vietnamese girls I meet in California tend to dress in short skirts, heels ... Or do they mostly bust out those traditional Vietnamese gowns?

You will rarely if ever see a Vietnamese girl in Vietnam wearing an ao dai unless she wears that as a work uniform (hotel desk, etc) or she is dressing for a ceremony (wedding, graduation, etc).

That is a shame, because they look spectacular.

Quote: (01-10-2015 10:07 AM)atlant Wrote:  

Quote: (01-10-2015 08:48 AM)MaleDefined Wrote:  

'spark' that makes Vietnam unique will be missing.

Thanks, but can you elaborate on that? Since it's my first visit to Vietnam I'd rather get the best first impression I can. My travel dates are flexible anyway, but I thought of coming over to escape Chinese New Year in Taiwan. Though if it's the same situation in Vietnam (shops closed, everyone with their family) then that doesn't make much sense.

Vietnam's charm, if you want to call it that, is everything happening at once.

The lady is selling raw beef next to the vegetable lady next to a few guys drinking tea or beer playing card games next to the street sweeper who is being passed on both sides by motorbikes behind the woman driving the Mercedes who clearly has no idea how to drive a car and only does because her government official husband bought it for her behind a kid pissing in the street next to the guy smoking tobacco out of a bong.

Commas excluded for emphasis.

Get it?

Saigon and big cities will be almost dead, and the rest of vietnam like beach towns full of people, because there will all Vietnamese people go.
In Saigon most stuff is closed, but a few shops and restaurants are still open

Quote: (01-10-2015 04:19 AM)atlant Wrote:  

Can anyone shed some light on whether visiting Vietnam over Tet / CNY (around Feb 20 - Mar 2 or so) is a good idea at all? I've read that there's actually lots of celebrations and stuff going on, but also some saying that lots of shops and places will close up for a few days just like in Chinese countries. Any advice? Would be planning to hit Saigon and Da Nang.

I was in Saigon for Tet - everything is closed, hard to even find a place to eat

What are the best beaches/beach towns in Vietnam? I went five years ago and remember seeing lots of beautiful beaches going south from Da Nang to Saigon, but I never actually stopped at any of these places. I'm planning to go to Vietnam in around 3 weeks, and would like to start off with some tranquil beach time for a few days. Currently I'm consider Phu Quoc, but it seems to be a bit expensive, has anyone been there? Any other places in Vietnam where you can get idyllic beaches, and which are not perhaps as expensive (and boring?) as Phu Quoc?

Also, it seems like Tet is something to avoid altogether? How many days before and after does it take before things normalize?

Thanks