Orientation information

Ho Chi Minh City  » Orientation  » Accommodation  » Food & Drink  » Sights & attractions  » Getting there & away Maps   Greater Ho Chi Minh City   Pham Ngu Lao   Cholon   Downtown Saigon

Common scams & things to watch out for
Saigon is an extremely safe place to visit and for the most part it's up to the individual to keep out of trouble. For example, frequenting late night bars in Pham Ngu Lao is likely to attract the company of sex workers, who may not be as friendly as they seem. A common ruse is to be plied with alcohol and then pick-pocketed, with the missing money and phone not noticed until morning. Pickpockets are known to operate at Ben Thanh market as well, so keep unnecessary valuables in the safe at the guesthouse.

When travelling by motorcycle keep bags secured or at least make them ungrabbable. Although rare, motorbike drive-by thefts are not unusual -- especially if you're advertising the fact you have a digital camera and probably a load of other goodies.

Police
The police emergency number is 113, but expect a different service from what you're used to. On Pham Ngu Lao St, just near the junction with De Tham on the park side of the road, there is a small 'tourist security' office. If you're taken seriously then the boss may be called. The tourist hotline number is T: (08) 925 0000. Tourist security officers are becoming a more common sight around Saigon, helping tourists cross the street and standing by outside tourist attractions.

Emergency
For a medical emergency, District One has several privately-owned and Western-run medical centres. Try SOS International (65 Nguyen Du St, T: (08) 829 8424) or Family Medical Practice (Diamond Plaza, 34 Le Duan Street, T: (08) 822 7848). Better get that travel insurance as it's not cheap -- even an appointment with the GP costs US$60. FV, or Franco-Vietnamese Hospital, (6 Nguyen Luong Bang St, District 7) may be needed for more complicated problems. Their emergency number is (08) 411 3500. FV also have a small clinic in the city, a good option for routine checkups (45 Vo Thi Sau District 1, T: (08) 290 6167). Cho Ray hospital (201B Nguyen Chi Thanh St, District 5, T: (08) 855 4137) has a trauma unit.

Visa extensions
Most travel agents can get a visa extension for you. Typically a 30-day extension sets you back US$25 and takes one week, while an express two-day service costs around US$40. Three- and six-month extensions are also available for tourist visas. Chi's Cafe (40/27 Bui Vien St, District 1, T: (08) 920 4874) provides as good a service as any.

Immigration office
Saigon's immigration office is open Mon-Fri, closed for lunch 11:00 - 13:00. Save yourself the hassle of waiting in lines and dealing with bureaucrats by using a visa extension service through a travel agent instead. To process the visa by yourself, the first step is to pick up the correct form from the office. 254 Nguyen Trai St, District 1, T: (08) 839 2221

Banks
International ATMs are now dotted all over District One and aren't hard to find. If staying in Pham Ngu Lao make use of the 24-hour ATM at Sacombank (211 Nguyen Thai Hoc St). In the city centre, the HSBC sits next to Notre Dame (235 Dong Khoi St) and ANZ is down by the river (11 Me Linh Square). Public ATMs are in the Tax Shopping Centre on the corner of Nguyen Hue St and Le Loi St, and at the Caravelle Hotel directly opposite the city Opera House.

ATMs have a withdrawal transaction limit of 2 million VND (roughly US$120). You can withdraw this amount as many times as you want up to your limit back home -- but be aware your own bank will charge for each transaction). Reliable counters for changing your bucks can be found at 82 Mac Thi Buoi St (Dong Khoi area), and De Tham St (Pham Ngu Lao area). Places such as this have no commission, but charge a US$2 bank fee for travellers cheques and a US$3 fee for credit card advance. Inside a bank, the charge on your travellers cheque will be between 1.5 and 2.0%.

Post office
Saigon's main post office (Cong Xa Paris Square, District 1) doubles as a tourist attraction due to its architecture and the large portrait of Uncle Ho overseeing proceedings. Next to Notre Dame Cathedral this post office along with all others opens 06:00 - 22:00 daily. Smaller offices are all over the city -- look for the 'Buu Dien' sign.

Books
Fahasa is the largest and only real chain of bookshops in the city, with three District 1 locations. Try 40 Nguyen Hue St and 185 Dong Khoi St, good places to buy the all-important city map, though the English-language selection is limited. Another option is to sit in a Pham Ngu Lao cafe and wait for the sellers with their book stacks and catalogues of available titles. These are not original books -- they've been photocopied so be prepared for the occasional missing or wonky page. Prices are around 80-120,000 VND ($5-$8) depending on your bartering skills.

 

 

Signup for our newsletter

Sign up for Travelfish Burp! -- you won't regret it!

 

Our sponsors

 

Recommended reading

 » Con Dao escape
 » Saigon's top 10 cafés
 » Lonely Planet Vietnam 9 -- LP's best try yet