Job Discussion Forums

lafslast · Joined: 22 Jan 2005 Posts: 6

First... THANKS VERY MUCH to johnyarrington for your time and information!

I'll be arririving in HCMC mid-April and I'll be staying around De Tham/PNL when I get there. I saw a posting that said the best way to get info is to ask a TEFLer... "they're easy to spot." Sounds good to me... so, can somebody tell me what hotels, restaurants, bars, or other places are frequented by TEFLers? Just sitting around a hotel room watching cable-tv is about as exciting as watching paint dry... like the place I'm leaving... Connecticut, U.S.A.

In advance... thanks a lot

Micro67 · Joined: 29 May 2003 Posts: 297 Location: HCMC, Vietnam

When you get to the airport - as Paul John says - make sure to get about $50US worth of Dong to get you to De Tham. A taxi driver that sees foreign currency will definitely inflate his price.

You are likely to be tired and thirsty when you do get to De Tham, but try to get a room first. A bit of walking about is a good idea. There is a very short woman named Tuy that hangs around Cappuccino's who makes her money by getting a commission from apartment owners. She speaks quite good English and if you give her some specifications about what is important (i.e. cheap, air-conditioned, etc.) she will know where to direct you.

She still remembers me from when I arrived about 2 and a half years ago. I got a nice room (admittedly on the 4th floor) for 60,000d/day and stayed there for a week.

If you go down to the end of De Tham you will see Chi's Cafe. If she is there she also is a treasure trove of knowledge, but Tuy will take you by the arm and lead you directly to a place.

When it comes time to rent a motorcycle, Chi's is also the place.

Finding a TEFLer after dark is easy: www.cloudburst.freewebsitehosting.com, Saharas, Allez Boo, Lucky's (Sports) and a host of others are there to help.

Unfortunately, Saigon Cafe is closed.

sigmoid · Joined: 21 Jan 2003 Posts: 1276

Yes, it is quite unfortunate that the Saigon Cafe is gone. That was Grand Central Station for teachers and assorted expats.

But the Pham Ngu Lao area is pretty small and it's easy to meet fellow TEFLers. Just look for the guys wearing neckties, long-sleeeved shirts and black shiny shoes. They stand out from the flower children backpacker tribal people quite well.

In additon to the places Micro mentions you might check out the second alley north of De Tham where you'll find Margarita's and La Cantina. Also, on Bui Vien there is the other Cappuchinos and the Santa Cafe. The Underground is a more upmarket place in the downtown area on Dong Khoi. Anyway, you certainly won't have to sit in your room. There are a number of places to hang out at in district 1.