Travel Companion

kamsonline wrote:

Hi All,

I am here on business for few months and looking forward to travel around vn on weekends and holidays. I like travelling and photography. If any one here who has similar interest and can speak vietnamese and also be a travel companion, please drop me a message and we can organize trips together.

cheers
kams

If you want someone who can speak Vietnamese, then that would probably mean a local and generally they have motorbikes.  An Expat who speaks Vietnamese would imply being here a while so they would also have a motorbike (like me).  Therefore, get a motorbike (rent or buy), a driver's license for it and you're good to go. 

Otherwise, you'd just be a tourist, being herded on those tourist buses (and hence would not need a travel companion), forced to eat at crappy tourist traps that is owned by the driver's relative and pay the foreigner premium for everything.

Tran Hung Dao wrote:

If you want someone who can speak Vietnamese, then that would probably mean a local and generally they have motorbikes.  An Expat who speaks Vietnamese would imply being here a while so they would also have a motorbike (like me).  Therefore, get a motorbike (rent or buy), a driver's license for it and you're good to go. 

Otherwise, you'd just be a tourist, being herded on those tourist buses (and hence would not need a travel companion), forced to eat at crappy tourist traps that is owned by the driver's relative and pay the foreigner premium for everything.

Hi Tran,

Thanks for the info.

Yes, I am planning to rent a bike once i get used to the routes in HCMC. Any suggestions on good places to hire. Also i enquired few places for bike hire and all the places require us to leave the passport with them. Is it safe to do so? or is there any alternatives?

Also I am mainly looking for travel companion to travel to other cities, not within HCMC..

Cheers
kams

We are heading to Dalat on 29 Nov and back to the city on Sun, are you interested in joining us?

kamsonline wrote:

Tran Hung Dao wrote:

If you want someone who can speak Vietnamese, then that would probably mean a local and generally they have motorbikes.  An Expat who speaks Vietnamese would imply being here a while so they would also have a motorbike (like me).  Therefore, get a motorbike (rent or buy), a driver's license for it and you're good to go. 

Otherwise, you'd just be a tourist, being herded on those tourist buses (and hence would not need a travel companion), forced to eat at crappy tourist traps that is owned by the driver's relative and pay the foreigner premium for everything.

Hi Tran,

Thanks for the info.

Yes, I am planning to rent a bike once i get used to the routes in HCMC. Any suggestions on good places to hire. Also i enquired few places for bike hire and all the places require us to leave the passport with them. Is it safe to do so? or is there any alternatives?

Also I am mainly looking for travel companion to travel to other cities, not within HCMC..

Cheers
kams

The renters are worried you will high tail it with their motorbike (like go to Cambodia and pawn the bike).  But, if you leave your passport with them, what will you do when the police asks you for a passport showing you're a foreigner?  If you get thrown in jail and the embassy comes to your cell and asks proof of citizenship?  If you can help it, don't ever part with your passport for commercial purposes.  I would keep asking around to see if a place will take a photocopy instead. 

Or just buy a cheapy $300 motorbike.  Lots of Expats buy those used Russian Minsk or Honda Win and take it cross-country (HCMC <--> Hà Nội)

Melissa Nguyen wrote:

We are heading to Dalat on 29 Nov and back to the city on Sun, are you interested in joining us?

Thanks Melissa, sent a PM with my contact details to keep me updated..

Tran Hung Dao wrote:

The renters are worried you will high tail it with their motorbike (like go to Cambodia and pawn the bike).  But, if you leave your passport with them, what will you do when the police asks you for a passport showing you're a foreigner?  If you get thrown in jail and the embassy comes to your cell and asks proof of citizenship?  If you can help it, don't ever part with your passport for commercial purposes.  I would keep asking around to see if a place will take a photocopy instead. 

Or just buy a cheapy $300 motorbike.  Lots of Expats buy those used Russian Minsk or Honda Win and take it cross-country (HCMC <--> Hà Nội)

Thanks for the information Tran..