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Guesthouse Phạm Ngọc Thạch: A Place For The Very Few
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Tip Rating:  Satisfaction: 
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The place where my nephew, his wife, and their close friends stay every time they are in Saigon is not mentioned in any travel guide or listed in the city’s tourist information; it is usually full even though it does not advertise itself. In fact, it does not even have a name. It is called simply “Guesthouse.” The fact that it is ran by the government is the only explanation for its low-key existence.
Before 1975, it was a private villa, quiet and elegant, as many quiet and elegant villas in Saigon. Behind the high gate, there was a large tree with a profuse amount of fragrant white blossoms called “ngọc lan” (michelia alba or white champaca). The perfume of ngọc lan was the most potent of all flowers, even stronger than jasmine, and with thick and glossy foliage that spread wide and dense, this was one of the two types of trees grown behind the gates of all villas in the city.
The villa was confiscated by the new regime after 1975, as all the villas in the city, for one reason or another. The tree died (or chopped down) shortly afterward, and the gate of the quietly elegant house opened out to the government officials and their visitors.
Forward to the end of the ‘90s, the villa became a guesthouse, one of the few guesthouses ran by the government. Very people know of this accommodation because in order to stay here, one needs to have an inside knowledge or a reference.
The rooms are large, bright, comfortable, and exceptionally clean, the rate is low (US$17 for a double room and US$24 for a junior suite), the atmosphere is serene, the staff is discreet, there is not one negative thing I can find about the place. I even appreciate the house rules, one of them being guests cannot have unannounced visitors, especially of the opposite gender. Too strict, you say? Not if you understand that, this is not a hotel, but a guesthouse. When you are here, you are a guest of the owner -- though a paying guest -- and this villa, although no longer private, still has a reputation to maintain.
Unique Qualities: It's not a hotel, a motel, or a pension. It is called guesthouse but it is not an average guesthouse. It is one of the few villas left in the city. It is a very quiet place to relax and remove oneself from the hubbubs of the city, but it is located on a busy street. The old University Quarter is at the end of the avenue, good restaurants are a few steps away, and there are plenty of old Saigonites in the area who always have time to partake a story or two. (That will be the best part of your trip, since you cannot learn about Saigon by following advices from guidebooks, you need to be with the old residents who have been through all, seen all, and live to tell.)
Note: Since this tip was posted a year ago, I have received dozens and dozens requests for help with reservation for this special accommodation. Here is the scoop:
The guesthouse does not have a website or email address, and although there is a telephone number, it is not designed to be used for reservation from outside of Vietnam. The only way to book a room is in person. At least one VTer had done that on the day of arrival and encountered no problem whatsoever.
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Theme: Other
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: less than US$20
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Address: 23 Phạm Ngọc Thạch, Saigon
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alsas Tue Nov 20, 2007 01:25 UTC
do you have an e mail,address for the driver. Thanks Alsas | saracen Tue Dec 12, 2006 02:47 UTC
Thanks for some excellent HCM tips - I go next week and can hardly wait! |
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on Jun 15, 2007
