Ho Chi Minh City Tourist Trap Tips by bennett2006

All the tips on taxis overcharging so far are based on tourist experience. You need to know that there are licensed and "private" cabs. Licensed cabs have company names printed prominently and the last 6 numbers (company tel no) are always in a pattern. Eg (08) 8 383838. Even these licensed cabbies bring you for a long ride at times. The biggest culprits are "private" unlicensed cabs - they have small stickers (some camouflage themselves so well that they look like the licensed cabs), no patterns in their tel no, and meters that have been tweaked to go at double the rate.

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At Least Do This: The AIRPORT : The new HCMC airport opened in Aug 2007. It's much nicer and less intimidating than the old one. No longer will you be able to move out to hail the cheaper taxis. Instead, the various taxi companies post their own "guides" who will try to get you on to their cabs at the highest price. So you have to bargain around and see which will give you the best price. Determine the price before you board so that you are not brought on a long ride.

GENERALLY : I always take Taxi Vinasun because they maintain a very professional standard and I have never been ripped off by a Taxi Vinasun. And there are many white-&-green Taxi Vinasun cabs around. Next is the yellow Vinataxi - also quite reliable. The blue Savico-Comfort ripped me off twice in a row and Saigon Tourist once.

Please refer to the following site for more details on taxis in HCMC and on how to distinguish between the real and imitation cabs!!!

http://his3site.com/page3.html
Alternative: You can always hire a car with driver (from one of the travel companies in Pham Ngu Lao) for about 800,000-1 mil VND to bring you around for a whole day (8 hrs). I did that when I had a big group of 7-8. Convenient and value for money.

The adventurous will rent a motorbike but I've yet to try - not that adventurous.

You can get on the local illegal motor bikes alias "xe om" or "Honda om" (about 10,000-15,000VND for short distances within town) - well, it depends on your bargaining skills but always determine price first. And you ride at your own risk! But with the new compulsory helmut law coming in Dec 07, I doubt if I'll be taking any more of these xe oms - God knows how many hundred people would have used the helmuts these xe oms provide.

Do not get on just about any motor-cyclist that comes along and offers you a ride (ie illegal motor-cycle taxis), esp when you're walking along a street. They often charge a bomb unless a price is negotiated. I'll stick to those (also illegal) that regularly hang around the hotels (esp in Pham Ngu Lau).

I haven't taken any "xe-om" (that's what they are called) since the helmet rule came into effect on 15 Dec 07. God knows how many hundred pax have worn that passenger helmet, and you get a special prize if you guess correctly what's growing inside. You take your chances.

If you really have to take one (out of desperation or curiosity - the latter eventually kills the cat!!!), choose an elderly driver. They are less prone to take you to your Maker.

And then again, there are those mama-sans on motor-bikes with their whores, er, I mean "wares" behind. I'm advised never to take them on, no matter how attractive the "ware". Common sense will tell you that - but then again, it's not so common nowadays. You take your chances too if you go with them.

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Alternative: What's the alternative to a "xe-om"? The taxi, of course, and you are just as apt to get ripped off. Please read my section on taxis.

What's the alternative to buying "wares"? I leave that to your imagination!!!