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Ho Chi Minh from Phu My - tips and things to do


terry&mike
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I just returned from taking a group of 29 clients on a Diamond Princess Southeast Asia & Japan cruise. Below is information from a web site I set up for the group, to provide them with information. Now that the trip is over, I wanted to pass this information along, in case it is of help to other travelers. 

 

Visas: Visa needed for US citizens in Vietnam. Princess Cruises will handle this for you once on board for $56 per person; it appears you will no longer need to bring a passport size photo for each traveler.

Money: U.S. Dollars widely accepted, please bring smaller bills. Tipping is a growing custom here, with about 10% being appreciated.

Average Temperatures in January: 72-89 degrees.

Arrival: The ship is actually docked in Phu My, approximately 1.5 hours from Ho Chi Minh City.

Seeing the sights: You can make your way from Phu My to Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) via a taxi at the port, or the cruise line will probably have a round trip shuttle option, or by purchasing a tour from the cruise line or from a local tour company. There are some public transportation options, including one by speedboat, but they are very time consuming and not as reliable, you'll want to ensure you do not miss returning to the ship in time.

Tour Option:

This is one of the few ports where I have organized a small group tour, given the distance of the port to the sights in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), for efficient use of time. I have paid a deposit and reserved Xuan Le, a highly rated and popular guide, for the day. He will pick us up at the port, give us a tour of several sights in HCMC including temples, markets, historic buildings, places of interest, and arrange a tri-shaw ride. He will return us to the port at the end of the day.

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Have used Phamtours.com for this port. Because it is a cargo port and nothing here, no taxis, stores, phones, etc, it is about 8 KM to the closest town. HCMC is about 90 minutes away, so you really need a tour pre booked if you plan to go to HCMC.  Pham offer a complete tour including Driver & Guide, all admissions, Lunch,  Tri-Shaw rides, Rex Hotel rooftop coffee stop, War Museum, Local History,  Shopping. At $60 per person, no deposits required it is a great tour.

 

Email for Pham   phamtoursvietnam@gmail.com

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