My first visit to Saigon, Vietnam, and I need info please

[CambodiaVisitor]

Hello, I have some questions about visiting Saigon as a tourist who wants to have some fun with the locals, as well. I have been to Siem Reap and Bangkok many times so I know the scenes there, but I don't know what to expect in Saigon as far as the gay sex scene goes. I am going with a friend in 2019...probably 4 nights. We would like to stay in the gay area of town or in a gay friendly hotel. Are there any gay districts in Saigon? We would also like to meet some local guys at the saunas in town. Any tips and suggestions about which sauna to visit if you are an older guy who is 50? Also, do the guys in Saigon use apps such as Grindr, Growlr, etc? Just curious. What can I expect when I use apps? Money boys or just guys looking for fun? Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

In Bangkok we usually stay at Babylon and have absolutely no problem getting guys in that place or in that town. It's a lot of fun, and we always have an amazing time. I heard that Saigon has a different feel than BKK. If so, what can we expect?

Similar Threads:

• Vietnam info please
• Vietnam info please
• Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) any info?
• Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) any info?
• visit to Vietnam from BKK

[bobsaigon2]

Google “Saigon Gay Saunas”. Quite a few places show up, with recent reviews. I’ve been living in Saigon since December 1999, with a Vietnamese partner, but neither of us has frequented the gay saunas and I’m not aware of any other board members who have done so.

Check some of the other threads in Sawatdee Gay Vietnam for accounts of travelers in Saigon.

An American friend of mine was here recently, stayed at one of the Liberty Hotels in Pham Ngu Lao Street, and on a late evening walk around the neighborhood was approached by several young men.

It’s like Phnom Penh in the sense that there isn’t really a discernible gay area, but in the Pham Ngu Lao tourist-friendly area there are many “opportunities” in the evenings.

And of course there are the usual gay apps.

Many hotels do not permit joiners but in the Pham Ngu Lao and Bui Vien Streets there are several establishments that welcome tourists and their new friends for short or long time.

Vinasun, Mai Linh, Vina and GRAB taxis are reliable and available 24/7.

[goji]

Thanks for the advice Bobsaigon.

I went to Nam Spa several years ago & didn't see any evidence of any action at all. Had a dull regular massage.
Also went up to Na Dam spa. More people here, but not much going on. Eventually booked a massage. Ended up with the fastest & most pointless HJ of all time.

Will be interesting to see what more recent visitors have encountered.

[DoubleDutch]

I'm in Saigon now, too, 1 week has been very much fun, going out every night, locals are friendly. But no sex, apps are fairly quiet, plenty of offers for paid sex, handsome guys, going by profile pics. There are no gay bars here, it seems. But local guys often smile on the streets, few times when I did try to start convo, English seems to be main issue.

One thing is for sure, Saigon is very cool city, for several years I've been too lazy to visit, always going to Cambodia for short getaways, as if on auto pilot, twice every year. No more! Saigon is better than Siem Reap, PP, and the disaster that has become of once interesting Sihanoukville.
Tomorrow going to Vung Tau, a beach resort. I will report on app action, if any.

[scottish-guy]

With the demise of Godmother there are no specifically designated “gay” bars but there are definitely bars where available boys and ladyboys hang around - as to where they are I dunno as I was taken there rather than making my own way and there is no chance of the BF telling me

[DoubleDutch]

After 1 week in Saigon, just wondering around, from coffee shop to coffee shop, I did look at the apps with purpose of finding a fuck. Days earlier I just gave apps a quick look, but not responding to messages, and looking to hook up.
So yesterday afternoon, finally bored, looked at apps and replied to few messages. In 10 minutes met the guy, I sent a map location, on main street, outside large hotel, to make it easy for a local to find.
Guy arrived on motorbike, not the guy on a profile pic, not even close, at least 10 years older, but in good shape and good enough looking. He wanted to go to his place, he kept saying that he lives alone, and kept repeating it several times. That seemed odd, maybe not strange for Saigon, certainly can not remember this ever happen in Thailand or Cambodia.
I kept saying we go to my hotel, and we did, on his bike, I asked if he'd like some beer, and grab it on our way to hotel, he said yes, we made a stop, picked up 3 cans of Bia Saigon, what seems most popular beer here. I handed street shop a 200.000 local bill, 3 beers were total 45.000 local money ($1.9 USD), seller looked a bit troubled over larger note, and Vietnamese app guy grabbed his wallet, and handed seller the exact amount. That was nice, can't remember this ever happening in Thailand or Cambodia. Of course, this could be the first and last such experience in Saigon as well.
No problems getting to my room, hotel reception didn't ask him anything.
At no point was issue of money brought up.
After about 20 minutes he left, I laid in bed for a bit, quite satisfied.

[Blacktouch]

I was in Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon in Jan/Feb 2012. At that time there was no gay scene as such. Not sure what the case may be now?

I did find some guys to have fun with on the street, but nothing to call great. It's all underground as we were told.

One thing we found fascinating was the amount of mopeds on the road. Thousands of them. I have never seen anything like that before. I thought Thailand was many, but Saigon beats Bangkok and Pattaya by far, in terms of mopeds etc.

So at the time, Saigon didn't have much of what we were looking for. We had much more better fun in Cambodia.

On this trip in Jan/Feb 2012 we did Thailand - Saigon - Cambodia - Thailand.

[christianpfc]

I was in Saigon twice in 2016 and visited saunas, details here.
https://christianpfc.blogspot.com/20...and-hanoi.html
As for online dating, I used hornet and had one boy for free and met one money boy, but didn't take him to my room.

[CambodiaVisitor]

How much do money boys cost? Also I'm assuming that with most hotels I can have visitors over as long as its before 10 pm?

[DoubleDutch]

How much do money boys cost? Also I'm assuming that with most hotels I can have visitors over as long as its before 10 pm?

I have been asked $50 USD, if you ignore them, the number drops to $20. Since I almost never reply, day later they keep coming back, seems it is buyer's market.

But funny thing, when in Saigon at least half of messages make it clear they want money, in Vung Tau, small beach town, 1.5hr away, buses going every hour, things are different.

Vung Tau is small town, huge long beach, and it is Saigon's weekend spot, really buzy on weekend, only Vietnamese, hardly any foreigners, haven't seen Chinese, zero Indians, couple of Russians. From Mon to Fri beach is completely dead, kilometers of clean beach, but no people. Apps are very different here, no one is asking for money! In one day I get 6-10 messages, all from locals, reason maybe be that there are no foreigners here, it is so strange.
I have heard that hotels may difficult for local to get in, not where I'm staying, few times that Vietnamese guy walked in with nothing was asked, zero.
Here is photo of Vung Tau beach, and 2 screen caps from app, convo with Vietnamese guy. Oh, his profile photo another fake, so far, 3 of the guy who I met, all had fake photos, not just "beautified", just photos of someone else.


Vung Tau app 13.jpg

Vung Tau app 14.jpg

Vung Tau app 15.jpg

Vung Tau Vietnam beach.jpg