bostontraveler

Hey everyone. I'll be in Ho Chi Minh, Saigon and Hanoi in a few weeks.
Any suggestions on places to go for a drink? I'm not looking for paid services, just fun places to hang out.

Single_Flyer

I just realized no one responded. I'd love to hear a report back on how your trip went. I found Cambodia to be very gay friendly, but Vietnam not as much.

I stayed at the Mens Resort in Siem Reap and found it to be a nice place.

adampenrith

Ho Chi Minh and saigon are the same city,

I did not go to Bars but did enjoy a great massage and sauna / steam at Nadam, in Saigon.

Hanoi was lots of fun but did not go out to the bars.

Phenom Penh, lots of great bars, and stayed at Mens in Siam Reap which was awesome

brianking

We flew into and out of Thailand for 4 days in Siem Reap and Angkor Wat, as part of our honeymoon.

- We stayed at the Park Hyatt, and it was probably the nicest hotel and best guest experience we've ever had. Rooms, pool, grounds, property are all amazing, and a great respite after a hectic day. I believe it's a category 4 Hyatt Gold Passport property, meaning it's a decent value on Points and Points + Cash. The GM personally met with us, and upgraded us to a suite.

- We took a tuktuk taxi 15 minutes from the center of town, one afternoon, to Mens. It looked nice enough, and had a decent smallish pool. We each had a massage, which seems to come standard with something extra, unless you turn it down (we turned it down).

- Highly recommend gay-friendly guide Pilu. He speaks perfect English and is very knowledgeable and personable. Make sure to reserve far in advance, as he tends to book up quickly. Here's his Tripadvisor page.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g297390-d2674750-r160008327-Affinity_Angkor_Private_Tours-Siem_Reap_Siem_Reap_Province.html

peteropny

Speaking as the mod for "the other forum", I agree that the PH Siam Reap is a great redemption at category 4 - it also qualifies for the annual anniversary free night from the Hyatt Credit Card (up to category 4) - not a good redemption for the signup bonus of 2 free nights at any Hyatt in the world though.

bostontraveler

Hey everyone. Had a fantastic trip-- I absolutely loved Cambodia which I totally didn't expect. Low-key and the people were wonderful. The Park Hyatt Siem Reap was outstanding. Booked a standard room and upgraded to the suite which had its own access to the pool...a really great stay.

As for gay life, I didn't find Vietnam to be that happening but I honestly didn't try too hard. In Siem Reap, however, there were a few places that were quite pleasant. Even the straight places, later at night, had quite a few gay or at least "curious" boys. Everything was in walking distance and it was so pleasant to meet people from all over the world and zoom around the city in a tuk tuk.

Absolutely recommend it.

Only problem is I did get sick from the food... two different amoebas endemic to the area. :-( But all better now!

RandomBaritone

Completely agree about the Park Hyatt -- my husband and I went off season and also upgraded at check-in to a spectacular suite. We found the pool suite to be a bit dark, so we ended up choosing a stunning, rambling top floor suite in the main building. Nicest hotel room I've ever stayed in.

Only downside was the restaurant, which was uneven: the breakfasts were five-star, but we found the dinners uninspired and dizzyingly overpriced for the quality.

@Bostontraveler, we should compare notes some time, as I'm also based in the Boston area.

ArtfullyUrs

This is a bias review since I am Vietnamese American.
I absolutely loveeeed Hoi An/Da Nang, Vietnam. I found the people from this area are extremely friendly, honest and genuine. I took a taxi to the beach and the driver was willing to wait for me the whole time since I only wanted to tan for 2 hours.

I did not spend that much time in HaNoi, but the Park Hyatt in Saigon was absolutely amazing. They are extremely nice and attentive. In Siem Reap, I stayed at the Ruffles. I didn't feel welcome there. It's odd and embarrassing for me to say this but they ( the Cambodian staffs) didn't treat me very nice at all. On multiple occasions, they did not serve me at the bar until my white colleagues arrived. As I was trying to enter my room, a gentleman stopped me as if I was trying to sneak into a guest's room ( well, I have to admit that i have done that before, but that's another story)