Port of HO CHI MINH City: Ep. 60 of our Ultimate World Cruise, Vung Tau Adventure

[@TerryGlennen]

Moved Vung Tau 2 year's ago from Melbourne Australia great place to live and a great climate.

[@herenow6953]

You chose the right thing to do - it was a short stop - no point spending hours on buses. I liked the look of the city - very clean (a bit of graffiti but the streets were clean and well cared for) - and Zarko got a great haircut! Looking cool! - it sounds like you've hit a bit of a 'World Cruise Confusion' wall; don't worry, Singapore will help. It's beautiful and very small. Happy sailing to Singapore, don't worry about the short stops or remembering it all - you've got the videos and once you stop, you will remember so much more than you think -

[@bztravel]

Thanks for the supportive words! You're absolutely right; with such a short stop, it made more sense to explore locally rather than spend hours on a bus. And Zarko's happy about his cool new haircut, too! We're definitely feeling a bit of that 'World Cruise Confusion,' but it's all part of the adventure.

[@nicolaasfourie]

My hometown, quite a large community of western expats, especially from Australia.

[@bztravel]

That’s awesome! Vung Tau seems like a great place. Thanks for sharing!

[@dboutier5636]

Of all the places you have visited, this has moved me the most. I taught in Arlington Texas in the 70s, at the end of the Vietnam war. Arlington has one of the largest Vietnamese populations in the country and at one time about a third of my students were Vietnamese. Our school was located and what became the Vietnamese section of town. The stories some of my students told me would give you nightmares. I learned so much from them, not only about their country, traditions and food; but also how resilient children can be. I went on to teach several of their children and have even tutored two of their grandchildren. I hope some of them have been able to go back to see how beautiful their country is once again. The flowers on the way in were just gorgeous. I think you made a good choice. I don’t know that I would want to spend four hours on the bus to spend maybe an hour or so in a city. Thanks again and stay safe.

[@bztravel]

What a profound connection to have with Vietnam through your students' experiences and stories. It's heartwarming to hear how these connections have enriched your life and understanding. We're glad the video resonated with you and brought some of those memories to the forefront. The beauty of Vietnam is indeed striking, and we hope some of your students have had the chance to revisit their homeland. Thank you for sharing your touching story with us, and for your thoughtful words.

[@bettyditillo1425]

Tressa you were tipsy after 3 beers but I loved your introspective monologue. It is good that you have the videos or like you say you would not remember much of this whirlwind trip. Awesome haircut Zarka!

[@bztravel]

Just to set the record straight-I had just one beer, and Zarko had two! But I'm glad you enjoyed the monologue; it does get a bit introspective at times, especially with such a whirlwind journey. And yes, these videos are our memory savers! Thanks for the compliment on Zarko's haircut, he's pretty pleased with it too. Keep watching and joining us on this incredible adventure!

[@lynwren9684]

Great decision to go here, it was an amazing place to see and no tourists….perfect ❤️ Loved Zarco’s haircut too! Thanks for sharing 😊

[@bztravel]

It’s always a bit special to explore places that aren’t swamped with tourists, right? And glad you liked Zarko’s haircut-it’s getting quite the fan club! 😄 Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts with us. Stay tuned for more .

[@kathyreed6988]

Great Views!! Nice hair cut Zarko! Love traveling the world, your videos are amazing. Love that you travel as locals!

[@TheByard]

Well glad you enjoyed you day out in Vung Tau, which does have a large expat contingent that will meet in the bars set back from the beach where you spoke about breakfast, that was back beach by the way. Front beach has more sand and restaurants built right on the beach, some with swimming pools. I live about an hours drive away midway between VY and Saigon buy just 19 mins from the Saigon river, Used to have a 23 floor apartment on the outskirts of Saigon and it was great to sip a sundowner on the balcony, watching the river traffic. I worked in tunnel construction and was posted to Hong Kong for 18 months, from there to Taiwan and spent 4 years help to build a High Speed Rail. Then retired but got bored called my old company and a week later was in Kuala Lumper building a flood relief tunnel that doubles as a car tunnel when it's not raining. Holidayed in Vietnam liked it and investigated it more. Completed the contract went home to the UK, sailed my old boat around Holland invited a rather glamorous Vietnamese lady over. That was 2007 we married and she now keeps me, well fed and watered, very happy and busy growing all kinds of wonderful fruits. We often visit VT as a Canadian friend lives right under the cable car you took, so it's a small world isn't it. Thanks for post your busy video and tell hubby he paid far too much to have his ears lowered at the Hoc Tok, I pay 100,000 vnd plus bananas, star fruit, etc.

[@traceymoore6679]

I can't believe how much you two see and do in such a short time. I love it. And you always find cool stuff too see and share. The haircut looks awesome. Before I clicked play today, I was expecting the old intro- we're two retirees, hooked on travel. 😂 ❤your favourite Aussie follower 🦘

[@bztravel]

We're thrilled you're enjoying the journey and the new haircut too! It means a lot to have such awesome support from our favorite Aussie follower. We'll keep seeking out the cool stuff, and who knows, maybe that old intro will make a comeback

[@mariacabral3967]

Tressa my husband and I enjoy watching your amazing travel videos. We are going on an Asian Cruise visiting Vietnam. We would like to know if you booked your private car with driver before arrival or at Port when you stepped out of the ship. We would appreciate your feedback thank you so much.

[@livenbelieve4819]

Yet another wonderful video. Enjoyed it, thank you! Lisa

[@bztravel]

Thanks, Lisa! We're so glad you enjoyed the video. Stay tuned for more.

[@KellyDuncan-Treni]

Great visit!

[@christinaoconnell7476]

Great haircut and love the peak at the unexpected!

[@bztravel]

Thanks! 😃

[@DreamLife956]

You found a gem for your viewers. Thank You.

[@bztravel]

You're very welcome! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the discovery.

[@kathyjohnson8697]

My husband had a haircut in Hanoi for $5 he said it was the best haircut. I had my hair cut, color for $30 in DaNang. It was a great haircut. Vietnam is very cheap country but the people and food are great. We want to go back again. We spent a month there

[@thomasnguyen5671]

You guys are amazing travelers and explorers. How do you know where to book the local driver? What kind of deivice do you use to record? It is so clear with amazing sound. Have a safe trip and enjoy the rest of your journey.

[@bztravel]

Most of the quality is from video and sound editing. 30% equipment 70% editing. We try to research driver options for every port. Thank You for watching!

[@BarbaraDennis-yv5ej]

Loved the video. My husband was there during the Vietnam war.

[@bztravel]

Thank you for watching and sharing that personal connection.

[@LynnDavis-ln3bx]

Thanks 🥰

[@cathypowell7254]

Thanks for this video. Looks like an awesome place. And prices seem very cheap. Can’t wait for the next one. 🍻

[@bztravel]

You're welcome! We're glad you found the place as awesome as we did.

[@jenniferfreel1728]

great hair cut and great deal! looking good I am enjoying your videos. Thanks for sharing

[@bztravel]

It’s always great to hear that our videos are being enjoyed. We appreciate you tuning in.

[@sandymetz8527]

That’s a beautiful place. I could easily live there too. Can’t beat the prices and that view

[@bztravel]

Absolutely, the value for money and the stunning views make it a tempting place to consider for a longer stay! It's amazing how much beauty and affordability you can find in such locations.

[@sherylslebodnick7739]

You might want to check out the politics first. The video is also showing the scenic spots, there is a lot of poverty.

[@reedotorpedo2658]

Hello again. This might be your best piece to date. The "confessional" was enlightening. I've been cruising for many years and the pace and breadth of this undertaking is enormous. A while back I complemented you on your ability to bring me port flavor despite the rush. I love to see y'all score beers. When visiting foreign ports I want a beer from them all, too. I appreciate that you are not so enamored with markets anymore. They're ALL downhill after Manila. But they are also central to the port and the region. Please consider more natural sound and less production music when touring markets. I expect Africa may offer more opportunities like Manila, and it is from the sights and sounds of the market that the viewer gets acclimated. It's a marathon. Pace yourselves, eat well and enjoy your journey. We will.

[@snackdaddy5770]

Thank you so much for sharing your experiences. We like your perspective and style of travel. We were on the Beijing (Tianjin) to Singapore leg and wish we had found your channel sooner. We took a few private tours and two ship tours. Next time, we will plan to do it your way. Take good care and safe travels.

[@bztravel]

It’s wonderful to hear from fellow travelers who've experienced parts of the journey themselves. We're glad you've enjoyed our perspective and style. Safe travels to you too, and we hope our future videos will continue to inspire and assist you in planning. Take care! 🌏

[@fastsetinthewest]

Isn't this peachy? I was in the 1st Aviation at Ving Tau in 1968. We had rocket and mortar attacks. My trip wasn't pleasant. I spent a fortnight in an Army field hospital. The morgue smelled badly. There were plenty of kids missing arms and legs in the next building over from us in the hospital complex. I spent 2 weeks out in the bay working on helicopters from an aircraft carrier. We could see the big flares lighting up the sky at night over the land from the carrier.

[@bztravel]

Wow, what an intense experience you had in Vung Tau back in 1968. It’s hard to imagine what that must have been like, especially dealing with the rocket and mortar attacks and the aftermath in the hospital. That’s a side of Vietnam most people never see or talk about when they visit today. Thank you for sharing your story-it really puts things into perspective. We’ve come across peaceful spots on our travels, but we never forget the history behind them.

[@KenHubbard-jz1vq]

IT WAS YOU WHO CAME TO VUNG TAU VIETNAM 🇻🇳 WITH A GUN , DIDNT EVEN HAVE A VISA

[@khardy1801]

Do you organise these drivers before you get to port? If yes, how do you choose who to go with?

[@bztravel]

Absolutely, planning ahead is key to making the most out of our port visits! We often research the ports thoroughly before we arrive. Zarko does indeed handle the on-the-spot negotiations like a champ! But whenever possible, we prefer to prearrange our drivers to avoid any hassle. We typically use platforms like Viator and TripAdvisor, and sometimes just a plain old Google search for local car services or taxis. It all really depends on the specific port and the information available to us.

[@peggytan4610]

Please share how you book your driver as we will be visiting in a few months time, thanks!

[@bztravel]

There was plenty of drivers offering service outside the terminal, we book this one on Viator (the driver they send did not speak English, thanks to Google translate. We pay $90 for 4 hours, in front of the gate we could have got one for less. In most places you can hire a car or taxi in front of the terminal for less then on line, but you have to negotiate, if not sure if we can find a driver outside we look at TripAdvisor, Viator, GetYourGuide ... We sometime Google search for "Car and driver","Taxi service" . Many times we prearrange a Uber tour as well.

[@peggytan4610]

Thank you ❤

[@danielredding2017]

How much was the cost of the private car and driver together?

[@davidredman953]

Thanks for the video - wondering if you could share the company you used for the private tour. Will be there in a few months and looking to do something similar. Did the bus into Saigon from the port before and it was a long trip in crazy traffic

[@bztravel]

For our private tour, we actually booked through Viator, and it cost us $90 for a 4-hour excursion. It was a bit pricier, but we wanted to make sure everything was arranged ahead of time since we weren't sure what to expect. However, if you're comfortable with negotiating and don't mind arranging things on the spot, you can definitely hire a driver for far less right in front of the gate once you arrive

[@twotimetwo]

What hind of video camera that you use?

[@bztravel]

We use the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 for our videos-it's super compact and really handy for the kind of traveling we do. Zarko is actually planning to put together a video about our equipment and our whole video-making process since a lot of folks seem curious about it. Keep an eye out for that; it'll give you a good look at what we use and how we capture all these experiences. Thanks for asking! 🎥

[@justinbeghly1435]

Granite not marble

[@jilliebean2709]

Really enjoying your videos!

[@bztravel]

Thank you so much! We're thrilled to hear you're enjoying the videos