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Sinh Café 246–248 De Tham 08/3836 7338, www.sinhcafe.com. Offers cut-price organized tours of Vietnam, open-bus tours, guides, visa services, buses and boats to Cambodia and vehicle rental.

Sinhbalo Adventure Travel 283/20 Pham Ngu Lao 08/3837 6766, www.sinhbalo.com. A super-efficient set-up that specializes in customized tours such as bicycle expeditions along the Ho Chi Minh trail (see www.cyclingvietnam.net), motorbike tours, long-distance boat cruises and kayaking in the Mekong Delta. They also have a wealth of reliable travel info.

TNK Travel 216 De Tham 08/3920 5847, www.tnktravelvietnam.com. One of the newer tour operators, which gets good feedback from those who take its tours.

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Ho Chi Minh City and around | City transport |

Buses

Few visitors ever take a public bus, though it’s relatively easy to hop on one to Cho Lon from the backpacker district. When leaving the city, Ben Thanh bus station is a useful point of departure, linking other long-distance bus stations in Ho Chi Minh City, as well as offering direct services to Vung Tau and other places.

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Ho Chi Minh City and around | City transport | Buses |

Sample fares around town

Costs of local transport are quite reasonable. For example, you can expect to pay about 10,000đ for a short cyclo or xe om ride within central Ho Chi Minh City, while the standard fare for bus services is 3000–5000đ. Fares for cyclo and xe om are negotiable, though the list below provides a guideline. Note that cyclo drivers charge more for extra passengers or luggage, and that by “centre” we mean Dong Khoi.

Pham Ngu Lao to GPO: 15,000đ

Train station to centre: 15–20,000đ

Pham Ngu Lao to Cho Lon: 20–25,000đ

Centre to Jade Emperor Pagoda: 20,000đ

Mien Dong bus station to centre: 40,000đ

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Ho Chi Minh City and around | City transport |

Motorbikes, bicycles and car rental

Motorbike and bicycle rental in Ho Chi Minh City is very cheap – just $5–6 and $1.50 per day respectively, though you’ll need bravery far beyond that necessary to cross the street to survive in the traffic. Most hotels and guest-houses can arrange a motorbike for you, though bicycles are a bit more difficult to track down. Self-drive car rental isn’t an option yet in Ho Chi Minh City, but Budget and many tour operators offer car rental plus driver(see "Listings") for $50–100 per day, depending on the vehicle and driver’s proficiency in English.

Ho Chi Minh City and around |

Accommodation

There are thousands of hotel rooms in Ho Chi Minh City, ranging from budget windowless cupboards to top-end sumptuous suites, yet the city is so popular that rooms can be difficult to find, especially in December and January. If you make an advance booking, you will save hauling your bags round the streets and may also be picked up at the airport or station, making a smooth start to your stay.

The best hotels in town are located around Dong Khoi in the city centre, and there are some smart mini-hotels on nearby Mac Thi Buoi. Ho Chi Minh City’s budget enclave centres around Pham Ngu Lao, De Tham and Bui Vien, which lies 1km west of the city centre but is still convenient for visiting most city attractions. Besides having over a hundred accommodation options, there are also travel agencies, restaurants, bars and shops catering for travellers. By staying in this area, you’ll save not only on accommodation, but on food and drinks as well, since most restaurants here are significantly cheaper than those downtown. Hotels, mini-hotels, guesthouses and rooms for rent are ten-a-penny here, ranging from dormitories costing a few dollars to luxurious rooms for around $150. If the De Tham region is too much for you, there’s a smaller clutch of budget hotels in an alley a few blocks south off Co Giang. Most places that charge more than $15 a night include breakfast in the price.

Ho Chi Minh City and around | Accommodation |

Dong Khoi and around

All the following hotels and guesthouses are marked on the