Testimonial from a Malaysia couple: We made ourselves at home

When our friends and relatives knew that we were going to Vietnam after our wedding, they probably imagined it would be some kind of honeymoon in resorts or expensive hotels. In reality during our trip in Ho Chi Minh City, we unconsciously became backpackers and happily moved from one place to another every day to experience different types of lodging. Ms Thu’s guesthouse, the motto of which was “intelligent emotion for life”, made us feel most at home.

There was no receptionist. Her daughter had led us to the house, passed us the keys, told us the room number, reminded us to lock all the doors when we were away, then left us alone and returned to her travel agency which was one road away. She hadn’t even collected any money from us in advance.

We had the impression to be temporarily staying in some relatives’ guestroom.

Of course we would still pay 12USD (RM36) for it. This time, the room was the biggest and the air inside was the freshest among the three we had stayed. And we even had a king-sized bed and a single bed. The only disturbing thing was the dusty fan.

So my hygiene-conscious hubby decided to do the busy ladies a favour by removing the cover, giving it a shower,

and fixing it back when it was dried.

After a short rest, we went to this familiar alley again.

The family who ran our favorite fruit juice stall also owned a noodles stall. Not only they succeeded in attracting local customers,

they also had an inviting way to tell foreigners

what they offered

to our stomachs.

Almost all the seats were occupied. We shared a table with two little Vietnamese boys who were enjoying their dinner with full concentration without any exchange of words.

Our two bowls were soon served

with accompanying herbs, salad, chopped garlic, chili and sauces.

Now it was the big boy’s turn to slurp his rice noodles.

The meal would be incomplete without the drink from “Five Boys Number One”.

The next morning, we woke up at around 6.30am to get ready for another tour.

At that hour, the sky was already bright. No wonder the banks in Vietnam open at 7.30am since the people start their day very early.

We had our breakfast in the kitchen where Ms Thu prepared bread and omelet for us. She sometimes had Muslim guests from Malaysia and allowed them to do their own cooking in her house. If we visit Ho Chi Minh City again, we will surely like to put up there again.

Source: http://rayleesah.com/ho-chi-minh-city-ix-we-made-ourselves-at-home/

Check for more experience by Ray and Lee Sah at: http://rayleesah.com/tag/ho-chi-minh-city/

Testimonial from a Russian guest

"Билеты ценой в 9 долларов купили у хозяйки комнаты, где мы остановились. Кстати, комнату сняли за 12 долларов с небольшим завтраком, из многих мест, что мы посмотрели это самый приятный вариант - она большая, с кондиционером, холодильником и телевизором, а главное есть балкон, где можно высушить одежду. И еще тут есть горячая вода и в душе, и в умывальнике!Вот комната, решетка - это выход на балкон (она на всю стену), а то, что разбросано - это наше добро!

Находится наш "Ms THU Guest House" между улицей Pham Ngu Lao и Bui Vien, они точные копии улицы Као Сан в Бангкоке. Комнаты в гестхаусах с вентилятором стоят 9-10 долларов, с кондиционером - 15, но некоторые просто ужасающие. Видели без окон и с затхлым запахом, или с железным шкафом, как в механической мастерской для хранения инструментов. Вывески "Room for rent" тут можно увидеть везде: над аптекой или кафе, но комнаты разочаровывают...

Все переулки между основными улицами тоже с комнатами на сдачу.

Вот такой переулочек, весь забитый отелями и гестами, но цены в них мы не узнавали, хватило двух больших улиц."

(Source: http://marsiya.blogspot.com/2011/03/blog-post_23.html)

Would love to have someone help translate it into literal English.