You Might Like
Navigating the streets of Ho Chi Minh City (with a Grindr guide)
I’ve always been rather skeptical of those who claim to be on Grindr to ‘network’ or ‘look for a room’. Like – really? But having now used Grindr to find a tour guide in Vietnam, I’ve been forced to review my cynicism.
I was in Ho Chi Minh City – formerly known as Saigon, and now often abbreviated to HCMC – with one of my best friends from London. All the organized tours seemed rather expensive. There’s also that feeling of being on a tourist hamster wheel when being shown around a city by an official guide.
My friend suggested I ask the cute Vietnamese guy I’d been flirting with on Grindr if he would be interested in being our guide for the day. A few of the familiar bleeping purrs of Grindr later and the deal was done. ‘Cookie’ [below, right] – his Vietnamese name was to my western tongue unpronounceable – would meet us tomorrow.
Martin and his friends in HCMC
If you travel alone and make the same arrangements for a tour guide you’ll probably be doing a lot of the tour on the back of a scooter. You’ll have to be brave. Perhaps close your eyes for the first few minutes. If you’re easily stressed, a drive on a moped in HCMC will knock years off you – there are so many packed so close together, they are almost touching.
The city is known for its staggering traffic scenes
So where do you go on your scooter in this frenetic South East Asian metropolis? When it comes to museums I’m normally a born again philistine and avoid but the War Remnants Museum is definitely worth a look. This is not a sophisticated, plush museum full of interactive exhibits of the type you would get in London, but a blatantly one-sided, anti-American view of the Vietnam War. But it’s this view which makes it both fascinating and depressing as one is reminded of the brutality that humans are capable of.
For a taste of colonial old Saigon visit the Central Post Office and check out the old school phone booths. While you’re in the area, the Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica cathedral is just across the road. To get a taste of modern day Ho Chi Minh City, take a break from the moped madness in one of the cool modern coffee shops. M2C is a great one for people watching.
The gorgeous Central Post Office
For fantastic Vietnamese food go to Quan An Ngon. It’s a favorite of the locals bringing together former street food vendors known for particular specialties, but off the street and in a hygienic environment. The other must visit is Temple Club. Angelina Jolie apparently ate here after adopting one of her kids. Colonial, opium den, old school, romantic have all been used to describe the interior of Temple Club. Take your pick: they all apply. The food is pretty amazing too.
A gay scene in HCMC does exist. There are clubs and bars in HCMC but this is not Bangkok. If you fall in love with your tour guide you might not be able to take him back to your hotel – especially if you are staying in a small family-run establishment. Many Vietnamese are still on the conservative side when it comes to same sex love.
That said, the Vietnamese government changed the law earlier this year abolishing laws that prohibited same-sex marriage. The government doesn’t officially recognize or provide legal protections for same-sex marriages but weddings can now take place without the threat of fines. The warm, tropical winds of change are blowing in Vietnam.
HCMC exhausted me after two days. The perfect place to recover from your hair-raising moped rides is the island of Phu Quoc. And yes – if you’re wondering – the second word is pronounced ‘cock’.
Beautiful sunsets at Mango Bay Resort
It takes just one hour to fly from HCMC to what is described by many as Vietnam’s most beautiful island. You’ll be rewarded with white sandy beaches and rustling palms trees – especially if you stay at the Mango Bay Resort, my favorite in the whole of South East Asia.
This isn’t a shiny boutique where you are freeze-dried in an air conditioned box of a room. It’s rustic boutique at its very best. There’s no air conditioning at all in these beautiful but basic beach huts – but the thatched roofs make it unnecessary. The plantation rooms have open air showers where you can watch butterflies the size of small birds flutter by as you plan a day divided between the beach, spa and restaurant.
Words: Martin Popplewell
The post Navigating the streets of Ho Chi Minh City (with a Grindr guide) appeared first on Gay Star News.
GSN Contributor
www.gaystarnews.com/article/navigating-the-streets-of-ho-chi-minh-city-with-a-grindr-guide/
You Might Like
