By Diana Lee
July 9, 2010
In just a few decades, Vietnam has experienced rapid
infrastructure development, largely due to its tourism boom. Many independent
travelers from all over the world seek the traditional Vietnamese home
atmosphere in Bed and Breakfast places. One such place in high demand is Huong
Viet Hostel in Ho Chi Minh.
What makes any B&B welcoming and memorable is a hospitable
host and excellent service. The Huong Viet Hostel excels in both. Xavier
Phuong, the manager with a big heart, is not only a polyglot - fluent in most
languages (English, French, German, Spanish and Vietnamese) - but also knowledgeable,
helpful and attentive to his guests. Born in Switzerland, Xavier Phuong has settled
in Vietnam, and together with his Vietnamese wife started the B&B in 2004.
Mr. Phuong said the motive behind establishing a hostel business was that he had
seen "the need for providing accommodation with service."
Indeed, the services at Huong Viet Hostel match top line
hotels - modern facilities and amenities: air conditioning, water heater,
laundry service, satellite TV, free access to computers with Internet ADSL
connection, and even a dip in a communal swimming pool! A light and healthy
breakfast of tropical fruits served with a cup of coffee greets the guest every
morning. Free airport pickup is offered for booking 3 nights or more.
The hostel (more like a B&B) has 6 available rooms with private bathrooms and a 6 bed dormitory. The
room rates range from single US$26 to a family room (sleep 7) US$49, and US$11 for dorm bed. The high season
for booking accommodation (reservation recommended) runs from November to
February, including July.
The hostel is ideally located in a safe Vietnamese quarters,
away from annoying tourist traps. Yet, it is conveniently situated with easy access to
everything, including a taxi station across the road. Hidden in a quiet alley, Huong
Viet Hostel is a short walk to a supermarket, ATM, post office, bookstores, and
a variety of restaurants and shops. For a complete immersion of the present
Vietnamese culture, hop on a motorcycle taxi into town for sightseeing. As one
guest commented in a review, "The peace and quiet of this hostel in the middle
of a busy area is quite unbelievable." Being near the Tan Son Nhat
International Airport and buses to Cambodia, Huong Viet Hostel is favored among
travelers in transit.
To venture out of Ho Chi Minh (formerly known as Saigon),
Huong Viet Hostel offers several package tours with reasonable prices to the
highlighted surrounding areas with the following services: a/c vehicle,
English-speaking guide, entrance fees, and meals.
The Mekong Delta 1-Day tour package includes a motorboat ride
down the non-odorous Mekong River, stopping at a coconut handicraft workshop on
one of the small islands, and rowing a sampan through the winding canal openings
in the jungle to reach the Phoenix Islet for a delicious lunch. (Highly
recommended)
The Cao Dai Temple/Cu Chi Tunnels 1-Day tour package includes
a trip to the decorative Cao Dai Temple - a meeting place for Cao Dai followers
whose "universal " religion embraces Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism,
Taoism, Hinduism and Islam.
The famous historical Cu Chi Tunnels, an elaborate underground
network of tunnels that stretched 250 km, was started in 1948 and later expanded
in the 1960s throughout the country. The labyrinth of narrow tunnels served as
a shelter and strategic battlegrounds for the Vietnamese guerillas fighting
against the Americans during the Vietnam War in the 1960s. The road enroute to
the Cu Chi Tunnels was eternally captured in an iconic photo by the Pulitzer Prize
winner photojournalist Nick Ut (Huynh Cong Ut), depicting a young Vietnamese girl
running naked from napalm immediately after a U.S. air strike. To this day,
many American Vietnam veterans make their annual pilgrimage to this place.
(Must-see site)
With an overall rating of 87% from guest reviews on
Hostelworld.com, Huong Viet Hostel remains one of the best places to stay in
terms of location, service and management for all these years.
Huong Viet Hostel is located at:
188c Tran Quang Khai St., Tan Dihn Ward, Dist. 1., Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Tel: +84-8-3526 5800 or 3843 8832, Fax: +84-8-3526 5985, Mobile: 24h.+84-903820582
Email: reservation@vietnamhost.com
http://www.huongviet.hostel.com/