Three weeks in Vietnam

[FunFifties]

I am currently in Vietnam for the first time and thought I might share some of my impressions with you. 

 

First stop was Hanoi for two nights. I arrived just after dark and stayed in the area near the Notre Dame look-alike cathedral. I liked the evening vibes, people eating and walking about outside in the pleasant winter temperatures. Had a bowl of pho and a beer. I had just spent three nights in Bangkok, so I wasn’t exactly starved for sex, so I just had a few chats on Grindr that didn’t go anywhere that evening.

 

 

 

Next day, I discovered that Hanoi is not quite as charming by day. The smog is very dense and it has apparently become a permanent condition during the winter months so they should be avoided if you have any respiratory issues. I don’t, so I was happy to walk about for around half a day taking in different sights like the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the Imperial Fortress, Temple of Literature and a couple of lakes and parks.

 

I ended up by the train station where I purchased a ticket for one of the next legs of my journey and then returned to the hotel.

 

Since the previous evening I had chatted with a 40 year old from the Philippines, who had lived in Hanoi and was back to visit for a while. We met for beers and dinner and a few more beers, before going back to my hotel, The Chi Boutique Hotel. Security guy and bell boy looked, but didn’t say anything, so I would characterize the place as joiner friendly. All in all a great date with good conversations and tips about Vietnam and a nice round of sex 😀

 

Next morning, I was picked up to go on a two night cruise on Halong Bay. It was a very nice cruise on a small boat with four other passengers and six staff. Tour operator is called Indochina Junk. The cruise cost around 600 usd and included meals, guide and activities. 

 

 

I returned to Hanoi for one night after the cruise. My date from my second evening had recommended P6 sauna as a fun place, so I went. I arrived around 6 on a Sunday evening. The place was busy with guys mostly younger than me. Everything is on one floor with a bar, saunas, steam rooms, jacuzzi, a darkish space, a few private rooms and a lounge for smoking.  

 

I had lots of fun with foreigners and locals. The local etiquette is a bit funny. The Vietnamese are not shy to touch and grope, but when it comes to doing the deed, they seem to prefer dark places. And no, I don't think it was because they couldn't bear to look at me, cause I did hook up in a lit private room with a cute 30-year-old from Ecuador

There is definitely fun to be had in Hanoi from the apps, but if the purpose of your trip is carnal pleasures, there is more fun to be had in Bangkok in my experience.

[Zipper]

Between apps and saunas you will have fun in Saigon. I’m there from the 5th-9th of February. If you want to grab a coffee DM me.

[FunFifties]

13 hours ago, Zipper said:

Between apps and saunas you will have fun in Saigon. I’m there from the 5th-9th of February. If you want to grab a coffee DM me.

Good to know, thanks. Will be leaving February 4, so no time for coffee. Enjoy your trip.

[WelshGuyUK]

Thanks for the update - I've been to Hanoi twice and going for the 3 Rd time in May. My friend also told me about P6 sauna so I'll go certainly go there 😜

 

 

[FunFifties]

Ninh Binh/Tam Coc and Hoi An

 

I took a train to Ninh Binh and a Grab to my accommodation in Tam Coc, Tam Coc Valley Eco Resort. Nice little place in a compound with rooms with direct access to the courtyard/pool area. They had bicycles for free use, so my first afternoon, I explored the surroundings on two wheels, had coffee and crepe by the lake and later for dinner half a spitroasted duck that I couldn’t finish.

 

Next day I had booked a full day tour to see the ancient Imperial temple at Hoa Lu, the newish pagoda at Bai Dinh, the Trang An Tunnel cave system and finally the 500 steps up Lying Dragon Mountain to see the views.

 

On my last day it rained a little. That is perfect running weather for me, so I went for a run around some of the area that I had explored by bike on the first day.

There wasn't a lot of activity on Grindr. Mostly other tourists stay in Tam Coc, whereas it seems the locals live in Ninh Binh around 6 km from there. So if you want physical intimacy in Tam Coc, I suggest you bring a date or try a different app than Grindr.

 

A 14 hour night train from Ninh Binh to Danang and then an hour by grab brought me to Hoi An. My sleep on the train was better than I had expected, so before I left the station in Danang I purchased another train ticket for the next leg of my journey to Saigon. 

 

Hoi An is a very charming town famous for tailors, leather goods and silk lamps that attracts a lot of visitors. I discovered that a good part of the visitors are day trippers who stay on the coast or in Danang, so mornings and evenings are not so crowded, but still very charming. There is a one hour show every evening, the Hoi an Memories Show. It is an extravaganza of lights, music, fire, water, and hundreds of performers, quite a number of whom are bare chested young men. 

 

 

 

 

The town has a gay bar, Living colors, and a gay sauna, Rooster. On my first evening there, a Thursday, I tried out the sauna. It is a small place covering three floors. The ground floor has a locker room and showers, next floor up a sauna, a steam room, a jacuzzi and a balcony/smoking area and the last floor has 4 or 5 lockable rooms. I had fun with the one other guest there, a forty-something local and when he left I decided to try out one of the spa treatments on offer. 

 

I chose the one hour body scrub at a price of 500k dong from which the entry fee of 150k dong was subtracted. I wasn’t too impressed. I have had body scrubs in hamams in Istanbul that had me almost floating on air as I left the establishments. This was more of a poorly executed massage with the addition of being rubbed down with a scrubbing creme. I hadn’t cum yet, so I also accepted the extras offered, which was basically just a handjob. I tipped 500 k and the therapist seemed pleased with that.

 

I gave the place a second chance on a Sunday early evening. This time there was at least 6 other guests besides me, and I hooked up with two of them, both local, one around my age and one in his thirties.

 

From Grindr I had a hook up with a Brazilian couple in their 40’s and 50’ and some side fun with a local in his 30’s at my rooms (Full Moon Apartments). At the gay bar, Living Colors, I attended karaoke night on friday and drag show (just one queen, but she did well) on saturday and made out with a very cute late 20’s from the Philippines.

 

On Grindr, it seemed that most of the local talent lives in Danang, so I think I will try staying there a few days, if I ever return. I think I may, as I have really enjoyed Vietnam so far.

 

Next and final installment of my Vietnam report will be about Saigon, where I have only been one day so far, but have already had great fun.