Vietnam to build a high-speed train system

[Carlosa]

Amigo,

Have you ever tried Adobo? It is a Filipino dish --- one of my other favorite Southeast Asian dishes. The Filipinos have different types of adobo -- they have chicken (adobong manok), beef (adobong baka), pork (adobong baboy), and goat (adobong canding). The way they prepare the dishes is simple, and unique --- marinate the meat in vinegar, soy sauce, some coconut oil. Then add diced garlic, black pepper (whole or crushed), bay leaves, anise seeds.

Then cook !

I was told by Filipino friends that this dish -- Adobo -- is actually of Spanish origin. Interesting !!

No, I never tried it, but I don't know what the name in Spain would be, I'm sure I know it, but not by the Philippino name.

From Phili I only know "lechon".

 

[BoQ77]

What is this?

Amomum tsaoko - in Vietnamese market : thao qua ... [tao,kuo]

China imported a lot of this and anise from Vietnam.

 

[Carlosa]

Da Nang pho has none of it ? Northern Pho must have it.

Come to think of it, the pho here may have anise, I just didn't notice it, that would explain the taste, I just don't know the ingredient of the bro, but I know there are a lot.

 

[AndrewJin]

Haha, you know where Ngo Dinh Diem murdered ?
You were charged at Chinese restaurant in Saigon ?

Saigon is the only city in Vietnam has Chinatown. So Chinese community is a part of Saigon.
The church you refered is Nha Tho Cha Tam, in Chinatown area which is location for Chinese community ( we call it Cho Lon area). Most of residents there are Chinese ethnic. If you take a look at tourguideline like foodie dot com, tripadvisor ..., maybe you could have better choice. That's why we should study in prior the trip, for saving our money.

Your points are quite exact.
1. Room rates are very good
2. Transport is quite arkward, that's why it's not cheap. Btw, Saigon is quite expensive compare to the remain.
3. Nha Trang is flooded with tourists, is it beautiful? Next, I recommend you to Quy Nhon, or Tuy Hoa ... but a little bit inconvenient because a few resident could speak English.

How much you estimate for accommodation and seafood in Ha Long Bay, 4 stars hotel ?
For me, 4 stars room : my Japanese partner said Excellent : price tag : 80 USD, but to me 38 USD, for tour about 50-60 USD
Fresh seafoods for our big dinner : 8 pax. about 130 USD in total. VIP room. Tip 5$ to waitress but rejected, she get only a half of a dollar only. Choose the right restaurant, nothing more.
Taxi rate now ( mini car ) : 10,000 VND / kilometer = less than 1 dollar for 2 kilometers.

For long range transport, at this moment better choose air over railway.
When your previous trip to Vietnam? Air transport get much attention since then...
As I checked, air ticket in Vietnam cheaper than HSR ticket in China for longer distance. Whileas Vietnam railways is more old fashioned, can't be comparable to even China traditional train.

For me I will choose HSR in China no matter how far it is cause second class of HSR will always be cheaper than even discounted air tickets for most cases. You can't compare HSR in China and air tickets in Vietnam since people in these two counties have different incomes. In my province, only five cities have an airport, and only the airport in the capital city provides reasonable prices. Plus, who can buy good priced air tickets during holidays??? HSR price has been stable throughout the year since 2011. And airplane's economy class in China is too cramped and to say nothing of turbulence which sacred me every single time.

I haven't been to Ha Long Bay since I was not so into Karst landform( I don't like Guilin). And I was not interested in those Chinese-style ancient towns in central Vietnam so I spent most of my time in Hanoi, Saigon and Cambodia.

I originally planned to take a train from Hanoi directly to HCMC but I couldn't bear it anymore at last. So I read my guidebook and found Nha Trang, then took off there. I generally cost at most $20-40 per day, in China($20-30 in the west, 30-40 in the east) and in Southeast Asia($20-30). $15-20 for a double room, then only $8-10 per person for accommodation. I would prefer local bus and restaurants where locals had food. Best cuisine and authentic local food are often found in small restaurants, at least in China. Nha Trang was great, cheap seafood and charming beaches. Btw, that Chinese restaurant was one of the most famous in Chinatown.

 

[Carlosa]

black cardamom,

China imported a lot of this and anise from Vietnam.

Is there a drink in Vietnam from Anise? It has alcohol, I used to drink some of that in Spain, never seen it outside of Spain, USA doesn't have it.

For me I will choose HSR in China no matter how far it is cause second class of HSR will always be cheaper than even discounted air tickets for most cases. You can't compare HSR in China and air tickets in Vietnam since people in these two counties have different incomes. In my province, only five cities have an airport, and only the airport in the capital city provides reasonable prices. Plus, who can buy good priced air tickets during holidays??? HSR price has been stable throughout the year since 2011. And airplane's economy class in China is too cramped and to say nothing of turbulence which sacred me every single time.

I haven't been to Ha Long Bay since I was not so into Karst landform( I don't like Guilin). And I was not interested in those Chinese-style ancient towns in central Vietnam so I spent most of my time in Hanoi, Saigon and Cambodia.

I originally planned to take a train from Hanoi directly to HCMC but I couldn't bear it anymore at last. So I read my guidebook and found Nha Trang, then took off there. I generally cost at most $20-40 per day, in China($20-30 in the west, 30-40 in the east) and in Southeast Asia($20-30). $15-20 for a double room, then only $8-10 per person for accommodation. I would prefer local bus and restaurants where locals had food. Best cuisine and authentic local food are often found in small restaurants, at least in China. Nha Trang was great, cheap seafood and charming beaches. Btw, that Chinese restaurant was one of the most famous in Chinatown.

We see quite a few chinese here in Danang, they come in cruise ships quite often. They love the food, particularly the seafood and the Pho that I was talking about.

 

[AndrewJin]

I just want to comment on 1 point.

Its true that housing in Saigon (and Hanoi) its as expensive as Tokyo. For me, its a horror story that makes no sense, but its very real. There is a big distortion of land prices in Vietnam, its probably related to the government policy of how they manage land since all land belongs to the state, but I'm not sure.

When I was visiting Hanoi I was shown houses (they were not big deal) and they were million dollar houses; In Bangkok those would be $50.000.

Where I live, in Danang, a land plot of 20 x 5 meters within a few blocks of the beach is $150,000 just land. I have no idea how vietnamese people can afford to buy a house in those cities these days.



No, trains are just very expensive in Vietnam, any train, even that the quality is very bad.
State owned and managed of course.



Flying within Vietnam is very cheap, much cheaper than in China.

Well, I will agree with that houses in Saigon and Hanoi are much more expensive than before, but still compared to Tokyo is crazy. But if you compare based on price income ratio, maybe yes. The same in China, compared to the west.

Is there a drink in Vietnam from Anise? It has alcohol, I used to drink some of that in Spain, never seen it outside of Spain, USA doesn't have it.



We see quite a few chinese here in Danang, they come in cruise ships quite often. They love the food, particularly the seafood and the Pho that I was talking about.

Yes, prices in Hainan Island are crazy, I will recommend my friends to go to Thailand and other countries instead of being over charged in Hainan.

 

[Carlosa]

@BoQ77
@Nihonjin1051

This is Mi Quang with chicken

 

[BoQ77]

Well, I will agree with that houses in Saigon and Hanoi are much more expensive than before, but still compared to Tokyo is crazy. But if you compare based on price income ratio, maybe yes. The same in China, compared to the west.

There're some rare places in Hanoi, quoted the price $250,000 or more for a square meter. I don't know how it compare to other nations. But it's not for everyone.

An apartment in 10 kilometers distance far from the center cost only $700/m2

So I will not say that Houses in Hanoi or Saigon expensive as Tokyo. Can tell me about Tokyo price @Nihonjin1051 ?
I know by my chat with Korean partners that, Korean price is 2 - 3 times expensive than Vietnam.
In average the Korean area of apartment is smaller than in Vietnam

Is there a drink in Vietnam from Anise? It has alcohol, I used to drink some of that in Spain, never seen it outside of Spain, USA doesn't have it.



We see quite a few chinese here in Danang, they come in cruise ships quite often. They love the food, particularly the seafood and the Pho that I was talking about.

I know they extracted the essence of Anise, but not sure there's any drink from it.

 

[Carlosa]

Amomum tsaoko - in Vietnamese market : thao qua ... [tao,kuo]

China imported a lot of this and anise from Vietnam.

Well, I will agree with that houses in Saigon and Hanoi are much more expensive than before, but still compared to Tokyo is crazy. But if you compare based on price income ratio, maybe yes. The same in China, compared to the west.


Yes, prices in Hainan Island are crazy, I will recommend my friends to go to Thailand and other countries instead of being over charged in Hainan.

Thailand is full of chinese, number one tourist group in Thailand.

Bangkok is also another place that is overprice when it comes to housing.

 

[BoQ77]

Thailand is full of chinese, number one tourist group in Thailand.

Bangkok is also another place that is overprice when it comes to housing.

Bangkok is so hot in temperature.

And use your words carefully in Thailand.

My colleague, by his limited English say he want to play for a while and buy something as gifts ... ( meaning, relax and come to mart for something )
to the taxi driver and ...... here's the response "Yahoooooooooo !!! Here's your girl, do you like wet or dry massage ... and this is jewelry , pearl and silvery ".

Thailand is not the place for family. Malaysia is full of burqa or hijab ... my next destination would be Indonesia.

Ah yeah for pearl, go to Phu Quoc island in Vietnam.

 

[AndrewJin]

There're some rare places in Hanoi, quoted the price $250,000 or more for a square meter. I don't know how it compare to other nations. But it's not for everyone.

An apartment in 10 kilometers distance far from the center cost only $700/m2

So I will not say that Houses in Hanoi or Saigon expensive as Tokyo. Can tell me about Tokyo price @Nihonjin1051 ?
I know by my chat with Korean partners that, Korean price is 2 - 3 times expensive than Vietnam.
In average the Korean area of apartment is smaller than in Vietnam



I know they extracted the essence of Anise, but not sure there's any drink from it.

In my city, Wuhan, central China, new apartments $1200/m2 on average. My apartment was $150/m2 in 2000, but now I could easily sell this old one for $2500/m2. In suburb, prices in Wuhan are similar to suburban Hanoi, but once connected to Metro, it will be increased to downtown price. These prices are increasing crazily!

 

[Carlosa]

Bangkok is so hot in temperature.

And use your words carefully in Thailand.

My colleague, by his limited English say he want to play for a while and buy something as gifts ... ( meaning, relax and come to mart for something )
to the taxi driver and ...... here's the response "Yahoooooooooo !!! Here's your girl, do you like wet or dry massage ... and this is jewelry , pearl and silvery ".

Thailand is not the place for family

Ah yeah for pearl, go to Phu Quoc island in Vietnam.

Bangkok is a steam bath, 24 hours a day, most of the year. Even worse than Guangzhou-Shenzhen area which is to say a lot.

Actually, lots of families go to Thailand and they like it, but if you are just a man or a group of men, the locals will constantly offer you the "special services". Still, most of the special activities are concentrated in just a few spots, Bangkok has 3 of those spots, if you don't go there, then you don't see anything about that.

right @Nihonjin1051 ?

Nana plaza, soi cowboy and Patpong (in Bangkok).

If you go to one of those 3 places, its like a meat market like you have never seen before.
A Thai specialty!

 

[hans]

Hainan is much convenient than Thailand for majority Chinese.
You can spend RMB and speak Chinese.
Of course the price is higher. There are so many rich Chinese tourist in Hainan

Well, I will agree with that houses in Saigon and Hanoi are much more expensive than before, but still compared to Tokyo is crazy. But if you compare based on price income ratio, maybe yes. The same in China, compared to the west.
Yes, prices in Hainan Island are crazy, I will recommend my friends to go to Thailand and other countries instead of being over charged in Hainan.

 

[Carlosa]

Bangkok is so hot in temperature.

And use your words carefully in Thailand.

My colleague, by his limited English say he want to play for a while and buy something as gifts ... ( meaning, relax and come to mart for something )
to the taxi driver and ...... here's the response "Yahoooooooooo !!! Here's your girl, do you like wet or dry massage ... and this is jewelry , pearl and silvery ".

Thailand is not the place for family. Malaysia is full of burqa or hijab ... my next destination would be Indonesia.

Ah yeah for pearl, go to Phu Quoc island in Vietnam.

I went to Phu Quoc a year ago, very nice, a lot of construction going on everywhere.

A bit humid since its in the gulf of thailand.

Hainan is much convenient than Thailand for majority Chinese.
You can spend RMB and speak Chinese.
Of course the price is higher. There are so many rich Chinese tourist in Hainan

Thailand has many tourist packages that are very cheap for foreign tour groups.
Even for vietnamese is cheaper to go there in a tour than to travel in Vietnam according to the travel agencies.

 

[rott]

This thread is more about food than high speed rail. Thought I was reading the wrong thread.