HO CHI MINH CITY / SAIGON -- area code (84-8)

Many clubs popular with gays are located in District 1, just a short hop, skip or taxi jump from one another, in the heart of the tourist area.

The downtown section of District 1 is easy to navigate using our Utopia map:

DISTRICT 1
• Dong Phuong Bar
  22 Ba Huyen Thanh Quan St, Dist 1. Filled with well-behaved gay couples and friends hoping to find a steady partner. It's dark, unpretentious, and very popular. Live shows (Vietnam's most famous transgender singer sometimes performs traditional folk songs here) as well as karaoke. Very friendly, though almost entirely sticky rice crowd.

  Comments from Utopians:

  "Dong Phuong bar is very small and run down." -- hoang25d, Jul 28, 2006

  "Dong Phuong Bar was my favourite. Handsome men take to the stage singing their hearts out to Vietnamese ballads." -- Tan, May 4, 2006

  Eden Bar (mixed) 236 De Tham St, Dist 1 (Pham Ngu Lao area), 836-8154, email. A safe and G&L-friendly bar with pool room and restaurant located in Saigon's backpacker area (similar to Bangkok's Khasan Rd). Downstairs bar is a mix of beer drinkers, families, and friendly staff. 2/F is a stylish restaurant with a bit more privacy for gay and lesbian friends to chat and dine. The international menu features Vietnamese specialties along with pizza and pasta, burgers, sandwiches and much more. There's a wide range of drinks including beer, wine and cocktails. The owner is young, professional, and protects the premises from prostitutes and moneyboys. His manager is educated and speaks excellent English. Although not a gay bar, it's a great place to inquire about the do's and don'ts of the local scene. They ask you to please let them know you are from Utopia so that they may welcome you personally. Utopia Member Discount

  Comments from Utopians:

  "Paid a visit to Eden Bar, which is indeed a cozy place with a very friendly staff, though some of the female staff were not very friendly to us once they knew we were gay. The food served is really good, and the price is excellent. It's a great place to eat, but it has nothing gay about it, just the owner. As mentioned by others Eden Bar is filled with backpackers." -- aventura, Feb 22, 2007

  "Eden Bar is very gay friendly, with a great manager named Dung. The food is great and the music and atmosphere excellent. You could not be made to feel more welcome." -- beachbum303, Aug 6, 2007

  "Packed with foreign backpacker revelers when I was there two Sat nights and one weekday night." -- Tan, May 4, 2006

• Samsara (mixed)
  2/F 131 Dong Khoi St (see map, look for the neon sign "Sam" upstairs on a corner across from Gucci and the Sheraton Hotel), Dist 1, 823-2630. More trendy and hip than most of the gay places in town. Handsome waiters have been known to sport tall cowboy hats and shirtless vests. Good mix of locals, expats and visitors (some MBs may need to be weeded out). Crowded on Fri-Sat night from 10pm-1am.

  Comments from Utopians:

  "A beer costs three times more here than at Eden bar, and on top of that, I now know that none of the staff can be gay because the manager will get rid of them if he finds out (according to a brave waiter who discussed the matter with me)." -- cossy, Dec 2, 2007

  "Went to Samsara with my bf and ordered two beers. The waiter served the beers then after a few minutes came back with an obviously old and dirty bill for D$171,000. The bill listed cocktails. I pointed out that the bill was wrong. He insisted it was correct (even with the wrong drinks listed while we were holding 2 beers in our hand). Finally he came back with the clean, real bill. We left. My bf is friends with the manager so when we returned to my house he sent him a msg explaining what happened. He also described the waiter and the name that was on his lapel. The manager replied that the waiters don't wear nametags. I won't be returning to Samsara." -- HcmUsaDude, Jun 19, 2007

  "Last month I visited Samsara. There were not many people, but it was during the week. The music was OK (a lot of hip hop) and the staff were very friendly. The drinks are very expensive (US$3.5 for a small beer). Be careful with the manager, because I ordered one beer and afterwards he came to talk with me and invited me to have another. That seemed very kind of him and half an hour later he came back and invited me again for one more beer. So, to be polite, I ordered a beer for him as well. When I asked for the bill I had to pay for all 5 beers. I said that two beers were from the manager. The staff said they knew nothing about it. So I called for the manager and when he came he was acting like he was so drunk and he didn't remember anything. I had to pay for all. I left angry and then 50m further on I had my camera was stolen by a pickpocket. So people, be careful." -- mustiiii, Mar 1, 2007

  "This upstairs hideaway is shabby Cambodian decor chic. A lot of cuties here, and the fashionista crowd. Most of the locals that frequent here speak English. This is a hook up joint, so lots of luck and happy hunting! They do serve decent cocktails, just make sure you stand at the bar and watch them make it or your Long Island may become a short island." -- phumyhunggay, Feb 15, 2007

  "Can be very quiet and boring on weekdays. Sat night is good. Manager and staff are friendly. Drinks are very expensive. Expect to pay D$70,000-80,000 for a drink." -- billylondon, Jan 7, 2007

  "Visited Samsara late on a Fri night. The place was jam-packed and not a female in sight. This is a great gay bar with many cute and friendly young men." -- myklh, Jul 19, 2006

  "Visited the reopened Samsara Bar (known as Sam) the other night. Very tame these days with, yes, some female waitresses. Mainly male patrons, but every inch gay. Should get better with time. DJ was good." -- Tam, May 3, 2006

Comments from Utopians:

"It might be good to photocopy your passport when you are out clubbing. At Appocolypse Now, foreigners don't need to pay entrance, but local people will be charged D$100,000. If they trouble you, show them your passport copy and they will let you in. One more thing, be sure not to wear a singlet (tank top) or sandals if you go clubbing, otherwise you will be rejected. They are very strict about this." -- billylondon, Feb 3, 2007

DISTRICT 1

• Apocalypse Now (mixed)
  Thi Sach St. 2B-2C (see map), Dist 1, 825-6124, FAX 910-0476. The majority of the audience are straight, rich young Vietnamese. Some female prostitutes. About 10% of the crowd is gay (beware of hustlers) and they tend to stay in just one corner area indoors or sometimes the outdoor patio area. Two dance floors, plus an open-air garden café. Entrance fee is arbitrarily applied, but usually free for foreigners. Open daily from 8pm until late.

  Comments from Utopians:

  "Loved the music and the people around us. A must visit while in Saigon. The gay crowd was by the entrance, it seemed to me that they tend to stay together even though they do not know each other. Met some very friendly gay guys and others a bit confused about their sexuality." -- aventura, Feb 22, 2007

  "Age range is from 19-24+. Music is from the year of the flood, and they selectively charge cover whenever and on whomever they feel like. Also, beware of MBs here." -- phumyhunggay, Feb 15, 2007

  "We went on a Sat and to our surprise and disappointment, the club allowed my boyfriend (caucasian) to get in free and I (Vietnamese American) had to pay D$100,000 even though I was with him. This practice is awfully backward and we would never go again." -- nightstar, Jan 9, 2007

  "Straight club with many foreingers and gogo girls rubbing their bums. Very busy on the weekend. However, there's a gay corner for you to discover. I had a great time rubbing bodies with a guy. There are police on the side, though they just stand there watching most of the time." -- billylondon, Jan 7, 2007

  "Apocalypse Now is fun place. Lots of gay hang around. Some hustlers working, but not everyone. You can meet some nice people here." -- hoang25d, Jul 28, 2006

• Palace Club
  2/F Palace Hotel (see map), Dist 1.

  Comments from Utopians:

  "The new Palace Club is chic, but also pricey. If you're not aware of the Vietnamese club scene, most of the nightclubs here are bottle service only. They have beer, but that's boring. If you're looking for cocktails they do serve them but it will take five people to measure it and five to pour it and you probably will get a Shirley Temple in the end instead of a Cosmopolitan. Not worth it. Just go with the bottle and a group of friends to share the tab. They also offer light snacks and food on their menu." -- phumyhunggay, Feb 15, 2007

  Comments from Utopians:

  "Looking for a 100% gay club in HCMC? Sorry, everything here is 'mixed nuts.' So, if you want to find a circuit party or a White Party, Vietnam is not the place. However, do check out the following venues: 1) Apocalypse Now, 2) America Club, 3) Palace Club, 4) Samsara." -- phumyhunggay, Feb 15, 2007

  "Visited HCMC last month. The two happening gay clubs (well, not completely gay as they have a mixture of str8 people as well) were Apocalyse and Samsara, probably the best you can find in HCMC. The music is contemporary straight from the Top 40 charts. No dance or house music really. You will see security guards everywhere who make sure that no wild and crazy things go on. You don't see gay men dancing topless on the podium like any other typical gay discos and clubs. Overall, if you're looking for a fun clubbing time in HCMC you may be disappointed." -- Spicy69, Oct 22, 2006

  "Just to tell you that Lost in Saigon is closed right now. Try the Lush (at the end of Ly Tu Trong, Dist 1." -- JaneHoi, Aug 3, 2006

  OTHER AREAS

• America Club (mixed)
  4/F Windsor Plaza Hotel, Dist 5. Straight club with some gays on Sat night.

  Comments from Utopians:

  "The whole scene has changed after its renovation. Now there's hardly any gay crowd in this club, probably due to too many restrictions. If you wear sleeveless shirts, sandals, or shorts, you will not be allowed onto the dance floor. Lots of bouncers and waiters around watching you all the time. You can't be relaxed." -- billylondon, Apr 8, 2008

  "Tell the taxi to take you to An Dong. It's the big shopping mall there. Best music in town, great dance floor. It runs until 2am." -- billylondon, Mar 3, 2007

  "Fun fun fun!!! This is probably the best discoteque in Vietnam. A lot of gays and fashionistas. Age range from 18-29+. The music and the DJs here are really good." -- phumyhunggay, Feb 15, 2007

DISTRICT 3

Comments from Utopians:

"Paris Dong Phuong 22 Ba Huyen Thank Quan P6, Dist 3, 930-2796 is crowded and a lot of cute gays sing here." -- Dinoiloveu, Sep 16, 2007

DISTRICT 10

• Golden Smile Karaoke (mixed)
  656 Su Van Hanh St, Dist 10.

  Comments from Utopians:

  "I was taken to Golden Smile Karaoke by some Vietnamese friends and found it to be a very good bar with lots of fun thrown in. The manager has been around for years. The drinks weren't too expensive and we had a lot fun. The singing together was also fun and you could give the singers flowers with money wrapped around a serviette." -- tamquat, Aug 31, 2008

  TAN BINH DISTRICT

• Nang Xanh Café Bar (mixed)
  Phan Xich Long St, Tan Binh Dist. Gay karaoke and café. Popular for singing and dancing from 9pm-midnight.

  Comments from Utopians:

  "The karaoke room is very small. Not recommended." -- hoang25d, Jul 28, 2006

• The Time Café (Café Thoi Gian) (mixed)
  28 Tan Xuan St, Tan Binh District (near the Thing Nhat Hospital). Popular with gays from 8pm-midnight.