Sampham Homestay

What made my stay at Sam's homestay special was getting to know the neighborhood and people. I met other travelers, local teachers, Sam's family, and saw a lot of different things around the area. I was happy to volunteer with the kids. As a native English speaker, going over their work and chatting about everyday things felt important for them and was fun for me. Sam was so accommodating, and we spent a lot of time together. He came through on everything he offered: free meals after teaching, a fair price on a bike, loads of tips and information, and a volunteer certificate. I also made a good friend in ho chi Minh. Sam is involved with the community, working with the kids' parents, bringing in travelers, hiring teachers, and partnering with the mechanics. I really appreciated getting to see and learn from that slice of local life. I'm into bikes too, so I bought one and hung out with Sam at his mechanic shop while he checked it over. He doesn't pretend that secondhand bikes are perfect; getting them running properly is the goal, and if something goes wrong later, that's life. Any experienced buyer knows that and wants to trust the seller has done their best to get the bike running. In Vietnam, I was buying a bike for around $300 with no paperwork, and that's how it goes. If you're visiting Ho Chi Minh city for the sights, do that before or after staying with Sam if you don't buy a bike. His place has its own local pace, so come for that and do the tourist stuff another time.

Sam was helpful when we bought bikes from him, including translating our problems to locals while we were traveling. Having someone with good local information was an advantage. The bikes weren't the worst, but they weren't the best either. I understand Sam makes a living, though they felt overpriced: we could sell them in Hanoi for only 20% of what we originally paid. Of course, they'd likely be resold to other backpackers for the original price.

I can really recommend the rental service. Everything was arranged ahead of time through my contact with them before arriving in Vietnam. The prices were fair, $15 USD a day for a Honda XR150, and they supplied all the gear I needed. They even ordered a protection jacket just for me when I asked. That was a great touch. This place is awesome!

He's a kind, fun guy to be around, but check the bikes carefully and insist that everything is fixed before setting off. We got a few bikes from him and ran into issues he had assured us were repaired. They cost a lot more than bikes from a backpacker, though I'm sure the quality was about the same. Nothing major went wrong, but some parts needed replacing sooner than they should have if the bikes had been serviced properly. Overall, it was okay, but check everything before you leave. The place is on the edge of HCM, not bad, though it's far from the city center.