As the locals say: Go club thumping.Your shoes are sticking to the floor, your drink is more ice than alcohol and the overloud music is making the air shimmer before your eyes.
This is a typical Saturday night at a local club in Sài Gòn - lounging in a VIP booth with a bottle of spirits, getting served by evening gown wearing hostesses and then waiting until the alcohol has entered your bloodstream and then it’s suddenly time to dance like someone’s chasing you.
Go clubbing may sound innocuous but Vietnamese clubbing is as class apart and they are a great place to people watch with different orientations, ages and classes all moving to the beats thrown down by the DJs. These clubs are well worth a look and we dare you to dance. You never know, you might even start something.
Sài Gòn
1. Apocalypse Now (2C Thi Sách street, district 1, Sài Gòn )
This is the best known late night venue in Sài Gòn , most people claim to dislike Apo , and yet they continue to flock there like sheep. The first reason for Apo ’s success is the name. nowhere else in town takes advantage of the depiction of Việt Nam ’s war torn past in Hollywood. Apocalypse Now still remains the quintessential movie about horrors of war and how they affected Việt Nam . Another reason is longevity. Apo remains one of the city’s longest running bars.
Most importantly, its reputation as a great place for singles to meet partners without the custom of buying drinks for ladies some of that other late night establishments employs, means that Apo will always attract certain types of customers.
But for those not interested in searching out members of the opposite sex, there still remains a huge attraction here. And that is where Apo is at its most ingenious. Late closing is one obvious reason but more importantly is the fact that Apo is deliberately middle-of-the-road. It doesn’t try to play cutting edge music, it doesn’t try to do anything overly special with its décor and it doesn’t pretend to be anything more than it actually is a mediocre bar open late. Unlike other establishments in town, Apo is fun, the atmosphere is light-hearted and there is a distinct lack of the pretentiousness so prevalent elsewhere. It is what it is. And being middle-of-the-road, it appeals to a wide range of people.
2. Lush (2 Lý Tự Trọng street, district 1, Sài Gòn )
where DJs keep a well-heeled crowd moving most nights. Regular drink deals and a popular ladies’ night when drinks are free for members of the fairer sex ensures that things never get too quiet. The club also has an alfresco bistro style restaurant out front and pool table area out back.
Hanoi
1. Phúc Tân (51 Phúc Tân street, Ba Đình district, Hà Nội)
Built over two floors, reminiscent of a grungy, east London warehouse party, you can expect bass lines, cheap drinks, plenty of space to dance and a outdoor BBQ, not to mention the sunrise views of the Red River and Long Biên Bridge.
References
Nick Ross. (2010, December). Apocalypse wow. The Word Ho Chi Minh City, p102-104
James Allen. (2012, July). Go club thumping. Word, p38.