My friends just left for Manila after a weekend stay in Saigon.  They had lots of stories to tell and found some pretty unusual stuff here so just to clarify —

• The airport tollgate fee costs 10,000 VND if I remember correctly.  Don’t get fooled that you have to pay more than that.
• The hotel will take your passport for safekeeping.  It’s unusual but yes, you have to surrender your passport to the front desk because they would have to register you to the police while you’re staying at their hotel.
• When opening your wallet to pay, the cabbie/cashier might just help themselves to your money.  They’re not being rude but are just trying to help you because they know you’re not used to their currency.
• It’s normal to see cars/motorbikes inside people’s houses — not the garage but yes, inside the living room.

Oh and would like to give a big shout out to Vespa Adventures.  This was the highlight of their tour of Saigon!  Hope I can try out one of your tours too in the future!