How exactly did Bryan Pham become such a connoisseur of Asian gay saunas and spas?
Born in Vancouver, Pham spent most of his secondary school years in Vietnam, though he attended an international school and spoke mostly English—which shows in his Vietnamese accent. After graduating from university in Vancouver, he decided he wasn’t vibing with the British Columbian lifestyle. In 2020, he packed up his things and moved to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s largest city with a population of around 10 million.
He makes a living doing various gigs including two that are relevant to LGBTQ+ travellers. Firstly, he offers custom private tours of Ho Chi Minh City, including gay hotspots. Secondly, his YouTube channel, Bry in Asia, has guides, reviews and assorted reports from saunas, spas, parties and gay events around Asia. He knows how to find gay guys in Ho Chi Minh City.
Wander+Lust caught up with Pham to ask him about gay life in Ho Chi Minh City, including his top picks for clubs, saunas and spas.
Were you starting from scratch, building a life when you moved to Vietnam in 2020?
I did have a few friends who were graduates of my high school, but there were not many because most had left the country. I had to make new connections and friends. It’s been a lot more difficult than I thought. I do speak Vietnamese, but I have an Americanized accent, so people can immediately tell that I’m foreign. Most of my friends are expats or people who are more internationally minded.
What’s the best thing about living in Vietnam?
Affordability. Just being able to not have to think too much about money, or at least not as much as when I was living in Vancouver. Your dollar goes such a long way here. I also find everything here is more convenient. Vancouver is a sleepy city where things close down early and everything’s super far apart. In Ho Chi Minh City, everything’s condensed. You can get pretty much anywhere pretty quickly. The food is super affordable and really delicious. North Americans might still think of Vietnam as being a poor country, but here in the city, you don’t really get that feeling at all. It’s quite developed.
And your least favourite things?
Interacting with gay locals. I’m generalizing, but sometimes I feel we’re a mismatch in terms of courtesy. What I consider to be courteous when chatting is something more than a “hi” before getting straight to stats: height, weight, size. On apps, they ask you for pictures right away, even if your face pic is there, clear as day.
How would you describe the gay scene there? For example, is there an area you could call the gay village?
As a foreigner, I would say that most of the gay stuff is centred around downtown, District 1, which is where Independence Palace (Ben Thanh, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City) and the Notre Dame Cathedral of Saigon (01 Công trường Công xã Paris, Bến Nghé, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City) are located. The gay saunas and gay spas are scattered everywhere, though they are more centralized in District 1. I wouldn’t call it a gay village, but as a foreigner it’s quite easy to access these places. You won’t see any rainbow flags. There’s not much cruising in the street. We’re in that awkward middle stage here where gay life is acceptable but still quite hush. You do occasionally see guys holding hands on the street, that kind of stuff.
Yet there are a lot of gay saunas and spas, judging by your YouTube channel?
That’s probably because they serve as spaces for people who want more privacy. Being outwardly gay is still looked down upon. These gay saunas and gay spas act as refuges. You go and you can be as gay as you want, then go home and be straight passing. But that’s just based on my observations—I’m not a local Vietnamese person.
What are your sauna recommendations?
There’s probably about a dozen saunas, with new ones opening up all the time, but I’d say there are three main ones: NaDam Spa (66 Đường Số 16, Khu Phố 3, Thủ Đức) purely because it’s the most popular one. If you go on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday, no matter what, it’s going to be crowded. It’s also the most aesthetically pleasing place, with a Zen atmosphere. They take good care of it. The next place I would suggest is Sauna69 (16 Trần Quý Khoách, Tân Định, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City). It’s big, airy, comfortable and close enough to the city centre. It also has the most diverse mix of people. The Dream Sauna (814/1 Sư Vạn Hạnh Phường 12, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City) is definitely more on the local side—it’s kind of in a back alley and is more grungy in terms of looks. It’s basically a house that’s been remodelled. It’s very popular with the locals mainly because of their advertising and promotions. On Thursdays, for example, it’s really cheap and so people flock there. If you’re looking to mix with some locals, you might have a lot of success there.
How many saunas do you think you’ve been to now?
Aside from Vietnam and Canada, I’ve been to saunas in Taiwan, Thailand and Bali. So maybe 15 gay saunas.
What makes Vietnamese saunas unique?
Sometimes you get free snacks. One serves beer for free, which I think is pretty unique. But one thing that sets Vietnam apart is that it’s still hush-hush. In Taiwan or Thailand, for example, they provide you with lube and condoms—they know what you’re there for. In Vietnam, you’ll walk in and see signs that you’re not supposed to engage in sexual activity.
So a visitor should follow the lead of fellow patrons rather than the signs?
Exactly.
What are the top gay bars in Ho Chi Minh City?
There’s ChinChin Bar (First floor, 75 Hồ Tùng Mậu, Bến Nghé, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City), which is the most popular gay bar. It’s a small space that plays poppy EDM. All the hot locals go there. They dress really nice and they’ll book a table. They have drag shows every weekend. There is cruising, but it’s not a very sexual place—you’re there to look at other good-looking people, dance around a bit.
Frolic Bar (151 Đ. Đề Thám, Phường Cô Giang, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City) is the next most well-known bar. It’s probably more diverse, with more expats and a chill vibe.
My third choice would have been Z9, but they just closed. The new one is Sinner Saigon (23 Đ. Đồng Khởi, Bến Nghé, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City), which has a circuit party kind of vibe in terms of music. There are more women, though I can’t say they’re queer women. They have go-go boys who really try to engage with the crowd—they’ll drag you up on stage with them.
Okay, so if I get tired of going to saunas and bars, what else should I be doing in Ho Chi Minh City?
Tour around District 1 to see some of the landmarks. Visit Ho Chi Minh City Book Street (Đ. Nguyễn Văn Bình, Bến Nghé, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City), which is really cute, with lots of different bookstalls and cafés. The War Remnants Museum (Phường 6, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City) is a must-see as it portrays war in a very real way. Plan something fun for after, because you’re going to be very sad. Mostly you should just eat and drink coffee. I love Cộng Cà Phê (various locations around Ho Chi Minh City) because it’s stylized in the Vietnam War era. The workers wear war uniforms. It feels like a relic of the past, which I think is very cool. I really love their green rice and coconut drink.
What’s a place that you like to take people when you’re working as a guide?
One of my favourites is Ho Thi Ky (VN Thành Phố, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City), which is a night market with lots of street food vendors on this nice little road.
What’s an easy city break?
Most people would go to Vũng Tàu, myself included. It’s the seaside area closest to Ho Chi Minh City. You can sit on the beach there, go in the ocean. But if you want a good beach, you should go to Da Nang in Central Vietnam, though you’d have to fly there.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
