I’ve covered accommodation and drinking (albeit with a bit of food thrown in), so for my last blog on Mui Ne I thought I’d write about our dinner treat. I’d heard good things about staying at The Sailing Club but it was well out of our budget — especially over Tet — so when our … read the full post

Although traditionally most — and certainly the most desirable — accommodation has been located on the beach side of the road through Mui Ne, on my last visit I discovered two guesthouses that made me re-think the value of a beach view. It was somewhat through chance that I contacted Mui Ne Hills Guesthouse. I … read the full post

Mui Ne is often referred to as “quiet” and is considered to lack the buzz and nightlife of Nha Trang, a fact that can be off-putting to party-seeking travellers. While this may be true, the new kid on the block — Sankara — has certainly injected a bit of style and life into the bar scene. When … read the full post

There are a few neatly tucked away cafes and bars around Hanoi, and Hanoi House is one that is worth seeking out. Its inauspicious entrance is enough to put off the faint-hearted: it’s down a rather dingy alley, up a narrow flight of stairs and past their grotty toilet — don’t come here with a full bladder … read the full post

For those itching to to show off their vocal talents beyond a karaoke performance, L’Espace, the French Cultural Centre in Hanoi, is giving you just that chance. On 12th February and 5th March at 8.30pm they are having ‘Cabaret Nights‘ when song-writers and singers are invited to perform on stage. Anyone can participate but the organisers … read the full post

Firstly: walking! The Old Quarter itself is reasonably small and it makes more sense to walk as then it’s easier to pop into shops, stop for a drink, take photos and generally observe. From the Old Quarter it’s not too far to the French Quarter and although the the Ho Chi Minh Memorial Complex is … read the full post

Copying is rife across Vietnam, and art is no exception. Hanoi’s Old Quarter is littered with art shops selling life-size copies of a wide range of artists’ work: from Van Gogh to Da Vinci to Klimt. These aren’t prints; they’re freshly-painted by talented copy artists whom you can often see tracing and painting away in the shops. They’re generally sold … read the full post