Manicured gardens being tended by uniformed staff in pith helmets are perhaps the only clue as to what lies behind the facade of the five-star Pullman Da Nang Beach Resort which was previously known as the Lifestyle Resort located on beautiful Bac My An beach on Vietnam’s most famous coastal stretch. It’s a few kilometres from … read the full post

If there ever were a destination worth throwing away your map for, Hoi An’s old town is the place to do so with gay abandon. For most visitors a wander through town consists of shoving out their elbows and trawling their way up and down the main drag, ticket in hand while muttering “No, I … read the full post

Does The Artisan Boutique Hotel in Hanoi live up to its name and art deco-style business card? First impressions don’t disappoint: the reception area is spacious and stylishly decorated — Tiffany-style lamps always go down well – and the rooms follow through. The hotel was refurbished in 2012, rather than being a new build, and … read the full post

Rice is a Vietnamese staple but many restaurants in HCMC don’t really give it the attention it deserves, serving tired rice dishes seemingly as an afterthought. Although many carts on the street sell rice dishes, and some cheap Vietnamese restaurants focus on a single rice dish, it can be hard to find a restaurant that … read the full post

A tangle of tropical climbers all but envelope the entrance to the aptly named Betel Garden Homestay, where six single-storey, ancient-house styled villas and the Vuon Trau family home go almost unnoticed in a 3,000 square metre tropical garden. Step through the gate, however, and you are met amid the collection of rare areca and … read the full post

Tucked away at the far end of Hoi An’s riverside Bach Dang Street is a labyrinthine network of small alleys that take you into the ‘real’ markets, with only a sprinkling of ye olde tourist tat. This is where serious local customers come to buy everything from a screwdriver to a manicure; it’s a slice … read the full post

One of the bigger buildings in Saigon’s backpacker district of Pham Ngu Lao, the Liberty 4 Hotel is among a small group of midrange accommodation options in an area dominated by smaller guesthouses and hostels. Compared to its neighbours, the extra wide, cream-coloured hotel has well-dressed doormen ready to grab your luggage as soon as … read the full post

“Are you bored? We have the cure.” So shouts Hanoi’s newest entertainment venue: X-Factory.  X-Factory is primarily a laser tag venue, but also offers X-Box Kinect, flight/racing simulators and a very cool cafe. From the moment you enter, you can see this place wasn’t thrown together overnight. A lot of thought has gone into the … read the full post

Finding cheap eats in Saigon is a very easy task, given some of the best food you may ever eat is served right on the street. Not everyone however is eager to dive into street cuisine and while you can find Vietnamese restaurants worth a splurge, many more affordable proper restaurants can be tourist traps. … read the full post

With its heavy use of fish sauce and meaty stocks, and its one-wok-fits-all approach, strict vegetarians may struggle for variety in Vietnam. But Hanoi’s Lean and Green is a purely vegetarian restaurant, which will appeal to both meat and non-meat eaters. Lean and Green is located on Trang Tien, minutes from the southern tip of … read the full post