If you find yourself shopping in Saigon, a walk through any market or mall will inevitably lead you, sooner or later, past a souvenir stand selling lacquer art. Lacquer can be very impressive to look at but the process of making it is also quite interesting. If you have time to spare while visiting the … read the full post

Inconspicuously tucked behind an average exterior on the busy street of Hai Ba Trung, just around the corner from the Saigon Opera House, the stylish Xu Restaurant is among the finer restaurants of the city. Xu is divided into two sections: the upstairs is a proper, mood-lit restaurant, while downstairs you’ll find a lounge with … read the full post

Having computer problems while travelling through a foreign city can be a heartbreaker, taking away both a means of communication and a source of entertainment. While several shops service computers around Ho Chi Minh City, only a few repair Macs. If you’re passing through here and your Apple laptop is on the fritz, here’s where … read the full post

Sitting tall — very tall — on Pham Ngu Lao, the namesake street of Saigon’s backpacker district, Elios Hotel is one of the area’s few options for those seeking a more traditional, midrange hotel experience. The building is massive compared to the majority of guesthouses and hotels in the area and with a uniformed doorman … read the full post

Down a busy, narrow alley, filled with dozens of other hotels and guesthouses in Saigon’s backpacker district of Pham Ngu Lao, Vy Khanh Guesthouse has quietly become one of the area’s standout places to stay with their reputation for stellar service. At Vy Khanh you will find two types of rooms: 350,000 VND standards and … read the full post

Saigon has no shortage of street food but the city’s selections of soups are where you will find some particularly impressive dishes. Here are a few soups that you should give a try while trawling the streets of the city. The most famous of Saigon’s street soups is easily pho, and the vendors on the … read the full post

Situated on the busy intersection of Le Thanh Ton and Ton Duc Thang, The Sushi Bar has been the standard by which all other Saigon sushi is measured. Open since 1999, the consistent quality delivered by the Sushi Bar has made it a favourite among locals, expats and tourists alike. Stepping inside the large restaurant, … read the full post

It’s true that in Saigon you can get some of the world’s best food right on the street; on the other hand, plenty of tourist-trap fancy restaurants are poised ready to pounce and charge you ridiculous prices for average dishes. But if you’re interested in sampling a variety of Vietnamese dishes in better surrounds than … read the full post

Practically next door to the famous Sinh Tourist on De Tham in Saigon’s backpacker district of Pham Ngu Lao, the New Pearl Hotel is a welcome midrange alternative to an area dominated by low-end, and occasionally dodgy, hotels and guesthouses. The hotel offers three types of rooms: standard, a superior and a suite. The difference … read the full post

Just across the street from the Notre Dame Cathedral, and a short walk from the Reunification Palace, the Saigon Central Post Office is one of the most recognisable landmarks in HCMC. A leftover from the French occupation of the city, the Post Office is one of the better-preserved examples of the colonial period’s architecture. Finished … read the full post