The traditional yellow-fronted, wooden-shuttered frontage of the Long Life Riverside Hotel blends in so well with Hoi An‘s ancient town ethics that it’s very easy to discount this as yet another tailor/restaurant/spa. But this is a place to stay, and the hotel’s quiet riverside location on the An Hoi islet offers some of the best … 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

A search for “Hang Manh” unsurprisingly brings up a raft of sites which mention the well-known bun cha joint at number 1. Well-known it may be, but good value it is no more: the dish under-delivers on flavour and it’s seriously over-priced compared to other bun cha places. Thankfully, there’s a more to Hang Manh … read the full post

Having read what we’ve written here on scams in Hanoi and scams in Saigon and listened to a few sorry traveller tales of “Vietscam”, I thought maybe it was time to lift the lid on all the terrible things that go on in the sleepy little pocket of Central Vietnam where I live. So I … read the full post

May de Ville Backpackers Hostel opened about a year ago and wasn’t shy about it: it’s 10 storeys tall and has a large lit sign on the roof, visible from afar. The name is somewhat deceptive as although it has some features of a backpacker hostel, such as dorm rooms and lounge area, the reception … 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

The striking French colonial façade of the Cua Dai Hotel sits well back from Hoi An’s busy Cua Dai Road, sheltered by a beautifully manicured, walled tropical garden which gives a tantalising hint of the hotel’s stylishly designed interior. Set a good 10-minute walk from the old town on the road to Cua Dai beach, … 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

Every now and again on your travels, even as you mostly chow down on the local street foods, you may begin to miss some of your favourite comfort foods. My turn-to food of choice is the hamburger and luckily a few places around Saigon make a good one. If you’re in the mood for a … read the full post