If you’re looking to stay on the cheap in Saigon, the Pham Ngu Lao backpackers area has plenty of low-priced hostels. However, if you’re willing to stay a little off the more heavily trodden path, the small alley between the streets of Co Bac and Co Giang offers bargain priced alternatives, such as Kim Loan … read the full post

If there ever was a recipe shrouded in mystery, it’s got to be Hoi An’s cao lau noodle. Misinformation runs rife. Only made from the water of the Ba Le Well? Sort of. Brought to Hoi An’s shores by foreigners during the 16th century marine trading boom? Apparently not. Japanese/Chinese origin? All Chinese whispers. One thing … read the full post

Not everyone wants to stay amid the chaos of Hanoi’s Old Quarter — some prefer to stay in the chaos elsewhere in the city. If you’re looking for an alternative location then Wild Lotus Hotel, next to West Lake, is an excellent mid- to top-range option. Wild Lotus Hotel is on Xuan Dieu Street, in … read the full post

Just a few blocks from the backpacker area of Pham Ngu Lao, in a small alley between the streets of Co Bac and Co Giang jam-packed with yet more places to stay, Guest House California offers decent rooms but in a relatively quieter atmosphere. The first building you’ll notice as you walk into the alley, California … read the full post

If you’ve been travelling for an extended period, you may hanker for a taste of the West rather than chowing down on local cuisine for yet another meal. In the last year Ho Chi Minh has been flooded with fast food joints, but if you’re craving a meal that reminds you of home — you … read the full post

We were tempted to check out Hanoi Moment Hotel 2 for two reasons. Firstly, it shares its name with a very enticing gift shop on Hang Gai, and secondly, the large plate glass windows provide a glimpse of what looked like a very stylish interior. The door was opened by a uniformed attendant and we … read the full post

While most street food in Saigon could almost be classified as fast food, where you sit down and pretty much immediately start eating, some dishes from the streets make you work a little harder: banh trang is a case in point. In the world of Saigon street food, a restaurant advertising banh trang is where you … read the full post

Saint Honore is a bakery, deli and restaurant in Hanoi’s West Lake area which offers the best cakes in Hanoi and is an excellent choice for a delicious breakfast, a bistro-style lunch or dinner, or an indulgent afternoon tea. Let’s start with breakfast. If the array of sweet and savoury pastries isn’t enough to tempt you … read the full post

Bun bo: it’s the pho lovers Marmite, a rich combination of spicy, sour, salty and sweet flavours with a predominant lemongrass hit. Pho in comparison is the soother, an altogether sweeter, more delicate dish in its pure form, with flavour enhancers (in Central Vietnam at least), bowls of sweet chilli paste, hoisin sauce, lime and herbs … read the full post

Although Tan My Design stocks some of the same traditional items, as its parent Tan My Embroidery, it’s predominantly a showcase for stylish, modern designer items and makes for a unique and calming shopping experience amid the mayhem of the streets of Hanoi. Established in 1969 at 66 Hang Gai, Tan My Embroidery has spanned … read the full post