Besides having cafes and street food, Saigon also has a fair share of bars and clubs, I guess you need something to do once the cafes close. Since there are so many bars sometimes it can be hit and miss to find a place with people without walking all over town. The best way is … read the full post

In my quest to bring you alternative perspectives on Hanoi, I met with Ian Paynton, deputy editor-in-chief of Word magazine. Word is two bilingual publications aimed at foreign residents and locals in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City and is available free at various locations around town as well as online. We met one drizzly … read the full post

I’m a foodie. I think that’s the main reason I like Saigon so much; there are so many dishes here that something new to me rolls around almost every day. Sometimes I get so caught up in the new dishes though that I forget to appreciate some of the more popular, and common, foods that … read the full post

Hanoi‘s social scene has been undergoing notable change for some years now, with new bars and restaurants springing up all over the place despite the reasonably strictly enforced curfew. The problem with this proliferation of venues is that there aren’t actually enough customers to go round. New bars open and, if they’re any good, they … read the full post

As soon as you hit the ground in Saigon you can’t help but notice the large building that anchors the city’s skyline. Bitexco Financial Tower stands at 68 storeys, or 262 metres high, and was designed to look like a lotus flower sprouting out of the city and in an abstract way it kind of … read the full post

Continuing on from where I left off on my last “36 streets” post, Lan Ong (traditional medicine street) turns in Hang Buom. While the streets around the edges of Old Quarter tend to be oriented towards local life, Hang Buom smoothly makes the transition into tourist-land. Hang Buom originally sold sails. There’s little demand for … read the full post

There are probably thousands of cafés in Saigon. Seriously. Yesterday, while walking around the Crescent, I counted five cafes on just one corner. It’s crazy! I’ve already written about my selections for Saigon’s best cafes. While I would say that these are still some of the cream of the crop, I wanted to let you … read the full post

Quyen Van Minh is Vietnam‘s best-known jazz saxophonist, having fallen in love with the music some 30 years ago and developing his own style of Vietnamese jazz. Now he teaches young musicians at the Hanoi Conservatory and runs a popular jazz club in Hanoi. For years, Minh’s Jazz Club was on Luong Van Can Street … read the full post

Nha Trang is my favourite place in Vietnam that isn’t Saigon. Hanging out on the beach or relaxing in a mud bath at bargain prices suits me. But more than just relaxing, Nha Trang is a fun place too. One of the first things you’ll notice when you arrive in Nha Trang is an island, … read the full post

Given I eat it at least once a week I thought a post about Indian food in Hanoi was due. Also, perhaps surprisingly, there are plenty of Indian restaurants in Hanoi – perfect for when you’re after a change of cuisine. My regular is Foodshop 45. Not because the food is the most authentic or … read the full post