Travel in Vietnam from the Hanoi and Halong Bay in North Vietnam to the Capital Ho Chi Minh City in South. New Tourism, Culture, Lifestyle and Boutique Travel. Independent Guide to Travel in Thailand.
A quick guide to our favourite destinations in our Southeast Asia Travel Blog (we will update as we go along). This list follows our own interests and highlights our own style in travel. We travel independently as a couple, we generally avoid tourist and backpacker trails and we love to get lost in big cities although we do …
Please do not name streets after food; it is misleading and leaves me hungry and grumpy. The street I am talking about is Cha Ca Street in Hanoi, Vietnam. A street named after Cha Ca a favourite Hanoian fish dish. A dish so delicious they named a street after it… and where is the best …
Love soup, noodles or noodle soup? Then Vietnam is where you want to be. Soup is everywhere. While great for soup lovers for me I have to look elsewhere for tasty food kicks. Fortunately Vietnamese food is diverse from healthy herb and veg dishes to high-carb French influences. After a number of visits to Vietnam, …
Coffee beans collected from the excrement of civets. Sounds delightful. I like many others, first heard of Kopi Luwak from the Hollywood movie ‘The Bucket List’. At the time dubbed the World’s Most Expensive Coffee. Not long after I was amazed to find Kopi Luwak sold across Southeast Asia for next to nothing. My most …
Despite being the largest city in Vietnam; Ho Chi Minh City is simple to navigate. Most tourist attractions are found within walking distance of each other and are centred in the commercial hub of ‘District 1’ (Google Map). As with Vietnam expect the stereotypes. Old ladies in pyjamas. Triangle hats. Blurs of motorbikes. Cyclos. Peddle bikes. Baguettes. This …
“Sorry you can’t fly without a VISA,” “It’s ok I’m British”, “Sorry sir you still need a VISA”, “What? Wait till I tell my Queen!” Things only play out like this in my arrogant Brit mind. Apparently, you need an advanced tourist VISA before flying to Vietnam. Crazy I know. You never see James Bond …
For this trip, we follow a review by Travel Fish, the savvy bunch for travel in Southeast Asia. Unfortunately, the review was written 5 years ago for Saigon Cafe Tours so this is more of an update. We choose to travel with the flashpacker tour option for the Halong Bay Overnight Cruise (2 days, 1 …
Every weekend, Friday to Sunday, 6pm to late, it is time for the Hanoi Night Market. A Night Market which attracts crowds of epic proportions. In all my travels I have never seen a city centre transform to such an extent. From bustling traffic at daytime to a vehicle free pedestrian walkway at night. This …
When I think of Ho Chi Minh these days, I think of a modern and lively metropolis, buzzing with bikes, and dotted with vibrant and exciting goings-on. So on our recent visit we were set to explore this less-likely side of the city, by staying at Le Méridien Saigon, a distinctive contemporary hotel located on Ho …
