Places that give the worst first impressions
Within ten minutes of arriving in the Vietnamese town of Dalat I was ready to throw in the towel. Lost, hungry and tired of playing […]
Asia
Pho: if it’s good enough for the president…
A visit to Vietnam wouldn’t be complete without tucking into a bowl of the country’s unofficial national dish: pho. Just ask former US President Bill […]
From Hanoi to Luang Prabang (a love story)
It was off to a fairly underwhelming beginning, delayed in a bitterly cold and threadbare Hanoi Airport due to adverse weather conditions (airport speak for […]
Vietnam travel tips (learnt the hard way) – part 2
Welcome to the second part of my Vietnam travel tips extravaganza, where I will share with you, the lovely people who read this travel blog, […]
Vietnam travel tips (learnt the hard way) – part 1
As I round out my tour of duty in Vietnam and prepare to travel into Laos, now seems like the perfect time to reflect on […]
Visiting Ho Chi Minh’s final resting place
Gruff military personnel strip you of your camera as you pass through a metal detector and join a long and somber queue. You slowly make […]
Death defying acts in old Saigon
Thousands of scooters whip past, their horns blaring as you stand in the middle of the road like a deer caught in headlights. Your heart […]
Vietnam: sleeper buses for dummies
As I write these words my body is still reeling from a 12 hour bus journey that took me overnight from Nha Trang to Hoi […]
Vietnam’s Valley of Love – a Valentine’s Day spectacular
Saccharine, schmaltzy and without a hint of irony whatsoever, Dalat’s Valley of Love is cuter than a sack full of lolcats and very nearly as […]
The most intense museum ever
In a town where crossing the road is tantamount to playing chicken in the middle of a busy motorway at rush-hour, Ho Chi Minh’s War […]
Ice Kacheng: a Singapore sensation (or not)
I’m not the bravest man in the world when it comes to trying new culinary treats but when I saw a picture in a Singapore […]