Saigon is collecting a fair selection of rooftop bars, and one of the best views of the city can be found at OMG, next to the Ben Thanh Market. Get here around 5pm for happy hour and you can watch the skyline light up as the evening approaches. It’s also a good spot to do […]
The changing face of Saigon
[Old and new Saigon: Bitexco Financial Tower and a French colonial-era building.] I’ve been basing myself in Saigon off-and-on for the past two years, and my first visit here was in 2005. In this time I’ve been watching the city transform as it catches up from decades of underinvestment. It’s an interesting time to be […]
Hotel Review: Lan Phuong Hotel, Ho Chi Minh City – Vietnam
Hotel Name: Lan Phuong Hotel. Address: 47 Nguyen Trai street, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Edit: This hotel has since closed. The article remains as an archive.] I stayed at the Lan Phuong Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City. I booked online via Agoda< and I booked it for its location as I was apartment […]
Flight Review: Vietnam Airlines – London Gatwick to Ho Chi Minh City
Flight: Vietnam Airlines VN 50 From: London Gatwick (LGW) To: Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) I flew with Vietnam Airlines from London Gatwick to Ho Chi Minh City, booking online via Skyscanner. This was the only direct option available, and it also happened to be the cheapest, so it was an easy decision. Other options […]
Flight Review: EVA Air – Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) to Taipei (Taiwan)
Flight: EVA Air BR 392 From: Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) To: Taipei (TPE) EVA Air is a Taiwanese airline based out of Taipei (TPE) airport. This was my first time to Taiwan, and by extension my first time flying with EVA Air. EVA Air is a member of Star Alliance so I used United […]
Metro construction, Ho Chi Minh City – Vietnam
I took this photo as a historical reference to the changing face of Ho Chi Minh City. The city is finally getting a sorely needed metro system and there are numerous blocks in district 1 that are now boarded up in preparation for construction. The building in the foreground is the Saigon Tax Trade Centre; […]
Hotel Review: Dai Huy Hoang Hotel, Ho Chi Minh City – Vietnam
Hotel Name: Dai Huy Hoang Hotel Address: 283/22 Pham Ngu Lao Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. I stayed at the Dai Huy Hoang Hotel in Saigon while I was looking for a new apartment to rent. I stayed for two nights at $14 a night and I booked via Agoda. Whenever I […]
Ho Chi Minh City Travel Guide
Ho Chi Minh City is the largest city in Vietnam and the unofficial business capital. If you love chaotic cities with a buzz and want to visit a city that is transforming into a modern Asian metropolis then this is the place to be. I’ve put together some notes on the city and linked to […]
Little Saigon – Melbourne
After having spent nearly a year in Ho Chi Minh City I returned my home city of Melbourne for the Christmas holidays. While it’s always good to go back I knew I would be soon be having some Vietnamese food withdrawals, so I made my way to one of the Vietnamese districts. There are three […]
Iconic Saigon war photo locations revisited
There are some cities in the world where I can’t help but think about its troubled past. I lived in London for two years where its ugly post-war buildings are a constant reminder of the blitz. I have spent several months in Budapest where you see plaques everywhere inscribed with 1956. Ho Chi Minh City […]
