892c01e9-aa45-4558-a940-95412b42bbb7What would it be like to live in a foreign country? Going from being a tourist to being a resident in Vietnam Episode 12 S3-12 From Tourist to Resident 00:00 / 56:05 Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in a foreign country? Especially a country as beautiful as Vietnam. Have you ever visited a place, and thought, I wish we could go back and live there. With everything going on in the world over the past couple of years, I think many of us are asking ourselves big life questions, like - "Is this as good as it gets?”, Meg Le, is my guest in this episode, and she shares with us what it's like to be 40 something and give up a corporate lifestyle in Seattle to go traveling the world. Meg shares with us the journey she and her husband took in 2 years of traveling the world, and how a series of events led them to move to Hoi An, Vietnam. Meg and I take a deep dive into what the process of setting yourself up as a resident involves, and what the pros and cons are of going from a tourist to becoming a resident. Including some fun stories along the way. If you have ever considered this as an option and are looking for some real honest-to-goodness advice this is definitely the episode for you. Download Transcript PDF Read transcript

f984edd2-9297-48d7-bb3c-1b5898f9e2ddThe big Decision. A packaged tour or DIY What About Vietnam – S1-E8 The big decision: Join a Packaged Group Tour or DIY? – Which Suits You Best? Kerry Newsome :Xin chào and welcome to the What About Vietnam podcast. My name is Kerry Newsome and I am your host. And for today, I'm going to be your host and your only guest speaker as I've got a subject I want to take on and kind of tackle myself and share my thoughts with you as I've wanted to put a show together about this subject for quite some time and I think or I hope it's going to be helpful to you in your trip planning and your thoughts around how you want to experience Vietnam. So the subject I want to talk to you about fits in with series one. When I started the podcast back in 2020 really as a COVID baby I wanted to begin the series I mean at that time I actually didn't know how many series I would do but I certainly wanted series one to be pretty much the series that holds episodes, in helping people design or decide how they want to experience Vietnam. Because that makes a big difference to your takeaway, to what you get out of Vietnam, in my opinion. and I've had a lot to do with putting plans together and working with companies who do group tours etc over the last you know 14 or so years. So I think I've got a fair bit to share with you today and I hope so in the way that I can deliver it so that you can decide for yourself which is the best way to go. So, this is going to sit in Series One and we're going to talk to you today about the how is the best way to experience Vietnam. Is it via a group tour that you participate? And I think that's one category and that's one category I'm going to break down and talk to you about the pros and cons. And then there is the Individual Traveller. In some circles in the industry we call that the FIT Traveller, Free Independent Traveller. And in that category there's to me two types. One, you're the do-it-yourself person where you take on the whole job, the whole conception, the whole planning, the whole booking. You do all the bookings, whether they're direct or whether they're online or whatever. Or there's the individual tour situation where you want to have control over what you want to do, but you want to book it privately. and you want to do that with a travel agent or a travel advisor, someone who really knows the lay of the land and can book everything for you through a destination company or tour operator that can facilitate all that for you. But it's private and it's personal to your budget, your preferences. that's what today's going to be about. I just want you to sit back, let me be the person to kind of feed your thoughts, feed you some information to help you make some decisions. And sometimes these decisions are not made just alone, they're made with a partner, with your family, with a group. You know, you might be sitting around a dinner table and everybody says, hey, let's all go to Vietnam. You know, and I want this show to be fuel for you to help make the wisest decision because It's a real mixed bag as far as feedback from trips in the sense that some people go on a set tour and come back and they're just exhausted. You know, they just like Vietnam just went by in a flash and they don't really come away with that. Yeah, I really want to go back there thing. And then there's some people go oh I should have done this, I really should have got more advice, it was probably not the best time of year to go, I would have liked to have known about these activities. And you know that do-it-yourself person just couldn't deal with the overwhelming swell of information to try and find the best things. to do and best ways to book it, etc. Had they gone to an advisor or a travel agent, that travel agent might have been able to help them to do that. Okay, so let's talk about group tours. Now, my involvement with people who have been on group tours has been extensive. I've also been involved with creating and curating tours for companies to on sale. So over the last 14 years I can really put my hand on my heart and say to you I've had a lot to do with group tours to understand the psychology behind them, the methodology behind them, the processes and you know some of the pros and cons. And one of the pros for group tours that just hits you like right off the bat is probably the sense of connectivity and the ability to meet people, like-minded people who want to visit the country. So, if you would like to go on a holiday where you get to meet people, travel with them extensively for the trip and do it in a set period of time, then group tours might be just the perfect thing for you. One of the things to add to that would be that group tours are almost always strictly run on set dates. So, you know, as long as you're happy to fit into the dates that they're operating, once again, that's perfect for you; they always include you know set time periods. So you're going to see advertisements for you know 12 days in Vietnam and they will probably run those twice a month or three times a month on set dates. As you know the plan, you will be able to plan in that set date on that set budget for those periods of time and those places listed in the tour program. So, for the group option, you have to kind of be a person that you really want to go and you want to be with people and you want to do it the way the tour operator has designed it. and you don't really want to fashion your own kind of experiences out of it. You really like the idea that the tour company that you're going to book with has pre-organized everything from your flights to your accommodation to your activities to literally everything. You know what your budget is, you know what you've paid for, what your inclusions are going to be. So, usually in that set, the only thing you're probably going to think about is the occasional free day that you have and, you know, how you might like to fill in that. And you're also going to, you know, have very limited need for any extra spending other than maybe some souvenirs and some eating, etc. So like it's all there for you and that's very, very attractive for people. And when I talk to people who've done a group tour, It's a real mixed bag about people's enjoyment factor or the feedback that I get from people. And I've even participated as a mystery traveler on some tours, et cetera, so that I can gauge how well the tour is going, whether people wanted to do something differently. There's some people saying, hey, this was really great. They really should promote this as something really special. So, I think the thing that I get mostly from group tours that worries me is that they go, yeah, well, we went to Vietnam and yeah, well, you know, we're done. And I go, well, so would you like to go back? Is there anything? Oh, you know, maybe, I don't know. We probably could have had some more time in Hoi An. We didn't get to kind of further northern regions of Vietnam. Probably would have liked to add in the Sa Pa part. Yeah, could have done without this. But they're not jumping out of their skins to go back. The biggest thing that… And I see this a lot, is they're generally exhausted. Their opinion of Vietnam is a little bit on a flash card. You know, eight days to see a whole country. I don't know, it'd be like me saying, you know, you've got eight days to see all of Italy. Good luck with that. So, from the person who is willing to maybe use it as a bit of a reconnaissance situation, I definitely would think it would be the go. But getting back to the original of, hey, you just want to see Vietnam in a group situation where everything is organized and you want to keep it within a minimum budget, there is tons out there. They are generally cookie-cutter kind of trips that will include the major destinations. So that's, you know, from top it'll be Hanoi, central it will be Hoi An or Da Nang or both, and then going south it will be Saigon, Mekong Delta. And there will be traditional spots. You can choose tours that offer small groups to large groups. And once again, depending on where you're coming from, if you're coming from the Northern Hemisphere, you've got to add in a couple of days of travel to get to Vietnam. you know you're going to be able to manage your time and fit a lot in in it in that space of time. So it's all going to be pre-planned for you, you don't have to search, you don't have to research, you don't have to book other things or add-ons, you just need to get there, pick up the travel manager and the tour operator as he will then take it over from the get-go right through to the finish. Now, I just want to add to this when we're talking about groups that A couple of things that you want to be a little bit aware of is the structure. And one aspect of the structure of these tours is that it's all predestined, it's all pre-planned. There's no changes or revisions to that unless, you know, weather or something happens, et cetera, and it has to be rearranged. But generally they are set plans and you're going to be given a complete itinerary which is full of everything and all the information that you need to do those. and they're also done in strict time plans. So no matter whether or not you've had a big night out the previous night or you are tired or whatever you need to be the kind of person that works well with stringent timings. So, when you need to be out the front to meet the bus or you need to have your bags ready for the bus the next day, then you certainly are suitable for this type of tour. If you're not however and you'd rather luxuriate over your free breakfast that you know would come with your hotel possibly, then you know you're going to struggle. You're going to struggle with the structure and the stringent time frames because you can't think as an independent. You can't think as you know just what you'd like to do because you have to think as part of that group. You are traveling with a group with a group goal and you know whether or not you'd like to do something different in that city, would mean you having to say to the tour operator I do not wish to participate in today's activity and they would kind of have to sign you off to say okay. But you would not get any refund or anything like that for denying those activities for the day as you had pre-purchased them. But it would enable you to you know go off and do your own thing. And I've kind of stressed this to some people who've done group tours and have felt like, you know, they were a little bit like they were back in school and rounded up and having to, you know, be here at this time and back by this time and all this kind of thing. It really started to bug them. And, you know, they then said, you know, we had to do it. And I went, no, you didn't actually. You could have asked the tour operator for, you know, a leave of absence, be naughty, be the one that says no I don't really want to do that activity that's not an activity that is something that I'm really keen on but you know I'm happy for the rest of the group to go and I'll meet you back at five o'clock or whenever the the one is that you're happy to start again. So, the key things for groups and certainly price is another issue because the company is usually able to negotiate really good rates. and you're going to get you know your flights and your accommodation and all wrapped up together with guides and transfers and things like that. You're usually going to get that at a pretty good price because they're buying it on volume and they're buying it on structure and reliability of facilitating those tours. And then you're going to be buying that group on the brand. What do you know about that brand for the kind of travelers that they are attracting to their tour company, to their experiences? Some companies cater to a younger audience, some cater to a more mature audience, some cater to different budgets, different lengths of stays and different accommodation levels. You know, are you a three-star traveller, a four-star traveller or a five-star traveller? Do you travel alone or will you be traveling with someone so that you can share the accommodation and share the twin share? So there's all these kind of things that you will get from group travel. And I honestly I want you to think about that very carefully in the sense that if you know on your pros and your cons columns there's more pros because you know that's just where you're at in life, that's just where how you want to do it. You know you did a group tour to Morocco or you did a group tour to Italy or you're a Contiki lover and you love those group tours and the activities and the joys and fun of meeting a whole group of people on the buses and things like that. You know it's definitely the go but if you struggle as I said with the busyness, the structure, the stringency around time slots and the pace of it is just too too stringent that you're not going to get to kind of just muse a little bit, relax a little bit, then maybe the group tour is not for you. And while people say yeah but you know I want to buy it because you know I'm not going to be able to get that tour for that price. Well that bit you don't know about until you try and that's where the independent and the individual travel options come in. where you get to plan your own trip and devise the trip that you want and, you know, maybe pick some of those places that are in the group tours, maybe not all of them, but maybe spend longer periods of time in some places than others, maybe do different things or maybe do nothing. Maybe do Nothing. Plan in nothing. Lie by the pool. Walk the beach. Have a long coffee in a coffee shop and just sit by and people watch. I think the private or the do-it-yourself traveler is probably the space I've had more to do certainly in the last couple of years. As I said, prior to that, I was more working with companies and helping them design some of these group tours. But, you know, I've found more joy with working with people to get what they want in the do-it-yourself space, in the individual traveler space. However, in saying that it takes some considerations and I want to put a bit of a caveat here in saying that you know if you're confident in doing things online sure you can do it all yourself but you're going to take some risks in the sense of you're depending on the research quality of the networks that you're doing research on to get the right information. And if you feel you aren't able to do that, well, go for it. The other option then is to use a private travel agent where they're going to organize a private tour. Now, when I say private tours, I mean that this tour is going to be just for you, you and your travelling companion or your family or whatever. You're not going to be on a public group tour. You're not going to be joining a group. There's going to be one person meeting you at the airport and taking you in a private car and that's going to be a transfer. Not a bus, not a sign up that says you know the brand and the brand group is to meet on pillar 10 and you're all going to go off together and you're going to follow the flag which is what a group tour does. No, no, no. In a private situation you're going to have a person yes will have your name on it but you'll be in a private car. And you know for some of us that sounds like a bit luxurious but in Vietnam it's amazing you can get some really nice luxuries but not have it break the bank and you can't self-drive in Vietnam so you're not going to see a whole heap of companies offering cars and car hire because that's just not available to you in Vietnam. You can however hire a driver and the driver will be driving a beautiful air-conditioned, very new car. But you're not going to get that advantage of joining a group of people immediately. you're going to have to make an effort at the places that you are visiting to meet other travelers, you know, kind of as part of your travel. The advantage of having someone help you organize this and provide you insights is that if you relate to that person and you feel confident with that travel agent, you know, you're going to be able to form a relationship with them. And you know the important factor that this person has to be able to give you is confidence, that they know what they're talking about, that they have been there, touched that or they know somebody that has. If they don't know they're going to find out for you because the care factor is where the differentiator is, is because this travel agent wants to give you a private tour and a private experience of Vietnam, but in a way that you're going to enjoy it at your own pace and to include the kinds of things that you want to do. Now for me, know I don't want to go to Saigon and then go out to the Cu Chi Tunnels; when I'm there it's too hot and the thought of me going underground touching snakes or you know experiencing any of that kind of fun stuff that other people think is fun is just not on my radar. I don't want to do that. But if that's included in the group tour, that's what the group does. So you're obliged to do it. You don't have to, as I mentioned, but you can reallocate your time to do something different. You know, I might choose to go and find, you know, a crazy cafe that I heard about, you know, out in the suburbs. Or I might want to check out a place that teaches you how to make your own perfume. as in design your own perfume by different scents and make up a bottle to take home. That's just something I might want to do or I might want to go and get pampered or I might want to go and try a Michelin restaurant. That's kind of some of the things that I want to do in Saigon. Or I might want to do a tuk-tuk tour. Or I might want to go on the back of a Vespa and check out all the street food with the guidance of a tour operator that runs around on Vespas. So I want the individuality, I want the personality that I have with my group, with my family, with whoever I'm traveling with to be the determinate of what I experience. So for you, when you're thinking about your private tour, You know, all of these things can get priced and put together in a package, which is kind of all wrapped up. So it's your transfers, your airfares, your accommodation. And that would be spoken about with you, tailored to the kind of hotel and where you want that hotel to be. Do you care whether or not it's far away from, you know, anything or would you like it in walking distance to the old town or be in District 1 or, you know, have certain views or do you want it to include some wellness aspects to it? You know, all of these things can get discussed and plugged in and form the part of your travel experience that you want to have. an individual. It can still as I said get wrapped up into a package so it's a price right at you know the end which is all-inclusive a bit like a group tour but this one is tailored to you. This is one where you have entrusted your your experience to the travel agent that is advising you or you've trusted yourself and your own instincts to know no this is the way I want to do it, somebody's told me about this place they said it's good, you're going on good airlines so you're trusting those airline networks and you can book that online And you feel confident that in the stay that you've decided on, the dates that you've chosen, that you've got yourself covered as an individual traveler and traveling on your own or in your own party. So the reason I wanted to talk about these two is because of the outcomes from either of them. And where I've found the most joy will surprise you I think in the sense that While the group tours do offer, you know, that headache-free, stress-free, don't have to think, budget-minded traveler, there's not the real levels of joy that I hear about versus the person who has been an individual traveler and traveled in their own steam under the guise of a private travel agent or they've booked everything themselves. And I think there's a lot of logic to why the individual traveler gets more out of Vietnam in specified time slots like the 12 days or the 14 days. is because they've really thought about the kind of holiday they want to have and been able to match that to the trip design. You know, if you are a person who, sure, you want to experience a lot, but you've recognised that, you know, it's going to be December as the only time you can go and while you love hiking and you love all that, You know it's going to be too cold to do that in northern Vietnam so for this trip you're going to design it more in the south and you're going to do a different kind of things and maybe have an island hop to Phu Quoc in that because you recognize and you've got information to hand that's reliable to say, you know, it's just not going to be ideal for you to have that hiking experience and get the best out of the north on that trip. However, you might prefer to do another trip at another time of the year when it's going to be perfect to experiencing that. So you might, you know, come back in September the following year or in a couple of years time. And you can still tailor and make it to what you want to experience. I hope that in this episode I've been able to give you some thoughts to help you design your trip. I hope I've given you some thoughts about how you want to spend your time according to your own preferences, your own timing, your own pace and your own personality. Don't knock your own personality out of the park as far as designing your own holiday. It is a holiday. It's the time you get off in a year to go away. So, you know, even if it's, Kerry, can you find us a place where we can attend mass on a Sunday? We're going to be away two Sundays. Can you find us a good place? And the mass times? Yes, yes, I can. Yes, we can do that. Kerry, you know, we're traveling with three children and, you know, these are teenage girls. They're all into shopping. They're all into, you know, we went to Southeast Asia a couple of years ago. They're “pagoded” out. They want to hear about this vibrant city and this vibrant country and can you show us some of the great, real, trendy places for my teenage daughters to go in Saigon? Yeah, we can do that. I think, you know, trip planning is one of those things that people kind of gloss over as not having much value. But when you're traveling with people or, you know, you're trying to sell internally to, you know, your wife or your family members or your kids or whatever that, yes, we're going to go to Vietnam, we're going to have a great time. If you can get to plan it the way you want it to be you've got a much better chance of having a better outcome. You know people go back and forth to lots of countries and I can name Spain, Italy, Thailand because they've been able to generally in the past experience the country the way they wanted to. They were able to go to the country more as individuals, less as tours. I mean, if the tour into Vietnam is a small group tour and it's around a specific concept, I know some great people that do offer very specialized tours. You know, one group in particular that offers, and I'll put a link to it in the show notes, you know around food and textiles. Now that might be your thing. I know another group that does them as a writer so you can go and get writing skills and so might be that time of life where you want to get a bit creative and you want to do it in an environment that inspires creativity. You know this might be the kind of tool but it's because of your personality and because of your likes, desires and the things that you want to experience and you're matching that to Vietnam. Don't try and you know I think make Vietnam match you, you match yourself to Vietnam. You find the kind of experience and if you have to come back a couple of times well wahoo do it. You know I would rather you come back a couple of times to experience different levels of Vietnam rather than try and smash it down and tick that bucket list and go, yeah, we saw Vietnam, got it over and done with. Yeah, 12 days we were done. I don't know whether or not you would have got the full grasp of Vietnam according to its full scope on offering to you if you had done that. Sure, you would have got the glimpses, and you would have still seen the beautiful Halong Bay, and you would have got to have egg coffee in Hanoi. But there's so much to Vietnam. To me, unless you've got extensive time in that first visit, it's a lot to experience in one visit, and especially in limited time. Now, if you are wanting to get some more advice around different options or you've got some questions to ask, please reach out. You know where to go. Whataboutvietnam.com is the website where you might even be listening from because it is free, advert free. You can obviously find this on all your pod channels. But if you want to reach out, just reach out to me at whataboutvietnam@gmail.com . I'm happy to answer any questions and of course I'm happy to do the trip planning for you all inclusive and tailored to you. Happy traveling folks and I'll see you in Vietnam.

3da374fb-b972-4815-9137-a9ede5e9a1dcExpat guides us through the top 10 must do things in Hoi An. What About Vietnam - Series 2 - 7 "An Expats guide to the "10 Must Do Things" in Hoi An Kerry Newsome: Let's welcome Sharon Sweeney to the show. Hi Sharon how are you doing? Sharon Sweeney: Really good thanks, Kerry very well. How are you? Kerry Newsome: Yes, very good thank you. How is sunny Cairns? We are very lucky to catch you there at the moment. Sharon Sweeney: Yes, look it’s fantastic, I’d highly recommend it to everyone. Kerry Newsome: You are certainly in the lucky state in Australia at the monument so stay put. So, I am I'm feeling very lucky to have you on the show today to talk about, ….I think certainly yours but certainly my favorite place, as in Hoi An. And I'm delighted that we've decided on the subject around the ten most popular things to do, or the Ten must dp things. Truly must do things. Sharon Sweeney: Definitely, yes. Kerry Newsome: Yes. Okay and I know you've got a Top Ten so. Sharon Sweeney: Okay well you know the top ten moves around and it's very hard to pin it all down but let's hit it with top of the list is Hoi An old town and I mean. Number ONE I've never seen any place like Hoi An old town in all my travels basically. It's a heritage listed small town that used to have its own state. In history it's like a living museum. If you like during the 1500’s it was sort of the epicenter for merchants who were going along the Silk Road and so you had this amazing time. All these merchants from different parts of the world. Like Japan and China, Europe, France just everywhere and the architecture of the Hoi An old town is sort of reflecting, all that melting part of people and during the day. It is just incredible, because it is maintained so beautifully they've got some….. butter cup yellow buildings interspersed with pastel blue, sky blue, baby blue sort of paint works well and It's just incredible is just so well preserved and then. At night it’s like Disneyland, because Hoi An is known as the Lanterns town for good reason. Every shop front there has numerous lanterns. There are lanterns along, the street lanterns over passing the street. I think my favorite time in Hoi An old town is where it's twilight, that magical color. That twilight becomes, it's like pink and soft purple, and orange and happy gorgeous sunsets and when the lanterns light start coming on…. and oh my God. It's like this magical Disneyland experience and then you got the Thu Bon River. It just goes all the way through it and on that, you've got these little sampan boats. They are just all adorned with the same lanterns and all colors of every imaginable colour, really and to see Hoi An at night like that, and from the river is just I mean really amazing. And just a couple of things, Hoi An is also a bicycle town and so you know there's no traffic as well that's allowed in the old town you can walk through it very nicely. But they have little traditions and one very close to my heart because I've got a lot of wishes in me. Kerry Newsome: Let’s not forget those wishes. Sharon Sweeney: Yes, can take a little trip on these sampan boats and you set these little wish candles. You make a wish and you put them in a little cup, like a paper cup and you light your wish candle and you watch it bopping away in the water. And hoping your wish will come true. I mean everybody should see Hoi An old town just once in their life. Kerry Newsome: I think absolutely, and I think a lot of people I have referred it, as maybe the Venice on Vietnam. And they kind of know that, and then I was talking to someone just the other day. And I said you know if you didn't know better, you'd think it was a movie set, because everything is so beautifully preserved. As you say as in the old town buildings, old shop houses and things like that. I think you putting number one as a visit to the old town and during the day and experiencing the Markets only in the morning and the shop houses and having coffee somewhere really cute. Checking out all the alleys or as you say at twilight. Coming into the evening, watching the town light up with the lanterns as you say, there's some areas that are lit by Lanterns, in other words, there's no light without the lanterns. And then of course there are the sampan boats and the wishes bobbing up and down and floating down the river. Number one totally supportive of that one. I think it's a must do thing, so to the people listening, staying close to the old town is sometimes an idea so it's an easy walk into town. And I certainly would recommend that for first time visitors to Hoi An. Because whilst Hoi An has lovely beaches as well the feature of Hoi An is definitely that sixteenth century old town, so as close as you can get to it, I think is a good idea anyway Sharon what's your number two? Number Two Sharon Sweeney: Well number two, is the other thing that I love very much about being in Hoi An is the close proximity of the countryside. There's something about being close to the land. But I think we all need it, and that five minutes on a bicycle will take you into rice fields, rice paddies or you can go a little bit further and you'll go into villages. I mean I have seen images of this, but I never really believe that Vietnam would have people wearing the conical hats, the normal hat. I had never really believed it, but they do. It is very much part of the headwear in Vietnam. And what I love about the rice paddies and the villages, it's like a game stepping back into another time. It's like going back a hundred years because they plant the field with water buffalo it’s really sort of like the old world. And so there's nothing unusual about seeing a water buffalo just on the side of the road meandering across the road. I mean it can actually be a main road and you'll have cows passing and the countryside element of Hoi An. It just fills my soul and one of the most wonderful sites. But still, it gets to my soul when the geese of all the ducks are going back to roost. And you'll see them coming along the main road. And this is about two hundred of them or more just waddling along, with the man hurling them along, and people just go round them, cars go around them Kerry Newsome: Yes, that's the sweetness. I think it's absolutely the sweetness of all those simple things. And I should say just breath in that beautiful fresh air. I mean when you're riding through the paddy fields, it's kind of the only way you can get anywhere reasonably fast and I think that some people might even be you Sharon that has jumped on one of those electric bikes, I think. Sharon Sweeney: You know what? I don't know what the world is thinking. I've never really come across an electric bike until I went to Vietnam. They're everywhere and why do we bother with cycling when you can sit on it and go zip off you go. It’s a dream definitely Kerry Newsome: Right definitely a way to get around so we got to say bicycle around town is number two. Sharon Sweeney: Yes, for sure Kerry Newsome: Okay where we are up now number three. Number three Sharon Sweeney: Well, Hoi An is equally famous for the heritage old town, as it is for its tailoring. And no trip to Hoi An is complete without a trip to the tailor. You must get that! Where can a man get a suit made of high-quality wool. Made a bespoke suit, made just for him about, for around a hundred dollars, and you can get that in Hoi An. And you know the tailors are on every corner. I actually have them on the website. My favorite by the way, because what you can get the top end tailors do charge quite a lot and they're not all that different to many of the other tailors. So you're paying a lot more money. And then sometimes they are very hit and miss, but whatever the case is all great fun. And what I love most are going into a shop going into the cloth market and where there are reams and reams and bulk of all the colored fabrics, and types silks and linens, and choosing the fabric, and then you go to the tailor and they will copy something, they'll design something, or they'll give you a pattern and its addictive…. it's so addictive and it's very cheap. Kerry Newsome: Very cheap and very quick. Well, I think you can get a suit made in two days Sharon Sweeney: You can get a suit made overnight Kerry if you go to the right people. Kerry Newsome: Well, I think those are a little bit more in the hit and miss variety. I mean there are some tailors there that would slap your hand for saying overnight. But yes, those you know might be a little bit more “select”. We had talked about the zippers not working the right way and things like that in the past. But I'm addicted. I am definitely addicted to the tailoring as I told you every time, I literally take over my assortment of pictures from Pinterest or whatever that I like, and I just say I want that one and that one, then also as you say wandering around those fabric markets just picking the exact material fabric, and styles etc. I want dots, or I want stripes, its, whatever. Then I have it made exactly to what my body shape is at the time. I actually started to forget whether I was a ten or twelve or fourteen. Thank goodness because every time I went I just kind of got it made to what I was. So that's a little bit tricky as well, but fun. As you say now definitely tailoring, and there are three thousand tailors in the old town. You might like to check Sharon's website at HoianNow. I know she's got some good recommendations there. But let's not get stuck on tailoring. Let's move on to number four because we've got, we've got a list of ten to get through. Number four Sharon Sweeney: Yes, well look, I take my job very seriously and so while we have tailors on the side, we've got something far more important in terms of the best and that is the spa’s massages and spa treatments, now come on! Kerry Newsome: Yes, what a hard job you had to take so seriously Sharon to check those out. Sharon Sweeney: And it means back to the same type place. It means that you're going to every place in Hoi An, just to see what they are like. And I do so. I know I'm a champion but I do it regularly. Yes, well look at some of the prices, you'd be mad not to. I don't think anyone should go and have a one-hour massage when you could have a five-hour massage. I reckon it, you just book yourself in for the entire trip because I would. About the massages, seriously you've got the high end, very high-class high hotels offering massages. Now they cost a fortune and I've sent writers, reviewers to the top really expensive hotels, and it's very hit and miss. One you know would surprise you. I wouldn't name it but it's one of the best hotels in Vietnam and the spa treatment was very hit and miss. And then again seriously, we do put very much a recommendation of the ones you should go to. And whilst you can get fabulous ones on the street corners, and you can get massages in the night, it's a skill that while they train some just have the gift. The ones I highly recommend, are the day's spas. And then you've got trained masseuses they're premises are clean, and really tasteful. You've got the full sort of western spa with this wafting music the smells that you. Yes? Kerry Newsome: Yes. Sending back there in a heartbeat. Sharon Sweeney: Yes. Kerry Newsome: That is one of the things as far as your trip planning is concerned. I would highly recommend people to include. I think people always think they're going to be “doing, ….doing” all the time, and I think sometimes that takes away some pleasure and enjoyment in the holiday. when you're just able to access things, like massage and be able to just “chill out” but not worrying this is costing a fortune. Sharon Sweeney: Yes, that’s right I totally agree. But there is one thing I was thinking of that surprised me actually, if not startled me, was that when you go to a massage on the street corners and sometimes in the mid range, and sometimes in the high range, the Vietnamese fascination, or they just don't really care. But they don't turn away nor leave the room. Sometimes when you're undressing and that took me a bit by surprise. I've never got too fussy about it, but thinking that they will try to persecute me because I did eat a lot. They didn’t. And while I felt fat and I didn't want anyone witnessing that. Just to be aware of it, they don't mean harm. Kerry Newsome: I think they just want to check out that, you know our bits are white, not like them, as they are slightly toasted. Yeah, I think it’s about the fascination. Yes, because I can remember actually the same thing happening to me when I first went. I actually pointed to my arm and I said yes, same, same. And she got it, like the girl really resonated with me right. Yes that's what it is all about. All right after a spa where we are up to? Number five Sharon Sweeney: Well, this is,....as I’m saying this, I'm not really a person that likes to do cooking, but the cooking schools in Hoi An are a must. Because it's not really just about cooking. It's actually about the cultural learning you gain. I mean, I highly recommend a cooking school.. They have cooking school for all types. So if you're a professional chef and you don't want to look at some pieces of paraphernalia then you can do professional cooking school. You couldn't get a more culturally rich experience, where it's great for kids where they can go out and act like a farmer, dress you up as a farmer and… Kerry Newsome: Oh yes. Sharon Sweeney: And you pick the vegetables and carry them in those round baskets. Kerry Newsome: And you wear those peasant clothes, that are like stinking hot linensacks... looks fabulous!!! Sharon Sweeney: Then you will also get other ones, where you can get everything thrown in, and you can get a basket boat ride, followed by a water buffalo ride. You can even get a massage included…. Kerry Newsome: Just throwing it in! Sharon Sweeney: The thing that is really good about the “hit and miss theory”. I would put equally number five, you take in the markets. As the market is the life blood of Vietnamese society. It's like we go to the shopping centre, they go to the market and it's a daily activity. It's not just to buy, it's to barter, they will barter even though they know each other. Because it's all part of the thing, and yes so I highly recommend people go to the market. Kerry Newsome: Yes, definitely and I think it is a very immersive experience, and what better way to understand a country than to experience it through its food, so definitely as number five. Now what are we missing Sharon? What are we up to now? Well number six. Number Six Sharon Sweeney: Well number six, that has to be one of my highest recommendations. It's in our top ten on the website. It is in the Marble Mountains. And it's set between Danang and Hoi An but twenty minutes from Hoi An. And during the fifteenth century, it was used by the champ people, as a sacred site of worship, and it really has got one of those energies. It’s amazing. There are five mountains, and each one represents an element. You've got fire, water, metal, wood and earth. It's just amazing. You know there is a pagoda, and all the temples and shrines. You've got caves. Massive caves you can go down into, through tunnels. Kerry Newsome: by crawling in very small areas. I have seen some funny pictures where people are getting, their bum pushed through a crevice in the mountain... Sharon Sweeney: I was scared, if they can, people will grab you, and they'll just shove you forward, and then the next thing is, you're climbing into things that you could easily break your neck on. So just be careful if you are claustrophobic. Kerry Newsome: Good footwear very important. Sharon Sweeney: Yes, and be aware of the heat. It's gets very hot there, so you just have to go early morning. It is the best time to go during the summertime and truly I mean it, because it's very hot. But when you get to the top the views of Danang, and all around it is just simply 360 views. I mean it's going to lift your soul, breathtaking and that's so good. They look over what used to be known as China beach, where the troops used to congregate, and it's such a good bird's-eye view of the whole city of Danang. The Vietnamese used to actually use it as a watch tower. And it was also a hospital during that period well hidden from the enemy. Kerry Newsome: Yes. Sharon Sweeney: Incredible and I also love those marble statues at the bottom of the hill. Kerry Newsome: Those marble statues are like the size of King Kong. Sharon Sweeney: Yes, right like you're in the market for a couple twenty-foot lions that you want to put in your backyard. Kerry Newsome: I remember when they used to have just a few show rooms. I think on the straight, but now they line the street. Who buys these ? It’s like you can put it in the back of your taxi or your Grab car on your way back to your hotel?? They are heavy, huge, white kind of stallions, but I always know when I'm nearly at Marble Mountain because those lines of shops appear. Sharon Sweeney: The sightseeing tour is fantastic, but I see what you mean. But in saying that you might liek to check out the amazing marble chess sets. You've got like beautiful, beautifully carved marble chess sets about six inches to seven inches tall each piece, on a marble chessboard and you get that shipped overseas. Back to your hometown or wherever, highly worth it. Three hundred bucks USD was the last price I saw. Kerry Newsome: Okay so we've done marble mountain number seven we are up to. Where are we headed now? Number Seven Sharon Sweeney: Something that came onto the scene about two three years ago. I can tell you it's a show, and it’s outdoors and connected to the theme park, and it's called Hoi An, Memory shows. When I heard about it, and I said I am not going to that, it’s not my sort of thing. But I covered it for the website, and my God, Kerry it costs about three hundred Dong. Which is nothing. Its a world class presentation. People fly through the air, there is music, there's lights, dancers, and over 300 performers. Kerry Newsome: And it’s all staged on water. Sharon Sweeney: It was a real recreational plan and so you’ve got the Thu Bon River in the background and you’ve got the Japanese bridge. Kerry Newsome: Yes Sharon Sweeney: Its folktales. Interspersed with the history of Hoi An and some parts are sad but also uplifting. Kerry Newsome: Up lifts your spirit. Sharon Sweeney: It has a mechanical elephant that would come on stage of the arena. But here is a tip. I covered it for HoiAnnow.com. We got VIP tickets,. which was great. I thought if I went again I would go for the peasant seats, which are right down the front. Yes, that’s where you should be. You are right on that amazing thing, and it's just hard to explain but it's also part of the theme park. Even the people who work in the theme park itself, all are actors who perform later. Some are sales assistants, and they do many shows. It will truly take you back how stunning it is. Kerry Newsome: Yes, it's delightful. I took my sixteen year old grandson and I thought he is pretty hard to impress. A kid at that age. Is he going to think this is a bit out there?? He just said he was blown away because also it's the contrast; you've just come out of a sixteenth century old town, and then a little bit around the corner you're stepping into this amazing theme park with this fully professional choreographed stage on water, that is definitely up in the twentieth century kind of level of action, and the contrast from one to another is just, you can't help but just be blown away. He said it's like watching the opening stage of the Olympic Games. Sharon Sweeney: Yes opening to the Olympics. Yes that's a very good analogy actually. That's exactly right. I just tell everybody you must go as everyone loves Hoi An. The people are lovely and to see a show like that you just feel. I don't know all warm and fuzzy. Okay. Kerry Newsome: So you are all swept away. Kerry Newsome: All right now you're getting me very nostalgic. And now all right let's travel on what. We are up to number eight , I think so. What’s your number eight? Number Eight Sharon Sweeney: You know it shouldn't be number eight but it's hard to put them in order because so many good things in Hoi An and the beaches and I mean Kerry those beaches. Beautiful. I mean those beaches okay. What’s so incredible with the beaches in Vietnam and I'm so surprised that you don't know what I expected, but you've got yellow expanses of sand, blue water, although we still get some waves. All you surfers out there, don't worry but I like it still and it's still and warm. And it is safe, no sharks or crocodiles. And what is something that we don't have, and I haven't seen this in many parts of the world to be honest, is shade, there are beaches in Australia that are very beautiful, but there is no shade. In Vietnam all along the beach front they're either thatch huts or you have a umbrellas, and little tables and chairs, and you know there's room for everybody. Then are not crowded. Everybody can use one, and you get a little “pozzy” as we say in Australia. You order a cocktail or a water. You order what you want, or you do whatever you want, and you can stay the whole day. FREE. Kerry Newsome: Yes, all right I've literally plot my but down with a diet coke a under a umbrella and literally put my headphones on. I read my book for hours on end. I mean if you go to Italy or places like that, its going to cost you about 50 Euros just to sit down, just to have the umbrella. You are so right, the beaches are so divine and what I love is the access to restaurants. They are sitting right on that sand. Sharon Sweeney: I'm leading to that. I am getting to that Kerry. Before we move on. To say that is what they offer is incredible. One of the things about Vietnam is that it is so cheap and never forget that it's really nice. Unimaginable until you experience it. But the other thing is the ladies that come in on the beaches. I've seen some people get very aggressive with them. Try not to, because actually these people are really nice people and they just want to make a living and. People should just be aware because the Vietnamese are all lovely people. Kerry Newsome: I know that. Sharon Sweeney: I know they can get a little bit annoying.. Kerry Newsome: But. They're not aggressive in any way, but you know some tourists take umbrage to them coming around, but as you say there’s very few of them. Some of them are very well known to the restaurant. Kerry Newsome: Now are you up to number nine I think. Number Nine Sharon Sweeney: And it's moving on from your restaurants because this is the other thing you told me and you're quite right that Hoi An has world class restaurants. All types of cuisine. Beautiful Vietnamese. You've got Greek, Spanish, fantastic Italian and Indian restaurants. Everything you can imagine. I'm not going to say that I shouldn't have this on the list, but the thing is it takes it out for me is having a meal in the evening with balmy weather and overlooking the beach. You have that beach. Beautiful still nights you can hear the waves just washing on to the beach, and you were there in one of the restaurants that lay on the beach and I've got a few different ones as favs, I'm just going to give some names which I don't normally do. Kerry Newsome: Now do it.. Sharon Sweeney: But you know I don't like to because it's been used everywhere but I'm going to do this is, for types that I would recommend for me. You and I would agree I think a stand out has got to be Soul kitchen. But I would recommend to a tourist to Soul kitchen as it's an iconic venue. It was one of a kind and many have sprung up since, but Soul kitchen still retains its heart. It overlooks and backs onto the beach. Its got live music and these musicians are world class. You see you know you can hear fantastic music, have food overlooking the beach, and enjoy some drinks or whatever you fancy. It might be it's a sunset to die for and you've got these wonderful little thatched roofed huts, they are not quite little, but easily have a small group. Kerry Newsome: Yes. Sharon Sweeney: These little mini thatch houses with no walls, with breeze coming through. Kerry Newsome: And the day beds!!! Sharon Sweeney: We do love the day beds. Kerry Newsome: We do. Who wouldn't? I mean you can just take off your shoes. I know it's a naughty thing to do, to take your shoes off, but to be able to snuggle up on one of those day beds and drink and eat tasty inexpensive food. I never felt any impetus by the staff to send me off. I can spend hours there. Never have I been pushed out the door, and I can stay there easily a full afternoon and once the evening comes on, as you say with the entertainment, you're not charged for that. It’s free entry. It has a magical atmosphere. Divine. Sharon Sweeney: And then you go other places as well if you're into nightlife like Kukun. Likewise its set on the beach, it starts at nine o'clock with a DJ. Goes to like whatever time...that's very popular in the younger real party set, as Hoi An is really not known as a party town. Kerry Newsome: Yes, they shut the doors upstairs to cut the noise down. Sharon Sweeney: And then if you are in a really wealthy demographic then you've got Shore Club which is very high class, which is run by Mr. Max Lambert. Basically, there is something for everyone. Kerry Newsome: Yes, and they all offer as you just something slightly different to each other. But as you walk past you can pick a seafood restaurant, and pick your seafood straight out of a bucket. You can move on and you can go to Hmong sisters and have a meal there. You can have a pizza next door. It’s got it all. Sharon Sweeney: Yes, it’s happening. Kerry Newsome: It's definitely, Okay last but not least number ten. Number Ten Sharon Sweeney: Well again you know I'm looking for the WOW factor and I was thinking of all my time in Vietnam, what was one of the things that gave me this, Wow. And that was, the Hai Van Pass. Sharon Sweeney: And the Hai Van Pass is extraordinary. It's known by the Vietnamese's as the “ocean cloud pass” and that should give you an idea of the kind of experience you can expect. You go up this mountain right into the clouds and it’s a thrilling feeling. You experience a steep drive up into the clouds, as the roads wind and you pass these jungle covered hills. While looking down on fishing villages. This view from the top is just extraordinary. So if you can go by bike motorbike it’s the best way, but just beware, I recommend you go with a licensed bike driver because… Why does Vietnam have the highest death toll in the world or accident toll in the world ? Kerry, I don't know one expat me included, my husband included, that hasn't had a bike accident. Some of them were fatal, some of them have been nasty, and most say that they are okay, but don't take a chance if you're a tourist. You're more than likely not insured. If you're a tourist, take a car, that's what I did. Or take a jeep you can do that too. Kerry Newsome: Yes, you can do a Jeep or a car. I definitely think so. But don't put that holiday at risk. I'm with you, I’ve known tourists who’ve got themselves into some sticky situations because of bike accidents, and you don't want that kind of trouble. With the jeep or car you will still get that pinnacle view and not expensive. Sharon Sweeney: Just awesome yes. Kerry Newsome: Absolutely Sharon I think we can go on to eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, eighty. And so on...as we agree Hoi An is really up there as a big favorite with the tourists. I know that top ten are important, because you know sometimes the travelers, when they arrive, don’t have all the time in the world, which means to narrow it down to the top ten things that they should do, must do, is very helpful. I'm so grateful for you to share your top ten with us, and I am sure the travelers are going to be able to relate to a lot of them. Hopefully they can put that list together when they go. Sharon Sweeney: Must do. Kerry Newsome: Yes, must do. Sharon Sweeney: Yes, Kerry it always great to talk. Kerry Newsome: Okay. Look after yourself, stay safe and we will talk again. Sharon Sweeney: See you later. Kerry Newsome: Bye.

14e1533c-3922-4356-b2d5-5f8c211cf3bbLanguage tips in Vietnam week 1 - "greetings" What About Vietnam - Series 3 - 19 Learn “greetings” in Vietnamese language Kerry Newsome: 00:01 Xin Chào and welcome to “What About Vietnam !”. My guest today is Hà, a Vietnamese girl, who I saw a few years ago on a video she did on, "How to pronounce certain Vietnamese words". It was hilarious. And she did such a great job, I really had to try and find her and track her down. She did it for a website called "Hội An Now " (https://hoiannow.com ), which is absolutely a really fab place for you to check out if you want to know everything about Hội An. And she was so good in the video, I thought now, “How can I best do this and use the podcast, being audio to make it consumable for people?” 00:45 I don't want it to be seen as a pure lesson because we don't cover every word. And we don't do it with an academic headset. But what I've tried to do with Hà in these episodes, which are kind of like mini lessons, is to try and present situations that you'll find yourself in, as a traveler. And these are just some of the most common words or the most words I found myself using or wanting to use. And it would have been handy to know. And because the pronunciation and the tone affect the language so consistently, you really, you really do need a Vietnamese to go through it with you a couple of times, so that you get the hang of it, you'll soon find out my Vietnamese is awful. So, I am definitely the guinea pig for the show. 01:43 I tracked her down, it was great to do so. She's actually living in France at the moment. And she's working there for a UK company doing English Vietnamese interpretation. So, she's really got a very influential job, she really knows her stuff. And I think you're going to love her on the show. The chance to use Vietnamese language comes up very quickly on your arrival into Vietnam, which, as I said, is why we've kind of broken it down into three scenarios. I'll warn you out. Now, Vietnamese is one of the hardest languages in the world. So don't feel like you're strange or inadequate because you can't get the hang of it, welcome to my world. 02:30 The first setting or environment is for "Greetings". So, these are the words that are going to help you engage with the locals. And just offer that politeness. So, they're like: · Hello. · Please. · Thank you and a few other extras. So, I hope you love these sessions. I certainly enjoyed doing them with her and trying to get things right. I'm definitely going to go back to myself for practice when I get back to Vietnam later this year. So please welcome Hà to the program. Hà: 03:03 Very happy to be here on this show. And I hope we have a good time together. Kerry Newsome: 03:09 I'm sure we will. Now, I'm going to admit something to you. And I'm kind of ashamed of it, in the sense that I've been traveling back and forth to Vietnam for about 14 years. And my repertoire of Vietnamese words and sentences is very low, I almost feel embarrassed every time I say something because I know it's going to be wrong, and I can't get that tone and all that. So, you're going to have to use me as the guinea pig and everyone listening, I'm sorry, but I make the excellent guinea pig because this is learning for me, as well. 03:50 I'm hoping that you're going to use this as a resource when you do travel to Vietnam, because when you arrive in Vietnam, everything kind of happens very quickly. You're at the airport, you're getting into a taxi, you are getting into a hotel, and just trying to find those words that are make a nice greeting, make a nice welcome and Vietnamese people that you're going to interact with, make them feel like you're glad to be there. And you've taken a little bit of time and effort to understand their language. And it works very well when you can use Vietnamese words. Would you say I'm right? Hà: 04:31 Yeah, you're right. You're absolutely right. When you arrive in the country, if you speak a little bit the language, not even Vietnam, everywhere. In China in Korea, if you speak a little bit of the language, it could be easier to interact and then to just have the feeling about the country and yeah, I think you're absolutely right. But Vietnamese is a hard language. So, I understand. Kerry Newsome: 04:56 I'm really grateful you said that. Okay, so we decided that we would try and break it down into scenes or scenarios. And so, we decided we'd start with just general conversational. So, if I was to say "Hello", what would be the Vietnamese word for Hello. Hà: 05:20 The Vietnamese word for Hello would be "Xin Chào". Kerry Newsome: 05:25 Xin Chào. So, in the Episode Notes, I'm going to be able to put how that word is spelt, and then the phonetic sound of it. So, people don't worry that if you're going to try and keep up, you don't get to keep up because it's going to be all in the transcript. But just check me how I'm saying. So, Xin Chào? Hà: 05:48 You are actually making the Chào go up a little. So, you have to go down a little. It's actually Xin Chào. Kerry Newsome: 05:56 Xin Chào. Hà: 05:57 Yes. Yes. Kerry Newsome: 05:59 More down. Hà: 06:00 More down with Chào. Yeah. Kerry Newsome: 06:02 And when we see the symbols on the letters, that gives us an indication of whether it's down or up. Hà: 06:13 Yes, absolutely. Yes. It's very easy for us because obviously, it is our mother tongue. But for foreigners, especially the westerners, it's horrible for them to pronounce this, they cannot make it right, but it's cute. For me, it's cute, it is what it makes it cute. So, I think if you even try just a little bit, no need to be perfect. But when you speak Vietnamese, you give a little bit of effort in that. And I think it's cute, that's good enough. Kerry Newsome: 06:44 So, I think for me, Xin Chào, has been the most common word I've used everywhere. Hà: 06:52 Yes, yeah. Kerry Newsome: 06:53 It doesn't matter what scenario you're in, if you can say that people will at least nod to you, like, that is a greeting. That is Hello. That's Hi. I do also understand we won't go into it today. But there is a way of saying hello. From a relational standpoint, so that you go, you can add to that, so that the younger than you or they are older than you. They are female. They are a male. Now that's where it got really crazy for me, well, I just tried to keep it at Xin Chào. Hà: 07:32 Xin Chào. Kerry Newsome: 07:34 Xin Chào, see I'm getting better already? [laughter] No, no, this is your job. This is why you're here. Definitely why you're here. So, I think you can also just correct me if I'm wrong. You can say Chào, just Chào. Hà: 07:52 Yeah. Kerry Newsome: 07:53 Also, on its own. Hà: 07:54 Yeah, on its own. Yeah, we can just say, Chào. Very friendly. Kerry Newsome: 08:00 Friendly way. Hà: 08:01 Yeah. Friendly way. Kerry Newsome: 08:02 Yeah. All right. So, then the next word I'd like to do is "Please." Hà: 08:08 Okay, so "Please", is “Làm ơn". Làm ơn. Kerry Newsome: 08:14 Làm ơn. Hà: 08:18 Yes. So Làm is actually a down tone and ơn is a neutral tone. Kerry Newsome: 08:24 Right. Okay, that's good. Now, the next most important word for me is "Thank You". Now. I say, "Cảm ơn" Hà: 08:36 Yeah. We can get that. That means Cảm ơn. Kerry Newsome: 08:42 Cảm ơn. Hà: 08:45 Cảm ơn. Kerry Newsome: 08:46 Cảm ơn. Hà: 08:49 Yes. I think Cảm ơn is very difficult for you to pronounce because the word Cảm is the tone is a little bit- how to say it, waving. So, we actually have to say Cảm. Kerry Newsome: 09:06 Cảm. Hà: 09:09 Cảm ơn. Kerry Newsome: 09:09 Cảm ơn. Hà: 09:10 Yes. Kerry Newsome: 09:11 I don't separate them well, but I know what you mean. Now, that's good. So, the next two words, which I think are important, especially when you're going to be moving around and things like that is, "Yes". What is the word for "Yes"? Hà: 09:30 Well, 'yes'. It's a very simple word to say yes. But in different situation. You have another different way. How to say yes. So, let's say yes, as in when someone asks you something, and you say yes. You say, "đá". Kerry Newsome: 09:51 Đá. Hà: 09:51 Đá. D, A, Đá, with a very low tone, and this is very polite. And you usually say to older people, yes. And then there is another way, you can use it with friends or in the restaurant or some places that you are customer or something you can say, "Có", which is C O, and the up tone. Kerry Newsome: 10:22 Right? So, Có? Hà: 10:25 Có. Kerry Newsome: 10:25 So, how would I decide which one to use? Say, you arrive at the hotel, the bus is emptying off your luggage? They point to that luggage, and they say something about, "Is this your luggage?" Would you say Đá? Hà: 10:25 You can say Đá, but this is I just have a feeling, "Oh my God, I'm very bad in my own language. I don't know how to explain it." In your scenario, this specific scenario, what would you say in that situation? You can say another word, which also means Yes. You can say: "Đúng". No. Which means, "Yes, that's right." Đúng. Kerry Newsome: 11:09 Đúng. Hà: 11:09 Which is Đúng. You're trying to make it D, U, N, G. Kerry Newsome: 11:15 Right. Which is counter intuitive because it sounds like 'don't' instead. Hà: 11:25 Yeah. So, you can say Đá, you can say Đá. Kerry Newsome: 11:28 Just say Đá. Okay. That is probably what I've been doing up to now? What about "no"? Hà: 11:36 'No' is very easy. You just have to say "Không". Kerry Newsome: 11:42 Không. Hà: 11:45 Không. Hà: 11:46 Yes. Kerry Newsome: 11:46 Okay, great. So now, I've come into the hotel, say for example, and say, the manager is there, or the staff are there. And you want to say, "My name is Kerry". How do I say that? So, if I want to say, "My name is Kerry", like sometimes the staff- I might go into a hotel, and I'm signing the paperwork, they might say, "How are you?" And I'll just nod and say, "Good". And then they'll say, "My name is", say, "Rose, I will be looking after you." I want to be able to say, "My name is Kerry". Hà: 12:34 Oh, okay. Kerry Newsome: 12:34 "And I'm glad to be staying at this hotel." Just to be respectful and nice to people in their roles, etc. So, how would I say, "My name is Kerry”? Hà: 12:47 You can say, "Tên tôi là Kerry." Kerry Newsome: 12:51 Tên tôi là- "Tên tôi là Kerry." Hà: 12:56 "Tên tôi là Kerry." Kerry Newsome: 12:59 "Tên tôi là Kerry." Hà: 13:01 Yes. Very good. Yes. Which is, "My name is Kerry." Kerry Newsome: 13:05 Yeah. Okay. And then. Say, they didn't say their name. What happens if I want to say: "What is your name?" Hà: 13:16 You can ask them- you can say, "Bạn tên gì?" Bạn tên gì? Kerry Newsome: 13:25 Tên gì bạn? Hà: 13:27 Bạn tên gì? Kerry Newsome: 13:27 Tên gì bạn? Hà: 13:33 Not only Bạn, Tên gì, three words. Kerry Newsome: 13:37 Tên gì bạn? Hà: 13:40 No, Bạn tên gì? Kerry Newsome: 13:45 Tên gì bạn? Hà: 13:47 Oh, bạn is yours. Tên- Kerry Newsome: 13:54 Gì- Hà: 13:56 Yes. Right. Correct. So- Kerry Newsome: 13:57 What is yours- Hà: 13:59 What is your name? Yeah. Kerry Newsome: 14:02 So, what is the word for name? Hà: 14:03 Name is then Tên. Kerry Newsome: 14:07 So, everything is always back to front, isn't it? Hà: 14:10 Bạn tên gì? Kerry Newsome: 14:13 What is your name? Name is actually the last word in that sentence, where you put it at the beginning. Hà: 14:20 It is actually Bạn, Bạn is your, Tên is name, so it is in the middle name. Kerry Newsome: 14:27 Name, Your, What. Hà: 14:30 Yes. Your name what. Kerry Newsome: 14:33 Yeah. That's it. [laughter]. Now I know I'm totally confused and always have been. So okay, so let's just get it right. You say, it because I don't think I have a good pronunciation, but I want everyone that's listening to do a better job than me. Okay, go Hà? Hà: 14:53 It's "Bạn tên gì?" Kerry Newsome: 14:57 Okay, done. All right now I want to just two more and then we can finish off conversational. So, if I want to say goodbye, I finished at the hotel. I'm going home now, and I want to say goodbye to the staff. What is the word for "goodbye" or "see you soon"? Hà: 15:15 Do you want a simple way, or do you want a more correct way? Kerry Newsome: 15:20 I want the simple way I think. Hà: 15:22 Okay, the simple way you, you just say "Chào". Kerry Newsome: 15:25 Just say Chào? Okay. You better tell me the complex way just so I know. Hà: 15:32 The complex way is "Tạm biệt". Kerry Newsome: 15:38 Tạm biệt. Hà: 15:40 Yes, yes, yes. Kerry Newsome: 15:41 Tạm biệt. Hà: 15:42 Yes, Tạm biệt. Kerry Newsome: 15:45 Okay, so that's great. So, I think we now move on to another scenario. English Vietnamese Phonetic Hello Xin Chào Sinchow Please Làm ơn Lam urn Thank You Cảm ơn Cam urn Yes (1) Đá. Ya Yes (2) Có Caw Yes (3) Đúng Du’n No Không Khung My name is.... Tên tôi là... Ten to-ee la... What is your name? Bạn tên gì? Baan ten zi? Name Tên Ten Yours Bạn Baan Goodbye (1) Chào Chow Goodbye (2) Tạm biệt. Taam bi-et

S4-02 Fine Dining Vietnam What About Vietnam S4-2 Fine Dining in Vietnam Kerry Newsome: 00:18 Xin Chào and welcome to "What about Vietnam!" When you think about Vietnamese cuisine, I'm not sure whether you do the same thing as I do. But the first thing I think about is bánh mì, my absolute favorite snack food. I think about Vietnamese phở and I'm thinking about all those beautiful, fresh aspects of Vietnamese cuisine because they're fruit, vegetables, seafood, etc., is just so fresh. It's straight from the farm to the table. And the flavors are definitely rich. I think it's those flavors and the variance there is available for chefs coming to Vietnam or developing their skills and their training in Vietnam that is really springing forth some “fine dining” experiences that are worth talking about. 01:34 And worth talking about with my guest, Raj Taneja. Raj has a very deep level of understanding of fine dining, as he's very heavily involved with La Chaîne. He’s going to tell you more about that involvement, and really where that fits in developing the Fine Dining industry within Vietnam. We're going to meet some chefs. He's done a fabulous job in being able to step inside some of these restaurants to have a quick word with some of the chefs that are really changing the landscape of what the “Fine Dining” experience can be for us in Vietnam now. So, we really get inside their heads. 02:21 I'm hoping that's going to make it a richer experience for you, when you go and visit some of these restaurants. I know certainly, I'm going to check them out. So, stay tuned for the episode. It's a real different mix this time because we do have some interviews, so you'll have to be a little bit forgiving of some of the noise which really belongs to Vietnam, it's a bit of a noisy country. So, it's really hard to clip those out. Raj has got some great insights for us to better understand the growth of fine dining in Vietnam and what we've got to look forward to at those tables. Please welcome Raj to the program. And please enjoy. So, Raj, maybe tell us a little bit about what you do and how fine dining with great chefs, hotels, sommeliers, is broadening the scope of food experiences in Vietnam. Raj Taneja: 03:26 Right. So, Kerry, my name is Raj Taneja, and I'm the president of an ancient culinary organization called La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs. We were founded in 1248. So that's 774 years ago, by King Louis IX, now known as St. Louis. He was an epicurean, a very special king in the era of the Crusades of France, and very well respected for his love of food. And also his straight pointed approach towards things like law and settling disputes. So, the way that I got involved with this organization was that I started as a chef when I was very young, at an Institute in my hometown, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. And I became aware of the chain at that point in time. 04:15 The organization itself was very difficult to join, so they actually have a limit on members. The organization is a group of people that enjoy or love fine dining. And the idea of this group is to both celebrate conviviality, so celebrate coming together on the table, but also to challenge and improve the world of fine dining and hospitality. So, here I am in Vietnam, looking around, and going where’s this great organization that promotes fine dining culture and is great with hospitality? I’d go to the host hotels and know everyone and that didn't exist here. 04:54 So, it was kind of odd to see that Vietnam, such a vibrant food country and such a rapidly advancing country didn't have this association. So, I put my hand up. And I thought it would be easy. I thought I'd come to Vietnam, and I would basically find my successor and make some friends and have some great dinners. Then be able to go on my way as sort of an advisor, what it's really become is my life's work. It's become a really hands-on thing. And I'm really grateful for being able to do this here. Kerry Newsome: 05:25 Okay, well, I imagine with that kind of challenge on your plate, so to speak, no pun intended, there would be a lot of opportunities for exploration and experience and meeting new people, trying new food, testing out different locations, all sorts of things. So, talk to us a little bit about just how you've gone about establishing this. And what are some of the experiences that you can share with us? Raj Taneja: 06:01 Right. So, look, I've been active in this market, would say I've been looking at this market or looking at Vietnam since 2014, hosting events or dinners almost monthly since 2016. We consider our dinners to be challenging dinners. So, when we go to a hotel, or we go to a restaurant, we say this is who we are as an association. Although most expats chefs and most expat hoteliers will know who we are, they understand that we carry a lot of weight. They understand that when we host an event, their peers are watching. So, their peers are actually evaluating whether or not they're doing a good job. And it can mean a lot for career advancement for people, if they do a great event with our association, we make sure that it gets to the right people. 06:50 We have been doing that type of work since very early on. And that's very similar to what you'll find in many other countries, whether you go to the US or to Germany or France or Italy. But really our work in Vietnam is a lot more. My job as the president means that I'm continuously in the air. I'm continuously trying all sorts of food throughout the country; I'm trying all sorts of hospitality. So, if there's a new hot five-star hotel being built out there, if there's a new restaurant that's opening, I try to get there. I try to interact with the chefs and the owners, as well as, the hoteliers in this country. Really, that's the first step of it. 07:31 Behind what we do, obviously the dinners are great, they produce great photographs, they produce great media and attention for this country. And because of that, certain groups are definitely looking at Vietnam to invest in this country, because they see us as a trusted organization within Vietnam. So, they can look at Vietnam through our lens and see how Vietnam is performing, whether positively or negatively based on the type of activity and the amount of activity we're getting. We also do things like, we work with young chefs, and we're actually trying to host international and national competitions. 08:10 The other thing that we try to do is we're trying to provide international food support and aid to those in need. So, we're working with groups like STREETS International and La Boulangerie Frances, two great groups. It's actually a unique opportunity, they take the impoverished people and try to break the chain of poverty. This country has a really beautiful set of indigenous people that really could use the help. And I think it's a great idea to be able to tap this fantastic resource of people and bring them out of what they're doing now into what could potentially be the world's greatest chefs in the future. So, it's a huge opportunity to take the indigenous and teach them some skills that will change the course of their lives and of course of their family's lives forever. 09:00 Finally, we're also working to develop training in the hospitality, food and beverage industries. What that means is by bringing an accredited organization, accredited school, not just vocational but something that carries weight. So, someone can go to school in hospitality, or someone can go to school in food and beverage and use those papers, use that certificate to work anywhere in the world that will then open a lot of doors for Vietnam. Kerry Newsome: 09:26 Okay, so if I am an international luxury traveler, and I'm aware of your organization, I possibly have attended some dinners in other places. How would I go about finding those restaurants or tracking those restaurants down? Do you have some particular favorites you'd like to share with us that we can warn everybody about including myself? Raj Taneja: 09:58 I'm certain that we're going to grab dinner at some point in time when I get back to Vietnam. So yeah, there are some favorite restaurants. It's unfortunate because of COVID, some people have packed it in, but others have persevered. So, the top of my mind is obviously T.U.N.G Dining. Tung is a very special chef. He's now been in Vietnam for three years. He comes from a fairly humble business family and had never wanted to or had been told not to go into the culinary arts. He found himself in Scandinavian countries, really falling in love with this and came back to Vietnam. 10:36 I believe it was something like 2017, he competed for the James Beard Foundation here in Vietnam solo against hotel teams that had five or six people and came in third place. That's when he sort of said, "Maybe I need to be here in Vietnam." I guess a few months later, he founded this company called Tung Dining. This is the first chef that has brought the biggest tasting menu to Vietnam. So, imagine going to a restaurant and they say, "Okay, this is the menu." And someone might say, "Well, I want this and this." And they say, "No, you get everything on this menu." People are really perplexed. He changed the food culture in this country and he's a maverick. Kerry Newsome: 11:17 Raj managed to catch up with the Chef at Tung Dining just very recently. So, let's just go to that interview now and then we'll be back to the main program. Raj Taneja: 11:33 How would you describe the food here at Tung Dining? Chef Tung: 11:36 I think, I really don’t do the fusion because it’s about a lot of different things from me, but I do a lot of modern cuisine, and contemporary cuisine. I don't want to make any borders for the food, like I feel the need to cook specific kinds of food such as French, Vietnamese or Western. My duty is to bring the best flavor, the best experience to the guests through the tasting menu. It can come from different corners of the world. Maybe I get inspiration from Nordic, get some very local hobo in Vietnam or something but for me, I'm a person who combines everything to make a slightly more memorable journey for the flavor. It's quite contemporary modern and for me I cannot specify what type of cuisine it is. I mean, it's quite International. Raj Taneja: 12:28 Well, now that we're recovering from COVID, have you thought of your cuisine? You thought about this restaurant, is there anything new you're bringing to the table? Tung Hoang: 12:37 The menu I'm thinking about coming up with is always questioning the local things. What does the Western world think about that? I put my foot on the balance so both the experts can enjoy it and most locals can enjoy it. It's quite an international flavor. And that is the way I want people to get used to. I don't go too extreme, you need to do a lot of fish sauce, and you need to do a lot of different kinds of local things. I don't go too much or borrow too much of everything. Because I'm Western chain, I use a lot of high Western techniques, but I also try to put some touches that can satisfy the Asian flavor. 13:22 That's the way I think and how I come up with the food here and COVID is just the right thing to do. Before COVID 60% of the Western, 40% of the local, something like that. And after COVID, locals still come to us because our flavor also can satisfy them. If the experts are not here, tourists are not here, but we still fight on the way around. It's a good test for us. Our concept is the right way to make both locals and foreigners enjoy it. Raj Taneja: 14:03 So, what is it that you would say is the ideal person that comes to this restaurant? Tung Hoang: 14:07 I mean, open minded people because I think for this cuisine, the most important thing is open minded. Because the cuisine is very diverse and the taste is also very personal. So, whenever you come to the testing menu, the beauty of that is that you try things that you never tasted before. You have the experience of some techniques. If you don't have an open mind, like you have already had a real-life stereotype, you shouldn't come. If you say phở need to be like phở or something like this needs to be like this. For me, it's not a tasting menu. For a tasting menu, you need to be open minded, the cuisine has no borders, and when you come to a restaurant it means you go inside and you test their work. To me it is the most important thing to be open minded. Raj Taneja: 15:01 Okay, final question. Where are you located and what's the best way to book? Tung Hoang: 15:06 My restaurant located in the 2C P. Quang Trung, Hàng Trống district in Hà Nội, and in Saigon we have another restaurant in the 31-33 DANG DUNG STREET TAN DINH WARD, DISTRICT 1. To book at the restaurant, we have the same booking system. You can book through our social media. Many people are booking through Facebook, Instagram or an email or even you can call directly to us to book. So after that we will send you the confirmation asking you about how many people, allergy, any notification or some special event. We will make sure you have a good reservation, and you can reach us through different channels. Now, we have the social media world so it's very easy to get connected with yourself. Raj Taneja: 16:11 He has two restaurants in this country now. We have one in the north, which is T.U.N.G Dining. And then we have one in the south which is "Å", it's actually "au" because it's the A with the circle on top, it's a Scandinavian letter by two. So, those are two restaurants you must absolutely try. The second one is beautiful, and they are both equally delicious to eat at. We also have a restaurant called Cugini, which is helmed by Chef Nico Ceccomoro. And Nico is an Italian chef who works from the heart. He is extremely skilled. I think he's probably one of the two top skilled Italian chefs that I know in this country that is really just balanced, smiling, lovely, and always positive and constructive. Just someone I have the ultimate amount of respect for, and his food is great. Kerry Newsome: 17:04 So, let's just jump very quickly with Raj again, as he was able to catch up with Nico, and Nico was talking to Raj in Hà Nội. And we're just going to have this little quick grab, which I know you're going to love. And then we'll get straight back to the main show. Raj Taneja: 17:27 I'm sitting here with Chef Nico who is the owner, partner, Chef, and mastermind behind the restaurant called Culina which is in Hà Nội. So, chef, please introduce yourself. Nico: 17:40 Hi, everybody. I'm Nico. I'm an Italian chef and I have lived in Hà Nội for over eight years. And we finally launched a new restaurant with a different concept where we are focusing on delivering a new kind of dining experience to guests. So, our cuisine is mostly focused on delivering worthwhile products with the best quality that we can find in the markets. And we match them a little bit with local spices and herbs, and with the vegetables that are actually beautiful in Vietnam. So that's thinking about something tropical like the fruits that we have, the super fresh herbs that we have here. 18:23 And so, the idea behind this is actually to be able to deliver some food that is suitable for most nationalities. We don't have any flags to expose ourselves as a particular restaurant that could be another one like my Italian restaurant, which is called Cugini. So, this one is more focused on developing taste that doesn't represent any nation whatsoever, but it's still very suitable for most people that can go there and enjoy it. Over that we are specializing ourselves on doing dry aging. This is not only about beef, but we also have a nice selection of game foods. So, ducks, pigeons and quails. Sometimes porks from three different countries, including Spain, Japan and Australia. And then we also are doing a new batch of seafood at the moment. So, we are searching for fresh seafood, such as tuna or Buenos or salmon. And these kinds of beautiful fishes and we dry age them to then serve to guests. Raj Taneja: 19:28 Have you had any experience during COVID time, and did it change your concept at all? Or were you always focused on this no flag dining? Nico: 19:37 Yes. Actually, COVID was very effective in not having much success because the restaurant would have been launched about a year ago now. So, it was a pretty long time ago. But unfortunately, we had these lock downs and whatever else coming through that didn't allow us to complete our mission. We changed a little bit and we tried to unify the concepts. It's still offering pretty nice and versatile grand options for our guests. But right now, besides continental breakfast, we also have a menu that's got larger choices for lunch than for dinner. Probably, you know we have a very nice open space with a view on the lake. The kitchen is right in front of guests where they can see exactly how the food is cooked for them. 20:28 And now we keep our equipment and the way that we treat our ingredients. So, I think this is a new thing in Hà Nội because they are still missing a little bit of contact between the back of ours and the guests that come into dine. That, I think, is one of the strong points that we have in our place. Raj Taneja: 20:53 Right. With the open kitchen and the ability for people to look into the kitchen. But not only that, see the smiling chef. And by the way, you have a very smiling chef back there. Nico: 21:01 Thank you, Raj. Raj Taneja: 21:02 Who is your ideal customer? Nico: 21:04 Well, ideal customers are whoever are happy to share time with each other and enjoy time together with a drink and some nice food. So, we do not target somebody in particular, we definitely are in Vietnam. So, I obviously would like to focus mostly on Vietnamese people, because I am welcomed in their country. So, in exchange, I like to give them a service that is missing. So, I think that's really important. But then we have Japanese customers, Koreans, and whatever, from Europe or somewhere else. So, it's actually multinational restaurants so far, which is pretty good. I think that's also because of where we are based. A lot of experts live in the area where we have the restaurant. So, it makes sense for them to be kind to our place. Raj Taneja: 21:57 In terms of your restaurant, what is it that makes you stand out? Or what differentiates you from other upscale dining in Vietnam or even in Hà Nội? Nico: 22:07 Well, I think there's a lot of beautiful places these days in Hà Nội, or in particular, in Vietnam. In my case, I think we are lucky to have a location where there's so many restaurants, but I wouldn't say most of them are actually pretty good. So, I think restaurant owners are still a bit confused on how to develop the business and some of them, maybe copy paste successful restaurants somewhere just because they want to become successful as well. 22:46 In our case, I think we have a lot of passion inside. We try to dedicate our thoughts and our philosophies on the food in a way to actually be understood and appreciated by the guests. Every time we do new concepts, we are trying to do market research, and give guests what is still missing and not what is already existing. So that, I would say, is one of the strong points that we have. Raj Taneja: 23:16 So, where's your restaurant located? Nico: 23:19 Karina is located in the Tu Hao area, or better called West Lake. And it is right in the street in front of the lake, very close to the Sheraton Hotel. Pretty easy to find us. Raj Taneja: 23:33 Perfect. Thank you very much, Chef. It was a great pleasure to interview today. And he's just opened up a new restaurant in Hà Nội called Culina, which is funnily enough, Australian modern bistro dining. So, it might be something of very big interest to you Kerry. Kerry Newsome: 23:54 Yeah, funny about that. I don't necessarily go to Vietnam to have this trade. Just note to self. Raj Taneja: 24:05 Well, let's see where that leads us. The other one, of course, the other Italian chef, that is very dear and close to my heart actually is in Da Nang. His restaurant is somewhat of a question mark right now, because it is temporarily closed because of the harsh closures in Da Nang. It's a restaurant called EL PECK and the chef's name is Alessio Rasom. So, Alessio has a very decorated past in culinary and is a really interesting guy. He never considered Vietnam and what happened is working, I believe it was at Mirazur in the south of France and working for the executive chef who was touring around the world. 24:47 He basically took a short trip to Machu Picchu in Peru and met this lovely lady, Miss Bing, at the base of Machu Picchu and fell in love with her. And then after their climb to the top of the mountain, somehow, she went back to Paris where she was working. He went back to Italy, where he was working with France. They continued to communicate, and then he decided to move to Paris. He was working in Paris, and at some point, in time, they both decided, "Well, let's go back to Vietnam." So, she convinced him to come back to Vietnam. They got on bikes and rode 18,000 kilometers over the course of two years, from Paris to Vietnam. 25:34 It's an extraordinary story. And he's an extraordinary chef. And he's extraordinarily skilled. He's the type of chef that wakes up in the morning at like four in the morning, goes out to the fishermen's boats and picks whatever's fresh, and that's on the menu for the day. So, the concept is, obviously, tourism has to be in full swing in order for his restaurant to be viable, but that's the concept. So really cool. Another chef that is really notable is a chef by the name of Joonhyuk Chi and currently, he's in Hà Nội. He has one restaurant called Labri. And they're about to open another restaurant. Chef Chi is a Korean chef that was trained in Osaka and did his stash in Tokyo. So Japanese trained Korean chef, doing an interpretation on French food in the north, really fantastic dining. Kerry Newsome: 26:27 We jump very quickly to the noisy stash in Tokyo. Once again, Raj has been able to catch up with Chef Chi. and I think you're going to be very interested to just hear his interview. So, let's just jump to that very quickly. And then we'll be right back to the main show. Raj Taneja: 26:52 Chef, please introduce yourself with your full name and your restaurant. Joon Chi: 26:57 My name is Joonhyuk Chi. I'm from Korea, and I'm the owner and chef of Labri Bistro. Raj Taneja: 27:06 Tell me what type of food you serve. And what's the dining experience here? Joon Chi: 27:12 Yeah. So, we are looking for the fine dining quality of food and wine. But the atmosphere and price are like a bistro concept more casual, like street, fine dining concept. I'm an Asian chef, so I wanted to put some Korean, Asian and Vietnamese things on my food. So, based on French techniques, our concept is oriented neo-bistro, which means the dining experience is the most important part of our restaurant, to dine and enjoy the bite and drink wine, it's a different story. Raj Taneja: 28:00 What makes you different from other fine dining in Vietnam? Joon Chi: 28:06 I don't want to be really serious about the food and fine dining culture. Because sometimes when you go to a fine dining restaurant, we are kind of nervous. And we want it to be posh but sometimes we really want to enjoy it, and be very comfortable. Raj Taneja: 28:30 So, it's about comfort and accessibility. Being able to have people that come to your restaurant and feel at ease. Joon Chi: 28:40 Yeah, just enjoying food and wine. Because Labri means shelter. So, escape. So, don't think about other things, just focus on the food and wine, and just enjoy. Raj Taneja: 28:54 It's been lovely talking to you. Thank you very much for this tidbit. This is a Kamsahmida. Joon Chi: 29:02 Kamsahamida. Raj Taneja: 29:10 If we go to the south, like I said the South was probably hardest hit. So, if we go to Ho Chi Minh City, I can say that we're at a real dearth for what I think qualifies as fine dining at this point in time. I think there is still upscale and there's still casual dining, but it’s something that has come to my attention. Starting to hopefully come my way. 29:35 But right now, we only have one restaurant that I think is really notable, or I should say one chef that I think is really notable. And his name is Sakal. And Sakal, he's a Cambodian native, but he went to France, grew up in France, served with the military in France, basically was cooking for top brass and generals in the French military and wound up here in Vietnam. 29:44 And again, Sakal is the always smiling, humble, but extremely skilled chef. He's got two restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City. So, he's got one restaurant called Le Carto which has been there for ages. I think I might even say 1999, if I recall correctly, because he did the dinner for the state visit of Fancois Mitterrand, when he came to Vietnam. He's also got a relatively new restaurant called P'ti in Thao Dien, or district 2. So, I'm hoping to see more chefs come back to Vietnam. I think that there is a great amount of talent in this country. Kerry Newsome: 30:42 What's so lovely about talking to you, Raj, is that when people go to these restaurants, normally, they wouldn't know these background stories. They wouldn't know the journey of that Chef to be in that location, to be cooking that style of food to have that origin. So, it's really beautiful. And I'm really delighted that my audience, everyone listening, is going to be able to go there and say, "Oh, is this the guy that rode the bike from Paris to Vietnam." I think I read or heard that on Kerry's podcast "What about Vietnam!" This guy named Raj Taneja was talking about it. That's really gold in my book. 31:28 I want to talk a little bit and maybe take a step back in the sense that is there something about Vietnamese food as in its natural produce, as in its seafood, is that what draws chefs to Vietnam? Or is it the opportunity to bring that wonderful fusion together? You've spoken about Italian, French, Korean, Japanese, and that kind of eclectic mix must really produce some exquisite food. But is it actually the produce in Vietnam because everybody talks about Vietnamese food being so fresh, very fresh to the table. Seafood in particular, is high quality, and it certainly has been in my experience, but everything kind of tastes richer? I don't know. Even the vegetables, the herbs, and the spices seem to have strong aromas. They seem to just have more to them, than possibly what I'd find in my supermarkets here or even in the organic tables that I would buy from. Is there any truth to that? Is there anything that inspires chefs to want to be in Vietnam and explore that further? Raj Taneja: 32:59 I do believe there is a correlation when people do land here, especially if they travel through the region. So, if you've been to Thailand in Laos and maybe you've been to Indonesia or Cambodia, Vietnamese produce is the standout. Whether it's the chicken eggs, which are almost like neon on the inside, and just taste beautiful. If you're making chicken and the confit that comes out of that is superb. I cannot describe the flavors that we get from the local produce. 33:32 Vietnam has been in the produce game for a very long time. I think what put Vietnam on the map in the 1960s was the export of lettuce and cabbage from Da Lat. And we still see that there's a lot of products that leave Vietnam not even touching local shelves, because it's so good. So, Vietnam is a great growing region. I even learned from your podcast that tulips that are in the Netherlands are actually grown in Vietnam. So, there we go, you’re a wealth of information for me, as well. Kerry Newsome: 34:05 I've spoken to people about pepper in Phú Quốc, and I was talking to Miguel. And he was telling me, "Don't just think about pepper. What about the honey?" Apparently, the honey is amazing, as well. So, you do find those golden nuggets of information that you would have just kind of strode past and not even given a second thought. I mean, I know there's a lot of talk about fish sauce as well, the quality of fish sauce with anchovies, and that sort of thing. I mean, I don't have a lot of knowledge, but just the little bits that I've picked up from some of the food people that have been on my show have really opened my eyes. 34:50 So, I actually go into a place now and when I'm tasting something, I'm thinking of it in a different way. I'm thinking about, do those peppers hard or the chili, or I can taste the marine flavor that's coming from that, the fish sauce. It just gives me a kind of a richer experience, I guess. And that's what I want for the people who listen to the podcast. That's what I want for them. So, it's just good to get your feedback on that. Raj Taneja: 35:20 Well, you don't need to go too far about the fish sauce item. Actually, a lot of the fish sauce in Vietnam gets repurposed into Western brands. So, you may have heard of worcestershire sauce or you might have heard of even the soy sauce, Kikkoman. Some of that is partially made in Vietnam. It comes from there's fish sauce factory in Phú Quốc, there's also a fish sauce factory in Phan Thiết that supplies to these companies. So, they are doing their purchasing here because obviously, we produce a great product. With respect to pepper, I think Phú Quốc gets a lot of credit for their pepper. But there are multiple varieties of pepper throughout Vietnam that are really great. 35:20 There's the Verbena Pepper as well, which can be used both as a skin product, as well as a food product, which is located a little bit further up into Vietnam. I think that also Vietnam faces really harsh competition from the Cambodian pepper component, which is actually very close to Phú Quốc. So, that whole region is full of pepper. Thanks to the influence of Indochina and the French in the past. Kerry Newsome: 36:14 Raj, tell us about some of the five-star hotels. Raj Taneja: 36:36 Well, maybe I shouldn't be saying this. A great hidden secret of Vietnam is that luxury is extremely affordable. Kerry Newsome: 36:46 You should be saying it! Raj Taneja: 36:47 A five-star hotel in Vietnam, sometimes less than $100 US a night. It's okay, maybe they'll raise the prices after I say this. Sometimes, it's very enjoyable to be able to go. For example, I go to Sa Pa and stay at the Hotel de la Coupole, which is an Accor hotel, but run by the General Manager. His name is Joseph Colina, and he's quite an epicurean. He's also a really friendly guy, and he knows how to run that place. The food and beverage in that hotel is spot on, if you want to try fusion. Kerry Newsome: 37:23 I'm trying to get him on my show. Raj Taneja: 37:25 All right, okay, well, I'll send them a good note. Alright, so I will let him talk about that at some point in time. So that's one. We have these mystic hotels like the Legacy Yen Tu. Again, it's Accor hotel, it seems like I'm going to have to talk about a different brand after this. The Legacy Yen Tu is situated at the base of Yen Tu Mountain, which is a trek, I think, 3.5 kilometers up, which leads to a shrine. It's quite a dramatic experience. It feels like you're up in the clouds when you're able to maybe possibly talk to the monk if he's there. So, that's pretty interesting. 38:06 We have a new hotel that just opened in Hà Nội called the Capella hotel, the Capella Group of Singapore, making waves with ultra-high end luxury and they've got Bill Bensley trying to put a story together for that. So, I think Bill Bensley was also in the Legacy Yen Tu and also at the Hotel de la Coupole in Sa Pa. So, those are three hotels that I think are notable. Within Ho Chi Minh City, there are currently hotels being built. We will see how they are after launch. I can't comment before they're open. One of my favorites that I typically stay at regularly, just because it's relatively modern, and has a great rooftop bar, is the Mgallery and being a member of their group brings a lot of privilege. So, I like to go there. Basically, I'm stuck in the hotel all day due to the privileges that they give me. So, there's a lot of that. 39:04 One of the things that I get to do now that I've experienced a lot of the five-star hotels throughout the country, is I get to now go to boutique hotels. So, although I've been spending a lot of time in the upper range, you're going to start to find that a lot of my intelligence will shift down one notch. The other thing that we're working on with the Chaîne is actually creating a guide. Because we're in 90 countries, we have 25,000 members. Our membership, 7,000 of them are professionals in the food and beverage and hospitality industries. It's poignant. 39:38 You mentioned that you don't know these stories about these chefs. Well, if I was to say, Kerry, here's a guide that talks about, here's the chef, here's the restaurant they're at, there's a small little story about who they are. Basically, being able to do this food, beverage, hotels, maybe even suppliers and groceries because if I'm coming to a country. If I might not just want to go out and eat, I might actually want to go to a fine grocery and cook for myself at some point, especially in Vietnam. 40:06 So, it's basically, being able to launch in Vietnam, we're going to launch probably this year in Vietnam, and it will be ready and radiate outwards. So, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, maybe Indonesia, and then probably I have to go back to my home country and give some homage to the chefs that really supported me early. So, we'll do Canada. Hopefully at some point in time, I'll be able to come and shake your hand in Australia as well. Kerry Newsome: 40:31 And this guide, you're saying this is for Vietnam? Or will this be all the countries that you kind of mentioned? Raj Taneja: 40:40 Yeah, so we'll do it addition by addition, based on, obviously, we don't want to make it a humongous direct rate. Kerry Newsome: 40:48 It could be a big book. Raj Taneja: 40:51 Yeah. So, it's going to contain a lot of content based on one-to-one interaction. So, to tell the world that this is someone special, we'll do an addition probably to start for Vietnam. Then I might have to, because obviously, the content for fine dining in Vietnam is quite small. So being able to say, okay, we'll do Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, maybe in one edition. I think it's still something that can fit in your suitcase, and then we go, we'll do another edition for other countries. Again, I don't think it'll be 90 editions immediately. There is a goal to maybe have several 100 editions, depending on how many markets and the size of our guide. 41:35 The other thing is, I think street food is a very important aspect of eating culture in a lot of countries, whether it be Rome, or whether it be Hà Nội. So being able to not invite these street food vendors into our association, which is incorrect, but to say if someone within our association probably is an expert in that realm. Having them curate a piece of the guide, saying, okay, give us five or six venues that you absolutely adore. Let's go and eat at those places, and let's take photos, and let's put them within our guides. So, people have options now. So, I think it's a little bit better than what's currently available to the market. I think someone would want to put that in their handbag, they probably would want to read it on a plane over and then be fully prepared and fully interested in the life story of some of these chefs that they are going to meet. Kerry Newsome: 42:28 Well, certainly for this show, we'll be able to put the transcript together. So, all of your restaurants that you've mentioned, your chefs, etc. and links to your website will all be there. I imagine with your events; you do kind of an announcement to that and obviously send out invitations. Is that how it works? Raj Taneja: 42:53 We certainly do. So, what we do is have a mailing list for Vietnam. We typically like to say that we have our events planned out for the year, although they tend to get canceled with COVID closures and restrictions. And we're hoping that now that Tet is over that we will see some clarity, we expect the reopening. So, let's cross our fingers, Kerry. I need you on this one. Kerry Newsome: 43:17 Raj, I've got big hopes for the year of the tiger. So, let's be brave. Let's be bold. I'm going to be bold in asking one last question. Do you have a favorite dish in Vietnam that is kind of your go to favorite? Raj Taneja: 43:34 I spent a lot of time in the south. So, although there are some phenomenal dishes in the north, for example, the origin of phở so phở is always a treat. It's always some sort of comfort food for me. I find myself in the south enjoying broken rice. So, cơm tấm, sitting there with the grilled meat out on the street corner. There are some special places that used to exist in Saigon, some of them closed. But being able to go out seven or eight at night and sit there with that chili sauce, and that piece of pork and the rice is something that touches my heart to the point where I was in Nha Trang about two weeks ago. I walked by a stall and I was getting late for my flight and I said, "You know my flight can wait." I sat down at the stone, and I had a lovely natural compound which isn't exactly as good as what they have in Saigon, but pretty good. Then I rushed off to the hotel to get in the car to go back to the airport. Kerry Newsome: 44:36 Way to go. It's been really great to chat with you. I'm looking forward to staying in touch. I'll make sure we put the links in especially those two Streets International. I know you have a very deep heart and affection for that organization. As I do. I've had Neal Bermas on the show talking about Streets. So, we really want to see Streets international back in Hội An. Obviously the work you do there is much appreciated. Any last words for my guests before we close out? Raj Taneja: 45:14 One thing that I'd love to say is that for those that are looking to come to Vietnam, and really make an impact, definitely you do need to touch base with these organizations like Streets International , and basically see how you can help. So, I'm happy to be a liaison for that. They're always looking for something. So, let's see what can happen. My heart goes out to anyone who's trying to support the people in this country. Kerry Newsome: 45:44 Okay, thanks very much for being on the program, Raj. Raj Taneja: 45:48 Thank you very much, Kerry. Restaurants featured during the show: Labri Bistro - http://www.labribistro.com/ Le Corto - http://lecortovietnam.com/ T.U.N.G Dining - https://www.tungdining.com/ Cugini - https://www.facebook.com/cugini.tongocvan/] Hotels mentioned:- Hotel de la Coupole Legacy Yen Tu Raj Taneja – Representing Chaîne des Rôtisseurs

S5-E20 Saigon Unseen The sights you might be missing S5-E20 Saigon Unseen The sights you might be missing Episode 20 S5-E20 Saigon Unseen The sights you might be missing 00:00 / 50:04 If you have the chance to spend a little extra time in Saigon (aka Ho Chi Minh City), you're in for far more than just the usual sightseeing—it’s a whole new adventure! In this lively episode, I chat with Matt Cowan, an expat of 15 years, travel aficionado, and fellow podcaster, as we uncover the hidden gems that only reveal themselves to those willing to go off the beaten path. Saigon is a city of contrasts, and we recorded this episode in one of its iconic French restaurants, The Refinery. Amidst laughs and our Aussie kinship, Matt shares what casual visitors often miss: the charm of historical cafes, the character of local bars, and the richness of local districts. Beyond the motorbikes and bustling streets lies a city with a unique rhythm and soul. Join us for a humorous and insightful journey that shows Saigon is more than a stopover—it’s a city worth savoring. Please enjoy some of the topics we managed to cover during the show. 00:07:03 - Exploring Saigon's Hidden Gems
 00:10:33 - French Colonial Architecture in Saigon
 00:12:47 - Nightlife and Expat Hangouts 
00:14:06 - Saigon's Evolution and Modernization
 00:18:10 - French Colonial Influence in Modern Cafes and Bars
 00:20:05 - Exploring Historic Apartment Buildings
 00:25:28 - Cultural Shows at the Opera House 
00:27:47 - Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tours
 00:30:01 - Saigon as a Night City
 00:31:04 - Exploring Japantown and Chinatown
 00:40:04 - Motorbike Tours in Saigon
 00:41:08 - Historic Dining Locations
 00:45:06 - Best Time to Visit Saigon
 Links as mentioned for you to explore further:- Continental Hotel video with architect Hoanh Tran (The Bureau Asia YouTube Channel) https://youtu.be/YBqwIGvOuXw?si=lYVTgbhtjT5kRTR_ Cho Lon Self-Guided Walk (The Bureau Asia Substack Mailing List) https://thebureauasia.substack.com/p/cho-lon-self-guided-morning-walk The best places to EAT, PLAY, LOVE in HCMC in 2024 (links out to the 25 Things to Do in HCMC video) https://thebureauasia.com/2024/03/30/the-best-places-to-eat-play-love-in-ho-chi-minh-city-in-2024/ Then & Now - Saigon 20 Years On (The Bureau Asia Podcast) https://podcasts.apple.com/vn/podcast/then-now-saigon-20-years-on/id1478396971?i=1000656875461 The Bureau Asia Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebureauasiagroup Opera House shows https://www.luneproduction.com/ Download Transcript PDF Read the transcript here

S4-15 Travelling as a solo woman What About Vietnam - S4 - E15 What makes female solo travellers love Vietnam? Kerry Newsome (3:57) Hello, Camellia Dinh, welcome to the about Vietnam podcast. How are you? Camellia Dinh (4:03) Hi, Kerry, thank you so much for having me here today. I am very well. Kerry Newsome (4:07) When we got together in Saigon. And we kind of talked through some ideas about what to talk about. I really liked the fact that we could talk about solo women and the empowerment of traveling Vietnam because it's something you and I both do. Yes. Like, I do it for some business and some leisure and I think you do it the same. Camellia Dinh (4:36) Okay. I think, yeah, I'm not sure about what it is for you in your own culture, right. As a Vietnam solo traveler. I mean, it is not something uncommon, from what I say, what I see that for the majority of time, even with my friends or the community that I know more than 10 people would prefer to travel with their partner, or with a group of friends as it is way more fun to have somebody to share things and experience with, that I don't know. Maybe I am just one of those who would like also to explore my own way of enjoying things, I would actually say that I'm not a solo travel professional or in any way. But I started to be a solo traveler since I was a teenager. Because for me, I'd be growing up far away from my parents. So I have a lot of opportunity to figure things by myself and try to find ways by myself as I was growing up. And as we keep getting busier as well, I find it extremely difficult, trying to arrange a trip with someone else. Whether even with my best friend, you know, they have different study schedule, go schedule, and we're just trying to find a date, we can go together and it is getting hard. And that was the moment that I think you know, forget it. Why don't we just go and travel and explore the world by ourselves. Because it will keep waiting, I don't know how long I will have to wait. And sometimes we'd prefer and I just want to travel during the quiet time when people's go to work, I will travel so I have all the scenery by myself, even the hotel I stay will a bit quiet as I can actually enjoy the other services and the views in front of me, etc. And I do prefer it that way. So I thought okay, maybe I just give it a try. And then I do it and see how it goes. But the more I start traveling, on my own, I seem to enjoy it even more. Well, but don't get me wrong, okay, if I have chance to travel with friends, family partner, I'm still happy to do so. Kerry Newsome (6:51) And you know, I concur. I'm exactly the same, I found myself finding it limiting. Because my friends were busy with their families or their jobs, etc. I had a little bit more flexibility in time. So yeah, I just, you know, kind of started doing some travel on my own. But I found it quite liberating. I know that's a strange word. But because I found it easy to do in Vietnam, and I'm speaking to all women who are listening to this travel podcast, and are thinking, oh, gosh, I don't know whether I could go to Vietnam on my own. Well, I mostly go on my own. So it forced me to, to look at Vietnam for what I wanted to experience, just like you were saying, it actually pushes you to discover things for yourself. And you can do it any way you like, because you don't have to ask your friends or your families that aren't OK, do they want to do it as well or whatever. So, I'm like you I love traveling with my family and my husband and all the rest of it. But that's a very different experience to traveling as a female and traveling solo. But I never feel odd or people I don't think look at me strange. Because I'm on my own. Like you've seen me traveling Vietnam. Do you think I stand out in the crowd? Or? Maybe I do because I'm blonde. But like, do you think people look at you like you're strange because you're traveling on your own? Camellia Dinh (8:27) Actually, some towns, sometimes Kerry I have maybe in the past, I still remember one of my very first trips and pick some of those destinations that seems to be more suitable to travel when you have a partner for example, you know Dalat. Our Highland area, right? So the weather there is beautiful. Also, very chill. You have flowers everywhere, beautiful scenery. And people often picture themselves traveling with a partner. And they say yeah, you don't want to go to Dalat alone, what you want to do there? I actually, I actually book my hotel for five nights, on my own. I mean, I was a solo traveler there. It was interesting. And at that time, it was eight years ago, and people asked me that question, are you seriously going to Dalat on your own? I say yes, I don't see anything wrong with that, especially all of my friends was lazy and cannot ask somebody to go with me. So I'm just going to find things on my own. And when I travel to the destination, the thing that fascinated me the most, of course, just like what you say, liberating rate, the word that you use, I feel free, because nobody stopped me from doing what I want. I eat whatever whenever I want. I go to different places. If I feel tired, I just go to sleep. I don't have to follow anybody's agenda. But the interesting thing that I had along the way was once I was sitting in a cafe on my own, and I saw one American couple, they come approach me and ask me a few questions because they say, well, it's their first time in Vietnam. And they have the feeling like they need to come and talk to me for the reason that they saw me, a female solo traveler in Dalat, sitting on my own. I was like, well, that's interesting. And I asked them, how their travel experience so far, and they say, I think Vietnam is a very safe country. However, my family didn't think so. The problem was, yeah, they travel from the US to Vietnam. And she has a very old grandmother, before she traveled to Vietnam, she told her grandmother that grand mom going to Vietnam and her grandmother got freaked out. Because all they was thinking of was the history the past and everything else. And they will say, yeah, I don't recommend you to go there. It's very dangerous, people probably going to have that sort of mindset, however when she came, she felt my god, like nobody actually asking question whether she's American or any issue when it comes to history and culture, and you feel very welcoming. And the fact that I shall go to Dalat, and she saw me there just to prove that Vietnam is very safe for even a solo young female traveler on her own. And they have that confidence to come and speak to meet because they were so curious as well. And they asked me a lot of question, and we became really good friends afterwards. So I thought, if I was traveling with a partner, I might not get a chance to talk to those interesting people. And, and that is one of the perks that we could only get when we also travel, we have chance to explore new things and paying attention to other people and things surrounding us. Kerry Newsome (11:54) Yes, I totally agree. I mean, I find myself in situations where I think people see me on my own. And they then feel like they can approach me because obviously, I'm kind of, I'm there on my own. So you know, I'm not talking to anyone, they're not going to disrupt me or anything like that. So, I often find I meet a lot more people. And in particular, with the Vietnamese, they also, as you talked about being curious, they're curious to find out about me, so they'll come and ask me questions, or they'll maybe want to practice their English, or they want to know what country I'm from, and things like that. So I don't think I would have got to have had as much interaction with people if I hadn't have traveled on my own. And I think if the Vietnamese nature, if like, your nature wasn't as friendly, and as open, I likewise, wouldn't have got the opportunities that I got. But because those two match up really nicely. It is I always feel lighter and brighter. And you know, someone quoted me recently and I kind of said, you know, I feel like I get an injection of color into my life because you know, there's beautiful coffee houses and tea houses and places to go. So, you know, you can be with amongst people, but still be on your own and feel very comfortable. Can we talk a little bit about community, you, you are a young professional woman? And obviously, you have a good knowledge of Vietnam. So when you're traveling? Do you like pick, like you talked about the Dalat and that's a place I have got yet to feature on my podcast. But I loved Dalat also. Is there particular places that you would say are better for the female traveler as far as enjoyment, safety things to do, one over the other do you think? Camellia Dinh (14:09) Well Kerry, this question is a little bit complex answer right? When it comes down to experiences, it's all depend on what we are seeking for right? And what sets us the other way around. I think it really depends on what we're looking at here. It's very difficult for me to say which place is better than the others, because sometime it depends of how we like to enjoy life in different ways. Some people would prefer to stay in big cities, for example, so obviously to our mega city, Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, or even some other city later now I'm going to be perfect for those who want to see a bit of a vibe seeing a lot of people on the street, a lot of things happening, events as such, right? Then we have much of our country is we have a lot of mountains, right? So the mountainous area also beautiful, is gorgeous landscape, and you get to be very close to the nature and our coastal area. Okay, the beaches are also amazing. And I don't know, it just depends on which part of Vietnam that we want to explore. And from what we say earlier, a Vietnam is pretty safe. And we know that the level of crime is extremely low in this country, I will say is very safe. But it also depends on how brave we are as a traveler and a female traveler in particular, when we travel to those areas, because other consideration that we need to take in would be on our language ability. If you were able to communicate with a local, because I will say, of course, if you are in big cities is very likely for you to be able to meet somebody who can speak English. But that might not be the same case when you travel to a province or village. Yeah, even though I say yeah, it’s safe. But then you might not feel safe if you travel somewhere that people don't understand you at all. So with that, we probably need to come with a little bit of preparation. But other than that, I think Vietnam is just so big when it comes into seeking different experiences. And I just cannot tell which experience will be better than the others. Kerry Newsome (16:22) Okay, then I'll share one of mine. And I'll share it from the experience of like, I'm a mature woman. So I'm traveling around, and I, I don't want to be worried about my safety, I don't want that to be part of my holiday. So, when I started doing this back in 2016, really on my own, I did one more. I did earlier trip in 2007. But I spent a month in 2016. And I decided to pick Hoi An as my base. And there was a couple of reasons that I chose Hoi An, and a couple of reasons I continue to choose Hoi an as a base, as it's got a very country style, feel to it, you can walk to most places, or you can get very short taxi rides to the beach or things like that. There’s a lot to do, there's a lot of things to experience, you can make lanterns or masks, do cooking classes, you know, go by the river, you can go to Marble Mountain, and you know, there's all sorts of things to do from there. But generally, it's quite chilled, it's quite easy. It's an easy place to maneuver. When I first came to Vietnam, I was struck with Ho Chi Minh City as my open door to Vietnam. It was like “whoa,” you know, like, I've really got to get my head around this, you know, I mean, over time, I’ve certainly conditioned myself. And I’ve found Saigon this time, much more manageable to get around. I think there's more street signs, there's more traffic lights, more one way streets. There is some better management of the flow of people around I think. it still gets, you know, like traffic jams, we all have that, etc. But it is easier to get around. But it's the city, you've got to keep your wits about you. You know, because it's so busy. Because there's a lot of people, there are more people that speak English there. But you, you know, like, I've heard some stories about people who get their cameras pinched, or their phones or, you know, they leave their handbag down or something and you know, then then it's gone. I mean, that's like that in any city in the world, to be honest. But I just think for people that are coming to Vietnam for the first time, they are female, they are a solo traveler, I would be recommending that you, you know, do a little tip toe into Saigon for a few nights because you have to there's just too much great stuff to do there. But then you might want to go and spend a bit more time in some quieter areas like Hoi An or Nha Trang or Danang even would be a little bit quieter, etc. And then you can come back and stay in Saigon again on your way home. So that's just from my experience. And that's you know, basically that's all I can share because that's what I know, that's what I live. You know your experiences you work in a hotel, which has got a tagline called “the home of the daring.” So I thought I'm talking to you, their sales and marketing director. She's working at a hotel that claims to be the home of the daring in the middle of Saigon Central. You know, she's a female traveler. She's definitely going to be able to talk about the empowerment of travelers because you meet them. Also I would understand at the hotel solo travelers, I met a couple when I was there. So, you know, when a woman is coming to Saigon, Saigon is your main city? Do you have any places that you would see them to enjoy the best of Saigon? I mean, I think the shopping is amazing. But that's because I know some secret spots. And I'm putting up a tour together…. about that ‘secret squirrel’, but I don't know. What do you think? Are there some things that a female in Saigon should definitely do? Camellia Dinh (20:44) Well, Kerry, I think using bravery in a very interesting topic. And thank you for mentioning our hotel. So our hotel Fusion Original Saigon Centre; we do have a tagline called the home of the daring. And I think that is it’s fascinating to think about it, and us the way we see here Vietnam as well, that is a country depends on the way we look at it. It’s the way people actually look at our history in the past, and say that we are very conservative in certain things. But the way we see here as a local, I was like anything and everything's happening in my country and we don't really have to put any limitation into the way we can export the things and learnings of a new culture. And I don't see Vietnam with a lot of subculture as such, for example, when it comes into even a sensitive topic, for example, like religions, or the LGBT community, or any things that some people might probably think that is part of the extreme in Vietnam. I think, we actually make it very easy for every single group of people to come and explore that includes solo female travelers that include the LGBT community that they don't feel discriminated for example, and different people from different religions example you’re Christian, Catholic, Buddhist or any other religion as well, we have something for everyone. So most people do not have a problem when they come in travel to Vietnam I will say for example, if you even come in from Islamic country, you're Muslim and you cannot eat pork in Vietnam, we actually eat pork every day you know, most of the time, we do that. But it doesn't mean that when they come to Vietnam they cannot find the right type of food because we can pick it up really fast when we know that. The travelers that come we listen to, and we diversify our offering to international tourists. How about food especially in the five star environment, we know what our international guests want. And we start to introduce that concept into many of our restaurants here in the city. So, this is one of those examples to tell you that yes, you can find anything and any trends that you can find for example, for female, when we start to care a lot more about wellness care, more about our dietary requirements. How to make sure that our daily consumption will never be in check you know, because we don't want to gain weight, but the foods we eat will have to be delicious. So, I think Vietnam’s cuisine is a great choice when it comes to that matter right. We love our food just for the reason how the resources is. But also how simple it is when it comes to the preparation and the clean factor as well extremely low compared to the rest of the cuisine in the world. So when it comes to that, obviously if the female travelers coming to my city or any other city in Vietnam, I would highly recommend to try. First thing is you probably want to try our cuisine okay? And I wouldn't hesitate to give you a list of some of our recommended restaurants for you to come and explore. Kerry Newsome (24:02) So okay, we'll have that list. Camellia Dinh (24:06) Yes, okay. So we do that and then you say shopping is an interesting experience as well right? When it comes to shopping. I will say different style either we can do, and no way you go to all the shopping malls, all those big ones, actually our hotel located inside a shopping mall, as you already know. But we also have the chance to experience shopping local in the local markets, by walking distance, or to go to some markets when you can actually see people prepare different things, especially women, like seem to be drawn to although tailor made clothing. Go there and get a beautiful Ao Dai for yourself that is custom made for your figure and all that sort of thing. So, they'll experience that kind of thing. One thing I want to introduce. Last week is a very interesting day that I went to in Vietnam is we call “Quê một cục”. And to translate in English, it means something like a countryside – Hair Salon? Kerry Newsome (25:16) Okay, so basically a hair salon. Camellia Dinh (25:19) Yeah, it's something like, that basically the ideas for them is to offer something belongs to the culture, okay, something happened years ago, it's not anything modern about that. But the way we put it because sometimes the Vietnamese language is interesting, and we just cannot translate into English. I hope you know what I mean. Or that when we came to that place, we heard the name in Vietnamese we start laughing, because that is something reminds us of the past when for example, when you find something a little bit old fashioned, but it still gives you a little bit feeling of the past and the history and culture and you kind of enjoying. We went to that shop, the hair salon, and they just have two very simple packages. One is to, to wash your hair with a facial treatment, okay, and although facial treatment, everything is made from natural herb and to be sure that you are safe in this environment. It is to be sure that all products provided by the shop are safe for your body and the environment. And as with traditional ways of doing thing, in the second package that we have is washing hair with a massage package for your shoulder, because we are office people, and we always need that. The session last for about half an hour, we were recommended to put away our phones, they told us to please take it away so that we can actually enjoy the moment in peace. So in that place, when you come to that, you know, I was very tempted to take some pictures of the place because I was impressed. It was so impressed. I couldn’t imagine that I can find such place in a city like Saigon. But then I was blown away by how beautiful it is. And people said to me: Just relax, close your eyes, and enjoy because life is very short not to enjoy the moment. So, I put my phone away completely and enjoyed the whole process. After getting my hair wash done. I was invited to a living room area when they did decorate the area in a way that reminds us of a Vietnamese traditional family that we have in the French colonial time. There are things that occur in a very indulgent style with all the tiles, furniture, the soft radio music. And they also have some groceries that you could find in that place, I remember many years ago when I was a kid, maybe six years old, I used to come to the local grocery stores to buy all those things. I loved the interesting language that they use to communicate at the place. And I feel like, okay, I’d love to share this experience to any traveler to Vietnam or especially those solo travelers who also have the need to for relaxation, but also learning also about culture. And this is what the Vietnamese was so proud to have. Kerry Newsome (28:27) That sounds wonderful, I'll definitely have to get the name of the place. And I'll put it in the show notes for everybody. And the translation and all that because I'll never be able to say it like, yeah, like you say it. So definitely, I'll put that in. It’s little things like that. I think as a solo traveler, you don't feel guilty about doing because you're not taking your time away from someone else or whatever. You can kind of be a little bit self-indulgent. And you can go, Oh, I think I'm going to have that half an hour or one hour treatment or you know and spoil yourself and I think those little gifts to yourself of kindness and, and just you know a little bit of compassionate time. We've been through some hard years. And I think that one of the things that I got from Vietnam in my last visit was just a feeling of invigoration. I was allowed to spend some time with some friends get invigorated by the kind of the upbeat vibe. Always think that Vietnam’s got an upbeat vibe I don't know, I can't explain it any other way but it's ‘up’ and wherever you go. There's kind of that maybe it's just me, maybe I just you know, attract all the upbeat people. Camellia Dinh (29:45) I don't know. Okay, even I'm Vietnamese living here in Vietnam. It’s the vibe, and you get to challenge yourself every day and things happening so fast and you see new things coming up your way, one after another. Today you see one event, then tomorrow you see something else coming up. It's very dynamic. Kerry Newsome (30:10) Very dynamic. And as I said, like as a female travel solo example, I probably wouldn't travel by myself in Australia. That's a funny thing to say, isn't it? I've gone to visit friends on my own? So, I've got friends in Cairns and Melbourne and whatever, and I'll go on my own, but I go straight to them. But just to go and take off like I take off around Vietnam. I would never do that in Australia. I don't know why, but I just wouldn't. And I think people would look at me as if I had two heads if I did. You know, in Vietnam, they don't look at me strangely. And I do meet some great people. And, you know, the other thing I want to take up with you is about the empowerment of women. In Vietnam, Vietnamese women, I often hear people saying, oh, “so and so” has got a business. But the real power behind that business is the wife, or the mother, or the daughter, or the female is the one that is obviously the enterprising one or the, you know, the energetic one or whatever. But I hear it a lot. Is that something you hear as well that women have the power behind the things happening? Camellia Dinh (31:40) - International Womens Day’s Kind of thing? Yes, that is a very interesting topic. And this has brought it in, I think, and the very right moment. There's a few days. I'm not sure. Actually, tomorrow already, is the 20th of October is our Vietnamese Women's Day. Okay, in Vietnam, we actually have two Women's Day, I don't think any other country would have that you might have a Mother's Day. Some of the Father's Day. But in here, we have two Women's Day. The first one is actually on the 8th March, called the International Women's Day, I think it was for Vietnam, being part of the Soviet Union in the past that we celebrate those days together. So that was one of our big day, celebrating International, international, and women’s. And the Vietnamese Women's Day, which is tomorrow is also founded by the Vietnamese union here for women to celebrate our work and what we contribute to the country. That just to one of those proof, to have the proof is to see how much Vietnam as a country being moving ourselves to empower women, and we celebrate our women as well. But I think sometimes when we, when I tried to explain things in certain way, I tried to look deeper into the history and culture and try to explain, because I do believe that everything happened for a reason. And it's happened for decades. I think it probably was something that days long ago and for the longest time that we wouldn't know. So I tried to file down and try to understand why the woman in Vietnam, like you said, have so much power. And you're right, the mother in the family, she actually is called for everything. Yeah. I think if we go back into 50 years, even during the Vietnam War, we often think about the women as when the family would be a loving mother because to their children, lovely wife, to the husband, but she also a fighter during the war. And when it comes into the economy, she's also a social worker. So, the women you get an Amahs, you're wearing so many different hats. And the row is very important. And just imagine one day, I come home and my mom stopped cooking. Like, we all ended up having nothing to eat. That is very traditional. The role of the woman in the family is already important. But what happened in the work environment. I believe in hospitality industry, but I think it happens to most our country as well. That the majority of workers in the hospitality industry and tourism industry are female. I think there are some unique attributes to that because women in general, we have the tendency to care for people. We take care of people better. We know how to talk better than men. I hope there's no men listening to us right now. Not saying we are better. Kerry Newsome (34:51) Forgive us. Camellia Dinh (34:52) I think so, and when it comes to communication, we know how to express our feelings better. So that also helps when it comes to understanding other people feeling. And for us here is about how to deliver customer service better as well that we need to put ourselves into the shoes of the customer to understand that. But also, once you understand that you will be able to know how to communicate with them in clear language, I think that is a gift that only women would have. So that is really in general. But when it comes into empowerment in Vietnam, and the only way we can create, we all know when we start looking to compare to other countries, sometime I would say okay, if we just have a quick look when it comes into the bigger situation in Asia, even coming to China, or Korea or Japan, I actually think in Vietnam, we are quite fortunate, in a way, because I do feel like the women in Vietnam are much more dynamic, of course, this is my personal opinion that I look into our history. And I was very impressed myself knowing that in many other countries, you used to have a king to rule in in the country, right? Throughout the history, you had either a king or an emperor, they were mostly men. But for Vietnam, we had our first female King since year 40. Four-Zero. So, when you travel to Vietnam, you see the road named “Hai Ba Trung”, right? It was named after the Trung sisters who were our first female kings. Until today, we still read about them as well as other Vietnamese heroines, like the Lady Trieu. And throughout the wars and history time, we had so many female fighters, they stood up for the country, and we've been looking up to them, and we learn from them. And that actually, I think they become the role model. When we have a closer look at that, yes, as Vietnamese women, we have our soft features, we have our traditional values that we want to keep to being feminine, to being lovable people. But when it comes to work, and when it come into protecting the thing that we love, we also real fighters. And when it comes to that, it just can help being so proud of who we are as Vietnamese women and the opportunity that we have today also to tie in different aspects of life. Kerry Newsome (37:31) Vietnam Women’s Museum And I think that's the aspect of females that I see in Vietnam as well, I see that strength. And I see when hardship comes, that the female sometimes is quicker to come up with a way to earn some money to feed their family. Because as you say, they have that care factor, they have that family that that is their primary. So I've seen women come up with these business ideas, or all of a sudden very quickly be able to earn some money to be able to sell some things at the markets or do something very quickly, that will be able to feed their family and give their family support, where the men are trying to obviously get bigger jobs and things like that. There female partner or their mother or the women in the family seem to rally together and are able to, I don't know, pull magic out of the air almost, you know, you'll find them in the markets. And I'll talk to someone they'll say yes, you know, she said she's her family's had a very hard time, she now comes in, she sells fruit and vegetables that she picks up in the farms, like just that very quick, that they will jump into a position of being enterprising and use that strength. The other thing I don't know whether you've been to in Hanoi, have you been to the Vietnam women's Museum? Yes. Isn't that a stunning place, and that is just floors and floors of, I guess the history. I think each floor is almost like a chapter of history in Vietnam, of women, and how they have progressed through history, including, as you say, fighting in the various wars for the French and the American etc. And seeing them you know, one minute a mother, the next week, you know, a gun the next week, you know, wearing an Ao Dai, you know, like they can wear many hats, as you say. And the minority groups a sectioned out, as well so that you can see how their lives were so totally and utterly dependent on the land and what the land could provide for their family. So really a great place to visit for everyone in Hanoi. Would be to spend some time to go to that museum. Definitely recommend it. Is there anything you want to finish off with any kind of “do's and don'ts” for our women who are listening who are saying, gee, I think I could do this, I can I could come to Vietnam on my own and do my own thing. Do we? Do you want to leave with any passing comments? Camellia Dinh (40:19) Well Kerry, anything with you being a professional travel up to Vietnam many times. So, I think we trust that you know so much that Vietnam is a safe country, and also now you have me here. So, all right, I'm so glad to be part of the podcast today. So, you know, you have one more contact. If I could recommend something for all female traveler, I would recommend as well we do research in advance, on anywhere we traveled to in the world, right, we need to do our research, not only about safety is number one, of course your safeties are important to us. I reassure that Vietnam is very safe, I still am just going to keep repeating say that Vietnam is very safe, but even more on to finding the experiences that are going to be more suitable for you based on the amount of time that you have in the countr; which places that you would like to travel; maybe you want to go to mountainous area, or beach or city area as well. And I think one of the greatest tip’a that I could get would be if you could find a friend in the country, in the in the host country for a example now Kerry knows me, she would contact me in advance, share with me the agenda, see if we can meet along the way. And from time to time. I keep telling Kerry, if you have any questions at all, if you need any help, even when you are in Hanoi, I mean, Saigon, because I can still help. My friends are everywhere. So, there's some certain benefits when you know, a local version. So that's something that you can rely on. Kerry Newsome (41:56) And it's kind of one of the reasons why I'm going to be putting some special tours together for 2023 that will have people that you're right, that can kind of give people a little bit more confidence that they can reach out to someone. I've also got a girlfriend in Danang, who, you know, I'll let her know that I'm coming. And she'll say, well watch out, you know, this week, is Typhoon maybe you know, whatever is coming, so or make sure you bring a jacket or things just little things like that. Or if I want to ask you about something in Saigon there's a show that it's coming up or, you know, we know the restaurant, would you recommend it for, you know, a family celebration or something like that. I really value that. I think that the local insight that someone like yourself or some people that I'm going to have really helps. I think it does give you just another level of confidence in your travel experience. Camellia Dinh (42:55) Kerry, you just mentioned also sorry, in the interview. You just mentioned that your friend remind you to bring a jacket. That's something I want to bring up as well because the weather in Vietnam is very interesting. And we say it's not just like another Bangkok or Singapore where it's all year-round weather. We have very cold winter in northern Vietnam. So, before we travel, probably a bit more research or especially having a friend who tell you if you need to bring a jacket that would be great. Right now, what I'm staying in Saigon we still have warm weather in central Vietnam is a little warm my right now, with all the rainy season we just had, in Hanoi it is starting to get really cold. Kerry Newsome (43:41) Freezing in Hanoi in January. I couldn't believe it. I was literally walking shops to find big puffer jackets, you know those ones with a big puffer line. I was just so cold. Believe it I thought you know what you what was I thinking? No? Jacket. So, it was one of the first podcasts. And one of the in the trip planning ones in my show. I made sure I'd clearly identified that. You know, it's not all hot all year round, everywhere. It's certainly the case. Thank you very much for being on the show. I've loved having you. I knew you'd be brilliant to talk about this subject. And just want to say thanks again for your time. Camellia Dinh (44:23) Yeah, thank you so much, Kerry, and I look forward to catching up with you again soon. Time stamps 4.36 - Factors influencing more solo female travel 8.26 -Camellia’s solo experience of Dalat 11.54 -Distinct advantages of solo travel 14.09 -Best places to visit in Vietnam 16.22 -Why Kerry chooses Hoi An as her base? 20.44 - Camellia explains Vietnam’s openness to all cultures, religions and communities 25.16 - A “hair” experience like no other to enjoy 31.40 - The history behind International Women’s Day 34. 52 - The story of a King being a Queen in Vietnam 37.31 - Vietnam Women’s Museum - a special place to visit 40.10 - Making a friend in Vietnam before you arrive can enrich your stay

d32f2f19-abc1-420d-9521-8b3cf274c91fHoliday and save money on dentistry Vietnam Dental Holiday - save money on dental while on your holiday Episode 10 Vietnam Dental Holiday - save money on dental while on your holiday 00:00 / 29:34 Today we're going to be talking about dentistry. Now, who would have thought you'd be talking about "dentistry" on a travel podcast. I've added the session in because it's still a very important experience that you may want to investigate when you do visit Vietnam. Kelly McCarthy is my guest, she's a good friend, and she has been traveling to Vietnam over the past 15 years, as it happens, in the past six years, those visits have included a visit to a dentistry surgery in Ho Chi Minh City. Hear about the money she has saved and the great experience it has been. Download Transcript PDF Read the transcript here

S5-E24 Ha Giang Insider tips for an Unforgettable Adventure S5-E24 Ha Giang Insider tips for an Unforgettable Adventure Episode 24 S5-E24 Ha Giang Insider tips for an Unforgettable Adventure 00:00 / 47:10 Join me as we uncover Ha Giang, Vietnam’s breathtaking last frontier, with Ying, a local Black H’mong guide, who shares insider tips and cultural insights for an unforgettable adventure! . Key takeaways from this episode:- 1. The Ha Giang Loop time allowance – How long do you need for your adventure through stunning valleys, waterfalls, and cultural sites like Lung Cu and Ma Pi Leng Pass. 2. Best Time to Visit – Times of the year, and days of the week. From September to November, the golden rice terraces are at their most beautiful. Cooler temperatures make this the ideal season for trekking and sightseeing. Find out more. 3. Cultural Immersion – Ying talks us through engagement with ethnic communities; traditional farming practices, and the joy of a communal hotpot meal. 4. Guided vs. Independent Travel – The Pros and cons. The value of a local guide in managing language, safety, navigation, and cultural understanding. Options exist for all fitness levels. Show notes: 00:00:00 – Where is Ha Giang
 00:01:06 - Guest Introduction: Ying
 00:01:26 - Ying's Background and Early Life
 00:12:06 - Common Questions from Tourists 
00:15:24 - Recommended Duration for Ha Giang Loop
 00:16:27 - Modes of Transportation
 00:18:50 - Licensing and Safety for Motorbike Riders
 00:20:00 - Day 1 Itinerary
 00:20:40 - Accommodation Options: Hotel vs. Homestay
 00:22:10 - Day 2/3/4 Itinerary
 00:26:18 - Suitable Travelers 00:28:12 - Fitness and Health Considerations
 00:29:17 - Packing Tips
 00:35:06 - Local Cuisine
 00:36:09 - Best Days of the week to Visit & why Reach out to Ying’s at https://dragonmountainfamily.com/ Her WhatsApp number :+84338805995 Download Transcript PDF Read the transcript here

09c8bf5a-9903-4573-9ce5-3306acfa70c2Discussing the broader challenges in travel planning Travelling to Vietnam part 3 - Things NOT always in a tour program Episode 16 S3-16 Things NOT always in a tour 00:00 / 14:32 The final episode in this series. A short episode to close out the series, I am again joined by Miquel Angel as we discuss the broader challenges of trip planning. “While time is in your hands” says my knowledgeable guest Miquel, it does take astute planning to get the best out of the regions within a restrictive 14 day trip, which was the basis of this series. This is a 3 -part series, so may I suggest you start with Part 1 to get the full benefit of my guest’s insights. Miquel further shares his take on places like Dalat, Phong Nha, Hanoi, Northern Highlands, Phu Quoc and Dalat. You will discover things you may not have thought possible to see in Vietnam, as they are not featured in your average program, like Tulips in Dalat and Bee farms in Phu Quoc. Because as he says “You cannot fit everything in." Download Transcript PDF Read transcript

S4-01 Art in Vietnam What About Vietnam S4-1 Art in Vietnam – storytelling at its best Kerry Newsome: 00:01 Xin Chào and welcome to "What About Vietnam ! ". One of the topics that doesn't get covered very much about Vietnam is art, and it really should, because it is one of the experiences you're going to get to have when you come to visit Vietnam. Art in Vietnam is everywhere. And as you're going to hear in this program, there are a lot of expressions of art, and it has evolved over time. And we're going to really take it back 100 years and talk about just how Vietnam has developed in the art world. 00:39 I'm joined today with Bridget March. She is a Prolific artist herself. She, originally, trained as a freelance product designer. She became a senior lecturer at Leeds University of Art and moved to Saigon in 2012. And that was really to fulfill a lifelong ambition to be a full-time artist. She was inspired to stay, and she went on to then produce three books about Hội An, Sapa and Saigon. And those books include some of her art and sketches. She has had seven solo exhibitions of paintings and drawings in Vietnam galleries, international hotels. She's also gone on to curate the fabulous art space at Anantara Hội An Resort in Hội An. 01:36 She has her own gallery. And she's very much about supporting local artists in their endeavors and their journey. She gives up the best galleries that you have to see and go to in Vietnam. So that's going to be in your show notes on our website "whataboutvietnam.com ", you can make arrangements to go to her gallery when you visit Hội An. And those details will also be included in the show notes and the transcript. See below. So, make sure you check that out. 02:12 We're in for a great show. And I think we're going to learn a lot about art. And certainly, I hope it's going to give you a greater appreciation of it in Vietnam. Let's welcome Bridget March to the program. Good morning, Bridget March. Welcome to "What About Vietnam". Bridget March: 02:32 Good morning, Kerry. It's very nice to be here. Kerry Newsome: 02:36 It's been a while in the baking, hasn't it? I'm so delighted to have you on the show. But two years into COVID, here we are. And I've finally got you on the show. So, I'm very excited. We're going to be talking art today. And I think for people who are coming to Vietnam and get the chance to see some art in Vietnam, I think it'd be really handy for them to know what they're looking at, what they're seeing and maybe some background. So, I'm going to ask you, Bridget, if we can start just talking about a little bit of history of art in Vietnam, and just what people can expect to see when they come. Bridget March: 03:23 Sure. I remember when I first came to Vietnam, 13 years ago, I was lucky enough to go to the Hanoi Museum of Art. And in fact, that's where I fell in love with Vietnam, because it's chronologically organized. And I felt I was seeing the whole story of Vietnam in pictures. And some of it wasn't easy to understand, because it's so different from western art. So, some of the landscapes are a bit strange. But in fact, they are representational mountains, are about reaching to heaven. Rivers are about pathways in your life. And you will always see that the people within these landscapes are tiny, really tiny. And that's because it represents men's very small place in the universe. So, they're very different to like quite magical, and the Vietnamese and Asian person can stare at one of these paintings for a long time for an hour and actually meditate about these things, very different from Western art. Kerry Newsome: 04:40 And I think, that is really worth mentioning because there are aspects of religion in that philosophy of hope, aspirational aspects, and sometimes as a Westerner, we come in, we blow into the country, we get off the bus or whatever, and we're thrown on a tour. And then somebody says, "We're going to this gallery. “We walk in, and we see these pictures. It would have been really handy for someone to just give me some context. And I think those words that you've just shared with us now helps a lot. Can we go into the actual art forms, I guess, as in lacquer art or silk paintings, things like that. Can you talk to us about that? Bridget March: 05:38 Sure. So, the traditional art forms, in this part of Asia starts with black ink, which is used in representational landscape paintings, and calligraphy. And the calligraphy here is very much the same as it is in the Arab nations, where the calligraphy is also a meditation. It's not necessarily that you think it's beautiful, but you meditate on the words or the meanings. And they're like meditations in your day, remind us to be good and thoughtful and all that sort of stuff. 06:24 Then there is lacquer art. And the lacquer comes from spindly little trees, it's collected in very much the same way as rubber. So, the trees are scored and the lacquer drips out. The lacquer in each nation depends on its climate, just like wine. And in Japan or Korea, the trees are a bit fatter, and the lacquer flows more freely. The trees in Vietnam are really skinny. And they actually collect the lacquer in seashells strapped to the stems, the trunks of the trees, and so little comes off. And it's said by the practitioners that the Vietnamese lacquer is the most difficult to work with. And it's highly prized. 07:21 Most lacquer painters in Vietnam, using Japanese, Korean or Chinese lacquer, and finding practitioners using Vietnamese lacquer is rare. There are some masters in Hanoi. And we actually have a world specialist in that art form living in central Vietnam. Things like watercolor and oil painting did not come until the French arrived. These were imported from Europe. 07:58 And, in my very limited experience in this, as you well know. I've been gone on a world discovery tour with art in Vietnam. I discovered lacquer art and the basic artwork skill very late. And to the end that I actually bought some during COVID in Australia at a gallery that unfortunately had to close. But what I got to see just before COVID actually, in Saigon, was them crushing the eggshells, the pearl, etc., to raise a different surface to the lacquer art. So, you can buy urns and you can buy beautiful bowls, etc. But the actual paintings or pictures I bought were abstract. But they have these beautiful insets of pearl and different shells, etc. Can you give some explanation of that artwork skill and how long it takes to create one of these because I've been told that many layers upon layers, it can take a while? 09:31 No matter where you are in the world. Artists, hundreds of years ago had to use the materials that were available to them. And the lacquer was the medium which carried the color. So, they would take some yellow clay, mix it with the lacquer to make a nice sort of yellow ochre color. They would crush beetles to get the red cochineal, the red blood from them, mix it with the lacquer to create a red color. And other stones or powders, herbs would be crushed and mixed with the lacquer. 10:19 Now, one of the colors that they were not able to produce was white. So, they took chickens eggs, or ducks’ eggs, I should say. They took ducks eggs, because they're so white and crushed them. And depending on how finely you powder them, you can either create something that looks a bit like crazy paving, so it's textured, or you can crush it very finely to get a kind of powdered finish. But of course, it's calcium. It doesn't make a very smooth white. So, the white is always slightly textured and some artists like it to be more textured, larger lumps of shell than others. 11:11 And they also used mother of pearl because it glitters, and it's been used in many different ways. Sometimes paper is actually coated with the mother of pearl shell to make it glittery. In lacquer paintings, it tends to be used in quite large chunks. To decorate precious items in the painting like a lady's fan, or an emperor's hat would be highlighted with mother of pearl, or mussel shells, different shells, oyster shells, mussel shells, all give different types of mother of pearl. So, this is just using local materials to create the colors you need. 11:59 The base of the painting is clay. These days, the layer of clay is laid down onto plywood. Years ago, it would have been on to a stable dry hardwood. And you take about a three-millimeter layer of clay to get a smooth surface onto which you can apply your color. Whether you're using eggshell or mother of pearl, which is quite lumpy, you actually have to carve a small hole in the clay to inlay the eggshell of the mother of pearl. So, the surface of the painting is smoother. It is really labor intensive. And when you have put all your colors down, you then grind the surface. And depending on how much you grind it, you can reveal colors underneath, or leave colors on the surface. And the finer the abrasive that you use to polish the lacquer, the shinier it will be. 13:15 It can take days to dry the lacquer in between every coat. And it only works in semi tropical and tropical climates because it dries in humidity amazingly. So, this does not work in a climate like the UK, Northern Europe, it just doesn't work. You have to have humidity to "dry" or "cure" the lacquer. Kerry Newsome: 13:52 And as I got to speak to one of the craftsmen in a factory in Saigon, as I said back in 2019. And he went to great efforts to explain the layers and how many layers it may require to get the right finish that they want to achieve. And sometimes for us, when we're buying lacquer art, we can get the cheaper versions which have only got maybe, one or two layers so it comes off very easily versus the craftsman who has gone to the extra time and effort and labor to increase the layers to increase the life, I guess, of the said item. Is there any truth to that? Bridget March: 14:53 Totally. Kerry Newsome: 14:54 Oh, thank God for that. [laughter] Bridget March: 14:57 The cheapest lacquer Arts, which are just a few dollars are not even using lacquer. They're using commercial paint like domestic gloss paint. It has nothing to do with lacquer at all. And then there's the mid-range lacquers, where they're using traditional materials, but maybe using the cheaper Korean and Japanese lacquers. And only, as you say, using 1, 2 or 3 layers. The quality of a piece of lacquer work is always reflected in the price. So, if you're looking at a work of art, which is over $6,000, you're looking at the real thing. And if it's costing less than that, then you're looking at something that is made from less expensive materials, a quicker process. And at the very lowest level where you're paying $10 for something, these are just mass produced for the tourist market, they call them lacquers. But they're not even lacquers. Kerry Newsome: 16:18 I bring that up, because I've often got thrown that line with a group where we've talked about lacquer art, and they've said, "Gosh, I saw these ones in this gallery, and they wanted, I don't know, it was hundreds of US dollars. And I think I saw the same thing in the markets for about $25." And, you know, I'm hesitant to reply because I need to be careful what I say there. But yes, one is closer to the real thing than the other, can we talk a little bit more? I really want to delve into your history also in Vietnam, and where you're sitting now in Hội An and I want to expand a little bit more to the other art forms to ceramics, and pottery and maybe even to the lanterns, and some of the other art that people can just keep their eyes peeled for because there are some beautiful aspects to those. And I would love people to know about that. Can we throw that into the mix? Bridget March: 17:33 Yeah, you can. I think it's important to define the difference between art and craft. So, craft is where something is reproduced again and again, it's handmade. It takes a great deal of skill. But it's reproduced again and again. And you'll see that in the beautiful embroideries that you'll find in the ethnic villages done by the older women. They're really painstaking. And a jacket, a skirt, a good quality object will take two years to make because they grow the plants that make the fibers that make the weaving that make the dye. 18:32 And it's a very long process. But they're reproducing the same designs generation on generation. And you can identify exactly the village from which somebody comes by the patterns they reproduce. And this is craft. It's a traditional craft. Art, however, is when an artist is producing something original, something conceptual, a new idea, a new design, not just a variation on something that's been done for a long time, like lotus blossoms, all of ours, but actually something original. So, I would like really to talk about the artists that produce these things rather than the craft sort of produced. 19:35 And at the moment, there are actually very few artists working in ceramics. But those who do have their work exhibited all over the world. And at the end of this, I would like your listeners to have access to a list of 10 or 15 artists, the kind of work they produce and where they might see their work. In Hội An, there's a lot of traditional crafts, the ceramics. We have a ceramic village, there's woodworking. And amongst the woodworkers, there are artists, and there are craftsmen. And some of the artists who are carving things like jackfruit wood produce the most amazing work and they can be commissioned; you can actually ask them to do something unique for you. And they offer for sale, some unique works of art. 20:44 Alongside that they're producing highly skilled craft work, which is reproduced and available for sale. The lanterns. This is a craft. Lanterns are produced all over Asia. And there's a kind of a story that goes with them, that it was the fishermen who were creating fish traps using bamboo, combined with the tailors who had the silk, they put them together. And they were covering fish traps with silk to create lanterns inside which there would be some oil or candle perhaps. And the lanterns in central Vietnam, I can't speak for what's going on in Hanoi and Saigon. But in central Vietnam, the trend is moving to much more patterned lanterns. They're becoming much prettier. And there is some hand painting going on. And again, you can commission somebody to hand paint something for you. But it's a craft rather than art. Kerry Newsome: 22:05 That's a great story about the lanterns. My God! I didn't know that. That is terrific too. And I can see that that's feasible, there's some logic to that. Absolutely. Bridget, I want to take you back now to your arrival into Vietnam, in 2012, into Saigon. We've talked about the fact that you had this as a big wish on your list to come to Saigon to further your own artistic journey. Can you talk to us about that? What was some of the significance of you coming to Vietnam and reasons, I guess? And also, where was Vietnam at in the art sphere or the art world at that time? We're talking Saigon, 2012. Bridget March: 23:05 No, really not that long ago. Although quite a lot has changed in the art world. Kerry Newsome: 23:09 Yes. Just a bit. Bridget March: 23:11 Yeah. Anyway, I suffered from the same as many aspiring artists when I was young. It's a bit like, "Don't let your daughter go on the stage, Mrs. Brown. Don't let your daughter become an artist. Don't let your son become a dancer. Don't let them join a rock band. It's going to end in failure." Kerry Newsome: 23:42 It's not a real job. Bridget March: 23:42 You're going to starve, you know. Anyway, so I went to university, I did design, and I was a successful product designer for 20 years. And then I ended up as a senior lecturer in an independent art school in northern England. And at the same time, I'm painting, I'm etching, drawing. I'm getting my work into galleries. And I really want to give up the day job and be a full-time artist. But the truth is that in the Western world, unless you are independently wealthy or have a wealthy patron, it's really almost impossible to give up the day job because the cost of living is so high. And a new artist needs to build up a portfolio of work. And even if you're brilliant and amazing and you have a famous patron and you've got a million dollars, it's still going to take you three or four years to become established. I didn't have that privilege. 24:54 I came to visit a friend in Vietnam, and she suggested that I come here and spend a bit of time, I thought, well, I could take a year out. And I could do that. But 10 years later, I'm still here, and I could afford to do it in Vietnam, the cost of living is much lower. And because the art scene was still emerging, after years of oppression. Western artist arriving and doing watercolors and publishing books of sketches and so on, was quite a novelty. And I, very quickly had a little bit of success, enough to establish me, and I was interviewed by TV stations and all kinds of publicity. 25:47 At that time, Vietnamese artists were still being censored by the culture police. And if they weren't doing kind of portraits and flowers and landscapes, if they were trying to say something a bit more conceptual, then the culture police would land on them and insist that the work was destroyed. I worked in a gallery in Saigon for a short time and was familiar with the activities of other galleries in the city. And it was very regular for exhibitions to be visited by the culture police on the opening night. And they would come in and they would take pieces of work off the wall, or insist that they be covered with brown paper, because they felt that they were not fit for public consumption. Or they offended the government's view of the way Vietnam should be represented. 26:55 For example, there was an exhibition of a young photographer, Vietnamese photographer, who was doing fabulous photography among some of the older buildings in Saigon, really great color, contrast light. But they covered the whole of his exhibition with brown paper, because they thought that it represented poverty. And that was not how Saigon wanted the world to perceive it. They didn't know that westerners coming into the country knew exactly where "Saigon was at that it was at a turning point in its life, it was turning from a third world city into a modern superstar. And this transformation and the remnants of the old city are considered very beautiful by westerners, who are interested in buying photography. A lot of that kind of thing was going on. My work was considered to be very safe, because I was doing nice little watercolors of lovely urban and countryside landscapes. And I became very popular because of that, and the authorities love me, because I've made Vietnam look very beautiful. 27:48 Kerry Newsome And I think, it's worth mentioning that because people, when they do get to look at a piece of art, are going to draw certain perceptions about what the story is behind it, let's face it. Good art, to me speaks to you. It has a story and there's something in that. And you're right, Vietnam is very big on making sure that they are seen by the world in a particular way, depending on, as you say, the culture police's perception at the time. I think, there has been an evolution that we are witnessing that Vietnam is becoming a little bit more open about sharing some of their not so good views of their countryside, or their history or their whatever. Because, it's about keeping it real also, for the rest of the world. Kerry Newsome: 29:28 History is not always going to look beautiful, it's going to have aspects of horror and pain and shame and destruction, but that would be every country possibly in the world. So, why would Vietnam be any different? However, moving on, you and I spoke earlier about the artists and the differences in three main cities being Saigon, Huế and Hanoi. Can you speak to that a little bit more, I found that really interesting? Bridget March: 30:01 Sure. So, prior to the French arriving, artists weren't just artisans or crafts people. And they would be reproducing beautiful works of art, for temples, for the homes of the wealthy, for government buildings, and so on. They were not really permitted or encouraged, or able to express themselves. It wasn't appropriate for people who created art, to have to produce conceptual art, or something that even identified the artist up until 100 years ago. And artists would sign their work with the name of the emperor, not with their own name. And there are still some beautiful works in Hội An, which assigned to this way. 31:14 For example, in the Cantonese assembly hall , in the old town, there is the most beautiful, vigorous dragon, which is constructed out of concrete and Broken China, a bit like the work that Gaudi does in Barcelona, exactly the same craft. And there's a signature on it, that the signature is the name of the emperor at the time. And we will never ever know the artist who developed the idea for this particular dragon. 31:56 So, when the French arrived, they wanted to bring with them some of the western art, music, dance architecture. And gradually, they established different schools where people could study this, the teachers initially were French. They also took some Vietnamese artists and crafts people back to France, to learn how to use some of the Western materials and to learn from European artists, music, art, fashion, and all the different arts, literature, poetry, and so on. And then these Vietnamese came back to Vietnam and were established in schools about the very first was in Saigon in 1903, something around that date. 32:56 The next one was in Hanoi. And the third was the most modern, which was I think, 1957 was in Huế. And each one of these schools developed its own way of interpreting the arts, because of the teachers who were working there, and Hanoi featured very much on technique. And Hanoi is still very well known for copy artists, they are brilliant, they can copy the Mona Lisa, almost perfectly. Because they're so skilled at manipulating the colors and the materials. They're fluent in that language. But they're not, there weren't anyway, so skilled at developing new concepts in art, or messages, or styles. In Saigon, they focus more on the technical arts, like graphic design, architecture, the kind of things that build a modern city. And of course, alongside that, came artists and a much more modern Western, and ultimately Americanized approach to producing art, fashion, design, literature. 34:26 Huế, is kind of somewhere in the middle, and out of the Huế School of Art have come some amazing colorists. The art has a very European feel about it, but it's fresh, it's uniquely Vietnamese and the use of color, the landscapes, the buildings, the interpretation of the environment. And, if you go in and out of enough galleries and you see the names and origins of enough artists, you can begin to see where they came from, which school they studied in, becomes clearer. Kerry Newsome: 35:05 Okay, so if I'm coming to Vietnam, and I really want to seek out some art that you've talked about, the kinds of work that we've discussed on the show today, where do my guests go? Where do they hit? Bridget March: 35:23 Alright, I've got a list. Kerry Newsome: 35:25 Excellent. I knew you would, Bridget. I was counting on that. I'll add that, just before you say anything. I want everyone to know that list will feature on the website, it'll have a link to the list on the show notes. So, whether you listen on iTunes, or Spotify or any of those, it'll always direct you back to where you can get that list. So, all yours now, Bridget, just so you know that list going to be there. Bridget March: 35:57 Okay, I think everybody knows, Asia can be really tricky, because you can't recognize what's authentic, and what is fake, what's a copy, and what's the real thing. So, it's important to know where to go. And I have a list which will direct your listeners to the three major public museums of art in Hanoi, Huế, and Saigon. And there's quite an interesting young contemporary art museum in Da Nang, that's worth a visit. But in addition to those, in each center, I'm offering what I know to be the best art galleries, if you're looking for the real thing. 36:54 Now, look, when you're visiting, when you're traveling, I've done the same. You're not necessarily looking for authentic works of art, you're just looking for something which is going to be a lovely souvenir of your visit. It might be something abstract, it might be a landscape, might be a portrait, and you'll find those. You can't help everywhere you go; you'll trip over those. And local artists usually have their work hanging out on the street outside their studios. It's not hard to find. But even when you go into an artist studio, you don't really know if the artist is producing original work, or whether he or she is actually reproducing the work that his grandfather did. All that some famous artists in Hanoi or Saigon produced 100 years ago, you have no idea. 37:43 So, you really need to go to some of the better art galleries, and they are in that list. My little gallery in central Vietnam is just about the only place in central Vietnam, which properly represents, offers a full service for local artists and visitors. My aim in the gallery is to support local artists, with the website, videos, interviews, you can come and talk to me about the art. I can arrange visits for you to meet the artists or even spend time with artists if you want to have an experience with them. A full-service gallery like mine, gives you the trust you need to spend a bit more than average on art. And I've listed similar places in "Hanoi and Saigon. And it's not easy. You need to know you're in the right gallery. If you're a collector, at least. Kerry Newsome: 38:57 Yes, and I think that is just such a great point because I don't know how many times, I've been kind of double checking myself to go, "Is this the real McCoy or is this just a really good copy shop or whatever." And I hate the fact that Vietnam gets called copy-copy. I think that really- that brand, that everything is copy-copy. I really want to do everything I can on this show to stamp that out. I'm not saying that there isn’t copy-copy stuff out there. 39:39 Of course, that's a reality. But to brand it totally that there aren't true artisans out there in Vietnam that are doing the most exquisite art and guess what, you're not going to get it for a nickel. People have said to me before, "I think Vietnam could get expensive." And I said, "Compared to what?" It's interesting, for a lot of people there is a, I guess a perception that they're always going to get something for a nickel or dime in Vietnam that they wouldn't pay that extra money for that beautifully designed dress, that's just a one-off piece of art that if you walk into a room, you are going to be a showstopper. 40:36 There's leather work, there is beautiful ceramics that. Yes, they're not nickel and dime stuff. And I've been to your gallery, I've always loved the work that you do, and more so probably the work that you do for artists, and to give them that platform because as you say, it's hard to find. And it's hard to find that authenticism. And it's that authenticism that you sell, mostly, I think, is the gift to us all. Bridget March: 41:12 So, I'll tell you now, my favorite places to visit. 1. Number one has to be the "Hanoi Museum of Art . It is large, it's well organized. It's amazing. The breadth, the variety of work is amazing. And you really learned something about Vietnam without having to read a book or a guidebook. It's all laid out before you in pictures. It's a story book. And all the different art forms are there, lacquer, oil, watercolor, silk, painting, ceramics, sculpture, and the collection there covers a period of about 1500 years. It's really great. It's great. And it's right in the heart of the most interesting part of the city very close to the famous temple of literature. And it's really easy to find it's very accessible. 42:23 2. My second most favorite place is the Museum of Art in Saigon . It's in the most gorgeous building in the middle of town near the central market. And again, it's arranged slightly differently, and it has a more contemporary feel than the Hanoi one. It's more colorful, there is more abstract stuff. There is some of that Russian brutalist stuff. There are bronzes and much more ceramics. It's a really lovely place to go. And it's not as big as the Hanoi Museum, you can do it in about an hour. 43:04 3. And my third is, absolutely, don't miss this one. This is just outside Huế. And it is the Lebadang Memory Space , and it is new. It has been architect designed, it's in the most beautiful hillside setting. The building itself will take your breath away. And inside is the story of the life of one Vietnamese artist who came originally from a village near Huế. And the work is fabulous. There are videos to sit and watch. It's an amazing place and it's got a great cafe and a gorgeous garden setting. So, those would be for me, the three, don't miss these. If you're interested in art, don't miss these three. And then if you've got a bit more time, have a look at the list that accompanies this and go exploring. Kerry Newsome: 44:15 Definitely. And I hope to see you Bridget in Hội An later this year, can't wait to catch up face to face. It's been a while. Thank you again for coming on the show and sharing your insights into art in Vietnam. Bridget March: 44:31 It has been totally my pleasure and it's really lovely to see you again, Kerry, after such a long time. Thanks. We speak about a list in the show of Bridgets favourite galleries, the blog listing those is here;- https://www.marchgallery-hoian.com/post/vietnam-s-contemporary-art-in-2022 The gallery details and all her social pages are here. Feel free to reach our directly. www.marchgallery-hoian.com FB: march harbour gallery Inst: March harbour gallery Pinterest: march gallery Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/march-gallery

f9b791be-473a-40c9-aff8-10fae46871a0Phil Hoolihan takes us beyond the tourist tracks Sapa North Vietnam - well beyond the tourist track Episode 15 Sapa North Vietnam - well beyond the tourist track 00:00 / 40:50 If you love trekking or want to embrace a more authentic experience of Vietnam you have to head to Sapa and North Vietnam. My guest today Phil Hoolihan gives us a very in-depth take on what the Sapa region offers from the well worn tourist tracks to the more authentic immersive type experiences you can get if you are prepared to dig a bit deeper. Phil Hoolihan is an academic who came to the region over 20 years ago on a science project studying biodiversity. Having settled into the region his knowledge of the area, local minority groups, cultural norms and tourism is extensive. Download Transcript PDF Read the transcript here

fd20ff94-5ab4-4701-b150-f5ef0316cce5Must try local dishes with Vietnam Food Safari What About Vietnam – S3- 4 Find the "must try" Vietnamese local dishes in Danang [00:00:35] Kerry Newsome: Xin chào . Welcome to What About Vietnam . Today, we've got a really fun show talking about food, breakfast, lunch, dinner, and all you'll ever want to know about coffee set in the city of Danang. I'm talking to Pedr Finn, who runs Vietnam Food Safari, which is a fabulous tour that operates in Danang city. Peter runs those. I met him a few years ago. This is a super fun episode. [chuckles] He should be a stand-up comic, truly. Buckle up for a really great episode. Please welcome Pedr to the program. Pedr, welcome to What About Vietnam . I can't believe we've been talking about this for ages. We've finally made it. We finally got together. Lovely to have you on the program. [00:01:33] Pedr Finn: Thank you, Kerry. It's very nice of you to invite me and have the patience to put up with me. [00:01:39] Kerry Newsome: Look, it's definitely worth it. I have to admit, I thought, "Is this actually going to happen?" Because I think I've been talking to you-- Oh, it's been at least over a year. Yes. As we just said, there's a fair bit that's going on in that year. Lots of good reasons why, but I thought just for my listeners to give them some context about who you are and how I know you and all that sort of thing. Back in about 2019, I did one of your Vietnam Food Safari tours. You really impressed me on that tour for two reasons. One, I was really starting to delve into Danang at the time. I used it as a bit of leapfrog to Hoi An and other places previously because, obviously, you fly in there. You just opened me up to a whole side of Danang that I clearly had missed. That was the first thing I loved. Then, on the food tour-- because we're going to focus our day on food as in a food tour experience, when we talk about food in Vietnam, and we talk about cooking classes-- I've had another podcast I did with Tracey Lister, she mentioned and talked a lot about cooking classes. She said you really need to do more than one and do it in different regions because you obviously have a set menu. In a set menu, you only get what's on the menu. We're doing a food tour. Something like what I did with you was great because I got to see and experience lots of different foods, breakfast, lunch, and dinner in different places, and experience different flavors. It just took me to a different level of experience of food that I'd had up until that point. That's the biggest rave I can give you as an intro, but it's very genuine. [00:04:05] Pedr Finn: I'll take it. [laughter] [00:04:08] Kerry Newsome: Okay, you got it. Now, let’s do this audio foodie tour of Danang because we're featuring Danang. That's where you're sitting at the moment. Let’s start the day. First stop. What's our first stop? [00:04:24] Pedr Finn: For me, every morning, I get up at-- for the Vietnamese themselves, I'd be up early, 5:30. Most people would be up. I think 90% of people would have breakfast on the streets. For me, I would probably head to a coffee shop first. 6:00 AM, coffee shops are open. Vietnamese coffee lifestyle is probably unlike anything else I've ever experienced. I grew up in Fremantle. Fremantle has always had a good coffee scene. You can go to Rome and have coffee, but the Vietnamese coffee is-- the scene itself-- it's amazing how people just come together for a short coffee and last the entire day. [chuckles] I feel sorry for the coffee shop owners. I think many of them would make very little money because they might order one coffee, and they get free tea all morning. [laughter] A lot of guys will sit there for an hour or two and only order one coffee. [laughs] [00:05:27] Kerry Newsome: Yes, I know you would not do that in many other places. Let’s face it. [00:05:31] Pedr Finn: No. They push you out. [laughs] [00:05:34] Kerry Newsome: Absolutely. Talk to us a little bit about Vietnamese coffee because it's quite famous, isn't it? [00:05:41] Pedr Finn: The Vietnamese coffee I think is the traditional style of coffee. Now, I don't know if anyone's had a Vietnamese coffee before. It's very strong. The Vietnamese do grow their own coffee here in Vietnam up in the mountains. The coffee is very condensed. When they make it traditionally, they will use what they call a phin . What it is? It's a stainless or an aluminum device. It sits above your cup. They fill it with about two tablespoons of coffee and probably about 40 mils of water. It'll trickle through over the course of about five or six minutes. Surprisingly enough, more often enough, it's served cold. If I go to a coffee shop in Vietnam and order a coffee with the local Vietnamese scene, I would be ordering a coffee that I would expect to come with either that I'd ask for a coffee sữa đá , a coffee with milk, soybean milk, or coffee đen , which is black coffee, would come to the table always with a cube of ice in a small tray with a spoon. Your coffee's either still dripalating or already been poured through the phin , so you get this either lukewarm coffee with no milk. Then, you would add your ice to it, or you would get a hot coffee with milk in it. Then, you would stir the milk through, which is always condensed milk, which is my favorite. It's a sweet coffee. Then, you add a block of ice to it. For many who come to Vietnam, I think that they aren't expecting all-- perhaps they've had experience with Vietnamese coffee before, but a true Vietnamese coffee is very condensed, very strong. I don't think too many people would be able to drink it black and to have condensed milk in the coffee, particularly someone coming from Australia or Italy. You think that's not what you pour in. You need real fresh milk. [laughter] But I think in days gone, they had no fresh milk and no refrigeration in Vietnam. That's been something they've carried on through. I think these days, you can go to coffee shops and go into a coffee scene, particularly in tourist areas. Now, you can order a cappuccino or a latte or a flat white, but it's fine that the Vietnamese coffee is not designed to be made into those drinks because now that they're using the coffee machines. They grind the coffee too fine. I find it burns the coffee very quickly. When they make you a coffee with the machines-- That has become popular now. Even in Danang now, you'll go to a coffee shop, and the machines are taking over from the scene of the old traditional phin . It's a shame because the coffee's so much better through the phin . It's not burnt. [laughs] [00:08:50] Kerry Newsome: When coffee is burnt like that, it gets quite bitter, doesn't it? [00:08:55] Pedr Finn: Oh, it does. As a coffee lover, you would find that to be a terrible cup of coffee. I think that the scene here is that many of the older generations will still head to coffee shops that only do it in phin , whereas the modern-day coffee shops that you're seeing emerging-- Coffee shops can be anywhere. What I love about coffee in Vietnam is no matter where you are, you'll find a coffee. It's not just a coffee shop. It could be on the street. It could be a plastic chair, takeaway, where they're just—Literally, you would sit, have a coffee and move on, or you can sit in a coffee shop. In Vietnam, they seem to put coffee shops next to a coffee shop next to a coffee shop. You'll have a row of coffee shops next to each other. [00:09:46] Kerry Newsome: Do you have a favorite? [00:09:48] Pedr Finn: I do go-- This is the other side of the river in Danang City. I'm living on the beachside and across the river, the Han river. There's a little Indochine coffee shop right on the waterfront. There are not many on the waterfront on the city side. It's a quiet little place. It's usually full of Vietnamese businessmen on the way to work in the mornings. In the afternoon, it's definitely quiet, but you have a beautiful view of all the bridges and all the waterfront of Danang. Danang's a very pretty city, a very pretty city. [00:10:23] Kerry Newsome: It is. It is, definitely. It's definitely come into its own recent times, in the last few years in particular. [00:10:31] Kerry Newsome: It is modernized, I think, faster than any other city in Southeast Asia. I can't say there isn't anything you can't get in Danang now. When I first arrived in Vietnam, there were things that you didn't even think about, fresh milk, deodorant. [laughter] You couldn't even get those when I first arrived, but now, you've got modern shopping centers, you have modern eateries. Franchise foods are coming down now. [00:10:58] Kerry Newsome: Theaters. [00:10:59] Pedr Finn: Yes. They're the big, scary ones I don't like. I don't like the new places that are turning up on the side of some streets. I don't know why, though, because the food here is so good. [chuckles] [00:11:16] Kerry Newsome: Absolutely. [00:11:16] Pedr Finn: In Australia, we're trying to get away from eating junk food and fast food. It's just arriving in Vietnam. I think don't let it stay because you've got such wonderful cuisine. There are so many options in Vietnam that the fast food won't last here very long because the Vietnamese arem’t into eating burgers, French fries, and that sort of jargon. I think the younger ones are, but not the older ones. No, definitely not. [chuckles] [00:11:45] Kerry Newsome: Absolutely. Now, if we move on from coffee, and we're probably getting to about, I don't know, eight or nine o'clock, are we-- next stop, breakfast? What's on the breakfast menu? [00:11:57] Pedr Finn: If you're going to go look for breakfast at nine o'clock, don't expect very much. [00:12:01] Kerry Newsome: Oh, really. You've got to go earlier? [00:12:02] Pedr Finn: Breakfast is an early thing. Yes, many breakfast places will be closed by 8:00. Nine o'clock you might stretch it for a couple of different options. Breakfast is my favorite time of the day. There are so many options you can choose from. I think that if you're expecting a bowl of cereal and bacon and eggs, you're definitely going to be disappointed, but-- [00:12:26] Kerry Newsome: [chuckles] No one's going to go to Vietnam for bacon and eggs. [00:12:29] Pedr Finn: No. Well, they do serve a dish, which is one of my favorites, which is bò né . Bò né is the Vietnamese turn of bacon and eggs, I guess. They serve rare beef that they've stir-fried on a hot skillet, that is cooked on and served as your serving plate. They will cook that with fried eggs, onions, and pa tê , sometimes with sausages like a Vietnamese-style sausage, and always with a hot bánh mì or hot baguette. [00:13:01] Kerry Newsome: Love the baguette. [00:13:02] Pedr Finn: A lot of the baguette, the bread here is to die for. Again, that's regional, too. You can have different styles of bread throughout the country. And always with salads. You always get lots of salad served at breakfast time. One of the things I think Vietnamese eat very healthy is that they have a lot of leafy greens. [00:13:22] Kerry Newsome: Yes, they do. [00:13:23] Pedr Finn: For a fried breakfast, it's very healthy I think. It’s not swimming in oil. It's not swimming in fat. You've not got a lot of protein on the plate. It’s enjoyable with the hot baguettes, but that's one of my favorites by now, but there are so many others. You can go for soups in the morning. You can have rice porridges in the morning. You can have-- Another favorite of mine's bánh cuốn , which is like a rice pancake that's made fresh in front of you on the steamer. They'll pour a rice liquid over a steamer that has mesh over the top. That'll peel off these very, very fine rice pancakes that are steamed. [00:14:06] Kerry Newsome: Oh, delicious. [00:14:08] Pedr Finn: Filling those with chopped-up wood ear mushrooms and pork mince, or you can just have vegetarian options with they're just filled with eggs. That's served four or five of those rolled-ups with the fried shallots and shallot oil poured over the top. For many, that is just a great way to start the day. None of the breakfasts are heavy. They are meals, though, that will put them through the day. I think because they eat so early and break probably about midday for lunch. The main meal of the day would be breakfast. Lunches aren't a very heavy thing unless they're out and about working. [00:14:52] Kerry Newsome: Yes, it's an interesting point you bring up that they do put an emphasis on early in the day to eat rather than late in the day. As a westerner, our biggest meal is in the evening, whereas their biggest meals tend to be breakfast and lunch. Is that [crosstalk] [00:15:10] Pedr Finn: Well, for many people, they will travel home for lunch. Lunch with very, very, very little protein. There might be a small portion of fish or meat or pork, always with steamed rice and probably a soup, which is made with leafy greens. That'll be the family meal that they would all sit down to and all come home from work, and then, have lunch. Then, if they're in the fortunate position where they can have their siesta there as well, they will have their midday sleep, and then head back to work. I always said I could sell 97 million shirts in Vietnam. Vietnam eats anywhere, eats any time, sleeps anywhere. [laughter] They might have light meals, but they always seem to be eating. [laughs] [00:16:00] Kerry Newsome: Yes. I can remember on that tour that you took me on. I've also got a lot of Vietnamese friends. We just seem to go from one eating place to the other and like I'm bursting at the seams. I'm going, "Are you kidding? I cannot put another thing in my mouth." It's only like eleven o'clock in the morning. [00:16:20] Pedr Finn: I know that when I first arrived here, I was taking my friends, and one of my favorite soups is bánh canh . This one is served throughout Vietnam, but this was in Hoi An. The lady was only open between the hours of two and four o'clock. She would sell 20 liters of this soup between two and four o'clock. I would say, "But most people have had lunch at 11:30." "Oh, this is like second lunch." I'll be like, "But it's a big bowl of soup, and you'll be eating it with a bánh mì. " I think, "Well, that's second lunch. Well, they're not even second lunch. It's like just before dinner." [laughter] [00:16:55] Kerry Newsome: Exactly. I know. [00:16:57] Pedr Finn: If it's not that, they're having a bánh mì in between it all. It's like-- [00:17:01] Kerry Newsome: Absolutely. [00:17:02] Pedr Finn: Or snacking on fruit. They've always eaten a lot of fruit here. [chuckles] [00:17:07] Kerry Newsome: Absolutely. Now, I want to get this clear for my listeners. We've had our coffee. The second stop is breakfast. Now, give me something a bit precise as what would be good things to look at on a menu for that breakfast , so people can start to look clearly at a menu and go, "Oh, I heard Kerry and Pedr talk about this stuff. This sounds really good." Let’s give them something clearer. [00:17:37] Pedr Finn: Okay. For my choice of breakfast options, this was the one I explained, was the bò né , which is sizzling steak and eggs . That's pretty, well, more of a traditional idea for a breakfast for a foreigner, but-- [00:17:51] Kerry Newsome: Easy to find? Would it be on a lot of menus? [00:17:54] Pedr Finn: It would probably be. It's always one of those little street-side serving places that you'll see throughout Vietnam. There'll always be a crowd at the front. Bò né , It will always be down at one end of the town, which is only known for breakfast. You'll see some places that are only open at breakfast time. For the rest of the day, they don't reopen, but other choices for me would be something-- One that you have to have whilst you're in Danang or in Hoi An or in the Quang Nam region or province is mì quảng . Now, for many, it's a heavy noodle. But really, it’s a light noodle dish. The idea of having noodles and soup for breakfast would put a lot of people off I think, but once you've tried it, they are turmeric-infused broth poured over a rice noodle, quite a wide thick noodle. Usually, the broth is either with pork or prawn or with chicken. There's not a lot of protein. You may only get two pieces of prawn. You might only get a little bit of pork or a handful of chicken, but it's the noodles. The small amount of broth is what you enjoy at breakfast. For me, that's probably one that I would look for when I was in Danang or in Hoi An or in Quang Nam province because you won't see it again outside that province. It's a real specialty. For me, another one would be the old bánh mì , a good baguette. You can't knock the bánh mì here. [00:19:43] Kerry Newsome: [chuckles] That's my go-to. [00:19:43] Pedr Finn: If you want a quick grab-me breakfast, that's your McDonald's of Vietnam, I guess. Bánh mì are everywhere. It's to die for. [00:20:00] Kerry Newsome: What I love the best [00:20:01] Pedr Finn: I've never had a bad one. [chuckles] [00:20:04] Kerry Newsome: No, I don't think I have either, but I really love that takeaway idea of just being able to roll up at one of those side stalls. They just put it all together, put it in a plastic bag, and off you go. [00:20:17] Pedr Finn: Yes, Usually, you'll have some drink dispenser next door to that that's selling-- I don't know. You could have your sugarcane juices or your peanut milk. Then, you'll see the peanut milk and the soy milk served only in the mornings. They're always served in a little plastic bag. They'll shove the straw in there and wrap an elastic band around it with a block of ice inside. There's your takeaway drink. [laughter] [00:20:50] Kerry Newsome: Yes, ingenuity plus. [00:20:51] Pedr Finn: So simple idea. Then, we go, "Oh, our takeaway containers." "No, don't need all that." [laughter] [00:20:59] Kerry Newsome: Exactly. Okay. We've done breakfast. Now, you and I suggested probably a visit to the markets. Now, there are a few markets. We talked a little bit about the ones where you need your passport, otherwise, you get lost or you can't find people or-- [00:21:18] Pedr Finn: You probably need to go to the nearest airport afterward because you're not going to be meeting anyone ever again. [laughter] [00:21:26] Kerry Newsome: Okay. Do we give that one a name, so people make sure they don't go there? [00:21:31] Pedr Finn: Well, I highly recommend going to the fish markets . Now, there are the ones that are in near the port, but there is one on the main highway that leads to the port, which is a down and narrow set-- It's very difficult to find it. Then, it wouldn't be on any local maps, but it's where all the restaurants go to buy their seafood in the afternoons. It's such a narrow set of shops that stretches for maybe two or three kilometers. Everyone just squeezes in. You just get pushed along with the crowd. You pop out at one end. [laughter] I've never been there yet and left with the same people I arrived with. [laughter] [00:22:16] Kerry Newsome: Oh, no. I'm glad you didn't take me there. [00:22:19] Pedr Finn: You'd never stop to have a look at something. Well, you can stop, but that's it. You've lost the group behind you if you do. [laughs] [00:22:25] Kerry Newsome: Oh, okay. All right, where can I tell people to go, for God's sake? [00:22:31] Pedr Finn: Oh, look. There are three pretty good markets in Danang. I would highly recommend going to the Mỹ An markets over in Mỹ An on the beachside of the city. It's a local traditional market. You'll be able to experience a real Vietnamese market that is selling throughout the day, whereas some markets will open very early and be shut by lunchtime. These ones will continue through the day. You can see the fish, the chickens, and the beef, they're all being presented fresh on the boards, ready to be cut and served, and a great selection of market food there as well. There's a lot of the things that we'll talk about today are in those markets if you wanted to have all of it in one spot. That was where I took yourself. I think we went there, and we had one of my favorites there. We had bánh canh soup , which was the tapioca-noodle-style soup. You can have things like bánh xèo , the Vietnamese fried pancakes. [00:23:38] Kerry Newsome: Oh, I love bánh xèo . [00:23:39] Pedr Finn: Oh, one of my favorite, too. [00:23:42] Kerry Newsome: Oh, nowhere else can you get that. In Australia, they try to do it, but they just don't get it. [00:23:47] Pedr Finn: No, they don't. Bánh xèo , again, is regional as well. You can go from Hanoi in the North and go all the way to Ho Chi Minh in the South. You'll see so many different styles of bánh xèo . It'll start very small and get bigger as you move South. Whereas the ones in Hanoi are almost the size of-- Oh, they pour them into a large wok. Whereas the ones in Danang are..the size of [00:24:12] Kerry Newsome: The dinner plate. [00:24:13] Pedr Finn: It's a dinner plate. Yes, you cut it up into pieces and roll it as you go, whereas things like the ones you get in Danang are quite small, about the size of a bread plate. You eat half of one at a time and usually filled with all sorts of fillings, bean sprouts, pork- [00:24:29] Kerry Newsome: Seafood. [00:24:30] Pedr Finn: -seafood. Yes, it's definitely one of the ones you really want to not miss out on when traveling to Vietnam. No matter where you are, you can always get a nice bánh xèo , but the one in the central parts of Vietnam that's not seen pretty much in the North and the South is bánh căn. Bánh căn is like a little pancake version of the bánh xèo , much crispier. They make it in little molds, about the size of an inch and a half, two inches. It's usually filled with a whole quail egg. It is fried in oil. It is almost simmering in oil. [00:25:06] Kerry Newsome: Oh, yes. I've seen this just on the side of the street. A little lady frying them on little red chairs. They've got the quail eggs. Yes, I've seen it. [00:25:17] Pedr Finn: They'll serve that with a green papaya salad, usually pickled green papaya and carrot, and again, lots of herbs and a very sweet fish sauce poured over the top. It's a midday snack, but also, you'll see it at lunchtime, depending on where you are. I know in Hoi An, it's only in the afternoons, whereas in Danang, you probably get it all through the day. Mỹ An market, you'll see these styles of food. It's throughout the day. You can go there from about 7:00 AM. It'll be finished up by dark. I think the market themselves when people arrive, they think there's not much going on inside. Do venture inside. That's where it's all happening. The outskirts of the market have got all the fruit, vegetables, chickens, egg stalls, fresh fruit, and vegetables, but it's the inside operation of that market I'd head to. That was a really good market for food. [00:26:18] Kerry Newsome: We might put a list of this in the show notes so that people can pick this out. I'll make sure I put that in the show notes, for sure, because no one's going to remember. [00:26:29] Pedr Finn: No, no, no. I'll put some address details with that one to find. You just give it to your taxi driver, but it's also good for the other. It's on the tourist side of the town. Danang's split into two . You'll have the city on one side, the river splitting the city from the beach. A lot of the hotels are on the beachside. This market is on the beachside. It's quite close to a number of the larger, more known hotels. It's just near Mỹ An beach or Mỹ Khê beach. You'll be able to find it quite easily . It’s not overly popular, but locals are more used to seeing foreigners there than some other markets. Tourists there from all than other markets. It's a local market. It's what you would see throughout Vietnam in the sense of you can travel to places, and you'll go to the larger markets in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh. This market, you could almost take it out and place it into the countryside. It's no different than what you would see there. It's a very nice market to travel to. The people there are very polite and friendly and easy to deal with. [00:27:43] Kerry Newsome: I think, from my experience, very friendly, open and look at you with those eyes of novelty as you-- you're "I'm a blonde." I'm walking in. I'm looking at things. Obviously, my facial expressions are giving me away when I'm seeing live chickens and meats spread out on tables without refrigeration and things like that. They have this little smile on their face to go, "Yes, this is us" kind of thing- [00:28:11] Pedr Finn: Yes, [chuckles] absolutely. [00:28:15] Kerry Newsome: -and you know nothing. [00:28:15] Pedr Finn: One thing they do I find that, with the Vietnamese, particularly in the market, no matter where you are, they're, "Would you like to try something?" You don't have to buy something off them. They have a giggle to themselves because they know. They're like, "He's not going to want to have to try something like snails or frog legs or--" There's all these… [00:28:35] Kerry Newsome: They've got eels jumping around in buckets and things like that. I know. [00:28:40] Pedr Finn: The smells of the market are good [00:28:41] Kerry Newsome: Yes, although it's NOT for everyone. Let’s face it. [00:28:44] Pedr Finn: It can be rough if you're wearing thongs. Yes. [laughter] [00:28:51] Kerry Newsome: Oh, see, you didn't even mention that to me. You didn't even say, "Don't wear thongs." [00:28:55] Pedr Finn: Well, I don't … [00:28:55] Kerry Newsome: That's why I didn't. [00:28:56] Pedr Finn: I don't tell you not to wear thongs. It's always so hot here, but it's the watch-out for the puddles. The puddles may not be water. Yes.,,,I see that now. [laughter] [00:29:08] Kerry Newsome: Okay. Let’s stop there because we're going to go to our next stop, which is lunch. I'm wondering about lunch. I'd love you to take our taste buds to maybe a really nice place to sit, view the world, and eat some tasty food because I was amazed. Now, I was there just prior to the pandemic. I was there in February, March. I got out on 19th March. I was just amazed. Danang was a buzz with new places that had sprung up. Talk to us about some good places to go and sit, have a nice cold drink, but eat some really tasty food for lunch. [00:29:51] Pedr Finn: I think there are lots of places I could recommend, but for me, one of the things about coming to Danang is enjoying the seafood. [00:30:00] Kerry Newsome: Yes. [00:30:00] Pedr Finn: I think seafood at daytime is much-- I think it's more appealing to eat fresh seafood overlooking an ocean that's blue and white beaches. For me, I always suggest people eat seafood. You can have seafood throughout the day here, but lunchtime- [00:30:18] Kerry Newsome: It's delicious. [00:30:19] Pedr Finn: - looking out over the bay and eating fresh seafood in many-- there are many seafood restaurants along the bay . Some of which are right on the beaches. Some of which are across the road from the beaches. My opinion towards it is to go towards ones which are full of Vietnamese. [laughter] That's what I always say about any restaurant. Don't be frightened of being able to go in there and not being able to order from the menu. I think Vietnam have seen travelers for so long now that you can break down the language barrier very quickly by just either they may have an English venue, they may not. There may be one or two staff that can speak some English. [00:31:04] Kerry Newsome: Particularly the younger ones. [00:31:05] Pedr Finn: Yes, definitely. A lot of them are really happy to try and converse with you because it helps their English skills. [00:31:11] Kerry Newsome: Exactly. [00:31:13] Pedr Finn: I think if that doesn't happen, you can just point, and I'll have what they're having. [laughs] [00:31:20] Kerry Newsome: Yes, I'd definitely do that. Yes, Harry-met-Sally thing. I actually point over there. I'll don't say, "Can I have that?" They can tell by my face. They smile and carry on, but I have found the younger ones, obviously, the ones at school and things like that a little bit more multilingual. For English, they do just love the fact that I'll be trying to say some of their words, and they'll be trying to say some of mine. [00:31:48] Pedr Finn: Absolutely. [00:31:48] Kerry Newsome: Between both of us, we work it out. I get what I want anyway. [00:31:53] Pedr Finn: Yes, you never disappointed what you end up with even if it wasn't what you wanted. [00:31:56] Kerry Newsome: No. [laughter] Okay, we [unintelligible 00:32:02] seafood for lunch . [00:32:05] Pedr Finn: Seafood for lunch? Always go grilled scallops , my number one. You may not like scallops, but- [00:32:12] Kerry Newsome: Oh, the [crosstalk] [00:32:12] Pedr Finn: The scallops from Vietnam are just off the show. They're so readily available and grilled with a little bit of chive oil with some peanuts crumbled over the top. [00:32:23] Kerry Newsome: Oh. [00:32:24] Pedr Finn: Yes, I'm already hungry now thinking about it. [laughter] [00:32:28] Kerry Newsome: Me too. [00:32:29] Pedr Finn: I might have to go having some. Well, we can't at the moment because we're in lockdown. I can't go ahead [00:32:34] Kerry Newsome: No, oh, we weren't going to talk about that, Pedr. [00:32:37] Pedr Finn: No, no, no. [chuckles] [00:32:38] Kerry Newsome: [crosstalk] not talk about the lockdown. Okay? All right. Now, we've done lunch. I think it's time for either we walk it off somewhere like a walk along the beach or we go for a siesta. What do you think? [00:32:50] Pedr Finn: Yes. There are many places that offer the cabana-style underneath of umbrella with a chair overlooking the beach, where you can just wander in and out, go for a paddle on the beach and come back to a nice cold drink- [00:33:08] Kerry Newsome: Yes, now, you're talking. [00:33:08] Kerry Newsome: -but to me, that's a good way to spend the day, always a great way of spending the day. I think you cannot miss out on some of the more tourist aspects, things that if you are in Danang as well. If you want to have a good look around, and you've got a few days here, there's plenty of tourist attractions which I'd recommend. Lady Buddha up in Son Tra peninsula. That's a majestic statue that overlooks the bay in the Linh Ung Pagoda there. It's a very peaceful place to spend an afternoon walking through the pagoda. or just to walk along the waterfront. Even Danang in the late afternoon, it's very accessible. There's tree growing, so there's shade. [00:33:57] Kerry Newsome: Yes, good path. [00:33:59] Pedr Finn: Yes, good path. Yes. [00:34:00] Kerry Newsome: Yes, it's got a really nice path. I think as you say, Danang is starting to, I think, capitalize on some of those things for tourists to explore. A region that I've noticed come of age is Son Tra. [00:34:18] Pedr Finn: Yes, one of my favorite places. [00:34:20] Kerry Newsome: Yes, mine, too. Talk to us a little bit about how that's going, as I haven't been back there for a year. [chuckles] [00:34:28] Pedr Finn: Well, it’s 10 kilometers from the center of the city. You will find yourself on-- You travel up into the mountain of Son Tra is a circular road that follows the peninsula. You can travel through the actual forest. You can be driven by the through tours. Friends of mine have jeep tours. [00:34:51] Kerry Newsome: That's the Monkey Forest? [00:34:52] Pedr Finn: Yes, up through the Monkey Forest [crosstalk] Son Tra. You'll see the red douc monkeys up there, which are one of the key places in the world you could see them. [00:35:04] Kerry Newsome: I had a girl on the show talking about it. [00:35:06] Pedr Finn: One of the very few places you'll see them. Surprisingly enough, I've been very few times. I've not been up there and not seen them. You've got the thousand-year-old banyan fig tree up there, which is in an amazing location. You think it's several trees, but it's not. It's one long tree that's grown into the ground. Its roots have grown up and in and out of the ground and up to the top again and back down again. It's just an amazing location. Son Tra itself is a peninsula. You're overlooking the ocean on a windy, twisty road. The forest is what you would expect to find in your mind when you think of Vietnam. This beautiful jungle forest, but you're only 10 kilometers from the city. It's very easy to get to. You used to be able to go up there and hired scooters, but they've stopped that now. You probably just need to hire a driver or a car, or you can catch the local buses up there. [00:36:09] Kerry Newsome: It's very cheap to go there. [00:36:11] Pedr Finn: Oh, absolutely. Again, on the way back, there's plenty of seafood restaurants along the peninsula that I'd stop at as well. [00:36:19] Kerry Newsome: All right. Now, we're getting to beer o'clock, I think, very soon. Very soon? [00:36:26] Pedr Finn: you might not have had one yet, but I think I would have already had one. [laughter] [00:36:32] Kerry Newsome: That's what I liked about you. [chuckles] [00:36:34] Pedr Finn: I'm leading the tour. [laughter] [00:36:38] Kerry Newsome: What happened on that tour? Remembering, Kerry. I think I lost my camera, didn't I? [laughs] [00:36:42] Pedr Finn: You did. Do you remember? [00:36:45] Pedr Finn: Yes. [laughs] [00:36:45] Kerry Newsome: I thought that panic attack was not part of the bargain. Oh, wasn't that awful? Oh. [00:36:57] Pedr Finn: I put that down to the beers. We might have had earlier, but anyway-- [laughter] [00:37:00] Kerry Newsome: All right, I need you to explain to everyone because I do a lousy job of it. Talking talk about bia hơi . [00:37:13] Pedr Finn: Oh, bia hơi . Yes. Okay. [00:37:14] Kerry Newsome: Yes, I know that's not particularly Danang, but just to explain-- [00:37:18] Pedr Finn: Yes. bia hơi. [00:37:21] Kerry Newsome: Oh, really? [00:37:21] Pedr Finn: Yes, yes. more of a Hanoi thing, but you will see on the streets now the bia hơi is 6,000 VND for a beer. If you want to look at that, that's probably around .33 cents [chuckles] for a large bear. It's a drinking, meeting place for mainly men, but recently the Vietnamese women are starting to catch up with the men when it comes to drinking. Drinking's part of the culture in Vietnam. If you're a teetotaler or you're against drink, you're going to be disappointed. [laughter] Well, maybe not disappointed, but you may find yourself having gained a few kilos and a few headaches along the way. If you choose to go along with the beer-drinking [chuckles] because there's no better way to meet Vietnamese people than to sit yourself in a restaurant or a bar or a bia hơi or a beer hall or side of the street and join in. Within minutes, you're part of the clan. You've got long-lost uncles you hadn't met before. [laughter] [00:38:38] Kerry Newsome: There's something about the beer that's made in the bia hơi , isn't it? It's made in the morning, I believe. Literally, it has to be drunk by the end of the day. [00:38:50] Pedr Finn: Yes, freshly keg beer. They don't put the CO2 in it. They sit there with an air pump. Some poor guys have got to sit there and squeeze the beer out with his foot, or he's got a hand mechanism to squeeze it out. [chuckles] That keg's going to be drunk before the end of the day. [laughs] [00:39:04] Kerry Newsome: Yes, because there are no preservatives in it [unintelligible 00:39:07] so-called or-- [00:39:09] Pedr Finn: Well, I think these days, they might be a bit better than what it used to be, but yes, they're not gas. They're not the gas kegs. There are no gas lines. Another thing you need to go about beers, beer-drinking, and beer now is to expect it to be drunk on ice. If you're looking for a cold beer, you will find them in restaurants and bars. If you drink with a Vietnamese normally, the beer will come to the table in a carton [chuckles] and a bucket of ice served alongside. [laughs] [00:39:43] Kerry Newsome: Yes, I love beer on ice. I think it's a fabulous combination. [00:39:49] Pedr Finn: You've always got a cold beer. The last time I was in Australia, some time ago now, and I ordered a beer cup. [00:39:58] Kerry Newsome: Yes, they would have said, "Where are you from?" [00:40:01] Pedr Finn: Yes. [chuckles] [00:40:02] Kerry Newsome: Exactly. All right, for an evening meal, are we saying seafood for the evening as well or-- [00:40:13] Pedr Finn: Oh, look, we had it for lunch. Let’s just go to a normal streetside Vietnamese restaurant. You'll see them everywhere. There's no particular showing of what they'll have on the menu if you sit down. The majority of them will offer chicken, beef, pork, seafood again, but fish is probably a very predominant one as well in Vietnam for grilled. They'll do a lot of grilled fish meals, but for me, I like going out. If you're just going out with something really cheap and easy, it's chân gà nướng , which is chicken wings . They grill over an open-ed charcoal burner. They all spear these chicken wings with large bamboo skewers. You'll see the guys cooking them, maybe 50 or 60 at a time. They're turning them over a narrow grill. They've got a fan behind the back of the grill. It's blowing the coals red-hot. These chicken wings come cut-three pieces. One chicken wing cut into three pieces. Usually, only served with a side of cucumber and salt and pepper dipping. You'll see the street-side vendors that will serve these. The bones go on the ground. Everything goes onto the ground as you go. It's probably one of the best chickens you're ever going to eat. They slowly baste it with honey and salt and pepper and water and oil mix. They've come out these glazed chicken wings,. You only sit down to five or six. You probably sit down to-- [00:42:14] Kerry Newsome: 10 or 20. [00:42:15] Pedr Finn: Yes. [chuckles] That's one of the many options, but again, food is always available. At three o'clock in the morning, I can go out and have returned soup. I'm on my way home from eating dinner. [00:42:32] Kerry Newsome: You feel like a snack. [00:42:33] Pedr Finn: Yes. You feel like another snack. You'll be having another soup, usually soup. My favorite is bún bò , which is a beef noodle. For those who know Vietnamese food, that was known as bún bò Huế . Bún bò in Danang and probably Quang Nam is a much finer noodle. The soup's not spicy. It can come with different fillings and my favorite is the bún bò Thái. That's rare beef. They'll slice this paper-thin, the beef, then, lay that over the top of the noodles, then, pour the broth over the top and slowly cooks the beef while you're eating it. That is a really great way to finish the night. It'll soak up some of the festivities. It's not too filling. I think if we're on our way home in Australia, I'll pull over and grab a burger or a kebab, but this is a much better way [chuckles] [unintelligible 00:43:33] . There are eateries open. It's not just they're open, they're flocked, too. You can go to summit two or three in the morning. There'll be a crowd at the front. It’s not that it's a city that doesn't die, it's a city that-- it continues. About four o'clock in the morning, it'll be quiet. [laughs] [00:43:55] Kerry Newsome: Yes, but it's a different nightlife I think, isn't it? [00:44:02] Pedr Finn: It is. Yes. [00:44:00] Kerry Newsome: It’s more of a street nightlife rather than a pub nightlife at a club. [00:44:06f] Pedr Finn: Absolutely. Yes, definitely. It's not people heading out to drinking them [crosstalk]- [00:44:10] Kerry Newsome: No. [00:44:10] Pedr Finn: -or throughout the night. [00:44:11] Kerry Newsome: Now, it's a street. [00:44:11] Pedr Finn: They'll meet for coffee. They'll sit and talk, enjoy [crosstalk] [00:44:17] Kerry Newsome: They're not dancing [crosstalk] away. No. [00:44:19] Pedr Finn: No. Definitely not, but very [crosstalk] [00:44:22] Kerry Newsome: There's a little bit of that. [00:44:23] Pedr Finn: Yes, there's a little bit of it, but I think for many people, it’s a way of meeting for the day, end of the day. If they've not seen you in the morning, they'll finish off the evening with somebody different and enjoy another-- the coffee shops are still open to two or three in the morning. They may enjoy a late meal……restaurants are still open till two or three in the morning. It's very quiet, people talking. It's a very-- [00:44:50] Kerry Newsome: Very safe. [00:44:51] Pedr Finn: Friendly. Ah, absolutely. I've lived in cities all over the world. Danang, I'm living in an area where I probably would be the only westerner or foreigner within miles. I have no safety concerns whatsoever. I would say to most people that if you're traveling here, do not be concerned about safety. They're wonderful people. You could leave your watch on top of the bar, walk away with your phone and come back, and it's still there. [00:45:21] Kerry Newsome: Yes, or they'll chase after you to give it to you. [00:45:24] Pedr Finn: Yes, [laughs] most certainly. [00:45:26] Kerry Newsome: I've had that. I didn't leave my phone, but I left my hotel card, swipe card for my hotel room. I'd left it accidentally, obviously, underneath my phone. This girl came running after me. She said, "Miss, miss, miss." Sure enough, it was my hotel card. I thought, "God." had the room number on it, the name of the hotel. She could have just [crosstalk] [00:45:49] Pedr Finn: Yes, any other country you think you wouldn't feel [00:45:53] Kerry Newsome: You would never see it again. [00:45:54] Pedr Finn: Yes. I've never had any safety concerns in Vietnam. It's one of the most wonderful places to live. I've been living here nearly for 10 years. I feel-- [00:46:05] Pedr Finn: It is the most livable city, Danang. It's been voted. [00:46:08] Pedr Finn: Ah, it has the beach. It has the river. If you were wanting to move here or wanting to spend some time here, it also has a very good ex-pat scene. Even if you weren't wanting to enjoy Vietnamese food, some of the best French food I've had is in Danang. There are wonderful pizzerias. There are wonderful microbreweries. [00:46:32] Kerry Newsome: 4P’s. Yes. [00:46:34] Pedr Finn: Yes, 4P’s the Microbrewery, 7 Bridges, their beers are on par with anything I've had elsewhere in the world. [00:46:44] Kerry Newsome: You've got bar places like Dirty Fingers. [00:46:47] Pedr Finn: Oh, yes. There's so many new and opening-- [00:46:51] Kerry Newsome: Western places. [00:46:51] Kerry Newsome: You can feel comfortable knowing that if you want to get away from it-- For many people who have been traveling in Vietnam, they start either in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh and finally get to Danang. They've been eating rice and noodles. They're living their dream holiday, but every now and then, you do feel like something different. I can't say you're not going to be disappointed with that style of food either, in Danang particularly. Yes. Then, the wonderful service here to-- No matter which restaurants you go into, I find that-- [00:47:26] Kerry Newsome: At good value, at good pricing. That's what I love the most. Great food. [00:47:32] Pedr Finn: [crosstalk] one of the cheapest places to eat. My parents normally stay in Hoi An. We brought them up into Danang where we're living. My mother's going, "You sure that's the bill?" [laughs]it’s "$10 for four of us?" [laughter] [00:47:47] Kerry Newsome: Yes, exactly. Pedr, I would love to keep talking to you all night about food, but I think I'm going to have to run to the kitchen. [00:48:00] Pedr Finn: We haven't even scratched the top of it. [chuckles] [00:48:01] Kerry Newsome: I know. Now, you know why I wanted you on this show. [00:48:09] Pedr Finn: I've just been rambling on.] [00:48:17] Kerry Newsome: Well, maybe I've got to get you one again, but firstly, I'm going to put as many links as I can. I'm also going to do a transcription of this episode, which you are going to help me with later because we're going to have to put some Vietnamese terminology next to some of those names that you've been just espousing. We'll do that for everyone. I've loved having you on as I knew this would be hilarious, but I have to shut us down. We're going to send people crazy. They're going to go, "God. We need to book a tour. We need to go to Danang." [00:48:52] Pedr Finn: I've managed to have some conversation in English for more than 20 minutes. This is great. [laughter] [00:48:59] Kerry Newsome: Okay, Pedr. Fantastic. Thanks for being on the show, Pedr. [00:49:04] Pedr Finn: All right. Take care, Kerry. Very nice.

27fcfe66-c320-414c-b15d-674d1870cf91Be pleasantly surprised by the views of this teenager One teenagers view on a holiday in Vietnam Episode 25 S3-25 One teenagers holiday views 00:00 / 29:20 If you are thinking about bringing your family to Vietnam and not sure if Vietnam will hit the button for children, in particular your teen son or daughter, you might be pleasantly surprised by the views of one such teenager who visited Vietnam with me in 2019. Ethan Sanders is my guest and just also happens to be my grandson. Ethan was 16 when he came to visit me in Vietnam on one of my trips. 2 years on from that visit;- Find out what Ethan found initially most challenging? Discover the “thing” you thought your child may never do at home, but will try in Vietnam? Learn if he would go back to Vietnam as an adult. What did Ethan find so hilarious in Danang? Vietnam is extremely kid friendly. It is a very safe environment and features lots of activities kids of all ages will love. I hope you enjoy this episode, as this one is for the teens we love. And memorable holidays. Download Transcript PDF Read transcript

f159fcd5-c71b-4e09-8abf-9ef6f07a15f0Language tips in Vietnamese Learn "special dietary needs" Learn "special dietary requirements" in Vietnamese Episode 20 S3-20 Learn "special dietary needs" 00:00 / 11:57 What do you really need to know how to say in Vietnamese? That's a hard one to guess ahead of your visit I know, but if you have special dietary requirements you might like to save, download and print the transcript. In Episode 1 of this 3 part series, we start with greetings, because that’s where all polite conversations start. But, what’s the right word to politely summons a waiter? What About if you don’t eat or like spicy food? Do you have gluten free? Vegetarian? These are just some of the words we take for granted back home, but try saying them in Vietnamese when you really need to? Ha Dam is my guest and the girl helping us both speak Vietnamese when it is most needed. Check out this video she did with Hoiannow.com a few years ago (click right). In todays’ episode we cover the restaurant setting where you or your travelling companion is wanting to summons a waiter or needs to make some special food requests to safeguard themselves for health reasons. This is particularly important for children and those that experience allergic reactions. NOTE: This is not to be used as a training tool to learn how to speak Vietnamese. Download Transcript PDF Read transcript

02ac6bda-343e-4b58-9776-faed892cffd7Inspired by love, Vietnam is an idyllic wedding destination Vietnam the perfect wedding destination Episode 8 Vietnam the perfect wedding destination 00:00 / 29:57 Despite Covid, brides and grooms are invited to hold out for their dream wedding and consider Vietnam in 2021 /22 as the perfect location. In this episode, I speak with Nadine Zeigeldorf, a wedding planner who elaborates on the kinds of things a wedding program can include to make the event incredibly special. Imagine a beautiful sunset and beach wedding. Fabulous tasty food. Chilled long stem glasses overflowing with bubbly served to you while curling your toes in the sand. After listening to this episode you will find yourself easily transported mentally into the romanticism of a 16th-century old town, or atop a mountain staring aimlessly at the amazing views of a Unesco World Heritage bay. Download Transcript PDF Read the transcript here

971b2c29-b5dc-4a86-ac7b-6ac56695c545When it is about the food it is because it is fantastic Discover culture and history through Vietnamese food Episode 19 Discover culture and history through Vietnamese food 00:00 / 46:47 When some people talk about Vietnam they say “It's all about the food”, and while that is partially true because it’s so fantastic. Wouldn't you like to know about the different flavours and influences between the North and the South, and some of the reasons why it tastes so good? My guest Monika Czerveniak has this knowledge and love of Vietnamese food, its people and culture in "spades". If it’s possible to hear "passion" in a voice, and I believe it is, then Monika's tell-all tales about Vietnamese cuisine will excite and delight you. As a prominent food blogger & food presenter, she runs Chowdown Vietnam Food Tour and beyond that, in her spare time, she is the face and creator behind Fearless Cooking Classes and Workshops in Hoi An, Vietnam, Vancouver, BC, Canada and pretty much wherever her taste buds will let her go. Download Transcript PDF Read the transcript here

a3cb4594-a983-42bd-8f42-90bb440d760aNo Visa or Evisa – Getting it right in 2025 What About Vietnam – S1-E10 – No Visa or Evisa – Getting it right in 2025 Kerry Newsome: Xin chào and welcome to the What About Vietnam podcast. OK, picture this, if you will. You're at the airport, passport in hand, bags checked. Vietnam, here you come. Then the airline staff looks up at you with that face, you know, the one. And they say, oh, look, sorry, madam, we can't let you board. Your visa doesn't match your flight. Your heart sinks. Holiday over before it's even begun. You look around. Q is a mile long. What do you do? Look, I really, truly don't want that to happen to you. That's why today we're going to talk about how to nail your Vietnam visa, if you even need one. No stuff ups, no dramas. Hello, everyone. For those of you who don't know me, my name is Kerry Newsome and I invite you back to the What About Vietnam podcast. I've been helping travellers like yourselves navigate Vietnam for years. And believe me, the e-visa process is one of the simplest, but also one of the easiest, believe it or not, to get wrong. One wrong date, one missing detail, and suddenly you're scrambling. But the good news is, if you know what to look out for, you can avoid the stress altogether. If you've been planning a trip, especially like this year 2025, you've probably heard the rules have changed again. E-visas are now open to all nationalities and exemptions have been extended for some countries. But the catch is this, a small mistake on your application or assuming your passport makes you exempt could mean you never even get off the ground. Today I want to help you cut through the noise and explain in plain English who needs what how long you can stay and what you must do to avoid being denied access to your flight and boarding and arriving in Vietnam. The good news is Vietnam has one of the most inclusive e-visa systems in the world. Open to all nationalities, you can apply online, choose between single entry or multiple entry and stay up to 90 days. But don't assume it's foolproof. That's really the basis of this show. If your name, date of birth or passport number on your application doesn't match your passport, the airline staff will stop you at check-in. And believe me, they won't let you board. We need together to stop that, to not let that happen. So in today's episode, I'm going to break it down. What an e-visa really is, when to apply, common pitfalls and mistakes, what documents you'll need ready and how to track and fix things if they go wrong. Think of this as your personal travel checklist straight from someone who's been there many times with hundreds of travelers just like you. And oh, by the way, if you've got any of your own e-visa stories, maybe a funny stuff up or a hack or something that saved the day, please share it with me. I love bringing real stories into the show and I would gladly share it with the audience if you'd like to share it with me. All right, let's get started. First up, what exactly is an e-visa? Who needs it? And why is this PDF really that can make or break your whole Vietnam adventure so important? Let's go. Firstly, let's get to the crunch and try and decipher just who needs a visa in the first place. As 2025 has announced new visa free country exemptions . So you need to know about those because, you know, whilst I'm going to be focusing a lot on the e-visa process in this show, you may not even need one. So, let's be clear that there is, you know, now there's 29 countries in total that are exempt. And that means that you can travel to Vietnam for 45 days without any visa, without any fee and without any application. So, I'm going to put a link in the show notes and this is the government link. It's not going to send you to agencies or off to places where, you know, you're going to feel unsure or not quite confident that it's credible. This is the visa page that explains it all and it is straight from immigration in Vietnam. So, establish first whether you fit into the category of a visa-free exemption country. And on that basis, you are allowed to travel to the country for 45 days. Like, how good is that? And in addition, you can jump out of the country to go and visit Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, anywhere you like and then hop back in and As you hop back in, as long as you have proof by your ticket that you are only going to stay another 45 days maximum, it all restarts. So I really stress for everyone before jumping into any visa application that you check whether or not you're visa free. This new announcement came out, I think, around about March 25. But it's a big deal because it does give you that 45 days and a reset when you come back in. Now, just one little caveat with it, be mindful if immigration see that you're doing this a lot, like as in back to back entries, they're probably going to ask some questions. So, I'm just putting that out there that You know, visa-free country exemption access to the country is definitely available and you should use it. But for those who are using it for other reasons and extensions to stay, You know, back to back may cause you some issues at some point. You've heard of people talk about doing visa runs. This might fall into that. And that may be just getting you out of the country, across into Thailand or across into Laos to be able to come back in and reset depending on your situation. But the basis of this podcast and what I want to do today is to take some of the issue out of the e-visa application and to ensure that people know what they're getting and what they're doing, what importance there is on each factor of the application, what the immigration officials are going to be looking for and how easy it is to get kind of denied or no answer or you can't kind of find out what is going on because the little tragedy with the eVisa application is getting feedback or getting, you know, someone to answer a question or whatever. I mean, it was built so that you didn't have to go to embassies and you didn't have to go to your consulate or whatever to do this, to get the eVisa. And it is a really simple, fantastic system. And I encourage you, if you fall into every other nationality, that isn't visa free and I fall into one of those, believe it, Australia is one of those, you definitely, the only way to get to Vietnam is to get an e-visa. It is the way to go. So I firstly want to cover off the e-visa has two options. One, a 30 day option, which is 25 US dollars, and that is single entry. I'm going to come back to that in a minute. The other is a 90 day option and it's 50 dollars, but it is multiple entry. Now, if you are planning on and you want to have a little bit of you know, fluidity around, you know, your decisions and what you want to do. And you might want to go to Angkor Wat or you might want to go to Thailand and then come back in. You know, you definitely have to get that multiple entry, even if it's not up to the total of 90 days. And we're going to talk about what preparation you need and things you need to avoid as far as pitfalls in the actual e-visa in a minute. But I just wanted to stress that the e-visa is for all other nationalities that do not fall into the category of a country that is exempt. Now, what is an e-visa? It's a digital visa linked to your passport. Get that kind of fixated in your head. It kind of makes sense because it's why they're so pedantic about the information matching up. So when you are side by side with your computer next to your passport, next to your ticket, Making sure that all of those things match up kind of makes sense and makes the digital version of it make sense. So let's get to it. Prep for the application for an e-visa. We've established you need one. So firstly, your passport has to have two free pages. I mean, if you've done heaps of travel, I'm so envious. But if you have and you don't have two free pages, then you need to get a new passport. Secondly, you need at least six months eligibility in the life of the passport. So let's tick those two boxes and say we've got those. Next, you're going to need to arrange two images on your phone or you're going to start on your phone and then you're going to kind of send them to your computer to upload them. But you need to get a passport photo in a PNG. Now, some people, including, you know, myself in the early days, tried to just take a photo of the photo in my passport of me, just the face. And cropped it, created it as a PNG. But for some reason when I tried to upload it, it just didn't like it. It was like there was a kind of a bug in the system. I've since asked some people in authority about it. They've kind of said that there might be a film or something over the top of the photo in the passport so that when you actually take the photo it picks that up and it doesn't like it. So the best way around that is to get another passport photo. You might have some spares left over like I have from years ago. And I literally just take a photo of that photo and I crop it to the size created as a PNG, not a PDF. It will not accept PDFs as a PNG or a JPEG. but a small size and I've never had any issues. It does not have to be the exact photo to match the one in the passport. They're not unrealistic about that. I understand that the life of a passport might be five, ten years. So you cannot expect that. But they do expect it to conform to the formalities that are required to do a passport photo. So that's your number one photo. The next one that they are happy to receive a photo of the passport as it is, is literally the main page of your passport. So take a photo, downsize it by cropping it to the right size, create it as a PNG. And literally you are then good to go alongside your ticket and also your first location that you're going to arrive into because it's going to ask for an address of where you're going to stay. And I mean, let's face it, you're probably going to stay in multiple locations. But just in case they need to contact you for any reasons, never known it to happen, but they want you to put down your first address. I commonly suggest to people that they put their first hotel or Airbnb or location of where the group is or whatever, but it needs to have an address and all the details that they ask for. I think even a phone number. I'm not quite sure. I can't remember. But so with that armour, you are ready, set, go to start your e-visa process. probably not a good idea to have a glass of wine or to do it late at night or when you're tired or when the kids are driving you crazy or whatever because you do need to concentrate. You do need to make sure everything syncs up. And that links back to what I said about the e-visa. It's a digital representation of your passport. So whatever names in your passport needs to go on that application, whatever dates are in your passport that it asks for, you need to match that up. So be careful of typos. Be careful of when you type something in, it kind of jumps or bumps. It's it does have a few bugs. So be aware birth date has to be correct. Country, sorry, location of entry and location of departure needs to be exact. And you have to arrive into that city and you have to depart. Otherwise, once again, it's going to say no go for you. You cannot exit or you cannot arrive. The other thing to be important about is your name, address details, your date of arrival. Your date is the date you are flying there. The date you are departing is the date you are leaving the country and catching that flight back. You need to make sure, as I said, it matches your ticket. So in the case that you have got a 30 day visa, you need to depart before the 30 days. You need to make sure that your departure matches your ticket as it is displayed to the check-in counter staff. So everything kind of just goes tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, and everything is fine. And really, once you've done that, you're good to go. Now, in the event that things don't go, there is workarounds. They're not cheap, they're expensive, and they take your ability to contact the right agency with the right information and the right ability, credibly, to be able to deal with immigration to get you some sort of VIP or a letter to enter and then apply as a VIP on the spot and things like that. You know, I kind of talked through on the show a couple of examples of that. And, you know, it's a tragedy when, you know, people are so excited and then they get to the airport and this kind of little mishap happens. And it's all just about a name or a date or a place or a hotel or just something really, really silly. It can even be that they thought that they were visa exempt and they're not. So, you know, I really stress that you really pay attention and really look at some of the details around applying because it's worth it. it's really worth it. It avoids having to do that, you know, change of plans, that cost of change, and finding someone credible to do that on the spot. Because, you know, you're upset, you're kind of put in a position where You're not sure what's going to happen and it can impact your whole first impression, I guess, of Vietnam. So we definitely don't want that to happen. And I'm hoping that by just following these steps and this process, that I'm going to eliminate this for you, that we can get you to Vietnam with an e-visa application Simply, easily and well done. Another thing is to not leave putting in your information and applying too late . Some people think that they're going to get this as a kind of an immediate turnaround, like a 24 or 48 turnaround. The average is about three to five days. So, if you can, give yourself the luxury of time and even give yourself the luxury that if there is any issue or they come back to you with a question that they're not happy with your answer, then you've got time to fix it. So I also ask all my clients to try and get it done, you know, a couple of weeks beforehand, even though it's only three to five days. It just means you've got it done, print it off. It's with your travel documents or you've saved it on your phone and you can kind of tick that box. But when you do get the PDF back after you've checked on the application process, You really do need to go line by line matching ticket, passport, and the visa. They all need to line up sweetly. So, I think we've covered off name, no typos, the photos, you know, date of entry, date of exit, address, city location of entry, city location of exit. One of the other things they ask about is if you've been to Vietnam before , you know, and sometimes people say, oh, gosh, I can't remember, you know, when I went. Very quick, easy way for you to find out when you went is actually to go to your passport. and you'll go into the book itself and it'll show you where they have put, sometimes it's been in a written format, of your last dates. So if you've done a couple of trips before you'll be able to go and see the exact dates and once again they're going to love that because it matches up exactly with their system and you've got a proof in your passport to say, you know, you came six months or two years ago or three years ago and you can put that in and know that it is exactly matching what's in your passport. I think these are the main things that people tend to get trapped with. They sound small and They are, but they are the things that are going to make that girl's face at the check-in counter look at you and go, oh no, we can't let you board because there's this error. So I'm hoping that just by giving you these tips and hints that we're going to make sure no stuff ups for you. I have to tell you, I have a very funny personal story to share on this. As in my husband and I traveled a couple of years ago and I left the job of him doing his e-visa application to him. And he said, yeah, yeah, yeah, got it covered. Yeah, you know, I've been hanging around you long enough to know what to do, blah, blah, blah, blah. Anyway, didn't think a word about it, got on the plane, everything was fine. However, what he had done was put the incorrect date that we were departing. So he was departing two weeks earlier. earlier than me when he should have been departing with me. So what did we need to do with that? So one of the traps with this pitfall category of the e-visa is you cannot reapply while you're in country. You actually have to leave the country and apply externally. So, he had to fly to Singapore, actually spend the night in Singapore. So, he had to go through immigration and then I had to arrange for a VIP option which is expensive and that would allow him to just turn around the next day. Now he could have applied for another e-visa but working on the basis that that could have been three to five days in processing it would have kind of mucked up our plans totally. So we had to go through a different option with a company that has the means to be able to get this through immigration. And this allowed him to come back in the next day and get through immigration okay. And then we carried on. So, you can see there's workarounds, but they're not easy and they're not cheap. Another client of mine was trying to board in San Francisco. The husband and wife team that were traveling, the wife did not put the middle name in on her e-visa. They knocked them back to get on board. So we did a similar thing. However, we got an introductory letter through immigration where they would let entry into immigration into Ho Chi Minh City on the basis that when they got there, they would apply again through a VIP channel. It's not something that you should consider as a roadblock to come to Vietnam. You know, every time I go, I think, yeah, I just need to get that e-visa knocked over and make sure that that's totally correct in my planning. It's one of the things I do stress to everybody. Just get it done. Allow yourself plenty of time and all is good. So there you have it. Vietnam's visa rules in 2025. It might sound a bit complicated at first, but once you know which category you fall in, it's really about being thorough, double checking your documents and planning ahead. The last thing any of us want is to see a dream trip delayed or worse because of a small detail that could have been caught earlier. I like to think of these as not as red tape, but as the gateway to an amazing experience. Once you've cleared that little hurdle, the whole of Vietnam is yours to explore from its bustling cities to its quiet villages, its world class food and its warm and welcoming people. And trust me, it's worth every bit of effort to get here. If all of this still feels a little overwhelming, don't worry . That's exactly why I created What About Vietnam travel services to take the guesswork out of planning. My team and I can help with every aspect of your trip from a visa guidance and fast track airport services to curated itineraries that bring Vietnam to life. in the way that suits you best and according to your budget. If you like that extra peace of mind, just reach out. I'd love to help. The fast track service has just come into vogue in in such an easy format now. So if that's something that you'd be interested in, likewise, please get in touch as I can arrange that and at a fair and reasonable price. Thank you for joining me today. I hope this episode leaves you better prepared and more excited than ever to start your journey. And when you finally touch down in Vietnam, I promise you'll know it was worth it. Until next time, I'm Kerry and this is the What About Vietnam podcast. Safe travels, everyone.

S4-17 Vietnam Traveller Insights 2022 What About Vietnam - S4 - E17 The Best Vietnam traveller insights from 2022 Kerry Newsome: [00:00:35] Xin Chau and welcome to What about Vietnam for 2023. Chuc Mung Nam Moi, I hope you're having a wonderful celebration for the Lunar New Year for 23, the Year of the Cat in Vietnam, which is a little bit different to the Year of the Rabbit, which is more traditional for Chinese, but for Vietnam, it's definitely the Year of the Cat. We've got a really big year ahead. I want to say welcome to all my new listeners. I hope you're going to enjoy the show this year. We've got some really great guests on, and I'm hoping you're going to learn lots of things and I hope it's going to help you with your planning and trip planning for your next holiday. I want to give a big shout out and thank you to everybody that got in touch with me over Christmas, sent me messages and emails and who's supported the program and given me just great feedback. Really appreciative. Thank you and I hope to really support you in the future as well, and I hope you'll stick with the show. I'm delighted to be back with the 2023 new series. And I just wanted to, I guess, take this opportunity to share with you a little bit about some of the stories that we covered in 2022 and especially those that I know from feedback that has resonated with you that you have used to build your trips and plan your trips and and just help you give. I know I don't know some some more thought or consideration as you may not have known about those areas or those experiences over the break. Kerry Newsome: [00:02:35] THE YEAR AHEAD I hope everyone had a good time and got a chance to be with family and friends and just chill out a little bit. For me, it was a chance to kind of step back and just have a bit of a breather. And I was really, really thrilled to receive lots of emails and messages and stuff through social media, just giving me some more feedback about the show, the ones people liked, the ones people used and the information they used, and even warmer than anything else was just the encouragement that it gave me to to keep going. I guess that leads me into some exciting news where I, I really want to engage more with you this year. I want to open up opportunities for us to interact. And I'm going to be talking to you a little bit about that later. And I really do want to hear what's important to you, what stories, what subjects, what experiences, what information is of the most importance to you when you're thinking about your trip and how can I help deliver that trip to you? So I just wanted to thank everyone again for those emails and for the feedback and again, a thank you for your support. The other thing that happened was that I got to release my book in December 2022 Book Pack and Stay A Travel Guide to Vietnam. Kerry Newsome: [00:04:23] I can't say enough just how wonderful it's been to get the reviews that I've got, the personal emails to me thanking me for the book, for writing it, for including the information that I had put into the book. So once again, just a big thank you to everybody who has purchased the book. It is available on Amazon for $4.99. [00:04:58] Most people for their first time listening to the show or finding the show are doing so through a podcast channel. And that can be a Spotify, that can be a iTunes. And there's many other channels. I know that you listen from around the world. In fact, the show is now going to 70 countries and we've got I think last count was 34,000 listeners. So the additional information I want to share with you is that whilst there are show notes for the show in your channel and in each episode and it has links, etc., you can also go to the whataboutVietnam.com website? Now I bring this up because some of the information that you shared with me was about; Being able to capture some of the information. I had a fabulous story from one lady who lives in New Zealand, and she had been inspired by the podcast to plan a trip to Vietnam. Originally, she'd planned the trip for about ten days, but had since gone on to listen to more and wanted to extend her trip. So she took on an additional job and that was like a Uber deliveries or food deliveries job. And she said she was cycling around and doing the deliveries, but had to stop every now and then to stop the podcast that she was listening to while riding and then write down some notes as she didn't want to forget them. I truly loved that feedback. So, in response to that, this is kind of where I'm going. Where to go for more in-depth information You can go to the website and you can listen to every single episode there for free. So if you're not on a channel or you don't recognize the podcast channel on your phone, then you can literally go to the website and listen to that for free. In addition to that, on the website is a transcript. (This is an example transcript) So while the transcript is long, so if I'm doing a show for 20 minutes or 30 minutes or 40 minutes, and while there's a few kind of nuances in it not being exactly perfect English, all of the information is there and you can print it off. Some feedback I also had was that people were downloading the print PDF version and then just getting their highlighter pen out and highlighting the key areas of interest. So I wanted to share with you about that on the website. Now, the other thing you can go to on the website is my blogs. And what I'm trying to do and I'm going to get a little bit more vigilant in this is is putting together a small blog centered around one or two of the podcasts that I've just recorded so that if you want a kind of a brief or summarized version and, you know, with some of my takeaways and some of my interpretations, then likewise you can access that on the website through the blog. Kerry Newsome: [00:08:40] There's also the advantage that you can search on the blog, so you'll see that there's various various subject matters that are listed. There's also a search that you can go by areas so you can search for podcasts that are about the northern regions in the central regions and then the southern regions. Or you can just type say you wanted to put visas or visas. So what will come up will be the podcast that have that included and also blogs describing what you need to do to actually apply for a visa. So that's just kind of an extra thing that I thought I would mention. In addition, if you're not quite sure what you want to listen to or even if you want to listen to the whole episode, you can also see some or listen to some of our trailers. So I try to, you know, just grab a small snippet from an episode just a couple of minutes to feature something I think is notable all in the podcast that I've recorded. And then I load them up on the YouTube channel for What about Vietnam? So please go there also and have a look at the playlists, have a look at some of the series, etc. Kerry Newsome: [00:10:07] that you can also listen. And also it's a nice easy way to share if you wish to do so. Coming up, I'm also going to be adding a feedback tool so that when you go to the website that you can you can send me some feedback, you can send me a request, you can suggest a subject, and I'm going to be able to grab that and then, you know, put some homework into trying to find the best way to answer that for you and feature it in podcasts coming up. 2022 - THE YEAR IN REVIEW [00:10:54] So we started off 22 in what I think is a really positive light where we looked at the comedy scene and how it is developing in Saigon. And traditionally you probably wouldn't have thought about Saigon as offering English speaking comedy venues and an artist that can appear there. But it's really becoming a booming area and the tourists and the locals and everyone is just loving it. Niall Mackay is heading up a lot of that and he came on the show and was able to share with us some more information. Go directly to the Comedy show here. We then went on to the language. You cannot go to Vietnam without thinking about the language because. While it's great to be able to use some language when you go to a foreign country, Vietnam is quite challenging in the sense that the language has some tonal effects which make it quite a bit tricky to get that tone right. Kerry Newsome: [00:12:07] But what I tried to deliver in the podcast was just some handy words in the areas of greetings, special dietary requests, and maybe some words to use shopping wise, because we all don't want to think, you know, are they are they giving us their best price? Are they are they just kind of playing a bit of a bartering game or are they just being a little a little bit mischievous? It doesn't matter. It means that you've got a little bit of a dictionary in your vocabulary. And we had a lovely girl on the show that was able to share with us how to use those tones to the best ability. And I shared my ability or inability in some cases, but you've got that as a reference. And as I said, use the transcript and go back and highlight those areas. Go directly to the Greetings language show here Go Directly to the Dietary Requirements words show here Go directly to the shopping words here We also went into one of the most famous caves, the Son Doong caves in Phong Nha, and we got to meet Howard Limbert. Now, how he was one of the nine British explorers that actually discovered Son Doong. He still has a very active role in looking after the caves and ensuring and working with the government to protect them so that even as tourists, when we get to explore these magnificent caves, which now have reached worldwide, notary, that when you go there, you're going to have some insights in what to do in a one day tour, a two day tour, a three day tour and a four day tour. Go directly to the Phong Nha Caves show here Kerry Newsome: [00:14:07] Believe it or not, some of these caves and in particular, Son Doong actually takes four days to go through the whole cave. It does take a little bit of skill and there are bookings, I think right through the year. They only take very small numbers in each group. So you may have to prepare for that well in advance. Once again, check out the transcript and the notes for that. We also got to talk about wellness and we got to do that with Hilton Lipkin and his lovely wellness retreat just outside Hue. I got the chance to visit there this time in September when I was there, and I can't speak highly enough about the value of spending time in nature, and spending it with professionals that are going to really tailor a program for you and what your goals are. The accommodation is just delightful. The professionals that you work with are skilled and they work in a very personable way about what you want to do and what you want to get out of your visit. So we've got a really great feeling for how wellness is evolving in Vietnam. Hilton shares some very deep passions for wellness and really wants to see wellness retreats and wellness holidays grow in Vietnam. So we're going to feature more of those in 23 as we scour the country for more locations. Go directly to the Wellness show here and check out the Offers page. Kerry Newsome: [00:16:02] Another place that I am actually planning to visit again, and this is. Phu Quoc. We got to visit, and hear some insights with Patricia Marques. And Patricia was really great at giving just some insights into how the Fuqua Ireland can treat you as a visitor and some of the locations and some of the things to do on the island. Now, the last time I was in Phu Quoc was 2018. This is so that's pre COVID, and there was a lot of building and construction going on. So I can't say At that time I was experiencing the best of Phu Quoc as it was in that progress and development stage. So in 23, I really hope to get back there and just experience it on the other side as I'm hearing really great things. So check out the Phu Quoc episode with Patricia as I think as a hop across from Saigon. It's only an hour flight and you could find some really great deals on the island for your stay. Go directly to the Phu Quoc show here Now, I also had to share with you as a recap the trip I did with my grandson. So my grandson was 16 at the time, and I got to take him to Vietnam for a week. Now, I'm going to be honest with you. I wasn't quite sure how he'd go. I was taking him away from, you know, 90% access to devices and taking him outdoors. And he'd never been away with his grandmother before. Kerry Newsome: [00:17:54] And here we are going to a Southeast Asian country that he really would have only scantily known about. But he really embraced it. He got to experience cooking tours. We climbed Marble Mountain. We got to experience some food. Food. I never thought he would try. He just thoroughly enjoyed. He couldn't get over the beauty, the landscape, the people. It was really just the best thing. So I really encourage you to hear his take on it. He came on the show and, you know, I asked him to share really openly and honestly, and he did. And I think if you do have a young family that you'd like to bring and you've got teenager amongst them, I think you can feel really confident that they will experience something that they'll never forget. And I think they'll find the Vietnamese very welcoming and they're going to have a wonderful time. There's lots to do for kids in Vietnam. And in 2023, we're going to include a lot more of those experiences with some of my special guests. Go directly to the Teenager show here Continuing on, we got to really dive deep into the art scene in Vietnam, and I was able to begin that with Bridget March and we talked about the storytelling side of art and how artists can express themselves through their vision, their experience, their history, their culture, and tell the story through their art. I think sometimes when we see art in Vietnam, it's a big learning curve to really appreciate the story behind it. Kerry Newsome: [00:19:56] So Bridgett was great in sharing with us some of the some of her favorite galleries, and we even took it another step further and talked about contemporary art with Suzanne Lecht. And my visit with her in Hanoi was just amazing in the sense that I got to see how young artists coming through are seeing Vietnam and how without any limitations, they're able to express themselves and tell their story and how they see Vietnam in a more contemporary light. Go directly to the Art – Story Telling with Bridget March show here Go directly to the Contemporary Art show with Suzanne Lecht here So check those episodes out with Bridget March and Susan Lecht. I think you're really going to get a lot out of them. And a podcast that talks about travel in Vietnam would nowhere near be complete if we didn't cover food. And during the year, I was able to get on the show some really interesting people to give us some of the diversification in food that you can find in Vietnam, and also just how food and the flavors and the influences change from south to central to north. We touched on street food and we did a great story with Corin Carlson and really went deep on the food options available in Hanoi. And she was fabulous in sharing some great bites, great places to go. And then we went a little bit upscale and I had Raj Taneja on and just his input in talking about the development of fine dining in Vietnam and where that is heading and his involvement with La Chaine des Rotisseurs and just, you know, I think that was insightful for me, especially as I probably had focused more of my time in previous visits on street food and cute local cafes. Go directly to the Hanoi Foodie shows here – 1 Go directly to the Hanoi Foodie shows here – 2 Go directly to Fine dining show here Kerry Newsome: [00:22:04] So to step up into fine dining, I think is definitely an episode you need to check out. I hope you enjoy the foodie episodes that we have coming up as well. So stay tuned for 2023, Another episode, which I got to do with a lovely lady who plans weddings. So I know it's early in the year and it's a good idea to put this in my recap and to talk about because, you know, I think in the beginning of the year, we do like to make plans and plans maybe, you know, long way down the track. So, if you are considering a destination for a wedding, I really invite you to have a listen to the wedding podcast that we did. And I think you're going to be quite surprised at just what's available and just the value that is there for people and the variety of experiences that you can offer in your wedding and obviously allure your guests. So maybe check out if you're thinking about planning a wedding to go to that podcast. Go directly to Wedding show here The other area, which I really did need an update on was Nha Trang, and I did that with Colm Hutchinson and Colm works in the media and advertising and marketing industry. Kerry Newsome: [00:23:40] He's now living there as an expat, married with two beautiful children, and he was able to give a really good list of some of the things that you can. Do in Nha Trang. Gosh, I hadn't been there since about 2014, so I knew I was out of date with how the location had developed. So from hotels to experiences, I think we got a list together about ten things. So if you want to consider Nha Trang as a bit of an offshoot for some experiences with family, with snorkeling and with water sports and culture, I really suggest that you have a look at the Nha Trang episode we did with Colm. Go directly to the Nha Trang show here In addition, we kind of jumped to experiences and some of the things that are really coming on in Vietnam. And one of those is the craft beer scene. And I got to talk to Gary Bett in Da Nang, and Gary is the founder and the head brewer of the Five Elements Brewing Company. And Gary was really insightful about craft beer. I mean, I know very little about craft beer as a beverage. But just getting to understand some of the Vietnamese influences and flavors available and just the scene itself and how it's growing and developing was enlightening, to say the least. So once again, if you want to have a look at the craft beer scene and look at some of the big players across all the major cities in Vietnam, I'd invite you to have a listen to that one. Go directly to the Craft Beer show here Kerry Newsome: [00:25:35] We also had some time with a really interesting chap who knows the history of the city of Hue, the Imperial city of Hue, and why its extremely popular for its food, its perfume River, the Citadel and deep, deep history. And he was able to really explain it in a way that gave context to some things and some images that you might see about the city. And I'm sure you're going to really enjoy that one. If you'd like to know more about Hue. Go directly to the Hue show here We also were able to look into some islands and one of the set of islands which comes, you know, up quite a bit now and has certainly done so in the last four or five years. And that's the Con Dao Islands. And I was able to do that with a guy who just did it by impulse. He went there with a group of friends & he was able to share with us just some of the things that took him by surprise. And one of those things was possibly the underdevelopment of the region. And whilst there is plenty of places to stay, you'll find that from his aspect, he really enjoyed its uniqueness in beauty, its quietness, its serenity and just some of its complex history. So that's another one to check out. Go directly to the con Dao Island show here And then we jump to a really interesting subject, the subject of being a solo traveller to Vietnam. And I got to do that with Camellia Dinh and Camellia and I have done some work together and she was able to kind of express the differences between her travelling as a Vietnamese solo traveller versus mine as a solo traveller, which, you know, I do more often than not. Kerry Newsome: [00:27:49] And it was just intriguing to hear how her perceptions are not that different from mine and to learn that she just feels as safe as I do when I travel to Vietnam. I mean, no city is absolutely 100% perfect, but the crime rate in Vietnam is what I would say, considerably lower than many other Asian countries. And I think using common sense, as we say, always in travel, you know, you can feel that you can do most things in Vietnam feeling very safe. One to definitely want to check out. I had some great feedback from some female solo travellers in particular over the Christmas break saying that they were inspired to go after listening that. So that was really terrific to get. Go directly to the solo traveller show here And we finished up the year talking about a beautiful place called Ninh Binh, you know, a place just a couple of hours out of Hanoi. It is often compared to Ha Long Bay but the Halong Bay on land. It's quite mystical. Jack Taylor talked about his visit there. He did some beautiful drone photography and all in all, I think it was worth getting some insights about this place for you to get some comparison, I guess, to Ha Long Bay. Kerry Newsome: [00:29:25] They are both beautiful sights to visit, but even in their classic beauty, they have some distinguishing differences, which, you know, will appeal to one person, possibly more than the other. So it was a big year. And we got to we got to get through the post COVID tensions. And we talked about just how we saw travel evolving and how we saw the country opening up. The visa status is pretty much set at the moment. I mean, I'm talking to you now in January 23, and we do have the visa free countries and the evisa status for 80 countries. So, you know, it is pretty set at the moment, but it may change. I know there's been lots of conjecture about that and it's a bit of a “watch, wait and see”. And I'll certainly be keeping you up to date on that if and when that changes. As I said at the very beginning of today's podcast, I do really want to make the show about YOU this year. So, I really impress upon you to reach out to me. You can do that through the website. You can do that direct at what about whataboutvietnam@gmail.com and you know, suggest a subject, if you have a concern, if you have a response to one of the podcasts that I've done that you know, you'd like extra information. I'm happy to respond. I try and get to everyone I can, you know, personally and give you the best of my knowledge. Kerry Newsome: [00:31:21] If I don't have the knowledge, you can be damn sure I'll be going out to find it. I wish everyone a very happy, prosperous, safe, healthy, 3023 and I do hope the podcast does continue to inspire you to visit the country as it is evolving. It is a beautiful country, and if it's not the food, the people and the landscape that get to you, I'm sure you're going to find an experience that will and will keep in your memory for a very long time. I can't let you go just yet. I just wanted to tell you a little bit about the book that I released in December 22 called Book, Pack & Stay - A Travel Guide to Vietnam This is the link to Amazon. It's a very different style of travel guide book in the sense that it's not a destination guide book. It's more about the things that you need to look for when you are booking your tour, thinking about the kind of trip that you want to design. And you know, when you're sitting down with a travel agent or you're looking to do it yourself online, you've given some thought to the kinds of experiences that you want to have because depending on what time of year and those destinations that you choose, you really do need to kind of manage your expectations a little bit. So, you know, time wise, you've got enough time to enjoy it all and you know, you've got the right weather and the right conditions. Kerry Newsome: [00:33:16] We talk about in the book about what to pack the right kind of apps and bits of research that will help you in enjoying the trip and being well prepared for the trip. I don't know. So many times I've seen people with the wrong shoes or the wrong clothes or just feeling the heat, and some of these things can be managed so much better with a little bit of insight. And then, of course, your stay, what to expect. You know, you're going to trip over wires. You're going to see thousands of motorbikes. And just I hope the guidebook is going to help you understand that, kind of get it in context and some tips and hints on just being able to make your stay is so much more enjoyable. So that's the book Pack and Stay Travel Guide to Vietnam. It's a nice easy price of $4.99. So not a huge expense. You'd have it on your phone and you're always going to be able to interact with that with the links to various apps, videos, podcasts and of course, Amazon is going to allow you to do that very easily. Please send me any feedback or suggestions as I will be updating this version later in the year because Vietnam is just that country. It's evolving fast and I want to make sure I get you the information you need that's relevant at the time. Thank you very. Kerry Newsome: [00:34:50]. Check out the episode notes for more information. What about Vietnam? Don't forget to subscribe, write and review, and stay tuned for more fun adventures in Vietnam. Time stamps 2.35 – The year ahead 4.58 – Where to go for more in-depth information 10.54 – The year in Review – The comedy scene Saigon 12.07 – The language learning series of shows 12.54 – Phong Nha Caves show 14.07 – Wellness 16.02 – Phu Quoc 16.40 – Teenager Show 19.00 – Art in storytelling and Contemporary art of the future 20.15 – Food shows 21.00 – A wedding planner story 23.00 - Nha Trang 25.00 – Craft beer scene 25.35 – Hue 26.10 – Con Dao Islands 27.00 – Solo Travel in Vietnam 29.00 – Ninh Binh

f869da4e-5155-49cf-a089-fb57696dcfa9How much time to allow for a visit and to where. Travelling to Vietnam part 2 - How much time do you need Episode 15 S3-15 Travel time in Vietnam P2 00:00 / 32:21 In this Episode we explore the value of time on a holiday in Vietnam. This is part 2 - with Miquel Angel. While we discussed in Part 1, the aspects of travel opening up to 5 provinces from November 2021. In this Part 2, we expand the travel opening conversation and unpack the normal trip duration of 14 days, to see the main destinations. From this starting point we discover the highlights and lowlights impacted by how much time you have in each place. Miquel and I share many funny anecdotal experiences that are definitely impacted by how much time you have and how wisely you use that in each destination you go to. During the episodes (Part 2 &3) we flesh out the typical experiences of this 14 day trip and how they could be better managed if the focus was on particular regions ie The South, Central, Highlands and Northern regions. Download Transcript PDF Read transcript

dab37f6f-38a7-4c56-9b1a-56aec8510979Language tips in Vietnam Learn best shopping words Learn best words to use for "shopping" in Vietnam Episode 21 S3-21 Learn "shopping words" 00:00 / 16:21 Shopping in Vietnam is “awesome” on so many levels. And while it may sound obvious - knowing some phrases or a few words in Vietnamese can really make the experience even more fun. In this episode (part 3) Ms Ha and I expand on the “game” of shopping or bartering, as Ha gives us some keys words to use to help you get the item you want, at the best price. Because lets face it. That's what we want, right? This is the last in the 3 part series on language as we have covered “Greetings” in part 1, “Dietary requirements” in part 2, and in this one we finish it off where you will learn some of the artistic language skills to use when “Shopping”. Simple phrases like - What is the “best price”?. “Too much” ! If you'd like to dig a little deeper to an expanded version of "Shopping in Vietnam "check out the episode (Series 2, Episode 2). This is one of the most popular in the series. Even if you don’t like shopping, the markets is a must to visit as this is where the heart and soul of the people lives. See locals bargain, share gossip, laugh and enjoy the whole experience. It makes shopping in a supermarket look very boring. You will love this final episode with Ms Ha, as it is a nice quick one and easy to follow. My thanks to Ms Ha again for her patience and wonderful skills in making the learning of Vietnamese so easy. To see her shopping click on the Link to the right. Download Transcript PDF Read transcript

3f0e6c92-f3f3-4950-8fa3-5b1ae46c7755Five golden rules on getting the best accommodation What About Vietnam - Series 1 - 5 What are the best forms of accommodation in Vietnam? What is a Homestay? How long should I stay in each place? When looking for accommodation in Vietnam I want to offer you some rules to follow - to ensure you get the type of stay, and value for money you want:- · Always check the location and proximity to city centre or places of interest - Hanoi best to be near Hoem Kiem lake in the old quarter - Hoem Kiem lake · Hoi An - walk to old town or at the beach. · Either is ideal but if it says 2-4 kms away, that’s too far. Less than 1 km is ideal. · In Hoi An - I have been known to move from a hotel because it was falsely described as close to a particular area I wanted to be. Being stuck out somewhere too far away can be annoying and when you know you don’t have to pay that much more to be closer why put up with it. · Always check size of room. 15- 20sqm is very small. For a middle size room for 2 people start at 25sqm. I never go for less and possibly I’ll go for 30 for a long stay. · Check it has a window. Some people may find no window claustrophobic. I know I would. · Check any mention in reviews about construction noise and cleanliness. This is very important. Roosters crowing and being close to city centre noise often can’t be avoided, but cleanliness can. · Check if it has a 24 hour manned front desk. Or if not make sure you have communicated with someone who can let you in that speaks English. I have had a flight delayed and cab couldn’t find location and no one understood where the new bungalow was, I was trying to find. It took the driver getting his mate to drive to us who spoke English to get the info and then him to wake up the guy sleeping on the floor, to let me in. When you are tired and just want to get settled, it’s the last thing you want to happen. One thing about Vietnam. It has lots of tiny streets, alleys, battle axe blocks and some roads are not accessible by car, so be sure,……. prior to arrival, you save as a screen shot the map location and full address on your phone. Based on the fact you may not have a sim card so cannot access Google maps, to get details to find your hotel. You may also want to think about the level of stay you want…. prior to booking. Let me explain values and gradings so you know what I mean. Let’s talk 2 star - These are most likely best suited to budget travellers or long stay persons, as their facilities certainly in cities, may not be at a standard acceptable in western societies. However, in outer regions you can get great value. Mostly will be homestays and it will feel like you are part of the family. You can only go by the reviews in these cases. 3 star - These are the ones which are hard to make a general statement about. I have had the fortune to stay at some amazing places that are classified as 3 star because their facilities fall short of the grading system. So don’t dismiss them so easily as I stayed in a very cute place in Can To, that was absolutely divine with a rustic charm you just wouldnt get anywhere else. Furniture made by local woodcarvers, ….room had an outdoor shower, beautiful beds with mosquito nets draped over them…. snuggled into a hidden location close to the Mekong river, but it only had one thing on the menu. A dog would walk me to my door each night after a few beers. It was a very authentic experience and that’s where Vietnam is great, as you can mix up your stay with these kinds of accommodation options. You can make your next stop a 5 star resort if you like. 4 star - Hotels, are very popular in Vietnam. There was a shortage about 5 years ago, but now this gap is well and truly filled with very nice hotels starting from around $40USD. From anywhere up from there, the only difference you are paying for is location. You will pay more in this category the closer you get to the city centre. If you are prepared to take taxis to everywhere, then you will get great value, but you may make up the cost in taxis, so give it some thought. In Hanoi especially, in the Old Quarter you can get some great 4 star Boutique hotels with rooftop pools. With the only thing being it may be noisy with street nois, so just ask for a room at a higher level. Its worth it, to be in a nice place and close to the action and have access to boutiques, and restaurants in easy walking distance. Plus the lake is divine at sunrise and sunset. On weekends they shut off the streets to traffic and people dance and walk around it as the sun goes down. 5 star - In this category, you will get all your famous brands, massive land areas, mostly out of town, mostly close to beaches unless you are in district 1 of HCMC, where they go UP instead of out. Typically the prices are conform to their brand. You can however find a few brands that may not be well known to you, these may be owned by Chinese or Koreans and therefore they may typically be the predominant guests. Which is fine, it will just influence the food and style of accommodation to suit. Homestays - Is a unique kind of accommodation, that began with humble kinds of expectation where a family had extra rooms they would rent out and bring the guests into their family for meals and help them with their travel plans. These still exist, but they are dying out sadly. They tend to exist in more remote regions like the Hills districts in the north and places like Sapa. Due to the fact you get what you get, as in don’t winge about the bed bugs, they are cheap. Guest houses - these have kind of morphed into a version of a Homestay and a Homestay has kind of morphed into a boutique kind of Pension or bed and breakfast…..The kind of place run by a family. Often they are just like over sized homes with lots of bedrooms - all upstairs. And more stairs…. Some now have pools as owners have seen that a pool draws customers. So before you know it, you might think you are booking a homestay, when in reality its a small hotel, and there is no family cooking meals at all, they have a kitchen and you can help yourself to teas and snacks. Read the fine print with your bookings to make sure you aren’t disappointed. Or check with your travel agent. Vietnam has never really cottoned onto the Villa concept like places like Bali or Cancun for example. They do exist, but to me the ones I have seen don’t quite hit the mark as they don’t tend to be self-contained. Just big rooms opening out to pools or lush grounds or paddies. But knowing Vietnam that could change moving forward, especially as we travel post the Covid-19 Pandemic. Accommodations that offer self-isolation of a kind as in self-contained may be the preferred small group or family stay. Lets stay tuned for that one. Airbnb - Once Airbnb got a foothold in Vietnam. It went crazy. There are lots, especially in the private room category. They offer very good rates for long stays. These are your best bet if you want some kind of self-contained option with some cooking and refrigeration options to eat in. Not many will offer car parking and there is a reason for that, as they don’t expect you to drive yourself in a motor vehicle. If you do decide to hire a bike they will have a safe parking area for bikes. Your host, or hotel staff can arrange almost anything. I was staying in a hotel one time in Hoi An. I was bringing the girls I sponsor into Hoi An for a visit, and a swim. The hotel agreed on the basis they had swimmers. To my dismay, both girls had never been in a swimming pool nor did they own a swimming costume. So I asked one of the girls at the fornt desk to help. The next thing I knew I was on the back of a girls bike and we were off to a shop to buy the swimmers based on the fact I would guess their sizes before they arrived. The story has a happy ending it that the swimmers fit perfectly, but the girls were terrified of the pool, so we sat in the baby pool end and had a lovely day together. So, dont; be afraid to ask. In Vietnam, anything is possible. Finally a couple of things, that go as a pretty standard practice. · Handing in your passport at reception. Usually, they will keep it as by law they need to. Don’t worry you will get it back when you pay the bill, some take a photocopy and give it back to you straight away. · Most places include breakfast · Not all hotels have lifts - so if you have lots of luggage and you are a big group, you may want to check before booking. · Camping and camp sites are not common, you can do it mostly in National Parks, but don’t expect to check into a Caravan park or log cabin stye of place with all mod cons and plug in electricity. NOT available I am afraid. · You might like to check out a guy who does a lot of this style of accommodation as he gets about on a bike, called The Rusty Compass. I’ll put his contact link in my notes. He’s got the best tips and maps to help you if this is your gig. So as your trip planning starts to crystallize the biggest question you are going to have to ask yourself is what will your length of stay be in total. I have seen people say, its only a small place so we only need a night here and a night there, but by the time they have flown from where ever...into Hanoi or HCMC, settled in to their hotel, their one night has not afforded them any time to explore the region and truly immerse yourself in the local culture. It can really taint your view of a location by being tired, or rushed or exhausted from heat due to trying to fit too much into a day. Please if you do one thing from my podcast, think carefully about how long in each place, as it will impact your enjoyment factors. If I may, Id like to share with you some recommendations for main city locations. Hanoi - min 2- 3 nights which includes the night you arrive, and dependant on if you want to take a day tour to Ninh Binh, which is 4 hours from Hanoi. Something you will want to do. HCMC - 1 - 2 nights - Halong Bay - 1.5 overnight stay Hoi An - 5 nights - as a place to relax and so much to do and best done at a relaxed pace Danang - 1 night plus Nha Trang - 2 nights Dalat - 3 nights Sapa - 2 nights min Hue - 1 night Phu Quoc - 2-3 nights relaxation. Flop and drop. Please use this as a guide, it really all depends on how you are going to get around, train plane or automobile?? Activities take time, they eat up days...the heat adds another level of exchaution and you can fund tourself in bed early after a morning climbing Marble mountain ro visiting the Golden hand at Ba Na hills. Time flies, trust me.. My last piece of advice here is:- afford yourself more time, in less places. And come back another time. So in wrapping up this session, covering _ booking accommodation. There are of course many ways to book, online, via travel agent or direct. With the advent of Online TA’s like agoda etc, booking.com etc, sometime going direct is not the cheapest option, but sometimes you can get extra value built into your price so always check both options. I know one hotel in HCMC that is now my stock standard favourite include airport pick up free if you stay 2 nights. You don’t’ get that through Booking.com and its same price. So there are deals to be had. Please check with the Episode notes for any links mentioned and feel free to contact me anytime. I look forward to paving the way for you to have a magical time in Vietnam as I share more trip planning tips over future episodes ... ….stay tuned for more to come in the super 6 series, What about Vietnam – traveller Insights Thanks for listening.