6ba55c6c-2c3e-40fb-a5c1-e03d00a8882b8 Tips for Vietnam travellers during TET 8 Tips for travel during Tet Episode 7 S1-07 8 Tips for travel during Tet 00:00 / 29:27 Today's episode is particularly special as we delve into the vibrant celebration of Tet, the Vietnamese New Year and what that means for Vietnamese and you as a traveller during this time period. Drawing from my personal experiences in Vietnam, I've compiled 8 essential tips for travelers to help you navigate and appreciate Tet's rich traditions while planning your trip effectively. Tet is a time of giving, gratitude, and family, marking the advent of spring and a fresh start. It's important to note that Tet dates vary each year according to the lunar calendar, with upcoming years being January 29th for 2025 (Year of the Snake), and February 17th for 2026 (Year of the Horse). In this show I highlight my most important tips for travellers to ensure they enjoy their stay during this time and manage their expectations. Here are the TOP 8 tips” 1. Buy Travel Tickets Early: Tet sees a massive movement of people, so secure your travel tickets in advance to avoid being stranded. 2. Arrive Early for Departures: Expect long queues at transportation hubs, as many will be carrying gifts for their loved ones. 3. Carry All Travel Documentation: With skeleton staff during Tet, having all your paperwork in order is crucial for a smooth journey. 4. Manage Expectations: The lead-up to Tet is bustling, but actual Tet days can be very quiet with many places closed. 5. Check Hotel Services: Confirm with your accommodation which services will be available during Tet. 6. Use Facebook for Communication: Many businesses in Vietnam use Facebook to communicate with customers, especially during Tet. 7. Be Cautious with Restaurant Choices: Menus may be limited, and food freshness can vary due to supply disruptions. 8. Ensure You Have Enough Cash: Banks and ATMs may not be operational, so having cash on hand is essential. Find out my own personal advice on how best to manage your travel arrangements. If you do plan your trip to be in Vietnam why not embrace the local customs, try traditional foods like chung cake or Tet cake, and learn a few festive greetings to show your respect and appreciation for Vietnamese culture. For those planning a trip in 2025 or beyond, consider these insights to decide whether traveling during Tet aligns with your preferences. Personally, I prefer traveling before or after Tet to allow the Vietnamese to celebrate this significant time without the intrusion of tourism. For more details and assistance with trip planning, check the show notes or reach out to me directly. Wishing you a fantastic travel experience in Vietnam! Remember, Tet is not just a holiday; it's a profound cultural experience that offers a glimpse into the heart of Vietnam. Whether you choose to travel during this time or not, understanding and respecting the local traditions will undoubtedly enrich your journey. See future years, dates and Zodiac for TET in the table in the gallery. Download Transcript PDF Read the transcript here

971b2c29-b5dc-4a86-ac7b-6ac56695c545When it is about the food it is because it is fantastic What About Vietnam - 2-19 Discover the culture and history of Vietnam through its food Kerry Newsome: [00:00:35] Xin Chau, and welcome to What About Vietnam? Kerry Newsome: [00:00:38] Look, when someone tells you they think Vietnam has put a string around their heart and brings them coming back for more. Year after year, you know, you have to have them on the show. That's just it. Have you ever heard that saying “you can feel the love” or “you should listen to your heart?” Both those sayings speak. directly to my guest today when she talks about her love and her genuine knowledge of Vietnamese cuisine and the Vietnamese people. Monika Czerveniak is my guest today. And as an enthusiastic traveller of South East Asia, she has worked in the hospitality industry for many years as a consultant. She's a food blogger and she runs Chow Down Vietnam Food Tours. And in her spare time, she is the face and creator behind fearless cooking classes and workshops in Hoi An and Vietnam. Vancouver, B.C., Canada, where we're talking to her today. And, you know, she pretty much goes wherever her taste buds will let her. Being born and raised in Austria to a family of restaurateurs. Monika speaks of the importance of fresh food; ingredients that burst with simple flavours and yet delight the palate. The smells and excitement of growing up in a restaurant inspired her further education and training in Austria and to her broader travels throughout Europe and Asia. She tells me a few years ago she felt completely in love with Vietnam's magical culture and people while crisscrossing the country several times and indulging in their amazingly fresh and healthy cuisine. Finally settling in Hoi An for eight years, her beloved tours and experiences of food in Vietnam will not only open your ears, hearts and imagination to Vietnamese food you can experience during your stay, but I'm betting it may be the subject that you talk most about when you get home. So let's jump in and hear what this fun loving, fearless chef has to tell us about Vietnamese food and what you can expect on your visit. Kerry Newsome: [00:02:55] Monika, it's great to have you on the show. Welcome. Monika Czerveniak: [00:02:59] Welcome. Thank you for having me. Kerry Newsome: [00:03:02] It's absolutely delightful to have you on. We've got a lot to get through. So I'm going to start by asking something I've been meaning to ask you when we began chatting. What inspired you to visit Vietnam that very first time? Monika Czerveniak: [00:03:22] Well, that's very simple. In 1980, and 19992 a movie came out in the U.S. and in that movie was Catherine Deneuve. And I was crazy, crazy about this woman. She was beautiful. I mean, she still is today. Anyway, the movie has really touched me not only for herself as an actress, but the whole thing about the story of Vietnam or in the scene and the French and so on, so forth. So it really inspired me all these years. That's what I want to do one day. So and that's what happened. So I was working in Beijing and Singapore and all of a had to leave for about 30 for 30 days of working to leave and go somewhere and come back after a week with a visa requirement. And so I went everywhere except Vietnam and it never happened. So after I retired, I finally did go to Vietnam for five weeks and I travelled the entire country and I totally fell in love with the country and thus came “chowdownVietnam”. Well a little later. But yes, through my travels and through my interest and my passion, which is food, people said, well why don't you do a full tour. Kerry Newsome: [00:04:56] Ok, and I think we said you'd been there about eight years. So that's quite a long time to get around Vietnam. Monika Czerveniak: [00:05:05] Yes. And I still don't know everything. Kerry Newsome: [00:05:09] Now, it's an ever-changing landscape, that is for sure. So before we get tangled up in in too much of that, I mean, we've got some stories to cover. I don't want to get caught up in noodles and sticky rice just yet. But look, try it if you can, to just give us a little bit of history about the influences that make Vietnamese cuisine quite unique, amongst other Asian cuisines. You know, sometimes it gets kind of put in the Asian food general bucket. And you and I both agree that's not the case. But talk to us, if you can, just a little bit about what the influences are that make, Vietnamese food so special, so unique. Monika Czerveniak: [00:06:05] Well, I think I need to start with a little bit of history of the occupation of Vietnam. They have been occupied for over thousands of years by the Chinese, the Japanese, the French and the British were there for about a year. So they had a lot of influences coming to them. And after the war, all I would say more, less 20th century, 20th century, their cuisine has sort of come about and changed completely because of the French influence, the French when they occupied. They were almost 70 years in Vietnam when they occupied Vietnam. In that time they created beautiful buildings, streets and sidewalks and beautiful houses. And they brought their cuisine. They brought their Pho, which is a chicken soup with vegetables in France. They brought their pate, they brought the breads & baguettes and all these things they brought into the food. And what happened was the Vietnamese sort of adapted it to their style and they created something out of it. So this is why they have a fabulous spread. This is why. They have amazing coffee, amazing noodles and rice, because, you know, they had nothing, especially after the war. There was not much rice in the. north. So in the south, there was a lot of rice, rice paddies coming up in order to feed the country. So as it is of the day, it has really been influenced by all these different cultures, But, especially the north, the north has very much been influenced by the Chinese over these years, so the cuisine in the north is over; taste is a little bit different than from the south. So there's quite a difference in that because of agricultural ways in the north. So it's colder there, so theres more noodles, whereas the South is doing the rice because there's plenty of food and lots of fruits and vegetables and herbs and they've grown all that in the south. So to do that, whether because of the weather as well, the South is always heart and soul is rice. Monika Czerveniak: [00:08:43] And so things are going different. So everything tastes a little bit different. And it's almost like two cultures, both doing the same thing. Kerry Newsome: [00:08:54] Yeah. And, you know, it's something that I learnt very early on in my trips back and forth was that, you know, I tried to get one dish in Saigon, and then try to order the same dish in Hanoi and either ,I couldn't get it, or be it just tasted totally different. And I was like, what have I missed here? Like, yeah. Can you explain? Monika Czerveniak: [00:09:24] Well, it is because of the Chinese influence in the north. So they are more into. And it's the fish sauce in the south, the focus is on fish. Kerry Newsome: [00:09:33] So, the Chinese influence is very strong in the north. Monika Czerveniak: [00:09:38] Even you don't mention that word of it, but you know, it is their cuisine. Monika Czerveniak: [00:09:45] So they're very proud of that. But I think and I know that this is the main concern or the main difference that the weather and what they're growing, that's what it is all about. So in the north, they have more pork and chicken and more proteins basically, and not as many vegetables and not as many fresh foods as the South has. It's because of that also the way that basically their own cuisine that's what happens. If you have a buncha, for instance, which is a national decision in Hanoi, which you must have if you have it in Hanoi, it will taste completely different. It’s the same as spring rolls or just noodles or whatever it is, it's all a little bit different. And also in the in the north, they don't serve their food spicy. You will get spicy condiments that you use yourself. But they don't add them in. You put it yourself into the soups or into the things, but they're not making the dishes spicy, is they do in the south. You get a little bit more "Umph" Kerry Newsome: [00:11:05] Yeah. Monika Czerveniak: [00:11:05] Well what is happening with the food is incredible harmony about flavours. It's very important. It's like, you know, the four or five senses of cooking. It's sweet, sour, spicy, pungent and salty. So and they also have the little marny flavor because of the fish sauce. Kerry Newsome: [00:11:28] So I know it does. Kerry Newsome: [00:11:33] And it makes sense to me when I did some street food tours and certainly also when I did some cooking classes to just say the additives of when you mentioned, I think you said sweet, sour and punchy, which is chili and things like that, but the amount of sugar that goes in some and the amount of salt and the amount of chili does vary quite dramatically in each area. And I mean, to me, that kind of adds some of the excitement about it. If you let your taste buds take you to various locations, it's never the same. I want to talk a little bit about street food, and I want to do that because it comes up a lot. And some people, I think, have a little bit of a reservation about eating street food. I mean, I I've been a fairly game traveller, I suppose so I will eat it. No matter what country, if they're serving something that's cooked. If that smell and that aroma is drawing me in, I'm there and I'm buying that shish kebab or that stick of pork, you know, something to try. Much to the amazement of who I'm traveling with. You don't know what's in that. And that could be this and that could be that. So talk to us a little bit about street food and Vietnam to me. Monika Czerveniak: [00:13:21] The first thing I would like to suggest to anyone who visits Vietnam, take a food tour, don't be cheap, good food to eat because you learn a tremendous amount and your eyes will be open. Monika Czerveniak: [00:13:38] And the guys, which is all speaking really well, English, and they see they know everything and they know where to go. I highly suggest that, you know, if you walk around the first few days and see what's going on, but your curiosity will get the better of you, because you see food everywhere and you just ache to try it. You’ll be watching the food being cooked and then three minutes later, there's some fabulous things in there and there's all this. So, add in salads and, you know, with one second you have this amazing noodle dish that you have no idea. A minute ago it was there and I was there and now you're eating it and the flavors and the taste of it and the freshness of it. So that's what needs to be seen in the midst of the experience. But the most important thing is, yes, there's a bit of a problem. I mean, food safety, we're not in North America. When I was in Australia, when you go to Asia, you have a certain bit of resistance in your stomach to what you eat. Mind you, you can get a food safety program, even in the best hotels. Kerry Newsome: [00:15:00] It can happen. Absolutely. Monika Czerveniak: [00:15:02] So when you see what was one of my philosophy, I always go where there are people. So the more people, more are on the street in that place. So, you know, lounges. And I'm going to say this fast. Well, I know the pork’s been out all day, but it's unheard of in our country that that is what you have this out on the council. So, yeah, you need to go, to know where to go and what to do. The thing is about three, four days. And when you watch this and I've watched so many, many times and I love watching it is when you go to the markets and you see all these little shops and these little LB's and there is not much food around, the food comes constantly fresh. There's fresh chicken coming. It just killed is around the corner that is coming. Monika Czerveniak: [00:15:54] And, you know, it's just everything it's fresh and it's coming to you live with these guys on the motorbike vespa’s and got all the chicken hanging up a little bit and just five minutes ago. Monika Czerveniak: [00:16:05] And you get the freshest of the freshest and you get the first chance and maybe to drive once. So, you know, there's a lot to watch. But I think you just have to let go and try everything. If you don't go to Vietnam to experience the food, I would say don't waste your time to go there. Kerry Newsome: [00:16:25] I fully agree, I think it is. [00:16:29] And I think there's always some lovely characters that come with that. and some experiences like the people or the vendors that are selling it. You know, you can kind of strike up some kind of communication with them. You know, the stories told sitting on little red chairs. They absolutely fascinated me when I first came to Vietnam. I thought, my God, this country has just had a bulk sale in red chairs, what's the story behind the red chairs. Monika Czerveniak: [00:17:03] I don't know where they came from. Monika Czerveniak: [00:17:06] Well, I always make up the stories as the French left a little chair from the kids playground. Or something and like that. Monika Czerveniak: [00:17:12] And they wanted to open up the shop. Monika Czerveniak: [00:17:15] There's not much room and they want to get as many people into their little shop. So, you know, they are perfect for that. Monika Czerveniak: [00:17:24] And then I always feel like I'm playing house like a ten year old again, that, you know, it's like I remember the first time I was in taking a hike up in Sapa in the northern parts, and we had this fabulous tour guide. This woman with a baby on the back. And the walk was for, you know, six, seven hours a day. And at the end of the tour, she said, I would like to invite you to my house. It wasn't really a house, it was a little contraption, a shed kind of thing where you could look through the walls and it was like two by fours kind of put together. And she said, sit down and I'm making you some dinner. Monika Czerveniak: [00:18:09] And there she is on the floor chopping up cabbage and putting boards there. And she's kneeling on the floor. And as they do and then chopping up the leaf. Monika Czerveniak: [00:18:22] And in a half an hour later, it's amazing you know. I will never forget that. And then how much they put in to show you how much they love their country is unbelievable. And they will do anything for you. Food to love it. Kerry Newsome: [00:18:38] Yes. Well, yes. Yes, I agree. Kerry Newsome: [00:18:42] I think I mean, I purposely did cooking classes and took food tours because I think the best way to get to know a country is definitely through their food. And as you say, they are very proud of their food and their cuisine, the spices, everything that they put into it. They do it with such love that, you know, you feel like you’re a part of their family almost when they are serving a dish, which is absolutely just delightful. But tell us, like you run ChowDownTours, which is a fabulous concept and I know very successful. Talk to us a little bit about some of the experiences along those tours with people, because obviously, people listening to us are saying, oh, gee, you know, is that me or not? You know, people have expectations or some preconceived ideas. Talk to us a little bit about some of the experiences that you've enjoyed with people on your tours. Monika Czerveniak: [00:19:57] Well, first, I want to say no to tours are ever the same. Everything I do is a little bit different. So different areas, different food, different things that we do, mainly because I have to say I'm very selfish. Monika Czerveniak: [00:20:12] I like to be excited about things that I do. So I don't like doing the same thing all over again. So during my tours, I mean, I will take people and always start in Hanoi because that's where you need to start, in my opinion, in order to get to know Vietnam, to see the difference and everything else and see how people are. But we usually start in Hanoi. We went up to Sapa before this year. Monika Czerveniak: [00:20:40] Now we're adding in Phong Nha is where we go. My last tour in Vietnam was two years ago. Monika Czerveniak: [00:20:54] And I've taken 16 people on the Ho Chi Minh Trail for five days. So we did that on a motorbike. So everybody was sitting on the back of a motorbike. And some of us were driving our own little bikes. But it was an amazing tour. And to this day, and this has been two years now, people are still in touch with me. And they say it was the best trip they have ever had in their whole life. Monika Czerveniak: [00:21:21] So seeing Vietnam in a different way, different areas, it's just amazing. So and then we're going down to Hoi An, which is why I decided it's the most beautiful part of all of Vietnam. And my idea of beautiful beaches. So there we are. We do bike rides. We find how rice is cultivated. What they're doing with it in April, then in April, October, we'll be watching a rice harvest and how they're processing the rice and what's involved and actually showing them the real hard work that's involved. And they have earned five cents on a bowl of rice to feed the family. We also go to cooking classes and I do two, three, day cooking classes sometimes where it's not only Vietnamese, but it's also very, very much into fresh food and also not wasting food. So this is where fearless cooking comes out of ChowdownVienam. So, that's what I'm continuing at the moment here in Canada, because, you know, we're kind of stuck. Kerry Newsome: [00:22:41] Yes, I’m right with you on that one. When we talk about fresh, speak to us a little bit about the freshness side. And they don't waste anything. That was the thing. I think we started cooking something with the pumpkin plant, and I couldn't believe that they used absolutely every part of the pumpkin, the flower, fruit, the vegetable. So talk to us a little bit about the freshness side and, and just about theire need to not want to waste anything. Monika Czerveniak: [00:23:20] Well, that's I think that's the number one thing about Vietnam is the Vietnamese food is the freshness and one of the reasons everybody has their own voice. They have a community, community gardens, community-wise is that they share in the villages. The government has given them all of so much land that they can harvest. It's theirs. And then the community goes together. So everything is fresh. They don't go to the supermarket, you know, I mean, the bigger cities they have, but they don't have supermarkets, so they don't have processed food, even though I have to say that's coming in and the children are young people is getting into that, unfortunately. But the freshness is there because they live right there, and they put it right there in their own house. They got the rice outside and they harvest the spinach and herbs and they're selling it goes to the market and making the news in the morning or the rice gets cooked in the morning off they go to the market and it so that's a very natural thing. They don't understand that. And nothing gets leftover. Everything gets eaten and then they start all over again. And, you know, when they have dinner, they're about six or eight dishes or whatever, you can just have fun like we do spring rolls. And that's our dinner. No, no. There's a whole lot of vegetables and herbs. The whole is incredibly important to Vietnamese cuisine. Monika Czerveniak: [00:24:52] And, you know, I mean food. So you have amazing flavors in there. This is unbelievable. So it's always for them. Kerry Newsome: [00:24:59] It's awesome. It's always if I can just interject that it's always amazed me because they have in some ways a high vegetarian but high carb diet, which, you know, because of the noodles and because of the rice etc. But they're so tiny as people. Kerry Newsome: [00:25:19] What is in their rice and their noodles that isn't in ours? Monika Czerveniak: [00:25:29] I think it's the combination of there's never just rice, it's all this rice goes with vegetables. And you must have this. I mean, the amount of vegetables that the amount of greens that they are eating, that's what makes them really healthy. We don't eat that amount of wheat. When you look at, you know, the spinach and the herbs and there's a plate of green on the table. This is enormous. It's huge. And they're not eating like us. A whole big bowl of rice, even though they are. But it's mixed and slowly and enjoying it. We are rushing our. - Breakfast, lunch and dinner. For them its an art form. You don't just throw all of that away and not care. Monika Czerveniak: [00:26:14] You know, you're enjoying it and you are meeting your friends. You're talking to your family. Monika Czerveniak: [00:26:20] Food is the most important thing for Vietnamese kids. I mean, there's nothing else but food, you know, money. We want to make money and make a living. But food is the priority. And when they need you, they will give you food. Monika Czerveniak: [00:26:36] You must have food. You must take food, food for them. This is an extension of who they are. And I think they're sharing it with us. And it's fabulous. It's really is an amazing thing. Kerry Newsome: [00:26:51] And it took me a while to grab that concept because, you know, I have very dear friend, she's Vietnamese. And I actually met her when she delivered a cooking class. And we just got on so well and have been friends for years. But it's kind of almost ritualistic, isn't it? It's celebrating. Yes. It's being respectful of the food, grateful for the food and their appreciation of your company to enjoy it. And they slow down. As you say, they're not like us that are just gobbling food and shoving it down our throat. They do it meticulously. They do it very artfully, almost how they will set it up and they will bless the food and then eat it. And it really forced me to take a real look at just, you know, what I do when I come home. When I am back home cooking food, as we do with a family or whatever, and, you know, I've sat at the table and I've said to people, just slow the heck down. You know, we can enjoy this food and we should be more grateful for that. We have it. So I'm glad you brought that up. But where should a traveller start and finish and what locations and maybe dishes they should try? Geez, there are a lot questions. Monika Czerveniak: [00:28:48] I'll make it firm, you know me! Monika Czerveniak: [00:28:50] I mean, first of all, I know, You need to start in Hanoi, and I know it has amazing food. Monika Czerveniak: [00:29:02] And as I mentioned, you need to first of all, have Pho, you need to have the food, the soup for the food, whatever you want to call it is an important start. It used to be in the old days. It used to be for Vietnamese that it would only be available in the morning if that was a breakfast and so forth because of the influx of the tourists of wanting more and more and more. Now it's getting served 24 hours. Monika Czerveniak: [00:29:33] I mean, you can have Pho anywhere and that's where you need to have that in order to try to sit down in the south. Right. In order to see the difference. The other thing is Buncha, it is Bún chả it is ground PORK it comes with noodles and it comes with special sauces. And it's just an experience. So you just you might look at it and say, oh, that looks like burger patties, but it is so much love and taste and flavor in these things and how they ARE making. And it comes with very special spring rolls. So that's another dish that you need to try and over the other one IS CHA CA LA VONG, which is a fish DISH. And there's a whole street dedicated. It's actually called CHA CA LA VONG in the old QUARTER dedicated to that. And some restaurants, there are some of them over a hundred years old and you don't have to order anything. Monika Czerveniak: [00:30:30] It's just sit down and they'll bring these COOKERS and they bring you a big frying pan. And the thing is sizzling on it and you start cooking it yourself and turning everything and dipping it here and adding the noodles. And it's fish. And the sauce is a very special dish. It's a white fish. It's very tasty. It's not a FATTY FISH. It's very, very, very, very good fish, very tasty. And it comes in a DILL sauce. And that's that's an amazing, amazing dish that a lot of people don't know about. And it's very, very important that they TRY that. And of course, you want to have your first introduction to a BANH MI, which is A BAQUETTE with various things. And you can have is one of the first words I learned was Op LA and Op LA means eggs and so is you in the morning, walk around, you see these people with these BAQUETTE'S selling you stuff. You just go Op LA and they give you some eggs and amazing herbs and special sauces that they make. Everybody makes a little sauce and it's something to die for. So you start off with that and then you make your way down to the to the middle part of the southern part and things start to change a little bit there. But again, go for the BANH MI -one of the best BANH MI in the whole world is IN HOI AN. And there's nothing better than that. Kerry Newsome: [00:32:03] Yeah. Yeah, you do. And once again, as you say, the baguettes, as in the bread that they make is, is just as you say....to die for.. Monika Czerveniak: [00:32:14] It is to die for myself. And one of the ways it's made with white flour, there's a little bit of wheat flour. Monika Czerveniak: [00:32:21] I had the pleasure of working in a bakery for the night and it was quite interesting. None of them spoke in English. And my Vietnamese is yes, no, not the non existing, but it was amazing. Monika Czerveniak: [00:32:36] I thought it was just flour, but yeah, no, it's rice mixed with a little bit of wheat flour, and it's unbelievable. Monika Czerveniak: [00:32:45] One more thing. I like to add is that people need to try in Hanoi, and that is an egg coffee. Vietnamese is very famous for their coffee. And you need to try any kind of coffee, its like a coffee that is black, with AN egg THAT IS WHIPPED on top, which is like you know, when you whip up some eggs , with some wine, which is not in there, it's called SABAYON. So that is put on top ONTO THE COFFEE.. And so the affect to the coffee is unbelievable. Forget the 5000 calories, but it's fabulous. Kerry Newsome: [00:33:25] Yes, I know, I'm one of these people that even when I order a juice, I say no sugar because I can get a bit sugared-up over there if I didn't love the sugar or sugars or something. Monika Czerveniak: [00:33:41] Yes. Kerry Newsome: [00:33:42] So we finish up. We finish up, we stop and we go to Hanoi. And I think another thing that I've enjoyed, I'm sure you have to in Hoi An and Danang is seafood and being able to eat just beautifully freshly caught seafood when you're selecting it out of a bucket. Pretty much, aren't you? Yeah. Yeah. Monika Czerveniak: [00:34:13] No, they're great with the mussels. With the clams in this fabulous thing with clams. They just throw them on the barbecue. But they have a different system that we have on barbecue deal, making it steamy hot and they're waving something around. So in order to put the heat to go right into it, I mean, you will see a lot of men on the street that are actually barbecuing in front of the house and selling it. And they're taking great pride in that. And that's a whole system of holiday barbecue and how they're fattening it and how which way to do it. But the seafood, yes, it's it's fabulous. Kerry Newsome: [00:34:51] It's really fresh. Monika Czerveniak: [00:34:54] So with everything so we do Banh Mi and we definitely do seafood in Hoi An and then we head down further down south and we end up I mean, Monika Czerveniak: [00:35:10] If I may interrupt for a second, there's Cau Lau in Hoi An. Monika Czerveniak: [00:35:14] Oh, How did we forget Cau Lau it's a very, very special dish that's is only going to get in Hoi An. And so this is your chance. If you get it somewhere else, I can tell you it's not going to be the same. So that is there is a very special well in Hoi An, that they are taking the water in order to cook from the water from the well. Monika Czerveniak: [00:35:40] And that's right. Ba Le Well. Well, and it's very important. Kerry Newsome: [00:35:45] So is that true? Kerry Newsome: [00:35:48] I thought that was a myth! Monika Czerveniak: [00:35:55] Some of them are not. But the myth is this is the water and that's the only way of getting the right flavors. So they are cooking the dinner. So it's a broth and it has some herbs in it. And, you know, it's basil and all kinds of things. And it's just a very aromatic soup that with noodles and meat and very thin slices of pork. Kerry Newsome: [00:36:21] And it's just so delicious too. It’s all about the broth, isn't it? It's the most important thing. And the crunchy pieces of pork. Kerry Newsome: [00:36:33] Oh, yes. I can't say enough about what to do with pork bellies, that's for sure. Kerry Newsome: [00:36:41] I sure do, but absolutely do. So if we leave Hoi Am, where would we go to next, do you think? Monika Czerveniak: [00:36:49] Well, you can go straight to Saigon but if you want to have some really experience, that is completely different. I'd like everybody to go into every part of the country but you should go to Dalat, as it is completely different which is in the mountains, which is of oh my goodness. French friends used to go and build mansions in the mountains for the summer and just enjoying themselves and the nice cool temperature and the last. And it's beautiful, beautiful agriculture is they have a lot of silkworms where they make silk out of it. So you can watch them. You can eat silkworms there. You can eat silkworms anywhere. But if you were to eat silkworms, I would say you have to do it in Dalat with a little bit of garlic and white wine sauce is absolutely delicious. Monika Czerveniak: [00:37:45] I know a lot of people go big in the in the in the U.S., but it is a delicacy Monika Czerveniak: [00:37:53] They also believe in love and have crackers and all kinds of animals up there, because let's remember the war, there was nothing to eat. So after the war, there was nothing there .No rice. So they were starving. So they went with insects and all kinds of things. Yes. Have been using in the past cats and yes. Is still using dogs in some special areas, unfortunately. But we have to also understand the culture and that out of neccesity they come from them. And a lot of these old timers, especially men like that kind, can’t change. Monika Czerveniak: [00:38:35] But anyway, it's an interesting, very beautiful monastery up in the last beautiful coffee country. It's lovely. Strawberries, flowers, all the flowers from Vietnam have come from the lot. Kerry Newsome: [00:38:51] So it's very good. It's a beautiful place. And they have everlasting flowers and strawberries the size of eggs. I've never seen such big strawberries. Yes, you can actually taste them. Exactly. Yeah. Kerry Newsome: [00:39:10] So then would we go to I want to grab you before we finish up, because I know you've got a little bit to tell about Phu Quoc, but I want to just grab from you in Saigon. What dish would you pick to make sure that you try. Monika Czerveniak: [00:39:30] Well, there you go again. You have to have seafood's in Saigon. You get the best fox and the best the best seafood anywhere. I mean, I would highly suggest you go on on a food tour with a motorbike, you know, several tour companies and I mentioned my favorites to accompany there. Monika Czerveniak: [00:39:55] If I go on Vespas, which I go in Saigon. This visit is an adventure that you can have in every town. But if you don't have time up north, I highly suggest Saigon to do it. It's an experience you will never forget on the back of a motorbike at six o'clock is rush hour. You have about nine million motorbikes out there and going all in one direction. And then people go and they stop in various places in order to have frog and crab and very delicate things, and the stuffed squid and things like that. Then you go to to drive around and you see the town, the city lit up. Monika Czerveniak: [00:40:45] And it's just beautiful seeing it like this and everything. Monika Czerveniak: [00:40:48] And then you go into a nightclub but don't actually go into a bar. They take you to a place where you go down some back alley and it goes to show, some people's houses and you go upstairs, and you up on some top floor and you find a great jazz band playing. And it's just the most intimate, beautiful kind of music. There's no microphones. It's organically done, and it's an experience of it's own. And afterwards you go to a nightclub and there is something else. Vietnamese like to dance. They all like to dance and they love music. They're great musicians, and they're just having a good time enjoying life so much, so much more than we do in reality every day. Monika Czerveniak: [00:41:38] Absolutely. I'm out with my friends. Monika Czerveniak: [00:41:41] Yeah. There's no weekend. I'm going with my friends. So it's always every day, they are out and about. So highly recommended is the highlight of my summer and it's an experience they will never forget and you will be able to do the things that you've never used before. Kerry Newsome: [00:42:00] All right. Well, knowing how you and I can get we could be here for hours, but I'm trying to be aware of time. Can you just talk very quickly? I just want to finish up with a little bit about Phu Quoc, because not many know much about it. But I know we talked about Pepper and we also talked about fish sauce. And I just thought very quickly, you could tell the importance of that and just how it relates to Phu Quoc, the island in the South China Sea. Monika Czerveniak: [00:42:44] So what it’s really famous for, is for the fish sauce. And it's in all the other parts of Vietnam, fish sauce is made with squid. This one is made with anchovies. And it really sets it apart from any other fish sauce that I've ever tasted. Firstly, I like Red Bull fish sauce, which is amazing. And I realized it is now in a lot of different countries and I was finally able to export it. And it's really made a name of itself. But also, it is a pristine beautiful island with fabulous beaches. There are some parts where, you know, the Sheridan and all those big conglomerates have appeared. But there's also a jungle there that you can get lost in a very easy. But if you're looking for food, seafood, it is. I've never in my life seeing prawns like this. They were like some of them were like, you know, 10, 12 inches long. I've not ever seen one. So huge, they're like little crayfish, almost little lobsters. That's how big. Monika Czerveniak: [00:44:17] Wow. So are you. And tasty. Oh, fantastic. Fantastic. And you know, in Vietnam they have this very special dipping sauce. Everything goes into it. Monika Czerveniak: [00:44:27] And it's it's basically made from water, sugar, lime juice and of course, fish sauce and chili. And so this is unbelievable. But in Phu Quoc, because it has such fantastic pepper, it's one very, very aromatic pepper. And unfortunately, I just ran out the other day, so I need to go back. Kerry Newsome: [00:44:52] We definitely have to go back. Monika Czerveniak: [00:44:54] Yeah, absolutely. But what they are doing is taking the beautiful pepper. ….they grind it up with a little bit of salt and then they're mixing it in a little bit with lime juice. And that's what you dip, your giant prawns and shrimps in. Oh, my God, I'm salivating right now as I speak. But it's unforgettable, an unforgettable taste. Its just Vietnam. Kerry Newsome: [00:45:27] Monika, look, this is definitely going to be an unforgettable episode because we've covered so much and I'm so thrilled to have done it with you. Maybe might kind of grab you for another episode down the track. We might even get you to talk about a recipe maybe that people can try at home. Maybe we do something like that. Kerry Newsome: [00:45:51] What do you think? Monika Czerveniak : Id love to love to do that. Yes. Fantastic. OK, Monika, I'm going to have to say farewell. Thank you for your time. And I hope to be in Vietnam with you very soon. . Thank you for listening. Kerry Newsome: [00:46:16] Check out the episode notes for more information. What about Vietnam? Don't forget to subscribe, write and review and stay tuned for more on adventures in Vietnam.

0996e913-3e85-43d0-94f7-b082c48fd09aInsights into Vietnam travel beyond 2021 Industry experts share insights on 2021 travel Episode 1 S3-01 Travel Industry Experts 00:00 / 31:40 This is the episode for those people who are finding it hard to know what to believe is really happening with travel developments in this region and what source to trust. Our experts are Gary Bowerman and Hannah Pearson. In this episode, you are going to hear a very frank “no holes barred “ conversation where we take a deep dive into how the impact of Covid is driving travel forecasting, travel bubbles, trends becoming evident in the region, consumer confidence or lack thereof, vaccination roll-out, Visa’s and much more. Download Transcript PDF Read transcript

d59e28f5-0a3c-4568-9a04-64cd21ec51a6 A sun kissed paradise with amazing experiences. What About Vietnam - Series 3 -17 Mui Ne - Beach bliss, kitesurfing and sand dunes Kerry Newsome: 00:01 Xin Chào and welcome to What about Vietnam! 00:04 Ho! Ho! Ho! 00:06 Guess what? We are nearly there once again. I wanted to take this opportunity as we wrap up for 2021, to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, I'm truly grateful to everyone that subscribes to the program, writes reviews, that pops in and send me messages that is really supportive of the program as it's a labor of love, I love doing it, and I get to meet some wonderful people as a result. 00:44 I am hoping that I'm going to see you in Vietnam in 2022. Things are looking very positive for that to happen, at least in the second quarter as a tourist with all the freedoms that we were accustomed to prior to the pandemic. 01:03 We're going to wrap up this year with a destination episode. 01:09 Our destination for today is "Mui Ne ". 01:15 If you Google "Mui Ne ", you'll see all these pictures of crazy sand dunes, dune buggies, kite surfing and beautiful beaches. It's just a little place of contrasts but more known for its beautiful beaches and an opportunity to really chill out and relax. 01:38 I'm joined today by the lovely Nikki Cornish. 01:41 Nikki Cornish was the General Manager of Sailing Club in Mui Ne. I caught up with her as she was taking up a new role with the Sailing Club Leisure Group in Halong Bay, but she was great to come on the program to talk about Mui Ne. She originally came there in 2018. She had an extensive background in the hospitality industry and was thrilled to take up that role as General Manager of Mui Ne. So, she's been there since then. she comes with, two sets of eyes, one as a tourist and one as a local and an expat. She shares with us some great insights about the location, which I think you'll all find really handy to know about because it is a destination that's 4 hours out of Ho Chi Minh City, but very popular with long haul travelers who are looking for just a bit of respite before that long journey home. 02:44 I hope you will have a fantastic 2022. Please continue to follow the program as I do really appreciate it and I've got some great guests lined up for next year to talk about some really cool stuff to do, and some great places to talk about. Vietnam is just one of those places that just keeps opening up to so many different things you wouldn't even believe and that makes it exciting and revealing all at the same time. 03:21 So, Nikki, welcome to What about Vietnam! Nikki Cornish: 03:25 Great. Morning, Kerry. Thank you! And thank you very much for having me. Kerry Newsome: 03:28 Tell us a little bit about Mui Ne and what we're seeing there? And is it all true? Nikki Cornish: 03:35 Absolutely! Mui Ne is a beautiful little and beach resort town, on the southeast coast of Vietnam. It's about two hundred kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City and it's idyllic. We can get away for guests that are coming from Ho Chi Minh or from around the southern areas or wherever else they may be coming through from in Vietnam. It is also a beautiful beach destination for international travelers as well. 04:05 The pictures that you see of the beaches on the sand dunes, it's all there and it's just so beautiful beach destination, somewhere you can really just get away from everything. Very simple life, but beautiful surroundings, especially if you like the outdoors or being on the coast, then Mui Ne is a perfect destination. Kerry Newsome: 04:34 What challenged me was when I first saw pictures was, "How does a beach resort sit alongside sand dunes? " It looks like the deserts of Arabia in some of those images. So maybe explain to us a little bit about how one part of that location relates to the other? Nikki Cornish: 05:00 Mui Ne is known as actually one of the sandiest areas in Vietnam or urban area with the prolific amount of sand. Mui Ne is mainly made up of a strip of resorts and restaurants that sort of tourists section. Then you do have the sand dunes, but they are short drive away. So as an example, the white sand dunes are about forty kilometers away from our resort and the red dunes are about twenty kilometers, but you will see them even as you drive down the coastal roads and driving in and around Mui Ne, you can see just off the coast a lot of sand, a lot of the sand dunes. It's almost like a little mini desert set up, but you don't really feel that because you're obviously on the coast and then it's very tropical as well. Kerry Newsome: 05:52 I think you and I spoke about the fact that you can go and visit these sand dunes. So, what would be a typical kind of outing to visit the sand dunes? Nikki Cornish: 06:03 The sand dunes, the red and white sand dunes are one of the most popular tours and attractions to go and see in Mui Ne. There's also the fishing village which is very popular because Mui Ne is based on local fishermen, that's how majority of the locals actually make their livelihood, support, and feed their families. So, you have the fishing village and then there's another small and tourist attraction called the "Fairy Stream". The Fairy Stream is basically a beautiful little stream, ankle deep water that you walk through and as you're walking through it, you go through like a mini canyon and you can see the different red and white sands on the walls of the canyon. You keep walking through and eventually at the end you do get to a little waterfall. 06:55 So, we have them at Sailing Club, we offer a really great tour, it's about four hours, we take you out with one of our trusted tour guides who is obviously fluent in English and in Vietnamese. And you go off to the sand dunes in the morning either for sunrise or sunset, you go and visit the fishing village and obviously the fishing villages is best to go first thing in the morning. So, you can actually watch the fishermen come off the water, see their catch. We take you through to the red dunes after that and then around to the Fairy Stream to end off. So, it's a great morning or afternoon tour where you can actually experience all those attractions within one tall. The sand dunes there, they always recommend doing either a sunrise or sunset tour because of scene, it always makes things a lot more picturesque and a lot more beautiful. And the tour is open to go to any time of the day. 07:53 When you get to the white sand dunes, you have an option to either go up on a four-wheeler or an open-air jeep. So, they drive you up on the dunes, you can see all the views from there. And obviously from there because of all the different sands and the different colors, it makes it really beautiful to see, as I said, it's like the colors of Mui Ne. Then if you want to do some sort of sand sledging down the dunes, you can, once you've had your photo opportunity moments you've taken in the view that then take it down on the four-wheelers, you do a little bit of a Dune Buggy experience. There is a beautiful little dam at the bottom, you stop off there, and then they take you back and then we continue with the tour to the Fairy Stream and to the red dunes from there. Kerry Newsome: 08:48 As you said it is a sand location, how does that affect the weather in the region? Like is it particularly mostly dry or how does it effect? Nikki Cornish: 08:59 We have such an ideal climates in Mui Ne, it's a microclimate and we're very protected from sort of all the weather elements as well. So pretty much throughout the year, you're going to sit on an average temperature of about 27 degrees Celsius, we do experience a summer and a winter season but the only thing that really changes with that is rain and humidity, in saying that Mui Ne is probably one of the driest regions in Vietnam and when I say dry, for those who know Vietnam, when it rains, there's a lot of rain in Vietnam [inaudible 09:40] to be very wet but the rainfall is very moderate. we don't get a huge amount of rainfall where it affects your stay or affects your travel too much. So, the weather's is beautiful, it's consistent and constant throughout the year and just very pleasant. Kerry Newsome: 10:06 So, in other words, where normally we might recommend different months of the year for other regions of Vietnam, just to adjust, I guess for certain people's likes and dislikes as far it is, in the middle of the year, typically it's extremely hot. So, you're saying that really any time of the year would be a good time to go to? Nikki Cornish: 10:30 It would be and depending on what are your preferences. So, our high season typically runs from end of October to end of April and a few reasons for that. 10:42 One is the weather, it becomes our winter season, which again, you're sitting on sort of 27 degrees so it's not cold at all but during those months, there's no rain, the humidity completely drops or almost completely dissipates and then that is also the season that we get very good wind and I bring that in as a factor because Mui Ne is known as one of the top kite surfing destinations in Southeast Asia. So, it makes it a high season as well because of people who want to come for the kite thing, for windsurfing and other sort of water or wind sports. 11:22 If you had to come from low season, which is now going to be May till mid to end October, you will experience rain and there will be days where the rain will sit in for a day. Usually, after the storm, it all clears, you're back to beautiful blue skies, you will feel the humidity and I would say again, for people that are coming from a weather point of view, then most ideal would be the October to April the high season time and obviously if you are kite surfer, that is definitely the best time to come through. 11:58 For people who don't enjoy such big crowds and actually prefer traveling on offseason then July/August is also ideal. We sort of go through some of the rains or some of the heavy rains which come around sort of May/June, we get very heavy rain and then in September very heavy rain. But that July/August period, which fits in with Australian summer holidays, British summer holidays and the Germans also have them, a long summer break over there. So that has also become quite a popular time offseason to travel to Mui Ne. Kerry Newsome: 12:32 Okay, so I don't know which question to ask you first, should I ask you a bit more about the kite surfing, I'm intrigued because I have a few friends who are into that and they've never kind of really thought about Vietnam as a destination for this and I said, "Well, hang about, I'm going to be talking to this lady who is right I believe in a location that it is a very top priority spot there ”. Nikki Cornish: 12:59 Correct! and things you don't ever see pre COVID, in high season if you look out onto the sea, there's just hundreds of kite surfers out and enjoying the wind, it's very big at Mui Ne and it has a lot of different kite schools. We have our own kite school at Sailing Club as well as "Sailing Club Kite School ", so we offer kite surfing lessons that is from complete beginners to professionals. At any level we have our guides and instructors there to be able to teach you we've got all the equipment. We also offer other watersports, surfing lessons, paddleboarding, kayaking, but it's definitely all about the wind. So, a lot of people will travel to Mui Ne for that six-month period and pertaining to the kite surfing in the windy season. And they will either be coming through as foreign kite surfing instructors, or people that are able to [inaudible 14:03]. It's their passion and they'll come for a whole high season, and they come just to kite surf. There's also been a couple of big kite brands, that come up when they developed their new range and they're ready to launch for the next year, they come through and they do all their photography, and they do their launch in Mui Ne. Kerry Newsome: 14:30 Okay, that's interesting! But traditionally, we said that it's the kind of destination to come to for ultimate relaxation. Like we talked a little bit, about the fact that it's not a place with a heap of attractions. It's ideally a place to relax and chill out. Maybe talk to us about who are your most common visitors? Nikki Cornish: 15:03 I think everyone can agree obviously things have changed quite significantly during the pandemic. 15:10 So, we've got two major sectors, 1. Pre COVID 2. During COVID. So speaking on behalf of our resort and Sailing Club Mui Ne, during and pre COVID, we were very lucky that we had such a broad demographic of guests and visitors come through, a lot of Southeast Asian trade, a lot of European from all over the world we had people come through, and a lot for us, and in our resort were holidaymakers who had a bit of a busy tour or busy trip, and they did just want a couple of days or a week to just relax by the beach, sip on some cocktails, and enjoy really good food by the pool, be looked after pampered, that would be our main stream of guests. 16:04 Now, obviously, during COVID, the domestic market is what we've had to rely on, and we've been very fortunate enough that we have got a very strong and loyal following from people in Vietnam, and particularly in Ho Chi Minh City. So, we have a lot of our regular guests that come through regular return guests that come every sort of two, three weeks, they stay with us for sometimes 2-3-4 weeks, and again, varying very much on people that just want to get away from the city and come and relax. And those who want to kite surf. So, it is a little bit of a mix and it's very dependent on what you do, if you enjoy your kite surfing and those activities, it's all there for you. If you're wanting to just get away, switch off, turn off all your media, your phones, and then sit with a book by the pool and just rejuvenate and recharge. Kerry Newsome: 17:10 Yeah, and I really like that idea of finishing off a trip before you go home, in a place like that because sometimes it can be all rush and you're trying to cover a lot of places. People by the time they end up at the airport to depart for their long-haul flight back to Europe or US or Australia. They're absolutely exhausted, it's probably a good idea to finish off in a place like that because it kind of leaves you with that nice, beautiful feeling rather than that, "Gosh! I wish we'd had more time " kind of feeling. Nikki Cornish: 17:52 Absolutely! We had we had a lot of our guests, especially European and British guests that were booked through certain travel agents in the UK or Europe or wherever they were coming through, their tour was pretty much tailored that they would start up in the north and they would work their way down. Vietnam is such a such a diverse country, for anyone that is or has been to Vietnam, there is so much to see, there's so much to do and as you say literally from when you touch down, it's just go! go! go! because you want to see and absorb as much of what this beautiful country can offer you. As I just mentioned, a lot of our clients in the trip of five day or seven day stay, they're just relaxing. And I said, it was absolutely the best way that they could have done Vietnam because although they enjoyed seeing everything in Vietnam, they did say it was quite intense and I think a lot of people experience that when you come in from another country and you're not familiar with Vietnam, it can come across as a bit of intense and bit busy. And I said, for them it was absolutely the most ideal way of how to structure their holiday and should they return to Vietnam, it's definitely how they would do it again. Kerry Newsome: 19:12 In fact, it's going to be the title of an episode I'm doing in a couple of weeks’ time just about trying to fit everything in a 12 or 14, what we call "a top to bottom tour " versus maybe chunking it down into smaller regions because there is just so much to do, you're up at eight and you're on the bus or you've got a car waiting for you when it is go! go! And I think people do underestimate that movement factor, the heat. Taking that into consideration and you just wanting to be able to really enjoy the place rather than just go there, see it, get back on the bus. so, time becomes a luxury, if you can afford it and we were going to do an episode just on that, and I have a really great guest to do that. Nikki Cornish: 20:12 Brilliant! looking forward to tuning in and listening to that one. Kerry Newsome: 20:19 That also came about when we were talking about the amount of time to give to a stay like this, like, we talked about having a few days, but it sounds like you could easily stay there a week, or that just to take in the environment and to relax and I think you mentioned that you do have some guests that actually stay longer than that. Nikki Cornish: 20:45 Absolutely! We obviously have short stay guests come in sort of one to three nights, those are people that are on a little bit of a tight schedule, they're trying to see as much of Vietnam as they can, and they stay a week or two. 20:59 We have guests that will spend sort of a week with us, and we've had guests that will stay sometimes up to a month with us. So, it's such a great thing for us as well because we obviously get to meet people and travelers from all over the world. People who have different likes and dislikes and so it's always quite fascinating to meet people who come from such different backgrounds and want and needs. You do have the people that just could sit there for a month and just relax, and you have other people that do get a little, but they are the more active peoples they do tend to get a little bit antsy at times that, "What else can we do? And we want to go and see this ." So, it is all a matter of preference and I think the easiest way to put it is that for those who want to travel to Mui Ne, they don't come with the expectation that it is going to be a full-on busy holiday or trip for you. There are some beautiful sights and attractions to see but it's not going to be as busy as a lot of other destinations that you will visit in Vietnam. Kerry Newsome: 22:14 Correct me if I'm wrong, I think the major things that I take away from this is, yes, there are some wonderful photo opportunities, for avid travel photographer, that would be a great destination, as you were saying with the sand dunes. Lots of lovely sunsets and sunrises to take etc. So, all those beautiful pictures, that's how they come about. So, I think for the travel photographer, that's very keen. 22:41 I think, in especially post COVID, I think people are going to really think very carefully about this stay, and what they want to get out of it and so if they are looking for slow travel, or they are looking for maybe just one or two destinations in Vietnam, to take in a trip so that they can have that slow travel and really soak it up and enjoy it. I think also for maybe the more mature traveler, or the solo traveler or people just might want to go away for a bit of a sabbatical away from, as you say, the media, the phones, the whole kind of thing. 23:24 Then you've got your kind of your budget traveler, you've got your sporting traveler, so that if they want to do some water sports or they want an environment to learn some of those watersports. So that's got to be appealing, I guess, as well for maybe young adult families, you've got teenagers, they're always wanting things to do but if they could learn something like a water sport that you suggested, kite surfing, surfing, all of that kind of stuff. It sounds like a great environment for them as well. 23:59 So, maybe just talk to us a little bit about the kind of budget that is good to allow for a stay, maybe a three- or four-night stay from where you are to kind of the other end. Nikki Cornish: 24:15 One of the beauties of Mui Ne is it actually caters to anyone on all budgets, you can find accommodation options in Mui Ne, anyway from sort of $20 a night up to $300/$400/$500 a night. What going into the sort of meeting four- and five-star resorts. Same goes for your sort of food and beverage costs. Vietnam in general, if compared to first of all countries and to the rest of the world, it's is generally very affordable. So especially for people coming from Europe and that when they compare the prices to what they pay in Europe, it is extremely cheap compared to what they're paying over there. 25:07 Again, for the food and beverage, whatever your budget whether you want to enjoy there's a lot of local seafood restaurants and those become very popular and not just because of a price factor but just because it is very much something that is prevalent in Mui Ne with it being a fishing village that has grown into this tourist town, there is actually a section on the strip of Mui Ne, that has all, they're called "Bo Ke Restaurants" , and it's all the seafood restaurants. So, you walk along the strip, and it's just seafood restaurant after seafood restaurant, all the fish and the life tanks, and you go through and you pick and choose what you want, obviously very local, so a lot of the Vietnamese flavors than all the local way. Prices are pretty crazy for beautiful fresh seafood as well as an ultimate local dining experience that you wouldn't be able to experience in many other places of the world. So that is definitely something I would recommend when you're on Mui Ne, definitely go and give one of those seafood restaurants a try. 26:26 For those who do prefer sort of more fine dining, there are some beautiful restaurants, in some of the resorts. Our sandals restaurant, which is the restaurant within our resort is very well known, not just in Mui Ne, but actually in Vietnam, we've got a very good reputation for great food, and beautiful location, great wine list. The only thing I would say that maybe there in terms of pricing, it might be a little bit sort of off kilter when you compare pricing within the rest of Vietnam is maybe sort on your alcoholic drinks, your wines, and cocktails, that's just because they are all alcohols and that are obviously imported into the country. So, you would probably expect to pay maybe not the same as what you would in Europe, but it would be a little bit less, but it's definitely not as cheap as sort of the food side. 27:19 In terms of activities and getting around its very affordable. So, you can tailor make your holiday in Mui Ne to whatever budget you have, I would suggest work with what or decide on what your budget is and then you can work back and find the right accommodation option, the right tool option for you. Kerry Newsome: 27:43 Yeah, I agree. And as you say, I think managing the budget from an alcohol perspective, I'm sure not that I'm a big drinker but it is always the most expensive part of a restaurant bill because the seafood is just so cheap and that they will cook it any way you want it and you're eating that in a restaurant, in a very local environment and it's a very local field. So, you're not paying for white tablecloths and things like that. So, if you do ask for a wine or you do ask, I mean beer is usually pretty cheap. It's more in the wines and things like that. Nikki Cornish: 28:31 Absolutely! so all these sort of local seafood places you will only get beer and is cheap, beer is very cheap. And again, with these restaurants it's a very rustic setting. Kerry Newsome: 28:38 There's nothing flash. Nikki Cornish: 28:47 There's nothing flash about it you are just there for seafood and for the beers. if you're there and you're a beer drinker, it will be very affordable but yes, if you do enjoy your good wines and your sort of high-quality spirits for cocktails then you will expect to pay a little bit more at the resorts and the restaurants that do offer that. Kerry Newsome: 29:07 So, Nikki, before we close up any final tips that you'd like to share with us about the region just so that we come fully prepared? Nikki Cornish: 29:20 I would say, something to definitely take note of is that there is no international airport in Mui Ne at the moment. So, the most popular airport to fly into would be Ho Chi Minh City. And the next closest airport would be Cam Ranh which is just out of Nha Trang. From both airports, it's about three and a half hours, three and a half hours from Cam Ranh and about a four-hour drive from Ho Chi Minh City. So, I think that is just definitely something to take into account is the travel time and there's no direct route in there, unless you have come through from another city. 30:05 There is talks that possibly at a later stage an airport might be built, and they are talking about extending this raceway, which will make the travel time from Ho Chi Minh City into Mui Ne a little bit quicker. There is also the train option, the train option is a four-hour train ride from Ho Chi Minh City. A lot of people actually recommend it. They said, it's very comfortable, especially if you hire yourself a private sort of forbid compartment or cabin, especially if you're traveling with children. I know people like to do that because the kids can entertained and have a rest. Kerry Newsome: 30:45 And you can move around. Nikki Cornish: 30:47 Absolutely! So definitely factor in the travel time. Kerry Newsome: 30:52 Yeah, and I've had, a lot of people say they prefer the train because they can get up and move around and they can have some snacks and a cold drink and they don't have to stop the car, the car or a private car definitely is the other way, I think. And the train is much cheaper to get there. 31:15 Look, it's been great to have you on the program and for sharing with us. Your knowledge and your insights, etc. just before I finish, how long has Mui Ne, like being this popular, I've been going back and forth for about 14 years, and it really didn't come up on my radar until about the last four or five years maybe. Nikki Cornish: 31:41 Correct! So, I can't give you a date of sort of when that was and so our resort Sailing Club Mui Ne was built in 2002 and we were the third resort on that strip. So, there was not a lot going on there obviously wasn't a better tourism. And in speaking with the principal of Sailing Club Leisure Group, he said when he first got there, there wasn't even tarred roads, it was very much a dirt road slip with a lot of palm trees and basically Sailing Club was the third resort. And I would say it would have been some sort of probably about mid 2000s that I think, I stand to be corrected on this, but I would say from about the mid-2000s, things sort of started picking up and a lot more development and talks now is that there's going to be huge developments in that area they are talking about building a lot of other big hotels, we are starting to see some of the construction and some of the areas sort of in and around the area. So, I do expect that sort of post COVID There's going to be a lot more hotel options, a lot more resorts and that it is going to expand and grow. Kerry Newsome: 33:04 Do you see any significant changes due to COVID? Nikki Cornish: 33:12 In a positive way like moving forward or negative? Kerry Newsome: 33:16 Positive or negative, do you think they're going to actually change anything specific? Nikki Cornish: 33:23 So, definitely. Obviously from negative side we have seen that Mui Ne which once was such a bustling tourist start, any time of day there would be people walking on the streets and people on bicycles and all the shops and stands on the side of the road and just always so much going on lots of people everywhere. And just a great little resort town bustle going on. Obviously with COVID as a lot of people would have seen an experience that things have obviously got a lot quieter unfortunately, some of the shops and the businesses have had to close temporarily, I do believe that once international travel and that starts coming back, those businesses will be revived. 34:15 I think from a positive notes, I think for the companies or business owners that have a vision for hospitality and for building large scale resorts. This has been a fantastic time for them to be able to come in and to be able to achieve that and prepare ready for when international travel recovers and it's also for those who have wanted to do renovations and get things back on track. it has provided a little bit of downtime to be able to do the necessary, TLC jobs, maintenance, and renovations that people have possibly been planning. Kerry Newsome: 34:59 Yes, and I've heard that for quite a few people, it's been a chance to revive, regenerate and some of the forests and that have had a chance to breathe. We were getting to a stage of over tourism in some areas in Vietnam, just pre COVID. So, maybe tourism, when it does come back on, it's going to come back on a little bit more responsibly and thoughtfully for the environment moving forward. So, that is a positive. I do feel for a lot of the small business owners that have suffered out of this but hopefully they can regenerate also with tourism coming back on. 35:37 Anyway, Nikki, thank you very much for being on the show. It's been great to chat, and I've certainly learned a lot more about it. And I hope everyone listening has as well. Nikki Cornish: 35:47 Brilliant! Thank you, Kerry, thank you for your time and it's been lovely getting to know you through this, and I hope that you have a great rest of your day. Kerry Newsome: 35:56 Thanks very much. Take care. Nikki Cornish: 35:58 Thanks.

e3006e0d-2050-43b4-8931-3fe27f6b5457Special retreat focusing on skin wellness What About Vietnam - 2-13 A special kind of retreat that focuses on Skin Wellness, Part 2 Kerry Newsome: xin chào and welcome to what about Vietnam? Today we're going to be talking a little bit further about health retreats and on Wellbeing in Vietnam, & the focus is going to be on skin wellness. And I've asked Kim La Sambolec to come on because she is an expert in this field and she is running retreats in Hoi An in Vietnam. She is founder of the Skin Wellness Academy, and she's clearly ahead of the game in this area. Now, when you start looking at retreats and finding locations for them and looking for destinations which can offer you a range of experiences, you probably can't go past Vietnam as a location to do that. And certainly, the focus could be on a place called Hoi An, because Hoi An offers just such a beautiful range of experiences to add to whatever retreat you might choose to do. Today, Kim's going to take us and quite deeply into skin wellness. We're going to learn lots about what she offers in her retreats. And so lots of lessons to take away from today. Skin wellness is a specialty. It is quite unique. And it's absolutely fabulous that you can find a retreat such as this in Vietnam. I hope you're welcome Kim to the program, Kim. Welcome to the show. It's lovely to have you on. And I'm so excited to be talking about retreats in Vietnam and what you do in the skin wellness space. Kim La Sambolec: Thank you Kerry for having me on here, and I'm really, really excited to be talking about that with you and everyone who is listening as well. Kerry Newsome: Great. Look, You know, we hear a lot about wellness retreats in Vietnam. I mean, what for? For a person looking to come to Vietnam, especially post COVID. What should they be looking for in a wellness retreat in Vietnam especially, in the post COVID environment? Kim La Sambolec: Yeah. There's two separate questions there I can hear Kerry, one is like what to look for in a wellness retreat in Vietnam. I could tell you for that question alone that there's not many of them here. At all, and I, in fact, like skin wellness, you know, there's not really that many in the world at all. I'm actually quite happy to say that I host one of the world's first skin wellness retreats, and it just so happens to be in Vietnam's. I guess that's why I was on your radar and then for yeah, and then the second question; What could they look out for here? Is that correct? Kerry Newsome: Yes. Kim La Sambolec: My retreats are held currently only in Hoi An which is near Danang in Vietnam. It's a UNESCO heritage site, and it has a beautiful old town and rice paddies and, you know the beach and the mountains all in one. And it's actually a very unique place because there are not really many places in the world that has all of those four elements in the one place within literally five kilometers from one end to the other, like mountain to beach kind of thing. And so, when I have the skin wellness retreat here, it really, is complimentary to what we offer in the retreat because it really has that holistic and healing and added relaxation benefits to it as well to help to restore, recharge and relax a person that may have been in lock down for multiple times in COVID. And so, when you come to look for retreats after COVID, then you probably want to, you know, get away to a place that maybe has a lot of elements that your town or city, the place that you're coming from doesn't have. And so, I feel like Vietnam’s got food, it's got nature, it’s got beaches. It's got beautiful tourist destinations and scenic things, and it has beautiful retreats and stuff here to choose from as well. So why not? Kerry Newsome: Yes, definitely. I mean, you're right, you couldn't get a better setting than Hoi An. And I think the thing that I really want to hone in on with you in this episode is around the difference in I guess what we read in Brochure, and what we see on Google and all the kinds of promotions around wellness. You know, it's kind of the hip word to use to describe retreats and eco and all of those words kind of get mixed up a little bit, I think or confused. The good thing about yours for me and in understanding yours was that it's really centered and focused around your skin. And, the wellness retreat that your offering is all around looking at the barriers to poor treatment off your skin or you know, any information and things like that. I have been listening, and I think what I'd like you to tell us a little bit more about is just what that means for the person who's booking a tour like that to experience that with you. Because you know, there's products to talk about this. You know what? What do they do there? What do they do with you? That kind of gives them this wellness? Kim La Sambolec: Yeah. Great question Kerry, thank you for that. Skin wellness okay, like skin alone is generally something that you know. We often think it’s separate, its superficial. It's on the surface and everyone sees and everyone touches it., you know, and it's protecting us. It's meant to be protecting us from the environment, right and holding us together like, well, without our skin and functioning and body intact. You know, we would be a blahmess. What I mean by skin wellness is that well, you need to be well and have wellness and have health and have vitality from within before your skin can then look and feel amazing and radiate literally your glow from the inside out. So that's why I've made it skin wellness rather than just a blanket term off general wellness. Because, yes, there are plenty of retreats out there all over the world., that a wellness treats like yoga retreats or exercise retreat or boot camp. It treats. Yeah, but this is very specific in skin wellness treats and how I have merged my skills and what I love to do and how I transform my client’s skin into a skin wellness retreat is basically incorporating all the elements of my skin transformation system into three days. And so, you probably want to know like, Well, okay, what is that system? Right. The system, in order to get your skin to be glowing and healthy and radiate; for it to age gracefully and also not even just the more superficial side of it. But what about the comfort side of it? There are people that you know, have itchiness and redness and rash and stuff, and they kind of are uncomfortable in their own skin. It is hard to sleep. They've scratched themselves until they bleed at night and stuff. I'm talking about, you know, a whole general wellness level, that will transform into a healthy, beautiful, resilient organ which is the largest organ in our body. And that's our skin, right? And so, my skin transformation system, when we incorporate all of the elements of that into a wellness retreat, is the fact that you will get all the tools that you need to rebuild your skin by rebuilding your health at the same time, which then equal being well. What if we talk Post COVID in particular? Well, what is happening during COVID? Okay, there's a lot of stress. There's a lot of anxiety. All of a sudden, moms and parents and stuff find that they're doing now, like 50 jobs rather than 20 and a lot of roles and responsibilities. I just before this podcast started, like, you know, you saw that I have to message multiple people to keep the kids that they, you know, so that they come here and don’t make noise and stuff. It's really challenging for the world right now, and we're in COVID right now, so we're really, definitely, projecting that Post COVID. It will be soon on what? You know, you are going to think about what you are dealing with right now during COVID and then what? What do you want at the end of COVID? The Skin Wellness Retreat gives you, then you know, tools and elements that you need, in your pocket to just reach in and manage to feel well, to feel balance, you know? It's got meditation techniques, mindfulness techniques. You learn different things, different breathing techniques, like there are multiple different kinds of breathing techniques. I simplify everything to make it suitable for the most beginner as well. And then we do yoga to move the body, and then we eat amazing food. And what better product that there in Vietnam, like all of the food we get from the organic three organic fields in Hoi An. And the chef that I work with. He's a Vietnamese American chef who has so much flair in his food. And so, he personalizes everything. And so all of the ingredients and the food are high with nutrients that are known to regenerate skin and give energy for a person; he helped me incorporate that into the menu. So basically, moms or parents and stuff who come to the retreat, they don't have to think about everyone else for once, they can be taken care of. So, I think that's really important for Post COVID. It is that Yeah, you go. You're kind of like, hitting quite a few birds with one stone, right? Learn something that you could take back, and it'll last forever. Treat yourself so then you can show yourself some care, some care, some love, some respect and actually recharge your batteries. Because otherwise, if you keep going and going, going, going like an energy bunny, doing everything for everyone else, when is your battery going run flat? And when your battery runs flat it’s much harder to recharge. And then you're talking about a health condition. You're talking about disease. You're talking about cancer you're talking about, you know, like lots of things. Like, I mean, I ran into that myself, So I don't want that to happen, um, to anyone else, because it's really not pleasant, I tell you. Kerry Newsome: No, definitely not on. I think, we’re not really aware of the pressures or the impact of COVID until we start to see evidence of it in things like our skin. And, you know, as skin is one of those things, I think that, you know, it's something that everybody can see. So, you know, if its kind of, you can't hide from it. So, you know, if you're not well or you are feeling anxiety or whatever. It's very easy for the skin to show that up. And I love the fact that you take responsibility and you want to encourage the people who join you at your retreat, to look at the inside and to look at you know, your mental attitude and your mindfulness around it because, as you say, they're all very, very connected. I think one of the things I just want to add, which is, is possibly something that comes up for people that I engage with in my role as a foreigner. They kind of see Vietnam is, um oh, gosh, you know, we're going to get all this pampering and they're going to, use locally made products and there's, you know, there's going be Citrus oils and, uh, you know, alot theseddifferent kinds of skin rubs and masks, and I'm going tell you I've had some disasters where people have tried this with every good intention I might add, as they tell me that are you will feel so much better with this, and your skin will love this and only to walk out with my skin totally gone berserk and uh, me walking away thinking No, I will not be doing that again. Can you talk a little bit about how that happens and, like, what can people do to avoid that? Kim La Sambolec: Yes. But it all comes down. Kerry to having an awareness of what your body needs and what your body is capable of handling. So, if you think all of these lotions and potions and rubs and Citrus this and that that you locally made of Vietnam, and you know you had disasters when you were here last time, think back off. Say, for example, when you were 10 or 12 and you had these lotions and potions put on you. Do you think that you would have reacted the same back then, as you did previously? Like just recently? Kerry Newsome: I don't know. Probably not. Kim La Sambolec: Exactly. I mean, what is that? Kerry Newsome: I mean, I think you know, if you have skin that has a highly allergic aspect to it, then it's pretty difficult to not hit that note, I guess. But I just find that in Vietnam because there is a a propensity of the Vietnamese to want to lather you in locally made oils. And coconut oil especially, because it’s kind of the standard, but it's not of the same standard as a foreigner would be used to applying to their skin so often, I'm not the only one. Our skin can react quite violently. Kim La Sambolec: Totally. I totally get that. And most of my clients who come to me their skin has reacted violently due to the fact of using incorrect products. You know, because our skin is the largest organ in the body and it's designed. It's designed to protect us, and so when it's weak and it’s down and it's not strong, as strong as it used to be, um, then it's going to be highly sensitive to reacting to anything so and then. So that's one factor. But the other factor is like, “What is it that you're putting on your skin?” You know? How is it made? What is the formulation? What is the ingredient inside? It's all really important, too. Being able, understand where you're at, and also what are you being exposed to, so I'm very, very careful about that. Like in my skin consultations and stuff. When I look at every single product a person is using, analyze every single ingredient in each of those products to find the root cause of what is aggravating their skin. Because if we don't find the root cause of why the skin is breaking down, why the skin is not being as resilience a it should be. Then, of course, we're going to, we're not going to get the outcome that we want. Does that make sense? Kerry Newsome: Yes, yes. No, definitely. And I think I guess what I’m trying to hit the note on is in Vietnam. There's such a great, uh, opportunity for people to experiment in the sense with food, with different oils with different experiences of oils, as in pampering. And there are different processes that are offered at various different locations around Vietnam. And you would know this. I just would love to give some guidance to travelers around the experience on skin wellness. And, maybe, between you and I, we can give some tips to people to avoid those reactions, those negative negative reactions. Because I don't want anyone going to Vietnam after they've been listening. to my podcast about wellness and going Oh, we were told that we could do anything. Well, that's not right. So yeah, I just think it's great that you have been able to focus on what's most important from an ingredient perspective and not fall into the “You know, it's organic and it's made locally” and lets not fall down that route and that that's not what your retreats based on them. A little bit more scientific, I think. What I'm what I'm trying to get to;- Kim La Sambolec: Yeah, no, we definitely want, you know, scientific elements, clinical aspect, holistic aspect. And if, after all of that, then whatever could be organic and, you know, no chemicals and preservatives like nasty preservatives and stuff, then great, right, because then we get the best of both worlds then. But where, where we're getting out, we don't want the listeners to, you know, we want to actually guide the listeners to get to Vietnam and be able to have a bit of a bit of knowledge on what they can do to protect them from getting reactions from these treatments that are available on every street corner. Correct? Kerry Newsome: Yes. And I think definitely. Yes. Kim La Sambolec: Well, I have never had a facial or treatment in Vietnam or many countries. Actually, um, if it's not in a clinic like a proper, clinical, well established environment where I can see that, people are well trained and the hygiene standards, uh, there and everything, you know, like a massage. Okay, I'm a little bit more liberal about massage. But I also asked them to change the towels right in front of me, you know? When I walk into the room, I will ask him, “Can you please change the towels in front of me?” Because if I put my face on those towels, what if the previous person to me has some skin rash or infection or something? on so that is something that I always do, but otherwise carry, facials and letting them rub stuff on my face. No, that does not ever happen in Vietnam. I've been to places like, the Intercontinental. . And I've had a facial there but then they're just, like, therapeutic. Relaxation kind of facials. They're not. They're not, like, skin transformed, regenerating, you know, rebuilding skin health kind of stuff that I'm me into. Because for me, all of my stuff is like, it goes deep, all the ingredients. Everything you use literally goes into yourselves, right into cells. If you have superficial treatments that they just lather oils and stuff on top, then if you have an acne skin. If this comes thento having awareness of what your skin needs on what your skin is able to take is that, say, for example, you already have sensitive and acne skin on you. Allow them to rub like essential oils on you. It doesn't matter how it's made. really or oils. Then it's going clog your pores, it is going irritate it more. And then afterwards you break out more and also the creams and the cleanses and stuff like how can you be sure that you know the ingredients in there is not going to strip your skin; is not going leave it susceptible to bacteria invasion. As soon as you step out the door and it's hard, it's human. It's dusty and sunny, all of those things, I question. But of course, thats the reason why I don't have treatments. And I miss out probably because I know too much? Yeah. And it comes in a paranoia comes with knowing all these things and being out to see it. Where to a person that doesn't maybe doesn't know as much, then they don't notice these things. Then you just go in and hope for the best, right? So… Kerry Newsome: Yeah, I think there's a difference. Yeah, you're so right. I think you know that aspect of going in and having an expectation that you're going to have all these local, locally made and produced oils. And it's organic this and. that?? You're going to walk out with, a fully restored skin, from a cellular level, as you say is too high. That expectation is too high. And I think what I'm trying to warn people about is to not go in there and just be, mindless in the sense off. You know, saying yes to everything, instead be a bit more inquisitive, as you say, ask about the towels. You know, what oils are they using? You want to know what specific method or treatments are they going to apply. Really do a little bit of homework rather than just going in, because you can walk out; not the same as the way you walked in, and not for the better. And I think there's a different cost to that to that scenario as well. You're thinking about that, and it will be, you know, I don't know about $500,000 dong, or whatever it is for, you know, a couple of hours treatment, etc in mask and face mask and things like that. Where, as you say, you could even go to the intercontinental Danang where it'll cost you, 3 times as much, you know? And arm and a leg., and it's still a therapeutic treatment for relaxation. So and yours is kind of that next step over again, isn't it? It's like, Well, this isn't just like a short buzz. You're going to walk out in a half an hour and you're an hour's time and, you know, totally refreshed. This is a treatment isn't it's three days of applying a process. So maybe walk us through just very scantily. Maybe just that three days. So the person arrives. What's the first thing they do? Kim La Sambolec: Well, the first thing you do is relax by the pool and get a head and shoulder massage, and you can choose your location to get the massage. So underneath the coconut tree by the lake. Or, you know, like underneath a little chalet over the ponds that lily ponds and then Just settle into your room and just be like in awe. I've got my own space. Finally, no kids screaming, no one asking me to do anything except to come and have my nails painted and get a massage and then get my program for when my yoga and meditation classes will be. And when my next meal is going to be. That's already cooked for me, and it's already planned out that it's going be good for my skin and my body and for my digestion on. Then all these next three days. It's just about me. And then people have an option. Like we advise people just to be on your phone as little as possible, because you want to be here. You want to be immersing yourself and you want to immerse in the experience here for three whole days, right? Not 1 foot in, 1 foot out and the other foot is at home worrying about whether the kids they're going to survive or the husband is going to survive with kids or the nanny or whatever. You're right. They can deal with it. And I mean, I've had a lot of moms who come, and it's their first time leaving their kids at home. And really, it was not easy for them to say yes to themselves and to come. But once they did now, they're like, Wow, everyone can live without me. It's awesome because that's the pressure that moms and women put on ourselves as well. We tend to think we're so used to doing everything for everyone else that we tend to think that the world can't function without us, and so that's the pressure. And that's the guilt as well, because we think if we're out doing something for ourselves, then we're being selfish. And what about everyone else suffering at home? Well, you know what? You've kind of been suffering slowly every single day since you had that. Not to say that children aren’t a blessing in disguise and, they teach us lots of lessons and kids are amazing. I've got two myself and you know, no regrets there, but it's really hard work. It's definitely one of the hardest challenges that I have ever yet overcome, you know? Kerry Newsome: I think you're right Kim, I think it’s about us entitling ourselves to that kind of gift isn’t? It's a self gift and a gift that we want to say. Look, we deserve this. We do deserve this and, you know, guilt free. Absolutely. Kim La Sambolec: So even just once a year. You know, once a year, just go for a week on your own, with your girlfriends or somewhere you can just relax, and then just be pampered and just I mean, do it for me. I always like to do things I don't usually do. I tend to choose one thing, that one reason. I like to make sure that I get multiple benefits out of one decision. I feel like this skin wellness is to “treat” it like that because, you know, you're going in and you're treating your skin, you're going to look better. You're going to feel better and you're going to blow everyone away when you leave. And so, when you go home, people are going to be like, WOW,.... Yeah. People do leave with just a glow and then guess what? You've now got the tools to be able to maintain that glow because you get a full, thorough consultation with me to analyze. You know what's going on in your body. You get a treatment as well, like a clinical treatment that I have never had anyone had reactions to. Because, you know, when you know and understand the skin to the level that I do, then you know how to treat it. So then there is no reaction. And if there is a reaction or response, I wanted to use the word reaction. Okay, there's a response within the skin. And guess what. If you want to age gracefully and for your skin to be strong, you need to do things that your skin will respond to say, for example, you go and want to build a six pack. You're not going build a six-pack sitting, lying back. Relax on the couch. You know you're going be lifting weights and jumping around for a long time and your muscles are going to hurt quite a bit, but you're guided. If you're guided by a personal trainer to then lift things correctly and move things correctly, then you're going to get the results faster. So that's the exact same thing of me, that I often refer to myself as like a skin cell trainer. Kerry Newsome: I'm going to write that down skin cell trainer. Kim La Sambolec: I whip yourself. I whipped your skin cells into shape. Kerry Newsome: In three days. Kim La Sambolec: Well, it's the start of the journey, but usually my retreat. Kerry uh, I mean, I I've only ever had two people I ran two last year and one from each group that have never actually had had exposure to my work before, But otherwise these retreats are kind of like an upgrade to my existing clients who know my work already. And I've started on this journey of skin transformation with me already. They used the products I've prescribed. They follow my meal plans. They do basically everything I tell them to, and they literally have the results pretty much already. And they don't want to get back to that place where it felt horrible. and so they know that with the tools that you need, like breathing and yoga and meditation and eating right that it is necessary if they want to maintain their glow. And so, if they want to continue showing their glow to the world and to themselves when they look in the mirror forever, then they've got to learn some new skills. Because isn't it the definition of insanity to, you know, do the same things over and over again, expecting a different result. Kerry Newsome: Exactly, I think you know, if there's a place to do it that you can achieve results like you are talking about, but also get a holiday out of it, in a beautiful environment, in a country that offers the most amazing food, beautiful beaches, weather, and people. I think people is a big factor; the staff and the people that do the massages and things like that, they are just so lovely. Kim La Sambolec: Yes, bingo, Kerry Newsome: Bingo, Kim, I just want to say thank you for coming on the show and its been great to delve a little bit deeper to what your perspective is around wellness treats and the focus being skin for you. Really loved getting your insights. Kim La Sambolec: Well, thank you much for having me.

5497c6da-0f62-4f67-8da4-fe3c637ff35dTravelling Vietnam for the first time? Vietnam Travel First Impressions Episode 9 S1-E09 Vietnam Travel First Impressions 00:00 / 53:49 Ever wondered what it’s like to set foot in Vietnam for the first time? In this episode of What About Vietnam, I’m joined by Meghann – one half of the travel blogging duo behind The Grahlife – as she shares her and her husband Zach’s first impressions of Vietnam during their adventure in March 2025. From landing in Hanoi to trekking the famous Son Doong Cave, Meghann walks us through the culture shock, the sensory overload, and the unexpected joys that came with their first few days in the country. We don’t just cover the obvious stuff, we talk about: • Navigating the infamous traffic (Zach famously declared: "I was made for this!" after only his second street-crossing), • Ordering local dishes with curiosity and courage as Meghann is a Celiac. • Experiencing the kindness and compassion of the Vietnamese people, unexpected! • And reflecting on the powerful legacy of Vietnam’s war history and its place in the modern-day cultural landscape. • Plus best take away souvenirs you’d never think of This is a candid, light hearted, and insightful conversation about the magic of those first encounters – the sights, the flavours, the energy – that make Vietnam such an unforgettable destination. Tune in and see Vietnam through the eyes of a first-timer. It might just inspire your next big adventure. 🎧 Listen now on your favourite podcast platform and don’t forget to check out the The Grah Life to follow Meghan and Zach’s journey’s and their adventure discovering Son Doong - https://www.thegrahlife.com/vietnam Download Transcript PDF Read the transcript here

S5-E12 - Out and About in Mui Ne – Laying bare to the winds of change S5- E12 Out & About in Mui Ne Laying bare to the winds of change Kerry Newsome : Welcome everyone to the What About Vietnam podcast and my little mini series that I'm calling Out and About in Vietnam. Today I'm going to ask you to join me as I tell you a little story about my Out and about experiences in Mui Ne. Now a little bit of funny background to this visit in the sense that I actually went to one of my own previous episodes as some inspiration for it. So I'm talking about the episode I did back in December 21, would you believe, with a lovely lady by the name of Nikki Cornish. So it was episode, I think, S3-E17. I was talking about Mui Ne. Nikki was GM of the very luxurious resort there, the Sailing Club Resort, and I kind of used her storytelling and some of the things that she mentioned as a bit of inspiration to visit this place, because it has been touted as a very famous beachside location. And because I'd just come from Ho Tram, I sort of wanted to continue on that seaside excursion, for want of a better word, to explore beachside locations that are just a little bit out of the way or off the beaten track in amongst the other more famous ones. So, today's story is definitely about Mui Ne and my experiences there. So, that was the first inspiration for going. Secondly, I have a lovely friend who has family and a farm in the city or just out of the city of Phan Thiet. So Phan Thiet is located about 20-25 minutes out of Mui Ne. So I thought well this was close enough to get access to her. And then just out of that city is her farm. So I got to go and visit her, see the farm where they farm dragon fruit and melons and things like that. So that was kind of another motivation for me to visit this location. And then, you know, lastly, I was looking for some contrast, some contrast to other beachside cities that I have visited. So that would be Da Nang, that would be Hoi An and the beachside area there of An Bang, and of course, just coming from Ho Tram. So, let's get stuck into it. So, what can I tell you about my first impressions? Well, first impressions is or has to start with getting there. So, from Ho Chi Minh City, we opted for a driver, private driver and getting a car there. Now, that's not to say that's the only way to get there. The other option is definitely by train. Now, the reason I chose car was at the moment I'm traveling with a lot of luggage. And with the train, the train doesn't come into Fantip, it sort of comes into Place just about I don't know about 15 K's out of the city. So even if you come into that train station You still have to arrange like a taxi or whatever from there to you know, whatever your hotel Location is so if you're staying in Phan Thiet, you'd have to still get into the city or for us we had arranged accommodation actually at in or in Mui Ne So that was the motivation by the car choice, a private driver. And it's a speedy trip now. The highway has really shortened the trip. When I was talking to Nikki about this it was really a four hour at least drive. Now you can kind of get there in probably three hours. So it's really quicker and the road is good and it just makes that experience so much easier and more comfortable. So options are car is one option, train is the other. There's no airport so bus is another option but that's just kind of not my thing with luggage and bus travel etc. When we arrived into Mui Ne, I guess what was clearly apparent and it's well known in the city to be It was very windy. Now, for most people, you go, blah, you know, who cares? But it is seriously windy. And for the beach locations that you may be looking for as in accommodation, please take that into consideration, because we actually chose the cliffs, which is kind of up on a hill. And it left the beach very exposed. So while you may think in your head long walks on the beach and you know strolling along the beach and you know in a comfortable environment, It didn't really offer that for us because of the wind. And it was crazy that the hotel like all day has these kites that just continually can fly all day and into the evening because the wind is just so consistent. So, hand on heart, I can say I honestly didn't do a stroll on the beach. I saw the beach from my hotel, but on the beach front, in front of our hotel, I chose not to because it was just uncomfortable. However, there are better locations where you're going to get a bit more of a sheltered stay, and the sailing club is one of those. And I didn't want to stay there because I knew all about that location. So I wanted to stay somewhere else. So I would just have something to compare it to. But I did go and check it out and it is much more sheltered. It's boutique. It's really lovely. But there is a plethora of accommodations on the beach. So, my tip for anyone wanting to explore this as a beach side escape from Saigon, I would definitely put some work into or some thought about the kind of location accommodation that you want and the experiences that you want to have. Now, let me talk to you about the main experiences that I got to enjoy at this location. Firstly, it was definitely catching up with my friend Linh and going to the farm and experiencing that side, the agricultural side of Vietnam in small kind of hobby farming. So, you know, it's an experience you don't get to do that often as a tourist. So, for me, that was very special and also spending some time with her family. Secondly, was doing the major tourist attractions that this place is noted for. One is the sand dunes. And for me I'm not your energy bunny kind of girl, I'm not one seeking that kind of adrenaline, I don't need that kind of adventure but I wanted to see the sand dunes for myself and I wanted to kind of see that in action. So I did get to spend the day to go out and have a look at them And they are quite staggeringly beauty, beautiful. They are quite staggeringly amazing in the sense of them featuring just so much sand. And then with the wind, you can imagine that that sweeping kind of terrain is It's just fascinating and we did see some people out there enjoying, you know, June buggies and really having a fun time and tobogganing and things like that. So, it's definitely up there. If you like that kind of stuff, it's definitely there to do and I would suggest you go and check it out. The very cool thing that I really did enjoy was the fairy stream. Now, at first I thought in my mind when I had spoken to Nicky Cornish about the fairy stream, I imagined that quite a way out of town as well, because you're talking about, you know, an area of sand dunes again, and an area that you would think would not fit in the town, but it actually is in the town. So you go to this entrance and you go down some cement stairs and then you find yourself wading through kind of ankle deep water. of a stream and the stream just meanders on and on and on through these eroded walls of sand dunes and of course as they appear they're very weathered and you can see the various levels of erosion and the colours that that kind of features and shows. So, you know, you're paddling along and walking this, I don't know, could have been maybe up to a kilometre long. And that's the fairy stream. What was interesting was because Linh was able to join us on this day, she had said that they were actually much wider a few years ago. So, you know, probably four or five years ago, they were twice the width that they are now. So, it's very shallow water and it's getting narrower and narrower each year. So, who knows how long it will be before it like just disappears. So, it's a very simple thing to do, you know, there was a mix of couples and families and some small children and, you know, it was just very easy to just wade through that and it was quite pleasant and a lovely thing to do. period I would think that you would need to encompass these things is probably what we did, which was about, we did a 3 night stay. So that allowed us the first night to get in and then two extra nights and kind of two full days. And that meant that we could kind of do it and experience these things at a pace that was really easy. Of course I'm visiting it in the month of March so it was it was hot. You know we we added on one extra experience which was a journey out to they called the lighthouse. Now that was about an hour's drive out of Mui Ne and you know it was so hot and so blindingly are hard to experience on the white sands because these are just pristine white sands that the reflection you couldn't see your phone to take you know you couldn't really do much out there because the sun was just blaring down on it and so trying to take photos of, you know, the fishing villages and the locals, etc., with their nets, and that was really quite difficult, you know, even at about 9 a.m. in the morning. The other thing I want to mention when you are out and about in Mui Ne is it is not really a city, in my opinion, that is catering to Westerners. Now, it has been known to be a city very much favoured by the Russians. And, you know, we found it quite common to go to restaurants or bars, etc. And, you know, some menus were written in Russian and English, of course, in addition to Vietnamese. So that was quite fascinating in itself. And we did see a lot of Russians staying at various locations. Now, that may have changed a little bit post COVID, but certainly it was definitely known for it prior. But what I'm really wanting to hearken on here is that It is a remote fishing village by nature. I think the domestic tourist is going to be keener than the westerner to visit this location, purely because to get about, to do stuff there does take some extra planning, some thinking about it and some research. I think you'd be crazy to come to Mui Ne without having done some homework or, you know, talking to an agent or talking to a local who can speak English to give you the best advice for the best stay. you know, it's a four-hour commitment out of Ho Chi Minh City. So, you know, getting there, I wouldn't want you to try and get about by yourself without kind of knowing where you're going. I mean, when I send people there, I definitely make sure they are aware of the lack of ease of getting around. Like, for instance, they don't really have a strong grab comMui Nety. So you are going to be relying on taxis and you are not going to get that many people out of the hotel that speak good English. We were able to experience some great food like seafood is just obviously because it's a fishing area. The seafood was cheap and it was good. It was well cooked. It was made a lot easier for us because those three days we had access to Lin and Lin obviously being Vietnamese was able to translate for us and deal with the menu ordering and things like that. So it just made it all that much easier and gave us a little bit more of an authentic experience. So I think a guide would definitely be the go if you wanted to really get the full authentic immersion in that city. Because, you know, like when we went out to the lighthouse, we, you know, the car arrived into this very small village, which you and I wouldn't have a clue to know that that was where you went to, to arrange with one of the local fishermen to take a boat out to the lighthouse because it sits on an island. Fantastic views back to Mui Ne to get there. But there was no signs, there was no kind of easy instructions about that this was the place to come to, to arrange that kind of thing. So you'd have to be dealing with someone in the know of how to get around that city and how to access, you know, the next biggest city being Phan Thiet City. So, that was kind of my very clear takeaway was that we had the distinct advantage of being able to get a bit closer and see a bit more, understand a bit more about the city because we had access to a Vietnamese and a local at that point because she and her family live just out of Phan Thiep City. So that was kind of my main takeaways from being out and about in Mui Ne. It certainly does have the aspect for, I think, the budget traveller and certainly the adventure traveller who has an interest in kite surfing, wind surfing, any of those wind kind of sports on the water. We saw hundreds of them, people flying kites as well as actually kite surfing. And it was spectacular. So, I can understand why it is a hub for that sport. and to the extent that it's well known for major competitions to be held here. So, you know, for the, I guess, the more budget-minded, the single travelers, etc., you know, you would definitely love that. And because the weather is fairly consistent at about you know, 28 degrees plus, you're going to get most of the year to come here to do that sport with comfort and the kind of the heat that you need and the winds to do it. For anyone looking for a remote beachside location, it would definitely be the go. The sports are definitely ocean, wind options. The two main attractions being the ferry stream, the sand dunes is definitely there. But once again, they would only fill a couple of hours of your day and your stay. So if you're coming here, think chill out vibes, nice hotel, nice pool, eating tasty food, relaxing by the beach, and you're done. I think that would definitely be my wrap up for one of a better way of describing Mui Ne. I try to say to people as much as I can is that because Vietnam is just not a one-dimensional country, firstly decide yourself what you want to get out of your stay. If you want relaxation, if you want immersion into culture, if you want adventure, then it's easy to marry the place to those desires, to those travel experiences that you want to have. So for this one, I want those people to think about Mui Ne as a chill out vibe place, doing some small activities, or if you are the adventure traveller and you love kite surfing and you want a kite surfing location, bang that's your place. I hope you'll continue with the series with me, I hope you're enjoying it. I would love to get your feedback on as they're coming through. I will be able to share with you another out and about very, very soon in another beachside location, very different to Mui Ne and I look forward to sharing that with you. Please follow the show on your various platforms or you can listen for free on the website whataboutvietnam.com. You know I'm always around to give you any advice plan your trip A to Z or as much as your trip you'd like some help with, I'm definitely available to do that. Thank you for being such great listeners and I hope this is going to help you with your trip planning for Vietnam.

f984edd2-9297-48d7-bb3c-1b5898f9e2ddThe big Decision. A packaged tour or DIY The big decision. Packaged group tour or DIY Episode 8 S1-08 Join a packaged group tour or DIY 00:00 / 39:53 Let’s get real about travel planning to Vietnam. 
If you're heading to Vietnam, there’s one big decision you’ll need to make early on:
Should you join a packaged group tour… or plan your own trip?
Do you map it out yourself—or get expert help? This isn’t a simple yes-or-no answer. It’s one of the most personal choices you’ll make in your travel planning—and one that can completely shape how you experience Vietnam. In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on both options, sharing the honest pros and cons, and helping you figure out which style fits you best.
No fluff, no sales pitch—just personal and professional insights from years of experience as both a traveller and a travel advisor to Vietnam. Because I consider this decision one of the biggest you’ll make in setting the tone for your trip, I break down these key elements: • The structure and convenience of group tours—and when they shine • The freedom and deeper connection that individually planned travel can offer • Why group tours can sometimes feel like a blur of bucket-list stops • The trade-offs of a tightly scheduled itinerary versus one you design yourself (or with guidance) • Real talk: what people loved (and didn’t) about both styles If you follow this show, you’ll know from other episodes: the best trips happen when your travel style matches who you are.
Whether that’s with a group or through your own custom plan—choose what fits you. I truly believe that if you give Vietnam the thought it deserves, it will give you everything you’re looking for—and more. Link to Food and Textiles Sml Group tour spoken about on show - https://www.brunswickkitchen.com.au/food-and-fabric-tours-vietnam-2025-2026 Head to our Travel services page to secure a Trip Plan tailored to you - https://www.whataboutvietnam.com/request-form Download Transcript PDF Read the transcript here

904b3f1d-7edf-4010-a819-4d0c3138d175What does your Dong buy you in Vietnam? What can you buy in Vietnam Episode 4 S1-04 What can you buy 00:00 / 17:38 Money; A fairly Important ingredient for any holiday! So what does your Dong buy you in Vietnam? Is there a way to manage money so you don't feel like you are getting ripped off? Yes, there is. #Tipping, what's the protocol? Let's get your head around money and exchange rates before you go, so you can budget for your trip and not worry as you go around. Let me give you a 360 deg view about the spending power of Dong in Vietnam. Download Transcript PDF Read the transcript here

S4-06 Craft beers in Vietnam Craft beers in Vietnam - A heads up! Episode 6 S4-06 Craft beers in Vietnam 00:00 / 26:11 The Craft Beer scene is probably one of the “biggest ” and best leaked travel secrets about Vietnam to hit the tourist map. It is unmistakably an industry that is being fast tracked as we head out of Covid. It is a “scene”. It's a taste sensation. It's a "thing" you have to try. As you will find out in today’s episode, it’s a product produced from passion, skill and local flavours, which means it also has a story. You don’t have to strictly be a beer drinker to join in the fun. But you do have to come to Vietnam to experience it. 
Today I have the distinct advantage of sharing with you a Brewers story. Please allow me to introduce Gary Bett, as the Founder and Head Brewer of the ‘Five Elements Brewing Company’, which is a small independent brewery in Da Nang. Gary gives us some great insights into the industry and the nuances of this fascinating manmade process, things like:- • 6.31 – What makes a craft beer • 7.42 – Local influences • 9.04 – Batches and Brews • 12.12 – The alcohol content • 13.13 – Where to go to try • 16.07 - What do Vietnamese think of craft beer? • 19.43 – Raw materials and the spice mix • 25.25 – Say hello to Gary at the BREWHAHA Tap rooms in Danang Where do you find Five Elements Craft beers and have fun with friends and locals? Check the links below or grab them from the transcript on this page for direct linkage. Download Transcript PDF Read the transcript here

S5-E9 - Out and about in Saigon S5-E9 - Out and about in Saigon Episode 09 S5-E9 - Out and about in Saigon 00:00 / 33:06 Hello, I'm Kerry Newsome, and welcome to my podcast, "What About Vietnam." In this episode, I'm thrilled to introduce you to a mini-series "Out & About in Vietnam" that will take you along on my holiday adventures in Vietnam. Over the next 60 days, I'll be sharing my experiences, destinations, and the fascinating people I meet along the way. Today, we're starting with "Out & About in Saigon”, my first stop on this journey. Vietnam is a country that benefits from research and preparation, and through this podcast and series, I aim to help you navigate the overwhelming amount of information out there. I also wrote an Ebook and self published it on Amazon to help guide your plans. Cheap as chips, you can buy HERE, and read it in a day. As a precursor, as you will hear in the show, please double-check your visa details meticulously. See my Link HERE which explains the process for E-Visa to ensure you get it right FIRST GO! In Ho Chi Minh City, I recommend taking the first day to orient yourself. Use Apps ( See You Tube I did talking about Apps here ) like Grab for transportation, Exe for currency conversion, and Google Maps for navigation. Decide whether you want to hit the top attractions, explore the outskirts for a taste of history and nature, or simply wander the streets and get lost in the local scene. Stay tuned for more episodes in the "Out and About" series, where I'll take you to my next destination, Hoi An. You can find all episodes on your usual podcast channels and on whataboutvietnam.com. Thank you for joining me on this adventure, and I look forward to sharing more of Vietnam with you.

 00:01:02 - Purpose of the Mini-Series 
00:01:44 - "Out and About" Series Context
 00:02:06 - Starting with Ho Chi Minh City 
00:03:19 - Importance of Research for Vietnam Travel
 00:11:10 - First Day Orientation Advice
 00:15:28 - Approaches to Exploring Ho Chi Minh City
 00:18:39 - Exploring Ho Chi Minh City's Attractions
 00:21:12 - Day Trips Outside Ho Chi Minh City
 00:23:37 - Personal Approach to Experiencing the City
 00:27:26 - Nightlife in Ho Chi Minh City 

I hope you find this series interesting and helpful.
 Follow along with our social pages as I will post during my journey.
My "Full trip planning" services will resume in July 2024. 
Send me your feedback and questions. Download Transcript PDF Read the transcript here

S4-01 Art in Vietnam Art in Vietnam - story telling at its best Episode 1 S4-01 Art in Vietnam 00:00 / 46:18 Art in Vietnam is everywhere. Sometimes it’s hard to actually know what you are looking at. As a tourist busy trying to cram so much in to a stay in Vietnam, the artist’s true technique or storytelling, is often lost on us. Art takes many forms in Vietnam, as in Lacquerware, paintings, silk, lanterns, pottery, fashion, homewares, and as you will learn in this show, there is a difference between an “Artist” and a Craftsman, who may produce the same style or product many times, yet it takes true skill to do this. We discuss the differences. And then of course how do you know what’s real or fake? Believe it, or not. Not everything is a copy, or fake. With the advantage of my talented artist Bridget March, we are going to take it back 100 years and really talk about how Vietnam has developed in the art world. Bridget is a brilliant story teller. An artist herself of considerable note. She has published 3 books about Hoi An, Sapa and Saigon and has had 7 solo exhibitions of her paintings and drawings in Vietnam galleries and at International hotels. She is also well recognised as the curator for the wonderful art gallery space at the Anantara Hoi An Resort. She has her own delightful gallery located in Hoi An – See our special offer coming soon. For her list of favourite galleries – see the transcript for links. Download Transcript PDF Read the transcript here

S5-E1-Vietnam Visa updates and Land Travel tips taking in Phan Thiet Hue and Quy Nhon S5-E1-Vietnam Visa updates and Land Travel tips taking in Phan Thiet Hue and Quy Nhon Episode 01 S5-E1-Vietnam Visa updates and Land Travel tips taking in Phan Thiet Hue and Quy Nhon 00:00 / 49:10 We kick off this New Show and the beginning of Series 5 with some exciting news regarding E-Visa entry to Vietnam being extended from 30 to 90 days. Stay tuned for more news as it comes through, however it starts 15th August. Now on with the show. We invite you to sit back, relax, and embark on an exciting journey through Vietnam by train as a wonderful way to explore Vietnam overland. We'll not only explore the beautiful landscapes this country has to offer but also introduce you to various overland travel options available in Vietnam. By hopping on and off a train, you can experience the country in a rewarding and cost-effective way while connecting with locals in their own backyards. Our guest today is Simon White, an expert in bilateral business between Australia and Vietnam. Despite his professional background, Simon is a passionate advocate for Vietnam's travel scene. He loves discovering new venues, sampling street food, and exploring local food markets. Together, we'll delve into the option of booking just the first couple of days upon arrival and then improvising the rest of your trip. We'll discuss how easy it is to utilize local transport, such as Grab, to get around and the joys of strolling through towns, trying local cuisine, and discovering hidden gems down local alleyways. Simon will share his experiences in various locations, including Hue, Phan Tiep, Quy Nhon, and Saigon. [00:00:56] Visa changes in Vietnam. [00:13:12] Train travel in Vietnam. [00:16:31] $10 all-you-can-eat seafood. [00:24:04] A luxurious eco resort. [00:31:31] Exploring Vietnam's rich history. [00:35:53] Get a local SIM card. [00:38:19] Grab a motorbike experience. [00:42:25] Vietnam's different times of day. [00:45:44] Amazing food experiences in Vietnam. Download Transcript PDF Read the transcript here

14e1533c-3922-4356-b2d5-5f8c211cf3bbLanguage tips in Vietnam week 1 - "greetings" Learn "greetings" in Vietnamese Episode 19 S3-19 Learn "Greetings" 00:00 / 17:18 You have just arrived into Vietnam and you’d like to know a few words in the form of greetings, to help pave the way. You are in the right place. English is widely spoken in the main cities, but in the North and in the more remote regions, not so much. It is always nice to have some greetings down pat to help break the ice and come across polite and courteous to those you meet. Vietnamese rate courteous behaviour highly and you will win them over very quickly simply by trying. This episode is 1 of a 3 part mini-series I am running over the next 3 weeks;- Week 1. What About Vietnam – S3-19 – Learn “greetings” in Vietnamese Each week will be a new episode focusing on a particular setting or scenario. Its lots of fun as I am the guinea pig. My Expert Guest joining me in the mini series is Ha Dam. Ha is Vietnamese and well versed as an English-Vietnamese translator. I caught up with her in France where she now lives with her partner and is currently an English to Vietnamese translator for a UK company helping immigrants settle into their new country. A few years ago she did this Video which is why I thought she would be great to have on the show. You can see her by clicking on the YouTube video to the right - Vietnamese 101. My thanks to www.hoiannow.com for helping me track her down. PLEASE NOTE: This not a training or educational language lesson, it is purely for fun and pronunciation and conversational purposes. Download Transcript PDF Read transcript

2945b4d5-5239-4aff-b395-b00b0311b983A happening comedy scene for laughs in Saigon What About Vietnam - S3-18 Discover an emerging comedy scene in Saigon - A must do! Kerry Newsome: 00:00 Xin Chào and welcome to “ What About Vietnam !” . I'm very excited about this year. This is our first episode for 2022. I'm excited because I think we're going to be able to visit Vietnam as the airlines announce, just this week, opening flights to the UK, Europe, US and Australia. 00:25 I'm thrilled to have my guest, Niall Mackay on the show a Stand-up comedian, located in Saigon, he's going to be talking to us about the comedy scene in Vietnam. I'm also thrilled to have him on because he does what I do. He's a podcaster. He's based in Saigon, and he's been running "Seven Million Bikes Podcast " since 2019. And another one called “Did that really happen” as a sub set of the original podcast. A funny guy, very talented, interesting. And going to give us some background to just how the comedy scene has developed in Saigon over the last few years, he's been a big part of that and played a very instrumental role. 01:13 He likewise is going to give us all some insights, just how COVID has affected that, with 2020, being a year where it was, you know, all up and happening to 2021 literally being shut down. So, while it's been in hibernation, it's certainly not going away. The comedy scene is there to thrive. And I'm very excited to have Niall on the show to give us some insights. Please welcome him to the program. Hello, Niall. Welcome to What about Vietnam. Niall Mackay: 01:53 Hello, Kerry, thank you so much for having me, I'm excited to be on too. Kerry Newsome: 01:59 Look, I don't know where to start. But I'm just going to kind of throw up the first things that come to mind. And that kind of starts with someone arriving at Saigon. And they had done all the great things that you can do from Saigon and whether that's going to the Mekong Delta, whether-- we said, during the Cu Chi Tunnels, there's lots and lots of things to do. And we talk about that on other shows. But when it gets to nighttime, and it's still hot, but, the Vietnamese, as soon as it gets dark, something I've noticed is everybody comes out. And there's a lot of out and about kind of feelings. So, tell us a little bit about how people would find entertainment. And I'll just preface that with entertainment that is maybe more for Westerners. So English speaking entertainment, and more about comedy, because I figure, you've got a lot to talk about in the comedy scene. Niall Mackay: 03:10 Yes, sure. So, when I first came to Vietnam, I had the exact same struggles as well. My wife and I, we would get to the evening. And you'd be like, what do we do now. And it was difficult to find things to do, especially- we came here six years ago. And you're used to kind of western style entertainment, right. And especially English language speaking entertainment. So, we struggled a lot for a long time. So, there is obviously things you can do as a tourist: · You can go on a food tour. · You can be like a local and go sit on a street corner and drink beer on a plastic stool, and all that super fun. But if you're here long enough, or you just want something different, you can really have to seek out their entertainment, but it's gotten a lot better over the years. I like to think I've been part of that as well. But it's not just me as well. Like there's so many people doing so many amazing things who know you can find: · Music. · Quiz nights. · And like you mentioned, comedy as well. Kerry Newsome: 04:08 Comedy probably wouldn't be the first thing that I would think about, but I love comedy clubs. And I know you've got Seven Million Bikes as your podcast, but also, it's aligned, I think and I'm hoping you're going to share with us; aligned to your comedy shows because you're a Stand-up comic. I mean, let's get this out their people, this guy is funny and funny on stage. So, what you're hearing in this podcast might be serious, Niall, but he does have another half and that's on stage as a Stand-up comic. So, talk to us about the comedy scene and a bit of history bit of where- you're heading, lockdown, blah, blah, blah. Niall Mackay: 04:55 Well, thank you very much. First, I still find it weird when people call me funny and even, last week I sent a video to my best friend. I've known him since he was five years old. I sent him a video, just a short clip of me on stage. And his response was the best. He said, when did you become funny? You weren't funny in school. Kerry Newsome: 05:15 Thank God you've grown into that. Niall Mackay: 05:17 Only your best friend can tell you that. Right? I just thought it was brilliant. But no. So, the history of comedy here is quite amazing. So, when we first came in six years ago, and my wife and I, we lived in Australia, we'd love Stand Up Comedy in Australia and New Zealand. I loved it all my life. And then we found out about an open mic here, we called Brian and Diana do shows. And so, we went to that. And it was just great to see Stand-up comedy again. And I hadn't, I wasn't even doing it at that time. But I've been wanting to do it for years and years. And then we find out more about shores by a guy called Ben [inaudible 5:57], he'd been putting on shoes. And there actually had been a group here called Saigon Comedy or Comedy Saigon. Kerry Newsome: 05:24 --Funny People? Niall Mackay: 06:01 Saigon Funny People, they came afterwards. But before them, there was something else. And they were bringing over international comedians, quite sporadically. But there was a history of international comedians coming here. And so, from there on, we started getting into going into comedy shows. And then I started doing comedy myself. And like most comedians here, most comedians around the world, they just want to be on stage more. And it can be quite difficult to get stage time. It's the biggest thing for any comedian. 06:37 So, what a lot of comedians do, and I did the same, they end up putting on their own shows. So, I was like, I wasn't getting on stage as much as I wanted. I had a background in event management. I knew how to run an event, so I put on my own comedy show. And then luckily partnered with an amazing bar in District One, just near the Bến Thành market, Bến Thành food market. As a craft beer bar, I love beer as well was becoming friends with the owner, it was with fuzzy logic, it was a hop shop. And so that was the start of it. 07:07 One of the things I think, is my strength. And it seems kind of simple, but I know how to set up a room. And that was one of the things I really wanted to bring, to make a quality show, I was to make sure that the room is set up properly. There's sort of so little- so many subtleties, like just small things like make sure everyone faces the stage, make sure the stage is a focal point. The lights are done properly, things like this that can make or break a comedy show. So, I really focused on that. But then the other big focus was tourism because this was back in 2019. And being near Bến Thành market, I was like, "Right, we are going to get tourists in." I lived in New York previously, in a big thing in New York, especially around Times Square, as comedians go out during the day and they give out flyers, or they even do this in Thailand. If you want to perform at the Thailand Open, mate, you have to flyer for at least an hour outside the venue. 07:58 So, I was like, "Oh, Gung Ho!" I'm quite okay with publicity and promotion. So, I was like, right. All the comedians, we're all going to go round Bến Thành market and we're going to give out flyers and flyers printed. Most comedians, they don't want to do that. And so, most of them backed out, couple of them are like, "No, I'm not doing that." And I was just kind of like, "Yeah, well, I'm going to do it." So, I went around Bến Thành market, handing out flyers, like a wierdo, walking up to strangers, like. "Here, we’ve got a comedy show tonight." But to me, like, I'm not too bothered about doing that kind of thing. And because I have seen it in New York, and I knew, in Thailand, I was like, "This is what you do." And one of the best things was, sure enough, when an Australian couple showed up at the comedy show, because I'd given them a flyer. And they were the loveliest couple. They were from Perth. They loved comedy. They're like, "We go to Stand-up comedy shows all over Australia. We love going to the Perth Comedy Festival." 08:50 The thing about the Saigon comedy scene, it’s changed now. And we can talk about how and why it's changed, which is obviously pandemic related. But at that time, and for the next year or two, the standard was and still is, but was especially so high. And I know I'm biased to say that. But I know because people would come to the shows and the most common thing we would hear nearly after every show was, "Wow, I never expected it to be that good." And this couple, that came from Australia, they were like, "We go to the Perth Comedy Festival. And that was as good as anything we go to in Perth." 09:26 So, we knew we had good comedians here. I knew I could put on a good show. We had 20 to 30 people every show, the feedback was always amazing. And it was always the same thing, like I think people come- you're in Saigon. You think you're going to get some amateur comedians, which we all are, but you think you're going to get some probably like pretty bad comedy. I don't think that's bad comedy, but there's awkward comedy. So, I hate it. And I'm sure you're the same when you go in those- not just that there's no laughs like, that's fine if there's no laughs, but if the comedian makes it awkward, then it's just a horrible experience. And I've had that before we are sitting in, you’re like, "Oh, my goodness, he's been going on for 15 minutes now and-" Kerry Newsome: 10:04 When's he going to be over? Niall Mackay: 10:05 Yeah, exactly. So, you can watch a comedian, and they are not very funny, but you're still enjoying the experience, you know? Kerry Newsome: 10:12 Exactly. Niall Mackay: 10:13 So, our comedians were funny, and the room was just rollicking with laughter. And so, the beginning of it was really focused on tourism. Being around Bến Thành market. And every show, we had a nice mixture of local expats, local Vietnamese people, tourists coming in, we even had comedians who were touring, who were just on holiday, would get in touch with me and they said, "I saw your comedy show, can I get a spot?" And I'd be like, "Yeah, absolutely." So, there was a hilarious guy from Canada, another girl from- I think she's based in Hong Kong, someone else from America, like, all these traveling comedians is coming through. And then from there, it’s kind of snowballed, because these shows were going well. Then another bar, who was friends with the owner of this bar got in touch with me, and they were like, "We want to do shows." So, we started doing shows this time was in District Two, not too many tourists at that one, because it's a little bit further in town. 11:09 Then we started doing shows in District Seven, which again, no tourists at that one, if you probably know, District Seven is almost like Singapore. It's like a different country here. But that was the reason why we wanted to go to District Seven, because we wanted to bring comedy to the people in D7 because my biased opinion is they don't leave very much. But my friend who's from D7, he counters that and I'm probably again, having a biased opinion, they do leave, but you definitely- there are many of them, you need to go to them. 11:36 So, we started doing shows in D7, and then I started working with a Hard Rock Cafe here, which was just incredible. They have an amazing venue, like any Hard Rock Cafe, setup for music, but unbelievable sound systems, stage, sound engineer. And it was amazing. So, I went to this meeting with Hard Rock Cafe, and I was like, "Okay, what am I going to pitch them, so they do music, I do comedy. Alright, let's do musical comedy." So, I went into this. And I was like, "I think this will be a great fit. We'll do a musical comedy." They loved it. We thrashed out all the agreement and they were like, "Yep, okay, let's do it next month." We had no musical comedians in Saigon at the time. Kerry Newsome: 12:20 So, nobody can sing. But they can tell jokes, right? Niall Mackay: 12:24 Pretty much we had two musical comedians at the time, both are new, like one of them, [sysco 12:31] Wani West was new on the scene. The other one Tommy Boulevard. didn't perform too often. And he was super new. I could play a guitar, but I can't sing. And I was like, okay, so I went away, and I was like, "Okay, let's put this show on in a month." So, I contacted Wani first, he's Australian from Melbourne. He's hilarious. One of the funniest people I've met. And, so I went, "Can you do this?" "Yep, no problem." "Can you do 15 minutes? Three or four songs?" "Yep. No problem." She had to go and write a couple extra songs. I think at that point, he had two songs. I approached Tommy, same thing. "Yep. No problem." Right. Okay, I've got two comedians now, I need at least four and a host. I'm the host right. So, okay, I've got to go and write songs. So, I got to sit down and write some songs. 13:17 Again, I can't sing. I spoke to a friend who's a professional singer, I was like, "Can you give me singing lessons?" And ended up not happening. I could sing better than I realized. I'm still a terrible singer, but I wasn't as bad as I thought. And then I was like, "Oh, Tommy", told me he did one verse of one song during his Stand-up, maybe he can do more. So, I approached and he's a beautiful singer. I was like, Tommy, can you do musical comedy? He's like, "Yeah, okay, I can do it." So, I played guitar for him for a couple of songs. He used a backing track. And then the last one was AJ Miller, who she did comedy. And she did music, but she never did them together. When she did well. So, I was like, "AJ, can you do musical comedy?" And she's like, "Yeah, absolutely." So that was it. We had a show. So, we did rehearsals, we practiced for a month. And then a month later, we had like, over 150 people in the Hard Rock Cafe. Unbelievable. And that was like probably the high point for me anyway. Absolutely. The high point for comedy here in Saigon for many other people as well. Kerry Newsome: 14:20 So, was that 2019? Niall Mackay: 14:23 That would have been 2020, through Christmas. I can't- I don't even know what year it is now. What year is it now? Kerry Newsome: 14:31 It's just clicked over to 2022. Niall Mackay: 14:33 Okay then it was Christmas, November 2020 was the first show there. Kerry Newsome: 14:39 2020, because let's just touch base, as we talked before, about a bit of a timeline, because 2020, when the rest of the world was kind of locked down and really feeling the full frontal of COVID, Vietnam at that point, was hubba hubba. Yeah, it was rocking and rolling. I was talking to some people who was saying they were going to 5-star resorts for cheap prices. There were some DJs that happened to just kind of get stuck when the borders got shut in Vietnam, so they couldn't get back as quickly. So, there was some talent walking the streets and like offering themselves up to various venues. So, I hear, 2020 was- it was pretty happening. Am I right? Niall Mackay: 15:33 Yeah, no, it was amazing. We had a brief lockdown of sorts in April for a month. And then everything went back to normal. We had zero COVID strategy, borders were closed, we were just basically like this little island. Shows went back on, comedy was thriving. I don't know too much about DJs. Because I'm not really in that scene. But that makes total sense that DJs would have been stuck here and then performing. We had so many comedians, so many new comedians, some got stuck, like absolutely, that same thing with comedy. Some comedians got stuck here and ended up performing. Regularly, we had more and more shows. And then yeah, that by the end of 2020, again, Hard Rock Cafe. And now even though I can't imagine doing a show with 150 people, I personally probably wouldn't want to do it. Not probably, I wouldn’t want to do it now. Kerry Newsome: 16:25 And I think something that you mentioned about a show is, sometimes it's not just down to the comedians' jokes, it's also about their presence. I think it's also about, as you said, the staging, and I'm glad you mentioned that, because if I walk into a venue, and it really looks clappy, like, it's crabby. And the feeling is, there's not that vibe, you can create a vibe, believe it or not, with the right setup. And I think if you give it every chance, and that comedian has also got every chance of being a success. So, I think it's great to see, because I probably would have thought, "Oh, gee, if I'm going to go to an English-speaking comedy show in Vietnam, run by a guy who's got a Scottish accent, I would have gone. What am I really in for here?" Like, is that kind of some of the feedback you get? How does this voice attach itself to Vietnam and comedy show? It's my God, that's a stretch. It's a stretch. Niall Mackay: 17:35 Yeah, I think so. I think that just comes in when people don't have that expectation that it's going to be good. One of the amazing things was and big changes where we used to have lots of Vietnamese comedians doing English comedy, and they were hilarious they were so, so funny. And, yeah, no, unbelievable. And you're just like, "How are you so funny in your second language, this is unfair." They are the some of the best comedians in Vietnam. And then in 2020, or 2021, I can't remember the exact timeline, I think 2021 They started doing comedy in Vietnamese, which had never really been done before. 18:18 This has been discussed a lot on my podcast and within comedy circles, to do comedy in Vietnamese is really, difficult, because of the language, because of the jokes just don't translate. And if you check out my podcast, I talked to a woman to who's a Vietnamese comedian, and she's not performing now, but she's one of the best, again, she explains all the things that make English language comedy funny. So, like double entendre, tone of voice timing. I mean, these are the biggest things, the way she explained it. The Vietnamese language doesn't lend itself to those types of, of nuances. 18:19 So, it's difficult. And traditionally, Vietnamese comedy was just really slapstick, even just like a guy dressing as a female was hilarious, a guy getting slapped across the head, all this stuff. So, there was never really a Vietnamese comedy scene in Vietnamese language. And then, suddenly, these guys who had been doing English language comedy, [inaudible 19:25], who had all been doing my shows, suddenly started doing their own shows in Vietnamese, and putting their stuff on YouTube and TikTok, they, of course, they just exploded. They got millions of views on TikTok, they used to come and do my little amateur shows. Now I can't book them for love, no money. They are like no huge celebrities. 19:47 They put all the comedy up in Vietnamese, so I don't know, what is same, but it looks amazing. I've watched a couple of videos. The crowd are laughing, too. They are now the pallbearers for Stand-Up Comedy in Vietnamese. And when I say separated themselves, I don't mean like, in a negative way, but they've completely separated themselves on another level from the existing comedy scene that was here because, there's 10 million people in Saigon and 90 million people in Vietnam. So, it's a massive market, to speak to, but the people- the expats seen, I think in Saigon, there was 100,000 expats, that's probably a half know, obviously, an English language speaking Vietnamese, and who do want Western culture and a lot of returning overseas Vietnamese, who appreciate Western culture, but it's still a completely small amount of people compared to the Vietnamese speakers. So those guys, they are amazing, they're killing it. Kerry Newsome: 20:43 And that was going to be my next question, which is like, do you steer your comedy, your stories and your kind of anecdotal situations or whatever? Do you steer them to things that you experience, and a Westerner is going to get, as well as a Vietnamese person? Or are you kind of having a bit of a spin off some of the nuances amongst Vietnamese, like, you kind of taking them on? How do you make it so that- because I'm thinking of- just say, I'm just flown in from, let's say, the UK, I know very little about Vietnam, and I'm at this comedy club, and you're telling some jokes that maybe only a local would get, because they don't know enough about Vietnam yet? So, tell us a little bit about how it is steered and what your focus is, so people can understand. Niall Mackay: 21:46 That's a good point. And sometimes I and even other comedians, you hear them tell a joke, and you're like, you only get that joke if you live here. And so that happens sometimes but you're trying to make your comedy accessible to everyone. Kerry Newsome: 22:03 Universal? Yeah. Niall Mackay: 22:05 Yeah, universal. I mean, most of my stuff, and a lot of the comedian stuff- everyone's different, I guess, maybe I think a lot of my stuff is the kind of fish out of water. So, you're an expat living in a different land. So, the fine line is well, and I've had positive praise on this from local Vietnamese, which I really appreciate, is being respectful of the local culture. So, you always want to make sure that you're not making fun of them for, but you can make fun of them. So, it's like, [crosstalk] yeah, that's always a good question, and I had this with a podcast as well. So, what you've got to try, and do I guess, what I always try and do, to answer your question is, I'm the part of the joke, not the Vietnamese person or the Vietnamese culture. I'm the part of the joke for not understanding it. erry Newsome: 22:58 Yeah, I get it. Niall Mackay: 23:01 You don’t want to make fun of them, even though you can, make fun of them. But yeah, so, I do think about that. Kerry Newsome: 23:08 I'm cheering you on all the way with what you're doing. Because it's something that I think is a great add on for a traveler coming to Vietnam, as the doors are starting to open, and they're starting to look at new scenes and new things to do. I mean, Vietnam has been in hibernation now for a couple of years. So, we're all coming out of a pandemic. I haven't been back for two years where I normally am, like three, four times a year, for extended stays to get around and experiencing kind of stay. So, I'm missing Vietnam a lot. How do I direct? Or how do people find these gigs? Where do they go? Are there other places? Advertise? Because I've never seen it in the hotels or anything yet. Maybe that's coming? Niall Mackay: 23:58 Yeah, that's neat. You gave me a good idea. Hotels. Yeah, that's a good one. You probably know what it's like in Vietnam. As someone said to me, Facebook is king here. I think. Kerry Newsome: 24:09 Oh, gotcha! Niall Mackay: 24:09 I think it is less around the world. Now it's declining or not growing as fast. But in Vietnam, everything happens through Facebook. So that's just the main thing to do is go on Facebook, go to the events page. But there's also like [sysco 24:21] Saigonese, so, we partner with Saigonese, we post our events on there, and they post, they have a calendar of events. So, you can find things there. As you mentioned, we have just gotten the Seven Million Bikes website, you'll find all our events on there. But if you're looking for any event on any night, you go to Facebook, go to Events. Look up what's happening tonight, and you'll find it there. 24:43 But as you know, with anything, it's all marketing, right? Like there's no shortage of marketing ideas. If I had unlimited budget, I would have posters in every hotel and I would have ads on YouTube and then the shows will probably all be packed because, the more you spend on marketing, the more people are going to come. Everything's done on a shoestring. Everything's done with a small budget that you have, which is often zero, the only time I've really thrown any budget at anything, it was the Hard Rock show because it was a big show. And we knew that the more we threw at it, the more people we would get through the door, but most of our shows is kind of a 20, 30 people, Max. 25:16 But it's sad, because before the pandemic, as I mentioned, with the tourism and the locals coming out, and even just the children of expats, which is regular as well, people come for a year or two at a time. We had every single show was 20, 30 people sold out. And then the Coronavirus came in it's never recovered since then for various reasons, unfortunately. So, we've been on a holding pattern there, like you and the opposite. Do you have not left Vietnam in two years, but a great place to be. But we've been on a holding pattern just like when the pandemic hit, well, they are six months, Christmas time, we'll be back the tourism will be back, the shows will be back, everything will be packed. 25:56 And then that didn't happen and then start this year. Again. We're like, "Okay, the things were looking up, the vaccines were coming, cases went down." Things were opening by April, May. Well, by March, April, like, "Yes, okay, it's going to be the year.” And then May came and [sysco 26:10] Delta came in. And, again, we've never recovered. So, we shut down all the events, move them all online. Or we did online comedy, which was unbelievable. I did a show in Australia, Quote Unquote, which was three o'clock Vietnam time, but it was in Australia. It was amazing. We did it for free for healthcare workers. And so, we had a massive audience. Kerry Newsome: 26:31 Oh, Fantastic! Niall Mackay: 26:32 Yeah, that was a connection through my sister. As I mentioned, she's in the healthcare industry in Victoria. So, she opened it up to all her healthcare professionals, and we offered it to them for free. So, t that was incredible. And so, we moved everything online, we were doing weekly quiz nights, we were doing comedy nights, everything was amazing. And then October 1st, the government opened the country. So, nobody wanted to be online. But we couldn't do events either. So that was crushed. So, we went from being offline to online to nothing, and just now shows are finally starting to recover. So, I'm doing my first comedy show, hosting my first comedy show in like nine months next week, I'm performing this week, not the first time, but I'm performing this week at somebody else's show. There's a whole bunch of other show runners here. That all put on comedy shows. And so, it's getting exciting again, but like everything, I think we're all just thrilled to see what's going to happen next. So hopefully, nothing happens. But we'll see how it goes. Kerry Newsome: 27:34 Yeah, and, I was talking to someone in Vietnam, earlier this morning. And they were saying that the government is talking about now counting hospital numbers, rather than case numbers. And, if that's going to be the case, I think that's probably, to be honest, a good measurement for the future. Because if Vietnam follows Australia, and many other countries with the Omicron virus, fortunately, if the country is highly vaccinated, then the Omicron comes as probably more of a slight flu. And you are certainly unwell. And certainly, if you have any underlying conditions, you are going to be in a worse situation. But so far, Omicron is not our biggest issue with a hospitalization. 28:38 So, I can only cross my fingers. Because as you know, I'm in the travel industry, what an industry to be in, in the era. So, I think news for everyone listening is that Vietnam is opening and the way you can tell that most prolifically is with the airlines opening their routes again. And that's already happened. The first of January was a big release with Vietnam Airlines, Singapore Airlines, in January as well. Bamboo is going to be flying out of Melbourne, and we're waiting for the release of dates there. But certainly, Vietnam Airlines has started selling. 29:20 I think, just for people to be aware, it is a situation to watch. And I'm hoping your comedy shows and events can continue. And as they are and I'm sure Vietnam is going to embrace that because they know they're going to have to have that kind of entertainment when everybody does come back, because everyone's going to be wanting to get out there, have fun, throw off the Omicron badge, look in the rear vision to COVID and get out and have a good time. 29:56 So, Niall, I want to say thank you again for coming on the show. It's been great to chat and great to get an understanding of the comedy scene and what's going on in Saigon. I'm just yet grateful for your time and to learn a little bit more about what's going to happen and what I can come and do when I arrive in Saigon, first stop, I'm coming to a show. Niall Mackay: 30:22Awesome. Well, we can't wait to see you. Yeah, thank you so much for having me on. I could talk about Vietnam and comedy and entertainment here all day long

S5- E11 - Out and About in Hồ Tràm Vietnam S5- E11 – Out & About in Hồ Tràm Vietnam Kerry Newsome : Xin chào and welcome to What About Vietnam. So today here we are in Ho Tram and this is the second installment in the What About Vietnam series which I'm kind of calling Out and About and Out and About is today in Ho Tram. Now, Ho Tram is a very small beach town located in Vietnam's, now you're going to kill me with this, I'm not going to be able to pronounce it correctly, but it's Ba Rai Vung Tau province. And it's kind of situated about 125 kilometers southeast of Ho Chi Minh City. Now, the purpose of this episode is to look at the situation where you're going to choose a hotel as your location. Not a city, not a township, not an adventure. You're not going to go hiking, you're not going to go caving. You're going to come to a hotel. And I did an episode back in season four, episode 18, where we featured luxury brand experiences in Vietnam. And I did that with a lovely luxury expert. And she was able to share with me some places that she said, you know, you just go there the hotel. You don't go there to do anything else but to experience the hotel. The hotel is the place, it's the destination, it's the location. So today I'm joined with my partner in crime here, Kelley McCarthy, and I was able to ask her to come with me to do this together so that we could share and compare how we viewed this kind of experience. I'm sure you're going to get a bit of a giggle because she's all about giggles. And definitely I think some ideas because I think for most people they are short on ideas for about a two hour or three hour venture out of Saigon. Like typically those would be Mekong Delta, Ben Tre or out to Can Tho. So this is an alternative, but this is five star, so I'm going to ask my five star girl to join me here. Hello Kelley McCarthy. So here we are girl, we need to maybe give everyone a bit of a heads up into, let's tell them how we got here, as I think you might be the best to just recall that little trip. Kelley McCarthy : So our little adventure started when we left Saigon You can arrange with the hotel to use the courtesy bus that will bring you out here, which is a great saving because it's probably 1.5 to 2 million each way if you were to arrange transport, so it's a great little bonus in your package and You just book in advance you're out there and return. My suggestion will be get on that bus a little quicker than we did and don't think you're cool by going to the back. You end up sitting over the two back wheels which means really you should bring a kidney belt to hold everything in place as you bounce up and down on the great little roads out here. Kerry Newsome: Yes, there was a few twists and turns there and we did, you know, we're the type that just go to the back of the bus. That's just our thing. And we had, you know, a fair bit of luggage. But one of the, I think, smart things we did was do this on a weekday. So we didn't come on the weekend where traditionally I think a lot more local Vietnamese would come. So we did this on a Monday. So the Starting point was a cafe where everyone met. We were very welcomed at this cafe to leave our bags while the bus came to get us. And then we piled into that little bus and we trotted along at a very even speed. We could holler for a bath stop if we needed to. But yeah, we were on the back wheels there, and we were jogging along the way. And there's a bit of video that I think Kelly was so kind to capture during that part. So let's talk about, like, Kelly, for you, when we decided to do this, like, what was your headset around coming out here and, like, not going anywhere else other than the hotel? Kelley McCarthy : Well for me, for starters, anyone that knows me, I'm a shopper, so Saigon is my favourite city, getting out and about. So coming out here I knew it was all about relaxation, so we planned that we would make it a short stay of only a couple of days. um coming out here so on the way out it was a case of right let's get into wind down mode cocktails wine nibbles on the beach putting the swimsuit on and just floating in the pool if you could see me now you would definitely see that i've been floating in the pool today i'm like a little lobster so Don't forget to pack that sunscreen and take it down to the pool. It's all about relaxation when you come out here. Don't come out to a destination hotel and think you're going to go off to a little township. By all means, if you were out here for more than a couple of days, you can arrange tours to go and see the local area but you don't really want to leave the resort because it's got everything here. It's beautiful, it's got day spas which we sort of indulged in today which was magnificent. You've got a cafe, you've got a couple of choices of restaurants, it's got everything that you need just to unwind. Kerry Newsome : And I think unwind is a good word. I think I was mouthing the word chill, chill everywhere. I mean, we're in close vicinity to Vung Tau. So if you wanted to, you wanted to make a day trip, that would be a very easy one. Kelley McCarthy : It's very close by. About 22 k's for anyone. Yes. Interested. Kerry Newsome : So I mean, that would be a city and obviously with its own history and its own culture and its own story to tell. So you could do that. But getting back to, I hate to harken on this everyone, but like the purpose of this trip was to really find a destination hotel. In other words, a hotel, and I'm not by means saying that where we chose to say is the only hotel to do this, or the only hotel in this region. It's the one we chose to do, and we chose it because I'd had some great advice and some recommendations to do so. But, you know, in my mind I was thinking, now, you know, it's a short trip, it's two hours, I'm coming here with a fun girl, so, you know, I've got entertainment actually sitting alongside me if it all else fails. But the chill factor was, a great thing because we had been super busy in Saigon. And when you come to Saigon, it's so easy to get caught up in the electricity of that city and you're kind of doing things all the time. So if you are looking for just a breakaway, you've got the villas here for a family. You know, we walked past, you know, the pool tonight when you're coming down and they had a movie set up on the lawn with bean bags and they were selling popcorn. So I'm trying to get in that fulfill, I guess is the other word, that out and about story, but talk it through with you in regards to the headset you have. So if you are wanting to come out and about in Ho Tram and you're choosing a hotel, chill's got to be your number one factor. Come out here to literally do nothing. Now I'm going to put it on Kelly and I'm going to say, okay, what do you think are the standouts for this location as a hotel? Kelley McCarthy: I think it's got an amazing pool right with an infinity over the beach. So for those people that are just traveling and might be doing a quick seven day trip in and out of Ho Chi Minh City, you can get a little bit of variety by coming out here because you're actually getting to a beach where in Saigon there is no beaches. So you get out here. So that's a standout for itself. You don't have to take a flight. So there's none of those check-in times to go to a further away area. It had great food. We've tried all the restaurants here on site. It had a pool bar. Like I said, we tried the day spa today, which was exceptional. Kerry Newsome: The day spa, I have to say, is now, I've now decided that Vietnam has got the quality of day spas that you need and expect as a Westerner. It was just die for. Kelley McCarthy: Yeah, using Thalgo products, so it was a fabulous day spa, not using sort of a product that might have been a Vietnamese product that we didn't. And there is a kids club here, at the moment it is currently under renovation, so you could come out as a family if you wish to. But a little joke aside, Kerry and I did note that it was a lot of loved up couples out here. and over 55, so of course that sort of cut us out on both angles. We did talk about tonight being loved up coming back from dinner just to fit in with the crowd, but definitely a romantic place if you're wanting to bring your partner here for a couple of days to wow them or for those guys out there, pop the question. It's a great location for that. Kerry Newsome: But don't come out here thinking that you'll find somebody to pop the question. All loved up. No, they're definitely with somebody else and they do not have eyes to spare for you. Sorry about that. But so definitely families, couples of any descriptions. Probably misfits like us who you know like we could pretend to be a couple any day but like probably not have the full length of that. but like it was just very very noticeable for us as we walked around. Kelley McCarthy: It's where you seek a little bit of privacy as well because if you're a traveler that's been to some of the other resorts of places you know that got pool bars such as Bali or Thailand this is not that kind of destination it's not party crowds by the pool. It's more intimate. I think everyone comes here for a little bit of intimacy. But very beautiful. The wind blowing. The beach is divine isn't it? It is really lovely. Kerry Newsome: White sand for miles. Very easy access. I really liked the openness. No gating. hard security kind of feel around it. It was very, very relaxed. Staff were mostly good. I think, you know, we're still experiencing some issues with language where, you know, lots of hand gestures goes on and lots of kind of pointing to things. And I think staff is still trying to, you know, step up to the ability to be able to converse with us with English as well as they did pre-COVID. Kelley McCarthy: I think a really important point to note here, if there's any travellers out there that are mobility impaired, it would be an easy resort to get around. Wide pathways, there's also, even if you're a little bit older, as in the over 55s we spoke about, There is golf buggies that can drive you around the resort as well so it would cater to those sort of people that were just wanting to relax but really couldn't sort of walk too far or anything because it is quite a spread out resort so that would give you that opportunity if you are that way to enjoy it as well. Kerry Newsome: Yeah, and I think I tried to bring it up in the sense too that it's kind of an escape from Saigon. It's got beautiful golf courses. In fact, Ho Tram has been known mostly for golf in previous years. It's only really just come to the fore again in trying to promote itself as a luxury five-star resort location. So, you know, I get a lot of people that say, look, you know, they've been to Saigon or they're coming through Saigon and they've got a couple of days spare. They don't want to go out in the heat and do the Mekong Delta. They don't. They've already done the Cu Chi Tunnels. They just want somewhere else to go and I thought I needed to find somewhere else that could just give that escape. Sure, it's five star and it is a little bit more costly. Let's talk about cost just into the field of things today. What do you think? Kelley McCarthy: I think, well, Kerry and I did the package where you have a choice. You can come out here and you can either just do your room stay, which includes breakfast, or you do have the opportunity to do half board or full board. We went for half board, which gave us breakfast and dinners, and that made it extremely affordable. I think for the five-star resort that it definitely is, it made it extremely affordable because you got, at your dinner time, you got an entree, a main, a dessert, and one beer or soft drink. There was no wine or spirits, but for anyone out there that wants a nice cold beer sitting on the beach, looking out over the ocean, it was a great opportunity. So I think the board package definitely makes it affordable. Because just keep in mind, you are isolated, so you're a captured audience. So costs are a little bit higher when it comes to your drinks and your food. So if you can do that half board package, it just makes it really affordable, I feel. Kerry Newsome: Absolutely. And you've got to remind yourself too, you are in a five-star resort. So, once again, we're sort of saying it's a destination, but it's still a hotel. It's a five-star hotel. And it's got restaurants, and it's got bars, and it's got beach, and it's got drinks in the pool, and it's got spa, and it's got everything. The room sizes are definitely ample. We're staying in a two-bedroom apartment, which is just delightful. We've got, you know, water provided, we've got coffee, beautiful breakfast. So, you know, I think if you can get your head wrapped around the idea of, you know, being out and about in Ho Tram but at a hotel. I think that's the caveat I need to put to this that it, we didn't go out into Ho Tram. You know, we looked out the windows and we've kind of seen some farming areas and we've thought, you know, maybe next time we would venture out and look, you know, further. Both of us have already been to Vung Tau, so, you know, that's not a city that we wanted to go to on this trip. So I really honed in on the fact that the hotel is the destination. So I hope if you've got any further questions you'll get in touch. We're certainly keen for you to share these episodes as I'm going out. I'm really enjoying the fact of being out and about and trying new places. and even some old places, to be honest, and finding new things. And doing this with Kelly has just been an absolute joy. So please share, please send me your reviews, please follow us on our Facebook, our Instagram and TikTok and LinkedIn pages. and we'd love to hear from you. Thanks, Kel, for being on the show. Kelley McCarthy: Yeah, and I think we should also note that we haven't been paid to come out here and review The Melia Resort. Kelley McCarthy : This came out of our own back pockets, so to bring you the best reviews on this, and I would highly recommend it for a couple of days out of Saigon. Kerry Newsome : Right with you. Anyway, thanks, everyone.

b868f2ec-a4d3-44f8-858f-22a338ceff8eDiscover a world time forgot at Bac Ha markets What About Vietnam - S2-24 Explore the Bac Ha Markets – Rich in colour and tradition Kerry Newsome: [00:00:32] Now, today, I'm going to be talking to you about the Bac Ha markets. Now, this is a region that has fascinated me for a long time, and the reason being that it has so much color to it. I know a little bit about the color aspect being in the flower Hmong people, which the market is really all about. So just to rewind the clock back a little bit to give some context, tell us, Mike, how you first came to visit the Bac Ha markets and like, what attracted you to go there in the first place? Mike Pollock: [00:01:14] Well, the story really begins with Sa Pa. I went to Sa Pa for three days, I knew nothing about Sa Pa. I did zero research on it. I just got on a bus and went up there and I loved it. I was absolutely fascinated by the people. Their wonderful way of life is fascinating. And of course, the landscape and the scenery are just spectacular. So after my three-day trip, after three days, I left Sa Pa for about three weeks. I rearranged my entire life and I ended up spending a great deal of time there. I learned more and more about the region. I made friends with people who are happy to be in the travel business, their tour guides, tour organizers. So that's all you have to go to. You have to go to Bac Ha. So on the first trip to Bac Ha, I was in love with Bac Ha, too. And again, it's a combination of the people, their way of life, and the stunning season. Kerry Newsome: [00:02:28] And as you say, the stunning scenery, the people, because of their beautiful costumes, just the whole landscape, everything there is has got to be for a photographer like yourself, like, oh, wow, I could spend a lot of time here, right? Mike Pollock: [00:02:50] Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. Kerry Newsome: [00:02:53] Because you see the photos everywhere when anyone is selling Vietnam when you look at a brochure or whatever. I don't know. But you'd swear to God the flower Hmong people were everywhere in Vietnam, not just in the north. Sure. Yeah. Mike Pollock: [00:03:08] And the same thing with photographs of the iconic rice terraces, too. You see the same pictures of the same rice fields all over the Internet. Kerry Newsome: [00:03:18] Exactly. And like when people arrive in Vietnam and they're in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh and there are 300 million motorbikes, they're not quite the same as the rice field picture, I think. Mike Pollock: [00:03:31] Well, that's another thing, too. I mean, far northern Vietnam is radically different from other urban centers. It's so much different. You know. Kerry Newsome: [00:03:44] It is. Let's dive a little bit deeper now into how do we get to Bac Ha, because it's a trip, isn't it? There's a trip involved. And it's not just getting to Sapa, it's beyond Sapa. Now, you've written a great article on your website, which I'm going to put the link on the episode notes, too. But can you talk to my listeners just about the mode of transport, the best mode of transport and just timings? Do you know how we had a joke before about how long things take? If you could just speak to that, that'd be great. I think everyone would benefit. Mike Pollock: [00:04:23] Well, you hear of a few different options. And, of course, that combines very easily with Sa Pa.. And if you think, of course, both these are districts and provinces, Lao City is the transportation hub of the province. So if you're going to go to Sa Pa. Or you're going to go to Bac Ha, chances are you're going to at least drive through Lao Chi Lao City. So to answer your question, now that I've gone through all that, you have several options. You can take the train up to Lao City, which I believe you know all about. And then from the train station in Lao City, it's very easy to get either a van or a minibus , which is roughly two hours from Lao City Center. You also have the bus option, you can take a bus to the city from Hanoi. And there are a few direct buses running between Hanoi and Bac Ha. There was a night bus for sure, some of us don't really care for nine buses and there's also a daytime bus that runs all the way up to a similar high. So you have a couple of options there. And then, of course, if you're going to combine back and Sa Pa, that's very easy to do with a combination of either public bus and local bus. And there's also a shuttle that runs directly from Sa Pa to Bac Ha every afternoon and Sa Pa to Bac Ha is roughly a three-hour journey. Kerry Newsome: [00:06:12] Ok, and I wanted to bring this up earlier with people because I wanted to set some realities for people in the journey side of things, because if you've done the overnight train and you kind of get out of that train in the morning, and I remember I was pretty shattered. And then the thought of then another two to three hours onto that, that was kind of a bit for me to take on. And I've heard some of the other people that have traveled into this area, they've kind of said, oh, gee, I wish that I sort of got off and been able to chill out for a while, maybe in Sopore itself and maybe have a rest day and then do it the next day or try and add some more time into the day and the whole adventure of the region because I think if you go into these places and you're tired. Your weariness inhibits you from enjoying it to the full max because you just weary and you kind of need to take a breather. No one will tell you the real time in Vietnam is to drive me crazy because I'd say I'd get in a car or a van or know how long it is going to take. And they don't want to tell you that the road is got, you know, twenty-five switchbacks and it's going to take.. Mike Pollock: [00:07:45] You three hours. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Travel overland, travel in and around Vietnam and all of Southeast Asia can be extremely slow. And it is difficult to say exactly how long the journey is going to take, you know, so you have to have some patience there. But the thing about these markets, I should mention this is they start very early in the morning. People are setting up their stalls before sunrise. And the market by the Bac Ha market, in particular, will be very busy by about 10:00 a.m. And then by about noon, people are going home. So the best way to tackle this is to get there the night before. And you sleep there the night before, if you sleep in Bac Ha on Saturday night and they have what they call a night market cultural show, and it's really not so much of a night market, but they do have a stage in the town center run by the little temple downtown, uptown Bac Ha. And every Saturday night there's a performance of not just Hmong people, but also to forget all the ethnic groups that get on the stage and their full costume. And they do a dance show. And I don't think this is really a tourist-orientated thing. They just they're really the people that are really into the culture. We've talked about this before. Mike Pollock: [00:09:16] They're very into the traditional costume, traditional music, traditional instruments, a traditional dance. So anyway, so you get to Bac Ha the night before you get up early, get to the market early before it gets too crowded, particularly if you're a photographer. This is key. You want to get to the market before it gets crowded and before the sun gets too high in the sky so that you can get some nice clean images, and have some nice light. And then depending on your interest, a couple of hours in the market might be enough, and then what you can do is head to the north of Bac Ha anywhere and back our head up north towards the border of China. And the scenery is just absolutely beautiful. And that's easy to do. You can rent a motorcycle if you're qualified to do so. You can hire someone to drive you around on a motorcycle you could hire or car. You can even do some of it. If you're a little bit adventurous by public transportation or buses that run north of the city, that'll get you to a foreign city. If you're into trekking, you can hire a local guide to take your truck in or you can go trek around by yourself. But the district is absolutely beautiful. It's a typical rural Vietnam. Kerry Newsome: [00:10:37] So, you know, good lead in to just talking about Hmong people, because everything I've read is that this Sunday's a big day for them, isn't it? They come from far and wide and the women in particular dress up, if that's the word, in the traditional costumes. So talk to us a little bit about what they sell, what they try. You know how the gig actually, guys, what can I expect to say? Mike Pollock: [00:11:08] Ok, well, if you read any Vietnamese travel articles or travel blogs about these markets, what it translates into English, it always translates into fair. People say there's a Sunday fair in Bac Ha and that's kind of what it is. And you're exactly right. That Hill people not just from Bac Ha but they'll come from neighboring Hoang Su Phi, Ha Giang Province. They'll come from a long area to go to this market exactly, and they will trade many traditional things. livestock where they trade buffalo, horses, goats, pigs, chickens, ducks, that sort of thing. But they also sell handmade farming equipment. I mean, these people are farmers. They might have a side job of some sort, but somewhere during the day, they're going to do some farming. And the Hmong people are famous for making steel implements that range anything from a knife to a machete. They are the working part of a wooden plow, the steel pulled behind a buffalo. So there's a lot of traditional handmade tools in addition to the clothing that we've talked about, the cloth of the dye, the thread necessary to make these products all kinds of local potions, Kerry Newsome: [00:12:34] Happy water, Mike Pollock: [00:12:35] Happy water. Yeah, we can talk about a lot of water and people come and people come to the market and they make a day out of it themselves. The food stalls are always full, chock full of locals eating fall or whatever it is. And it is a big day out for them too. You'll see the little children running around getting ice cream and dads having a little hot water while mothers sell corn or whatever it is. It's a big day for the people. You know, it's not even the tourists who go to these things. It's not really directed at the tourists. It's a local thing. Kerry Newsome: [00:13:18] And that kind of for me, begs the question on how to best experience that from a language perspective, because sometimes when I go to these places, especially because I try and get there early before the typical busload arrives and like we don't know in the future with covid, et cetera, maybe they won't be big busloads like they used to be. It kind of crosses our fingers on that one. But like, when you do get there, I almost feel like a bit of an invader because like I say, I've got blond hair, so I stand out like the proverbial and but when I get in there, I do feel a little bit noticeably. A tourist, and then I feel like I'm kind of inviting in this space. Do you recommend going with a guide to get a better experience or language-wise? It's a little bit tricky. Mike Pollock: [00:14:21] I, I will hire guides to go to markets on occasion. And the main reason is just the language barrier because I really do want to have a chat with people. I really want to find out exactly what that funny-looking herb is that they're selling on the table. You know, you see the potions in the powders. I should have put your picture, but you know that you have these strange exotic herbs and tree bark and mushrooms and powders and more happy water. And I want to know exactly what this is. So it is useful to have a guide, Kerry Newsome: [00:15:03] In the soup. I always ask that question because, you know, let's just let's identify what I'm talking about. And I'm not a big fan of blood, bone, blood, anything that starts with blood. That's when I have a steak. It's well done so I can have it all. Mike Pollock: [00:15:28] But the thing is that any of these markers that you go to, you don't need to go into that section. You don't need to go to the butcher shop. You can stay in the vegetable market or it's nice. Kerry Newsome: [00:15:39] But if you want a snack and you want to have some soup and it kind of smells OK, but then. You know, Mike Pollock: [00:15:50] I think you don't fight, they give you order chicken soup when we say guy, you're getting chicken soup, it's time to bring this to the big mystery, Kerry Newsome: [00:16:03] All right. So suggestion wise is that. Yes, definitely get it. God, I mean, I. I always get a guide for language reasons. And because I think that they can just give you some insights that you wouldn't pick up on otherwise, you know, you're going to look at it with very Western eyes, but they're going to say, oh, well, that means that. And, you know, they can give some reference points, I think, that is most helpful. Mike Pollock: [00:16:31] Yeah, I agree with you for sure. Kerry Newsome: [00:16:34] All right. So when we're talking about, you know, things to buy for a Westerner, OK, we're not going to take any shovels or picks home with us. I'm certainly not riding any buffaloes or, you know, they're not doing trick or treat like that. So what am I going to be looking to buy as a souvenir. To take home. Mike Pollock: [00:17:02] Well, there are a number of stalls in these markets that cater specifically to tourists, tourist trinkets, many of which you will have already seen in Hanoi. But there are a lot of traditional handcrafts produced there that are traditional and handmade. And what you need to do is just look at the product before you buy it. Obviously, if it looks like it was made in a factory, it probably was. If it looks like grandmother made it at home, you know, it's very soft. It's got a little layer of dust on it. You know, that's a product that's handmade, handmade cloth, hand-done embroidery. I think you can figure it out. And if you dig through these stalls, you'll find a tremendous amount of traditional pieces. You just have to kind of scan around to look around a little bit. But I know since you mentioned that I don't have the proper name for it, but the Hmong flutes, you've probably seen pictures of the musical instruments you can buy. Those are so nice. That's a nice souvenir among musical instruments. Kerry Newsome: [00:18:15] Yeah, I have bought bedspreads. They are spectacular color-wise. You know, they buy and hang them up and you can go through and you choose the ones you want. And I kind of have a laugh with people like the ones where the threads are hanging out and there's probably a good chance that when you wash it the first time it'll fall apart. The authentic ones. If you wanted to stay together, you're probably better over that stall where it's probably made in a giant factory. You know, there are pluses and minuses, but I still have it because I love it, because when I touch it and I smell whatever, I feel like I was really bad. So, it does have some beautiful memories, but I wash it very, very carefully. Very delicately. All right. Let's just talk about times of the year, because another fascinating fact about Vietnam, which I think always seems to faze people, is that everyone thinks that Vietnam is hot all year round and they kind of just, what, Vietnam over and say, oh, you know, it's that hot. Yet I think you're going to agree with me in the north. It gets bloody cold all over. Mike Pollock: [00:19:50] They had a brutal winter last year. Kerry Newsome: [00:19:54] Certainly in this particular area in Sapa, it can get to freezing. It can get to snow. Mike Pollock: [00:20:03] Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. Basically in December, well into March, it is winter and it can be very cold, windy, and it can also be extremely foggy. Yes. What we call black fog or you or you can see 50 meters in front of you and that's about it. And the fog will get so thick and it basically starts to drizzle and everything is covered and covered in a mist. So the wintertime can be challenging. Yeah. Kerry Newsome: [00:20:38] And I think that missing all that fog that you talk about was something I didn't count on, and I think for a photographer that might strike you a bit crazy with the fog because you can't say 50 feet in front of you. Mike Pollock: [00:20:54] Well, yeah, the weather, in general, is very challenging there. But that's also sort of the magic of the place as well. You know, you wake up and it's your blanket in fog and mist and maybe a little bit of drizzle. And by noon, the sun is out and shining and it's extremely hot. And then the cycle repeats itself in the afternoon. Yes, the weather makes travel there interesting and it can make it a bit challenging. So like I said, winter times are tough and you need to bring warm clothes. You need to dress in layers and wear some kind of outer waterproof shell, carry an umbrella. Kerry Newsome: [00:21:34] Yeah, but if we're talking around that kind of march through til, what would we say, June, July, that's pretty pleasant, isn't it? Mike Pollock: [00:21:47] Yeah, I would say April is kind of the threshold. March can be, as I said, very challenging. But once you're in April, things are looking good. But then you have to remember that by June you're in the rainy season and it can be very, very wet there and during the rainy season. Kerry Newsome: [00:22:07] So peak times to visit, we should say, April. Mike Pollock: [00:22:12] And April, May and October, November, Kerry Newsome: [00:22:18] October, Mike Pollock: [00:22:19] November. Yeah, I like it. Well, September, you have all the rice. The rice is maturing and you have the beautiful rice fields, so I love September, but there's a good chance you're going to get a little wet now and again. Did you notice all the ladies in all carry an umbrella? Everybody carries an umbrella. I do, too, because when it's not raining, the sun comes up, the sun cooks the back of your neck, you break out your umbrella. Kerry Newsome: [00:22:48] It is genius. And I'm all for it. And you don't look, in some countries, they would kind of think you're a bit of a bit of a nut case. But in Vietnam, not a problem. I do it in a lot of places because you're right, it's handy for the wet when it just does a downpour for 20 minutes and then it's gone and the same when the sun comes out and with my skin. I gotcha on that one. Look for some areas a little bit around back that I did a little bit of research on. You mentioned the temple and and the and the Saturday night features, but there's a few little places around back. How did you venture further into those areas? Mike Pollock: [00:23:38] You see a significant portion of the district. As we mentioned earlier, there's many certainly America's most famous. And then there's a Saturday market about 19 kilometers to the north and Can Cau. But there's markets there, small markets every day. There's interesting markets. So I think six days a week. So you can if you missed the Sunday market, there's a Tuesday market in Coc Ly For example, Kerry Newsome: [00:24:08] I was going to mention Coc Ly. Mike Pollock: [00:24:09] Coc Ly’s setting. It's absolutely beautiful. It's off the main road. It's absolutely stunning season scenery. And you can combine that with hiring a car and driver, for example, take it from Sa pa to Coc Ly and then to Bac Har and make a road trip out of it. And there's another market on Wednesday, a market up by Si Ma Cai which is very worth doing as well. They have a nice buffalo market anyway. But as I mentioned before, these markets start early in the morning. So you get going early in the morning. You do a couple hours of the market and then you continue on and you can do some more sightseeing or trekking and explore the district. Kerry Newsome: [00:24:57] At your leisure, Mike Pollock: [00:24:58] At your leisure, exactly. Kerry Newsome: [00:25:01] So would you allow it properly, would you allow two nights, three nights? Mike Pollock: [00:25:07] Oh, easily. I could do that easily. And the other interesting thing about that is that for the weekend, markets are very well known. They're very popular. The town is quite busy. But Monday through Friday, the town itself is very, very quiet. If you want to escape the hustle and bustle, that's the place to do it. It's a very relaxing, quaint little town. Kerry Newsome: [00:25:32] So would you say this is the kind of thing that a family could do, like, you know, like a young family, you know, like, I think it's definitely a family thing to do and kids and anyone would just find it fascinating or do you? Mike Pollock: [00:25:49] Absolutely. I come across many, many families. And Bac Ha, you know, a lot of a lot of people do organize tours or I do have a car and driver, and it's very common to see families traveling that way. Kerry Newsome: [00:26:06] I would, however, suggest for people with, you know, like any difficulties as far as walking or, you know, they're not they're not good with the kind of endurance in heat if if if they're going at that time of year, maybe they take a Good car and I can drop them around a few places. Mike Pollock: [00:26:29] Well, the market in town is not an issue. It's in the infrastructure that surrounds the town. So there's no problem walking around there whatsoever. As far as the heat goes, as I already mentioned, you really want to get there early because the markets are done by and by high noon when the sun is cooking and Bac Ha can be very hot. We talk about holding it in the winter. In the summertime, it's pretty hot. So you want to get out early before it gets too hot. So some of the other markets could be a little bit challenging if you have some mobility issues. Yeah, not necessarily a deal breaker, but you have to maybe choose accordingly. Kerry Newsome: [00:27:19] Yeah, for sure. For sure. Let's talk just a little bit as we kind of finish off the episode, just about accommodation in the area. You and I had a bit of a laugh about home and just how liberally that that term gets shared around. So talk to us about it. Stay there. It's not, it doesn't have to be expensive. But just so people can manage their expectations about home status and accommodation, can you talk to us a little bit about your experiences there? Mike Pollock: [00:27:52] Yeah, well, there's the issue with the homestays that it's used to describe a big variety of accommodations. It's used literally: a homestay could be living in a traditional house the size of the mountain or you're sleeping on the floor with the chickens. Or it could be more like a guest house or whatever the United States we would call a motel. So, yeah, it varies widely. Generally speaking, I sleep in the hotels in the back of town. There's there's quite a few of them. They're very typical Asian Vietnamese style budget accommodations. They're very inexpensive, but they're very simple. And it makes it easy. Roll out of bed. You're at the market. If you go to the market, you need a little break. Very easy to find a place to have a coffee or a bowl of soup, as we mentioned earlier, run back to the hotel to get fresh batteries for my care or something like that. But surrounding the town itself, yes, there's many, many home stays and they really do range. There's a big range of homestays, I guess you have to choose your home state wisely, do some research on it. Kerry Newsome: [00:29:08] I know because I work with a tour company out of Hanoi and we have people who say to us, oh, no, we want to have the real authentic experience. We want to. And we tried to say, well, yes, we can do, but please understand that. And it's really hard to get a visual or give people a visual of just how humble some of these are, because you're talking about people's homes, how they live is how they kind of invite you into their typical home. So I always try to emphasize to people to get a real understanding of what that authenticity is. Can look and feel like when really you want a hot shower and a comfortable bed after a day out exploring, so I don't know whether you've actually invited friends, if your soul or shared home, stay home, stay indoors with people. But you're right, it's from one level of the needle to the other as far as, you know, what you can experience with home stays in that region in particular. Mike Pollock: [00:30:26] Yeah, a true home state. I said the traditional home state is just a couple steps above camping. Kerry Newsome: [00:30:34] Yeah, not even as good. Mike Pollock: [00:30:37] Know you are you're still you're sleeping on a bamboo mat, which is local style bamboo mat, Kerry Newsome: [00:30:44] Perhaps no chickens on my camping trip. Mike Pollock: [00:30:47] Ha ha ha ha ha. Kerry Newsome: [00:30:49] Right now, I leave them at home. Mike Pollock: [00:30:52] I will say one thing about the hot water, though. Anybody in North Vietnam who's serious about doing any sort of homestay has built a structure. Separate from the main house that contains a shower with hot water and a western toilet and a proper sink, pretty much every home stay in that area is going to have those basic amenities because the locals like hot water too. Kerry Newsome: [00:31:21] Yeah, and I think it's good to mention Western toilets because, you know, South East Asia is not always famous for Western toilets. So I like to hear that there's more and more Western toilets in that region. So that's good to know. Mike, just to finish off, I've been asking my guests recently to give me a word to describe travel and what it means to you. I mean, we're sitting in a very different world at the moment. You're sitting in Bac Ha. I'm sitting in Australia. And neither of us can go anywhere, but we're still both lap travel. So if I was to ask you what your word is, what would your word be? And then I'll tell you what mine is. Describe putting you on the spot. Yeah. What it means to you, what it means to you. What does travel mean to you? In a word. Mike Pollock: [00:32:20] In what word? In one word or one…..Discovery. Kerry Newsome: [00:32:28] Discovery. I like it. Why discovery? Mike Pollock: [00:32:33] Well, that's what you're doing, aren't you, even if you go to a place that's been well traveled, many, many people have been there before you, you're just going to new to you. You're discovering all this for yourself for the first time. Kerry Newsome: [00:32:49] Great work. Love it, and I think what I miss most about travel is discovery and certainly at times nicely with my word, which is revived. One of the reasons I'm doing this podcast is I want to revive people's spirit in the form of discovering new places, new cultures, new food. And so revive is my word. And I'm trying to revive and keep that spirit alive in people. So with the help of people like you who came discoverers, I'm hoping to do that for Vietnam might. Lovely to have you on the program. Really great to get some some insights into the Bac Ha markets. I've learnt a lot and I'm sure my listeners have as well. So thanks for being on the show. Mike Pollock: [00:33:45] Thank you very much. Have a great day.

ffec553b-eb28-4811-bb2e-1d4e55c50e8bIn all the natural beauty and culture you can find yourself What About Vietnam - Series 2 – 17 What about a holiday that ended up being a life changing experience? Xin Chao and welcome to what about Vietnam? I hope you've been enjoying the series I have recorded talking to local health and wellness practitioners in Vietnam. It's an evolving area of travel experience in Vietnam and while in many ways Vietnam uniquely can offer wellness and the opportunity to build a healthier and stronger body and mind just by luring you to its shores. Because of its natural landscapes, fresh food and warm culture….. It still has a way to go to meeting the demands and expectations of the western travelers, especially those that are well-versed in true wellness and therapeutic wellness systems. But it's people like my guest today, I think who will be at the forefront of this kind of development in Vietnam. I'm really delighted to be talking with Michell Ford from luminarylife.com, the business designing life-changing experiences. Talking with Michell, you will get a sense of her devotion to this area in Vietnam, her and her team. Originally from Cape Town, she tells me she came to Vietnam for one year and has stayed for 15. Michell comes with a very in-depth resume on the wellness project development space. Having brought on ambitious wellness concepts and bringing on six hotels with a very high-quality bespoke spas and treatment centers. It is the collective knowledge of how and where this industry is heading in Vietnam. But I'm hoping it will help you better understand how to navigate and how to choose what's right for you, be it the right location, type of treatment and practitioner. When you see a promotion for wellness, health benefits, therapeutic centers, things like that,..... I hope after this episode, you are going to be a little bit more the wiser. Vietnam is destined to be a hot destination in the future for wellness, as we transition through COVID and begin to heal collectively as a community and as individuals. Because I know Vietnam in my heart has so much to offer. I wanted to get Michell's take on how to go about finding the right place for you, what to look for. So please welcome Michelle to the program. Michell Ford: Actually, when I arrived in Vietnam, there was no wellness at all. So, I kind of grew into it with Vietnam and so I think it was an interesting part of my own growth process and a way, at the same time, to see how it's growing in Vietnam. And because it was such an exciting new field for this area, I was really interested in taking that further. That's really how I started to explore it with Vietnam, I would say. Kerry Newsome: And from looking at your experience Michelle, you kind of, if I could use the term, cut your teeth, in hotels and trying to bring that experience into hotels, which haven't traditionally been very good at that. Michell Ford: So, yes working in hotels, very often the hotels are looking at wellness from a different frame, or from a different perspective. When a client's looking for wellness, they're really looking for what problem you're solving. They are not looking for what accommodation and inclusions are in the package. And so hotels are traditionally creating from the experience level to say, this is the experience I'm creating for you. So that is what we saw to be quite a challenge. And in addition, you need so much more expertise in wellness to build a frame like that and to bring the right people together, to be able to solve that problem for the clients. So that's really where we, through experience in the hotel side, I could really see how we needed to bridge the gap because this was not existing in Vietnam as such. Kerry Newsome: And I think if I draw my own experience in earlier years, I think Vietnam sort of thought, ah look we can just put on a gorgeous hotel with all luxury experiences within the hotel, as in, you know, by the pool and all that ambiance that goes with that. Provide massage treatments and kind of that's it!! Michell Ford: Right. Kerry Newsome: And I think, what I've seen, and what's good to talk to you about is the evolution of wellness and retreats, and retreats that are becoming more focused and more specialized. Would you agree? Michell Ford: Definitely. I think traditionally it was easy to add on just that one thing or the other. But I think going forward, Vietnam risked “wellness washing” if we keep doing that. I think it's time to stop that and that's why we really feel we need to spend a lot of time in-depth to develop those programs. In addition, there's a lot more expertise in Vietnam. In the beginning, yoga was pretty new here and that is how it started. But Vietnamese themselves and the experts that are here, the expertise is much broader. You're able to develop stronger wellness programs than what we could in the past too. Kerry Newsome: You've decided to put roots down in Vietnam and obviously extend your skills in this area to hotels and your own center. What happened next? Michell Ford: What happens next? So basically, we have two parts at the moment. We're doing one, which is a wellness consulting and management, where we offered this exact support to hotels. We can help them build their full wellness program and we can help them integrate it into the hotel if we manage it as well. We really develop targeted programs specific for their destination and their skills and make sure that all the parts are aligned in the resort to offer that. And in the other branch that we're following, due to seeing that there will be this growth of wellness retreats in Vietnam, we've built an online retreat platform, kind of booking.com for wellness. Kerry Newsome: Okay. Michell Ford: And what we have done is, we're busy curating, we're supporting the hotels to develop the programs that they sell on there. We provide that advisory and we're categorizing it really in detail so that clients can find what they need. And thirdly we actually are setting up a call center with wellness coaches so that clients really can see, okay, I'm coming to Vietnam, this is what I want to do, how can I find what I want to do? What places would you recommend to me if I want you to do this, or I don't want to do that. So that we can really give them that level of support they need. Kerry Newsome: Well, that's sort of speaks to where I was heading with this. This time with you in this interview, which is really trying to help travellers navigate this space. As you said, Vietnam is not really known for being well-managed, if that's the best word. And just finding a hotel and thinking that that's going to be the be end and all end is not the solution. So, if I'm a traveller and I'm sitting in some part of the world right now, and I'm thinking, I'd love to go to Vietnam to experience a wellness retreat. I've been in lockdown, I need to reboot, to re-energize. How would you advise someone in planning a trip to Vietnam on that basis? Michell Ford: At the moment, the resources are still a bit limited for them. Of course, they would be looking at some retreat platforms on Google, and they would start to explore what specific niche that they want to focus on. If they want to do yoga or they want to do transformational healing it might be two completely separate things. In Vietnam, it's not always consolidated under one umbrella. For example, you could stay in Hoi An, very comfortably, and then you could work with all the practitioners and healers in the area and join the classes. Or there are some niche retreats, but they're also generally not always available. It seems a little bit by calendar basis. So, it's a little bit harder to navigate as you say. Kerry Newsome: Yes and... Michell Ford: Sorry, from our perspective, with our platform that we're developing, we're really helping guests with that by creating a wellness spectrum. We say on the beginning of the spectrum is this “recreational level” where you want to trek, or you want to go cycling. You just want to relax and enjoy your time with a little bit of these wellness activities, the spa, a bit of yoga. Then we look more at an “experiential level”, where the wellness starts to go deeper, where there is a bit of a formalized program around it and so on. Michell Ford: Then there's this “transformational level” where you really want to be on a specific program for a specific outcome. For example, the detox program. And then we have an immersion program where you really want to get, let's say 30 days really deep into meditation, or really deep into yoga where you're really going on that full educational and immersive program. I think if you know where you want to be on that already, it's easier as a starting point. Kerry Newsome: And what do you think Vietnam brings to the table? Tell us what makes a retreat in Vietnam more attractive than anywhere else? Let's say. Michell Ford: I think Vietnam has some natural resources for that. I think the nature and the diversity throughout the country and the options that you could choose. Because nature is obviously a big part of how you immerse yourself and wellness, so beautiful destinations for that. The people are just that genuine and offer a nurturing care that you just don’t get in many places. So just feeling loved and nurtured and cared for in everything. And certainly, obviously the food is almost naturally healthy. You're already naturally eating, let's say a semi plant-based meal plan while you're here as well. So that's kind of the easy entries which laid a solid foundation for a wellness program. Kerry Newsome: Exactly. Now, something that you talk a lot about in your services and certainly your expertise extends into this area. And I'm going to bring up the subject wellness ecosystem. Can you talk to us a little bit about that because I think sometimes people get a little bit miffed by a lot of the language? Michell Ford: Right. Kerry Newsome: And it becomes very academic around simple things. And there are some trendy words that are being bantered around and they might say it on the brochure, but they don't actually deliver it if you know what I mean. Michell Ford: Yeah. Kerry Newsome: Talk to us a little bit about, and explain for everyone listening, just what's in a wellness ecosystem, both for yourself personally, and in the bigger picture. Michell Ford: So, we implement that on all levels of our business. We can say there's a wellness ecosystem globally, but there's also a wellness ecosystem in our business and there's a wellness ecosystem within us. It's in principle that theory that what we do micro is the macro, it is the seed to the macro. From our business perspective, in the wellness ecosystem, we really want a good balance of what the client needs how the practitioners fit into that and who they are and how they're supported in their work and also what the hotel brings. What are the hotel facilities available? What can the staff provide? And we really build the program as an ecosystem around that. Kerry Newsome: Can you tell me Michell, a time you have attended a wellness retreat in Vietnam. And tell us about that experience. Michell Ford: In Vietnam, to be honest, because I've been here for most of it, I tended to go out for my wellness retreats at that time. It's always the opposite of what you have. Yes, so let's see in Vietnam, I haven't specifically done wellness retreats, but really much more wellness. I'm very specific on picking specialists. I really enjoy working with wellness specialists, so I might not have picked a retreat in Vietnam at that time, but I would travel to a location and search out the best wellness specialists in that area and work with them. Kerry Newsome: And that's a good point to raise in the sense that some people think there's only one choice, which is, if I want wellness, I have to kind of go away and lock myself down to a hotel or resort or a center for two or three days. Where, what you're saying is the traveler's got the option to find specialists and we've talked about Hoi An and Danag and kind of the central region, Hue,I know also has some, nice venues for that. But being able to find and recruit or get the services of specialists in particular modalities and whether that's yoga, whether that's reiki, whether that's hypnosis or whatever. Talk to us a little bit about the options with that, because that's not something that people would normally think about Vietnam in that sense. Michell Ford: Right. You know, even if you pick up a private yoga teacher here, you could do your daily beach classes. You can go onto the beach and have morning yoga every day by yourself. Having a private teacher like that, you can really go a little bit more into the depths of why are you doing the sunrise salutation, and what does it mean for you. It can work on your posture during that. So very practical that you learn through the process. But it really depends on what you're looking for because if you're doing that, you almost need to be able to already know a little bit of what you want and what you need. I would say, if you're really more coming into wellness or you really have a serious issue that you want to work on, whether it's medical or mental or whatever it might be, I would say it's really good to go on a structured program where people can guide you and advise you. But if you've already been through some of those and you enjoy it and you kind of know which areas you want to work on, you can do this more freestyle, if I can put it that way. Kerry Newsome: Yes. And I think, as you say with Vietnam growing into this space, I mean, I try to think about Vietnam as having so many places to offer it. But would you think that central Vietnam would be the best region to focus on? I mean, or is it also available in the North and the South as well? Michell Ford: I would say definitely this region is really strong for it. It's got all the tools available, both in Hoi An and Da Nang. There are a lot of really good practitioners in the area. A lot of venues you can join, a variety of classes and different studios, a lot of plant food restaurants or vegan cafes so it is definitely easy here. There is definitely also a part of it more towards like Sapa area, if you want to get more into the treking side. There are some of that too, but maybe a little bit less specialists, but more immersion into nature and that experience. Kerry Newsome: Michell to put aside an amount of time to devote to a retreat or whatever, what would you recommend is a good amount of time to invest in that? Just how much should you allocate? Because people get, I think a bit thinking they're self-indulgent or they're going on a holiday and they're going off into a retreat and they get a bit guilty about that. Michell Ford: Yes. That's something we come across often, there are people that say I'm a little bit guilty to do that. But it's really by you being able to do that you can give the best of yourself to everyone around you. You really have to see it as being of service to everyone around you, as opposed to feeling guilty that this is only for you because it's not only for you. You're impacting everyone around you when you come back. For the time period, there isn't a fixed time because it really depends on what you want. If you're super-stressed and really just want to come down from that, or if you really have serious medical issues and need to cleanse your body, it might take 21 days compared to a three-day relaxation. I think, it really comes down to what you want out of it and then build back how much time you need as opposed to the other way around. Kerry Newsome: And I think these came up in the other parts of the series that I put together with some other practitioners. The first question kind of has to be to yourself, as in what you want to get out of it. Michell Ford: And think in terms of what do you want to change in your life, because sometimes you don't even know what you need to get out of that to change. You can be quite practical to say what you want to change or shift in your life and then how can I do that? Where can I go? How long do I need? Kerry Newsome: I can't talk about this subject without bringing COVID into it because obviously COVID has affected us all. So, talking to that, how has COVID changed your business and your attitude in this space? Talk to us about that. Michell Ford: To be honest, the wellness business is in the right place at the right time. Kerry Newsome: I was going to say. Michell Ford: I think there's not someone that has come out of COVID without more awareness around wellness and what that means to them. And that would maybe be physical because of the immune system and the fear of what's coming there, but it may also be totally a mental around anxiety and stress. And it may be wellness around relationships because we were stuck together in a small apartment, 24/7. It kind of highlighted whatever wellness needs we have right now and brought that to the front to say, okay I really need to work on this. So this is what I want the change in my life to be. I think it's really supported people to find this path for them and which one is the priority as well. Kerry Newsome: And one question that comes up for me with people who follow me and talk to me, is just about how Vietnam faired through COVID and what assurances can they get that Vietnam is safe to travel and to travel in this wellness space? Michell Ford: Vietnamese has been really amazing at handling this, so we had basically zero deaths if I'm not mistaken. We have no transmissions anymore for four months already. They've been so proactive and I think the other part of it is Vietnam is a really community driven society. We see that people do things for the greater good of others. It wasn't just, I don't want to wear my mask, so I won't. It was knowing that if we wear our masks, we support other people as well. If we take care, if we self-isolate, it's really much more a community focused society in general. Vietnam was very strict, if they found a case, they traced four levels of contact and they were very specific to say what those levels were and they published the person's itinerary for the period before they travelled. When they published that you could also see, oh goodness I was in that area, so I need to self-isolate. They were very transparent with that, so it was very easy to see. And they themselves were tracing where it went and would basically follow to quarantine people to disinfect areas that were involved. After the second rise up in Da Nang they basically quarantined everybody and they tested every single person. So proactive to really jump on there and get it going. The big thing that we felt here, we always felt it was under control, it was in good hands. Decisions were being made, if they were tough, that was fine we understood that. And at the same time, we felt safe. We didn't have that same collective fear going on here and because of that we can pretty much live our lives here already which we're so fortunate for. So really, as a destination for traveling, I would say Vietnam should be on the forefront of anyone's radar as the first place to travel because of its safety. Kerry Newsome: And that's kind of a little bit how I feel as well. I mean, I was there in March, and I got out just in time to get back to Australia before they shut the doors kind of thing. And I was in a bit of a state of denial I have to say at the beginning. Michell Ford: I know, I think we all were a little bit, we didn't realize just how big this would become and what global impact, it would have. Kerry Newsome: Exactly. But I think where the future of travel is heading is definitely where countries have managed it well, and I think Vietnam has shown the world just how jumping on it quickly and quite strictly. And, I think the part is, as you said when they were publishing people's itineraries. Coming from a country where privacy is such an issue and things like that, that was kind of all blown out the door, you know? Lists everywhere of where people were, so as you say, they could say, yes, I was in that coffee shop or, I was attending that tour or things like that. So, whilst we might've not agreed in all their approaches. Michell Ford: Right. Kerry Newsome: I think as a community, as you say, everyone did support it and get behind it and it's achieved the success, it has. Michell Ford: Yes, yes. Kerry Newsome: Michelle just lastly, I just want to maybe steer the conversation to the time of year in Vietnam and you've been belted with some terrible typhoons of late. I mean, we're sitting here in November. Would you suggest there's a better time of the year to come? To do something like this in the area of self-healing and wellness. Michell Ford: Let's say specifically in the central region, it's really lovely all the way from April to let's say September. Kerry Newsome: Hot. Michell Ford: Very hot when you start to get to July and August, but you are guaranteed sunshine. Kerry Newsome: Absolutely. Michell Ford: It really depends on what you like, but of course in rainy season, with wellness it's not as important because if you're coming on in something for transformation and you've got your program, it's not really as important as the weather as well. But for sure, much nicer in the spring, summer months. Kerry Newsome: And do you have some recommendations for places that people might consider to come to do a wellness retreat? Michell Ford: We have a few practitioners in Hoi An that are running wellness retreat programs, shorter programs, for example, Victoria Wellness, she's running some. Vietnam Detox is running some and we have two projects coming up next year that will run in this region full programs as well. Kerry Newsome: Okay. And any actual hotels that you've been involved with that you can speak to from personal experience that you worked on, that you would advocate. Michell Ford: In the area at the moment, most of the wellness is still more experiential relaxation-based. I would say at the moment, there's not one that has really moved forward to more of the transformative space. But of course, the one we're working on now, we're hoping to launch in February or March. We would have to share that with everyone soon. Kerry Newsome: Okay. Great. Well, I can put those links in the episode notes for sure. Michell, thanks for being on the program. And I look forward to seeing you in Vietnam hopefully soon. Michell Ford: Yes, please. I think Hoi An needs it as well, everyone's businesses and livelihoods somehow depend on it too. Kerry Newsome: Absolutely. Thanks, Michell. OUTRO: Thank you for listening. Check out the episode notes for more information. What about Vietnam? Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review and stay tuned for more fun adventures in Vietnam.

S4-15 Travelling as a solo woman What makes solo female travellers love Vietnam Episode 15 S4-15 Travelling as a solo woman 00:00 / 45:08 There are many reasons why Vietnam is a stand out favourite destination amongst female solo travellers. One of the dominant reasons is safety. The other reasons we explore more deeply in the show as they stem from the Vietnamese people themselves, and how they recognise women empowerment in their own culture. I hope my male guests will forgive us for making this show about the female solo traveller. You needn’t worry, I have a male solo traveller show on the drawing board featuring bike riding, golf, sports, adventure and lots of other cool stuff. So, stay tuned. However, the aim of this show is to allay any fears a female may have about taking a solo trip to Vietnam. You are going to hear from both a westerner as in myself and a Vietnamese hospitality professional living in Saigon. My lovely guest is Camellia Dinh. With over 10 years of experience working in the hospitality industry for some of the world’s most prestigious hotel brands including Park Hyatt, Sofitel, and the M-Gallery Collection, Camellia has a wealth of experiences and local knowledge to share. Currently she holds the position as Director of Sales at Fusion Original Saigon Centre Camellia tells us it is not always convenient to travel with friends or family as matching up schedules with study and jobs makes it almost impossible. She says that she started travelling alone as young as 13, and over time has come to really enjoy her trips alone, and it has afforded her some fun experiences. That’s not to say she doesn’t love travelling with friends and family when she can. Together we’d like to share our own personal experiences to ensure women considering doing this, can do so with confidence. Especially if the female traveller loves food, culture, scenery, shopping, pampering, wellness, adventure and making new friends along the way. The doors for a “female solo traveller” are about to open, and Vietnam is waiting to greet you with open arms. You can find more about Camellia Dinh here - https://about.me/camellia_dinh Download Transcript PDF Read the transcript here

5e9ff723-f389-4d55-a827-80295ca29276As 2025 draws to a close here are some reflections. Last Words for 2025 Episode 11 S1-E11 00:00 / 32:38 Xin chào and welcome to What About Vietnam. As 2025 draws to a close, I wanted to take a moment to pause — to thank you, to reflect on this journey that began back in 2020, and to share a few lasting lessons for travellers heading to Vietnam. What started during lockdown as a way to “travel through stories” has grown into more than 100 episodes shared across 70 countries. Together we’ve explored Vietnam’s hidden gems, met local legends, and uncovered stories far beyond the guidebooks. To my guests — you gave this show its heartbeat. Thank you. To my listeners — your messages and travel plan requests continue to keep me inspired every step of the way. I couldn’t do this without you. Now, after three incredible years, it feels right to take a short pause — to breathe, to rediscover Vietnam with fresh eyes, and to think about what What About Vietnam might become in 2026. While the podcast takes a short rest, I’m still here helping travellers create privately guided journeys through whataboutvietnam.com – Request your trip plan including all in country services as in flights, accommodation and experiences fully tailor made to you and your budget.;- https://www.whataboutvietnam.com/request-form In this final episode, I share five key lessons drawn from the journey so far — real, lived truths about travelling well in Vietnam: 1. Stay curious – Vietnam will surprise you every time. 2. Travel slow – the magic happens in the quiet moments. 3. Connect deeply – even a simple Xin chào can open unexpected doors. 4. Support local – your choices help communities thrive. 5. Keep dreaming – Vietnam’s story, like life, is always unfolding. So whether you’re planning your first trip or returning for more, I hope these insights help you experience Vietnam with a little more heart and a lot more wonder. What About Vietnam – where stories live on. Download Transcript PDF Read the transcript here

65dfbab5-85d9-46bf-b803-c8167282dec0Discover and mastermind your Vietnam experiences What About Vietnam - 2-18 How to mastermind your best experience of Vietnam. Kerry Newsome: [00:00:35] Xin chau and welcome to what about Vietnam today, I'm delighted to have Kirsten Pilz on the show because we're going to discuss how journaling or writing can help you explore the reasons why you want to go to Vietnam. Together, we take a real deep dive into how to capture that pre-trip, excitement and anticipation as none of us know when we will be traveling abroad again. We are all looking for ways to do that. Does that explain the boom in travel groups on social media as we all want to keep our dreams alive and chat about where we want to go after Covid? Can a journal tease out those begging questions of why, how, when and if? Kerry Newsome: [00:01:23] And can it be our companion pre the trip during the trip and post the trip? Let's find out. Kerry Newsome: [00:01:31] Kirsten, in her recent Tedex talk, spoke about the healing power of writing as a way to heal and grow. In the context of travel; In this episode, we talk about how a journal can, from the very beginning, help tease out any fears. You might have & expectations. And of course, it helps you document that bucket list of things to do. And we discuss how writing can be the companion to your experience and help you overcome those feelings that you know right now you just can't explain, especially as we venture out after the covid pandemic. Kirsten tells us about her writing retreats in Hoi An and how many solo women travelers joi them. They come to connect with other travelers and to give themselves permission to possibly deal with all feelings that they haven't had a chance to express in a creative way. Let's face it, writing for yourself is a dialogue with yourself. Essentially, you become the author of your own experiences and your own holiday. Dr Kirsten Pils, as she's also known, is a published author, former academic with almost 20 years experience as a teacher and a wellbeing coach who runs her own online business and writing retreats in Australia and Vietnam. And when Kirsten moved to Vietnam in 2016 and set up a popular online business, Write Your Journey.com that allows her to share the tools that helped her transform, grow and heal. Thanks to the pandemic, she's currently in Australia and finishing her memoir, Falling Apart Gracefully. You'll get a real sense for how her and I both feel about travel in Vietnam. And in this episode we share just how we've used writing, journaling and creating trip books to capture our experiences. Please welcome Kirsten to the program. Kerry Newsome: [00:03:39] Kirsten, hello and welcome to what about Vietnam? Thank you for coming on the show. Kerry Newsome: [00:03:45] Look, I'm really excited about this episode, so let's jump right in as we've got a lot to talk about. I thought let's, do this a little bit differently this time. Kirsten, let's just pretend we're taking a leisurely walk together and we just chatting. And I begin our conversation by saying, look, once we're allowed to travel, I would really like to go to Vietnam. I'm seeing it come up quite a lot in the media. And it seems to have had and been fairing really well through the Covid crisis. But I'm not sure, I don't know… would I like it; would I feel safe? Is it really my kind of destination? I don't know a lot about it. I mean, what do you think? How do you think I can kind of process should I approach it, that kind of thing, about whether to go to Vietnam? Kerston Pilz: [00:04:42] Yeah, that's a great question, Kerry. Thank you for that. As you know, I teach writing, personal writing and journaling. And I think a journal, a travel journal can begin way before the trip itself. And as we all know right now, the idea, even just you and I strolling around Sydney is almost unthinkable. So the idea even to go overseas, you know, really makes everybody quite nervous. And so the Journal is really an opportunity to actually get in touch with those feelings, with our fears and maybe also with our reasons for actually going on a journey. Because any trip, whether we're going to a safe place or whether we're going to a really far flung place like I did last year to Iran on a off the year before, takes us outside of our comfort zones. And that is where the journal comes in handy, because any trip is inevitably a form of ourney as well. And that inner journey begins a long time before you standing there at the airport with your mask and perhaps trembling knees. So that is right. Kerry Newsome: [00:05:57] So where do you begin with a journal like that? Does it start with research, do you think? Or like you're talking about that in a journey? I don't know where to start. Why do I want to go to Vietnam of all places? Kerston Pilz: [00:06:19] It was just a statistically named as the second best country, having dealt with Covid just after New Zealand. So it's obviously one of the safer to go to. I personally have been a solo traveller for much of my life and I would say Vietnam is one of the safest countries. But the journal really you can use it obviously for the sort of nitty gritty trip planning, of course, there are Apps around that you could use. But it's also really nice to use a pen and paper journal and to write down your itinerary. And you know, the thing is, we're all at the moment dreaming about going on a trip because nobody knows when we can even go. The borders can close, even state borders any minute. So just use the journal as a way of savouring, of prolonging the sort of pre trip excitement. I recently had a very interesting course with Yale University about happiness. And the interesting thing that these researchers found was that we experience happiness by savouring the moment, and that means the anticipation of the experience. And so there is, for example, a really good place for the journal to actually prolong this experience by writing about your pre trip excitement and sort of tease out the reasons for why you've chosen this country. It might be economical. It's just cheaper or it might be because it's different to other places. So, yeah. Kerry Newsome: [00:08:04] And I think that cultural expectation is also an element. Kerston Pilz: [00:08:09] I know years and years ago when I did anticipate going to Vietnam, you might be thinking I did start to write down things that I want to, I don't know, to get some verification on, because coming from Australia, there was lots of talk about the Vietnam War. Did the Vietnamese like Australians did they how did they feel about us as a country? So I had lots of No. And questions that I want answered during my visit. What do you think what do you say to that? Kerston Pilz: [00:08:45] Yeah, I mean, that's a great point that you bring up there. And it sort of hones in on the idea of our expectations, because inevitably we always look at a foreign culture through our the lens of our own expectations and our cultural understanding and the ways we behave. So I think a journal can be very helpful in that, because also you can often surprised in our trips positively and negatively. And the Journal is actually a way to then reframe your experiences, especially the negative ones, you know, and to really see and dig deep. And I think it's really interesting that you brought up that historical question. How would I feel as an Australian passport holder going to Vietnam? Would they look at me like strangely or hostile? And let me let me assure your listeners that that is actually not the case at all. I always say this. Kerry Newsome: [00:09:47] Go on. Yes, I think having some understanding. I know I read a few books at the time to get a better understanding of that, especially when I was visiting certain places in Vietnam that held a lot of, I guess, historical significance in respect to that. I looked at them, as you say through that lens. But I did refer back to, for want of a better word, my trip book or my trip planning book. Kerry Newsome: [00:10:29] And and I kind of had a list of to DOS and some things that I just wanted to experience to say, gosh, you know, this happened then and how it really transpired. And then to see it now and to be greeted by the lovely people in Vietnam was was just such a welcoming feeling so that when I came back and people asked me again, you know, I could refer, oh, yes, I actually went to that site. And this is what I experienced in places like the Kuchi tunnels and things like that know, I think speak to a lot of historical significance. And I think they do resonate with your upbringing, with your emotions, your feelings and how forefather's, I guess, could have experienced Vietnam very differently. Kerston Pilz: [00:11:18] Yes. I mean, it was interesting. The very first time I went to Vietnam, I went with a friend in 2004. And I grew up in Germany. My father grew up in East Germany. So Communist Germany. And I had this flash, this communist flash. I had this nostalgia in Hanoi. I couldn't get over the similarities. And I sort of felt very unexpectedly sort of a connection. Even though I grew up in West Germany, I still felt this connection between part of the Germany where my father grew up and Hanoi with the communist paraphernalia and all of that, which really, really surprised me. And I had to yeah, I had to actually go to my journal to tease that out because my friend that I was traveling with, she couldn't really understand. She kept laughing at me. So that's the other thing that that's the other thing that the journal where the general comes in handy is also a companion, whether you travel alone or not, because obviously when you travel alone, it is very handy companion, but also when you travel with a friend, because often you do get very different reactions to places. And also you may know your friend in Australia or wherever you come from and you have that familiarity. Kerston Pilz: [00:12:38] But once you both step out of the comfort zone, you might you might react to that other culture in a very different way. You might feel challenged in very, very different ways. I had this experience with my friend. She's a very much an extrovert and I'm much more an introvert. And so I actually liked the fact that I could lean on my journal and just have a quiet time to process and say, can you just give me a moment? I just need to write down what we saw on today. And so, yeah, that's another aspect of the journal that a lot of travelers will find useful. Kerry Newsome: [00:13:15] Yeah. So what you're saying and I mean, I, I kind of hold you up there in the writing, journaling speech and certainly connected to travel. And, you know, your recent TED talk spoke a lot about the healing power of writing. So if we if we're talking to my audience and saying, OK, the writing aspect can actually begin well before you leave, it can become part of your, I guess, inner exploration and research technique to decide whether or not you do want to go to Vietnam. Kerry Newsome: [00:14:00] I mean, I'm hoping even my podcasts are part of a person's process of research and understanding of the country, because we're talking to people like yourself who have been to Vietnam, lived in Vietnam and traveled extensively. Kerry Newsome: [00:14:18] So you've got a lot to share. So if I was to kind of point to some beginnings of that writing journal that we're starting,… at the very beginning of the process, what about if we touched on some of the things that you would advise people to include in that journal, like we've mentioned, things like stepping out of their comfort zone. What advice would you give to a person to start the journey? How could they kind of begin? Did I write a list of things I'm worried about my number one, the food or the traffic? I didn't speak to that a little bit. Kerston Pilz: [00:15:05] Yes, sure. So first of all, my expertise, like you just said there in my TED talk, it was the healing power of writing. And that sort of goes hand in hand with that idea of the inner journey, because as we said at the beginning, any trip is a step outside of the comfort zone. And it's really confronting and again, especially during these times when everything is so uncertain. And so the list is actually a very, very good way to turn. I often use that in my writing groups, as in writing prompt; Write a list of the fears you may have or write a list of the preconceived ideas you may hold towards that country and really be honest with yourself. And that's the beautiful thing about a journal, is a place where you're meant to be brutally honest because it's only for yourself. And that's also the sort of fabulous thing in the way about a journal is a dialogue with yourself. And you can be frank. So this is a very good place. And you could list my favorite top things. I want to see my Vietnam bucket list. That could be a list, and then you could go off and do your research. The things I definitely want to do and achieve in this trip, or maybe a list about what do I want to get out of this trip? Do I want to go for relaxation, cultural awareness and deepening my cultural awareness of this country? Or maybe a mixture of both so the lists can be themed? My fears and I think that's the other thing we often do, because we do live in the culture of positivity and so on. We often don't give ourselves permission to actually think about our fears and travel inevitably brings up a lot of fears. So give yourself permission to write about those fears. Kerry Newsome: [00:17:06] Yeah, and then I go, you know, I was just going to be checking up to ask when you did visit Vietnam for the first time back in 2004, did you have a list of things that you wanted to experience or fears that you might have had preconceived ideas or anything like that? What was on your list? Kerston Pilz: [00:17:29] Well, you know what? Kerston Pilz: [00:17:30] This is actually quite embarrassing to confess, but I actually was quite overworked at the time and I just needed a break in. My friend said, let's go to Vietnam. And I was so silly I hadn't even brought a lonely planet or we hadn't we hadn't actually planned anything. We were on the plane and because I hadn't seen my friend in a while. So, you know, sometimes how it is, you catch up with a friend as you go on holiday and chatting, chatting, and then we touch down. And I think it was like going to a city and we're like, actually, hang on, we want to stay tonight. I mean, so I wouldn't advise that I normally don't travel like that anymore. Kerston Pilz: [00:18:06] I'm also a little bit older now. I do get a little bit anxious these days. I usually have the first five books. And so here we are standing at the taxi rank, going on with the with the picnic a quarter. Where does one go? Kerston Pilz: [00:18:21] So, yes, I would definitely advise doing that research in advance and also doing the research on like I don't know how much is a taxi to cost and how do I get from the airport to town without feeling ripped off because you don't want to start your. Journey in a negative way. Feeling, oh, my God, that taxi driver, this rarely happens in Vietnam because it's so organized, so. Yeah, yeah. Just things to think about. Kerston Pilz: [00:18:51] So I think when you're young and you do kind of fly by the seat of your pants in a way, and that's totally cool. But I think as you do get older, you become a little bit more of a thoughtful traveler. Do you think? Kerston Pilz: [00:19:07] Yes. And also depends how much time you have. Like back in the day when I have a month, months of backpacking and you just go where the wind blows you, that's that's cool. That's part of that experience. But if you're working and your annual leave is very minimal in Australia, we typically get 20 days that that is not very much to play with. So that's where, again, the journal comes in handy in the trip planning because you really want to figure out, OK, do I need one night in this place to I should give myself three nights here. Do I want a rest stop in the middle of the trip? Because when often when we cram too much into our journeys, we can come home feeling more exhausted than before we left. So definitely I would advise or I these days plan a little bit more carefully, although I didn't do that on my last trip to Iran. Kerston Pilz: [00:19:59] Again, we just had the first night booked, but that was because there was very little information available. Kerston Pilz: [00:20:05] Vietnam has a lot of information and the What About Vietnam podcast is, of course, one of them. So I would advise to do so, because we don't know when we'll travel. So use this time to do a little bit of armchair travel and use the time to write about and start that dialogue with yourself. What do I want to get out of this trip and how do I expect it to change me? And what are my fears like we said before? And what are my preferences, especially if you're travelling with other people that can often be a clash. One person wants to be super active, the other one maybe wants to hang more by the pool. So how do you negotiate that and so on? Kerry Newsome: [00:20:47] Yes, and I think that's something definitely to consider when you are traveling either as a family or, as you say with a friend or or even in a group. Sometimes there'll be a dynamic in that group where one person is a “doing” person or group and the other person's a bit more of a chill kind of aspect. Just on the on the writing side of it, you've got me thinking now about journaling. And I'm I'm a bit of a fan of pen and paper and beautiful little kind of notebooks. And that's probably very old fashioned. But about capturing those highlights, I tend to take lots of photos and I do. And I have created over my life various trip albums so that includes everything from the first itinerary to the ticket, to hotel bills, to tickets to shows, things like that. I include all in a trip album so that I can go back and say, gosh, you know, I went to Vietnam back in 2010 and I was only paying so many Dong for a hotel. And now 10 years on, I'm paying this in a hotel or the sophistication is increased enough that I certainly think both you and I both seeing Vietnam evolve and become a much more sophisticated country and able to deal with the the Western traveller and in a much more, how shall I say, luxurious way than in the past. it had. And I mean, what are your thoughts about trip books versus trip Apps, versus photo like this is your space. Kerry Newsome: [00:22:52] So tell me more about your thoughts on that. Kerston Pilz: [00:22:56] Kerrythank you for that question. I am quite active on Instagram because I love taking photos, but like all of us, you can take one hundred photos and then you go back to work and suddenly you forget about them. And one day you need to change phone and you go, oh my God, I haven't even downloaded those photos or done anything with them. And the same can be true for Camera. And I used to travel with a big camera. Kerston Pilz: [00:23:26] So I really like the old fashioned journal for several reasons. One is what you just mentioned. You use it like a scrapbook and it becomes sort of this lively record to help you track your trip, you'll a treasure that more than the photos that he never downloaded from your iPhone or your camera because like you said, you can stick receipts, entrance tickets from the temple or the pagoda in there, and it becomes sort of a visual record, a scrapbook. And the other thing is a journal slows you down. And one of the reasons we take trips is to actually get away from our everyday life. Often we feel a bit burnt out with our jobs, our routines. So traveling is a way to slow down. And writing pen and paper is a way to slow down and to really get in touch with your deepest thoughts and reactions. So I really am a great advocate of getting yourself a beautiful book, you know, with a nice, sturdy cover. Or you might even buy it there if you. That's another. Yes, it's a beautiful picture. Kerston Pilz: [00:24:37] Yeah. Combined Vietnam and books with handmade paper and lovely. Lovely. And the other thing is, of course, I find people, you know, suddenly discover their creativity when they write. And I get so many people in my online courses who feel very, very shy to admit to themselves that they have creative stirrings. But we all have them. But they get sort of taught out of us, when we grow up. We leave the crayons in the sand in the kindergarten and then we grow up. But journaling is a is a very lovely way to get in touch again with your creativity and discover things about yourself that you didn't even know you had interest in yourself. And so savour that time, you know, and yeah, I think it's a wonderful tool to also to document your trip. It's a practical way to organize a stay organized. I just use Instagram because I like it and it helps me connect with my community. But I actually love the journal. Absolutely. Kerry Newsome: [00:25:49] So now what do you think it is about Vietnam that does seem to inspire the “writer” in us? I know one of my trips I had the privilege to attend one of your writing classes and I really, really enjoyed it. And I think retreats or writing retreats is kind of a unique thing in itself. But there's something about Vietnam that you mentioned slows you down or there's something about the nature of Vietnam in some places like Vietnam, where where you hold your writing retreats. Kerry Newsome: [00:26:35] Tell us a little bit about a writing retreat and what people can expect to experience in that. Kerry Newsome: [00:26:43] Yeah, great question. And also, I just wanted to say that you came to was the very, very first class I ever held, so good to know, as I was very nervous that day. But that was four years ago. Kerston Pilz: [00:27:00] We actually went online for our writers group and this year we had to do advising. So I listen to some episodes of your wonderful podcast and you have talked about yoga retreats and skin wellness retreats. Kerston Pilz: [00:27:17] So you can obviously do a range of retreats. And Vietnam is still a virgin territory, if you like. And as was discussed in some of your episodes there when it comes to retreats. A writing holiday is quite a unique way to experience a holiday. Typically, I get a lot of women, but that's just because I sort of advertise that way. And often they come because they may want to travel by themselves, but they feel a little uncomfortable if you just go all by themselves. So this retreat gives them that container of safety and community. And I also often get people who are not necessarily aspiring to publish books or to write creative fiction. Most of the people who come to my retreats are actually there to connect with themselves. So they use that like other people might go on yoga and meditation retreat. And we actually combine yoga and meditation and mindfulness with the writing practice. And so they really come to take that deep dive into themselves and to dwell on that dialogue with themselves. Often they work through episodes in their lives that may have been traumatic or difficult and. So they want to find that sort of next chapter, ….because really writing symbolically is all about closing one chapter and opening another one. And that is why I love that, …that you open it and it's a blank page…. and you can put into it whatever you want. Kerston Pilz: [00:28:54] It really is up to you. You are the author of your trip and also of your life. And the other thing, of course, about Vietnam is that because it's not sort of so oversaturated, from an Australian perspective. We know there's a lot of travel historically that has gone to Bali. It's sort of still more new and fresh. And a lot of people love that sort of or what I do with my students on retreat or participants is we go to the markets, and we do a cooking classes. I also take them on excursions and then we write about it. What did you see today that really surprised you or describe, I don't know, the smile on the lips of a vendor that you didn't have a common language with at the market? You still had a really profound experience connecting with that person. Describe that. Describe the feeling of riding through the rice paddies. What did you see? And that is another way of slowing down and connecting with your senses and again, connecting with yourself in ways you don't normally do when you are following your routine. You're going through life on autopilot, busy getting through the day. So it's a really lovely way to expand yourself, your understanding and you're opening yourself up to the world in creative ways. Y Kerry Newsome: [00:30:21] And and it's a lovely way to record your actual experience at the time, because sometimes we are so busy where we're getting on the cable car. We're going up with the kids to the top of the mountain, to Ba Na Hills or whatever. And just to make sure at the end of the day, we captured something that someone said or, as you say, the smile on the girl's face, as she said, welcome to the hills. Or, you know, we very rarely give ourselves the privilege of that because this gets in the way. I know one of the things that I've written about in Vietnam quite a bit is in particular in Hoian is the colours. I'm always struck by the colour and how the colour and the colours I experience influenced me and my sense of happiness, my sense of joy, my sense of well-being, my positivity levels. I always come away from Hoi An, feeling very lighter andbrighter, more colourful, more creative, more open, more even friendly. I think I'm even a nicer person. Kerston Pilz: [00:31:46] Yeah, I think that really resonate with me because as you know, I lived in Hoi An up until I became stranded here actually almost a year ago now. And I do. I mean, you make me really nostalgic. Kerston Pilz: [00:31:59] Of course, there's a beautiful. Yeah, and the beautiful thing about the Vietnamese is the smiles, even though I often think they have gone through incredible hardship, inconceivable trauma, and yet they're smiling and they're resilient and they live in the moment. And again, writing is actually about capturing the experience in the moment, documenting the story as it is unfolding. And so there's a point of connection there when we slow down and slow down to that very moment where I feel I can connect better with the locals because they live in the here and now. It's not about the past, even though that past could go away terribly on their minds. And I'm sure it does. But it is about living now and expressing that joy and that happiness. And the one thing I want to say to then is I do with my community is to encourage them to write a gratitude journal. And that's something you can also do with your journal when you when you travel, because like you say, we are so busy. Sometimes we go up and I remember meeting somebody and today I have to just get the tailor down and then I have to get this done. And then I still have to go to the then why do I have to do that on a holiday? You don't actually have to go to the tailor. You could just relax so long to capture what you have actually experiences to write a gratitude journal. Five things I saw today that made me smile. I mean, you could do that every day, but especially on a trip , it's just such a beautiful record to take home. And then even on the days when you're not feeling so happy and you know you're anxiously awaiting your next holiday, you might just go over that and say, oh, my God, that was so simple and it was so profound and so wonderful. So, yeah, it's the simple things that often end up so special. Kerry Newsome: [00:34:02] And I think when someone then asks you down the track, gosh, you know, why do you want to keep go to Vietnam? What is it about Vietnam? Kerry Newsome: [00:34:12] Even if I've momentarily forgotten, which doesn't happen very often, as you know. But if I momentarily why do I care or why did I go to that place? Kerry Newsome: [00:34:24] What was it about Ba be Lake, I am in love with it. Was it the stillness? Was it the serene environment? Was it the beautiful, warm family that I stayed with at a homestay? Kerry Newsome: [00:34:39] Was it that really beautiful meal that I had with them when it was cold and we were all rugged up and we really couldn't converse because obviously my Vietnamese is hopeless. Kerry Newsome: [00:34:52] However, we did have a connection through our smiling with each other, with our handshake's, with our gestures and things like that. How can I convey that this is this is one of the things that has spurred me on with my podcasting. And I think from what I know about you, has spurred you on with your writing classes, and your retreats in Hoi An and things like that, because it comes out in in what you deliver and what you give and what you invest into those retreats. Kerry Newsome: [00:35:26] I want to finish because we are getting away with time. We do kind of touch on why Vietnam, why go to Vietnam and not Bali now? I have no answer to that. What would be your answer to why Vietnam? Why not Bali? Because we both know both places. Kerston Pilz: [00:35:47] Yes, I actually lived in Bali for a year in 1986, believe it or not, when it was very different. So my reason for not going to Bali, I guess it's because I'm nostalgic for the Bali ,that no longer is. But it's also I guess it has that reputation. I guess, you know, people go there for parties and it's very crowded. I actually recently did go to just before I came back to Australia, I transited via Bali and I spent a week there and it was just so busy and it sort of had lost a lot of its charm. Kerston Pilz: [00:36:22] And I guess its become very commercialized I mean, obviously any country in SE Asia is booming. It was booming before Covid. Also, you watched the rice paddies disappearing and so on. But I feel there's a creative energy in Vietnam, especially with the young people. It has a very large young population. And maybe because it had communist oppression and the war before that for a long time, there is sort of an opening up, a burgeoning creative energy that you often experience in countries that awaken to something new you had it in. So I feel there is, yeah, a creative spirit and adventurousness that is, perhaps was…. in Bali years ago and is no longer there for me anyway. You know, with the young people opening beautifully hipster, I don't know, coffee bars with those, those decorations, the tiles. And suddenly I remember one reason why I did move to Hoi An in 2016, which is not so long ago because it didn't have a yoga center. It was that here that Natalie who opened the first yoga center and yoga and up until then it didn't have a yoga center. And so everything was still new. Virgin territory like it is saturated now with yoga centres and especially after that book by Elizabeth Gilbert – Love eat pray But still Vietnam is still sort of Virgin territory in many respects. And that's what I love. There's a freshness and the newness. Kerry Newsome: [00:38:03] Kirsten, look, it's been lovely having you on the program. I hope we together have inspired people to have a look at the option when they are investigating a trip to Vietnam, to look at the idea of starting even before that armchair version of research and armchair version of an inner journey, as you say. And I'll definitely be putting the links to your retreat's both in Hoi An, and at Mission Beach is which is where you're sitting at the moment, correct? Yeah. Just lovely to have you on the program, as always. And lovely to catch up with you. Kerston Pilz: [00:38:47] Thank you so much. And you make me a little bit nostalgic now, but just to leave your listeners with this, do not be afraid. Vietnam is a wonderful place and it's it's safe. Thank you for listening. Kerry Newsome: [00:39:03] Check out the show notes for more information. What about Vietnam? Don't forget to subscribe, write and review and stay tuned for more fun adventures in Vietnam.

S5- E2 – Choosing Hoi An as a Digital Nomad Destination S5- E2 – Choosing Hoi An as a Digital Nomad Destination Episode 02 S5- E2 – Choosing Hoi An as a Digital Nomad Destination 00:00 / 1:00:24 I’m thrilled to have such an engaging conversation with our guest today about the digital nomad lifestyle. Whether you're a seasoned nomad or just curious about this exciting way of life, this episode is a must-listen! I am fortunate to be joined with Florian Rucker who inspires nomads by providing a unique, friendly, and well fit out co working space in Hoi An called The Hub, to perform this kind of work. If you can imagine having high speed internet, in a glass workspace, in the middle of rice paddy fields, you have it right there! We get down to “tin tacks” as we talk through the evolving landscape of digital nomading and the transformation since Covid. No longer is it just for the youthful adventure seekers, employers are now funding some people to work this way, as they now recognise working remotely doesn’t have to impact output given the right set up. Hoi An and the The Hub provide workers a unique experience in Vietnam and now that the E-Visa stays are being extended to 90 days this looks like being a very viable option for more people. Flo is uniquely qualified to speak to this topic having lived abroad since he was 16. Originally a Berliner, he has a Cambridge education, and has lived in 7 other countries throughout his life. With a background in Development Aid and a IT Agency owner he fell in love with Hoi An after being a customer of the The Hub back in 2017. He bought the space in early 2021 and rebuilt it nearby, in the middle of the rice fields in ‘22/’23. If you would like to know about The Hub – You can contact Flo here – Website: https://www.hubhoian.com/ The Hub social links: 
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