S5-E15 - Yen Bai- Discover luxury in the heart of nature S5-E15 - Yen Bai- Discover luxury in the heart of nature Episode 15 S5-E15 - Yen Bai- Discover luxury in the heart of nature 00:00 / 28:55 In this episode of the What About Vietnam podcast, I had the pleasure of uncovering Yen Bai and Tu Le—a region and destination resort I’d describe as a true “diamond in the rough” in Vietnam. Known for its breathtaking natural beauty and minimal development, Yen Bai is perfect for those seeking tranquillity and a break from city life. Imagine being able to hear your own breath, surrounded by minimal noise and almost no traffic—just the occasional local cows and chickens. My guest, Hylton Lipkin, the General Manager of Le Champ Tu Le Resort Hot Spring & Spa Yen Bai, provided an in-depth look at what makes this area so special. I stayed at his resort, the only one of its kind in the region, offering a luxury experience in what I am calling - the heart of nature. That is not to say there aren’t other types of Homestay options in the region, however for that kind of experience you might like to check out the show S3-E2 My journey from Hanoi to Yen Bai (being the province) was a comfortable 4.5 to 5-hour drive, making it a convenient escape for Hanoians. From my personal experience, I’d suggest a stay of at least 2 nights, so you can enjoy the surrounding walks, hotel facilities and relaxation. Hylton highlighted nearby attractions like Mù Cang Chải,( 1.5hrs drive) famous for its terraced rice fields, and the unique cultural heritage of the Hmong, Thai, and Kinh people who inhabit the region. Well worth driving to for the amazing scenery around every corner. We also discussed the local food delicacies and accommodation options at Le Champ Resort, from glamping-style rooms to luxurious bungalows. The resort offers a blend of comfort and natural beauty, with natural hot springs, an exhilarating 1 km zip line, and an infinity pool with stunning mountain views. Hylton also mentioned a new property he manages in Mù Cang Chải called Garrya, set to open in August. This new destination will allow guests to explore both regions in one trip. My thanks to Le Champ Tu Le Resort Hot Spring & Spa for sponsoring this episode and the Garrya property which is luxury and wellness on whole new level!

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b0a25a91-9d15-4878-92ca-db7549ceb411Cruising Vietnam is a truly immersive experience Vietnam river cruising - a truly immersive experience Episode 25 Vietnam river cruising - a truly immersive experience 00:00 / 42:44 Have you ever been curious to see how people lived hundreds of years ago along the mighty Mekong river? River cruising is the only way to do it in luxury, and still feel the essence of it as a water highway relied upon by a diverse range of local communities. Immerse yourself in the mighty Mekong river with a river cruise through the most remote parts of Vietnam and beyond. Connect with locals who enjoy sharing their everyday life with visitors. Explore markets that are only accessible by boat to enjoy local food delicacies and one-of-a-kind handmade textiles In this episode, I talk with a big river cruising fan; Charlotte Pinder. Charlotte has been on 7 different river cruises with 7 different itineraries. . Download Transcript PDF Read the transcript here

8b53cf12-8a94-41dc-a38d-cadd748c7d08We discuss the fun of trail marathons in Vietnam What About Vietnam - Series 2 – 21 The Fun of trail marathons in Vietnam Kerry Newsome: [00:00:00] Xin Chau and welcome to what about Vietnam today, I'd like to welcome David Lloyd to the program. And before we chat with David, I'm going to talk him up a little bit because he's got a really great résumé to support what he does. Just good for everyone to know just where he comes from and a little bit about him. Firstly, David's originally from the U.K. He's now living and based in Hoi An, which you would know from some of my other episodes, is a beautiful place in Vietnam. His background includes journalism and photojournalism. He's had worked published in The New York Times and also written guidebooks on Vietnam and Laos. So he's no slouch, if that's the best way to describe him. Lots of knowledge, I think gained about Vietnam accumulated doing that, I would expect. He's also full time sport and race director of all events for Topas Travel, and he's been doing that since 2006 when he was involved in the original race. And he's going to tell us a little bit about what that looked like then to what it looks like now. And when I talk about race, we're talking about the Vietnam Trial series, which I'm sure if you are interested in that kind of thing, that will definitely come up on your radar. So, David, welcome to the program. But before we get into anything in depth, I have just probably a quick question with the slightly long answer. Tell us what you love most about Vietnam. David Lloyd: First of all, thank you for the very kind intro. Very nice. So when I first came to Vietnam in 2011, and that was thanks to my wife, Becky, it was her decision. So, she was a primary school teacher back in London. And she had six weeks holidays, of course, as a result. And one of those holidays, she took off without me and explored Lao, Cambodia and Vietnam. And when she came back shortly after that, we got married. We'd always spoken about living overseas somewhere. And so she'd said Vietnam would be a good place to start for six months based on what she'd seen on those travels. So, the plan was Vietnam for a few months, six months maybe, and then we were going to move on. But essentially, very long story short, we never did move on. We both absolutely fell for the place. And as you know, it's a very easy country to fall in love with. [00:02:42] And so here we are, 10 years and we've never really never looked back and certainly never regretted the decision to come here first. Kerry Newsome : Okay. Now, when I think about running, I think of it as a very solo sport, it's like something that you can enjoy for many different reasons. But sometimes it's the sport or the game that you actually play with yourself, so to speak. So before we get into the competitive side of the sport, which you've certainly taken to a new level, there's lots of talk about running and walking and that kind of experience now, especially during Covid, post Covid as a way of keeping positive and for our mental health. Tell us what you love about running and or cycling. What is it? What does it do for you? David Lloyd: It's a question that is a big question. What I love about running. Well running for me really started with running in the mountains in Wales. And that is both a solitary pursuit and something that you can enjoy with friends. So a lot of mountain running is very sociable because you'd go out, particularly if you're not trying to run fast. You go out with a group and it's about, you know, enjoying each other's company and enjoying the beauty of the mountains. I also used to go out there solo so I would drive up camp and then run for 20 or 30k or so and then come down somewhere completely random in in a valley and hitchhike back. And something that I loved about that was a fact. You could run off a mountain in the middle of nowhere in Wales, stick your thumb out, and it would generally take maybe one car would go by before you'd get a lift. And so that would kind of really, you know, fulfil your faith in humanity with other people who were kind enough to pick you up and take you back. So you've got a lot of things out of that day running in the mountains. But road running is not really my thing. But I see a lot of people get a lot out of that in the same way in terms of, you know, personally, you can run and get very fit and run alone and clear your mind and destress. Also, a particularly here in Vietnam, people do it in groups. You've got huge run clubs; social run clubs and some companies have run clubs. And it's a great way for people to get together. And it's also a great leveller. So whether you're the CEO of a company or you're just starting out in a company or you're a student or whatever you do, everybody is pretty much the same when they get the trainers on and go for a run. I think that's a massive part of why people love that mountain running. And the cycling is a similar thing, really. It can be great in a group or great alone. But the added benefit of cycling is you can go further. So it's a lot of exploration, really finding out about a country with adventures about that. So, yeah, elements of adventure as well, particularly in Vietnam. You can often have the feeling here in Vietnam that you might be the first person to have ridden that road or one of the first people anyway. So, yeah. So pretty much unbeatable, I would say. Unbeatable way to discover a country. And also, of course, you're getting fit and healthy and enjoying yourself and generally with a big smile on your face. So lots to recommend both. Kerry Newsome: Yes. And I think it is that that feeling of when you are out running, experiencing the fresh air, the environment, that togetherness, as you say, with people in a safe way. But if we if we now focus on the Vietnam trial series, as I understand it, that kind of kicked off around 2013 and I think your numbers were around about two or three hundred people at the time. And now we're looking at 2021. And you're thinking that, well, when we spoke last that there could be up to 10,000 runners across your trials series. That's a massive growth. How do you explain that growth in participation going back to 2013 when it started? It began at the NSA where the TOPAS Eco lodges at the time, and it was the General manager at the time, as he loved mountain running the same as I love mountain running. And a few of the other key people he pulled in, as essentially volunteers to work on that first race. And at that time, it's fair to say there was no mountain running or trail running seen at all in Vietnam. So yes you are right, about 200 runners. And of those, I would say around 10 where we're actually from Vietnam. So, when you look at it that way, it would have been pretty hard not to grow to some extent. But the growth rate that we've seen has been huge. And it's an exponential beginning, certainly. So it was from 10 and then 200 people and then over the years essentially doubled, for a few years overall participation. But within that, the number of Vietnamese was growing fastest. So the appetite for adventure and mass participation sport in Vietnam has been growing hugely. I mean, I think back in 2013, I used to live next to the Canadian Independence Park in Hanoi. And you’d look out the window there or I'd run in there and it was pretty full of runners and people exercising and all sorts of running, walking, whatever. But they weren't joining the event because there weren't many events to join. And also, while it was busy in that park, it wasn't run like it is today. But now you run through there and you're weaving between people. So, it's not only the racing, but generally the participation in sport has increased here a lot. Kerry Newsome: And you're right, I can remember coming to Vietnam, you know, you know, over 10 years ago. And the Vietnamese, generally speaking, apart from maybe yoga, meditation, that was starting to kick off. But, you know, they didn't have gyms, gyms, you know, initially were in hotels. And the only places that you could go to, and they were mainly for foreigners not the Vietnamese themselves, I didn't see that appetite. But you're right, in the last 10 years now you've got volleyball on the beach, you've got running, you've got cycling, you've got gym clubs. You've got you know, the Vietnamese have really embraced sport and become, you know, definitely more active in that. So in talking about the trial series, I got to spend a little bit of time just having a look at some of the stories and the personal experiences from the runners themselves. Just through looking at your website. I might add, before I go on, the aerial footage that you feature on your site. So I'm going to put links, etc. to the website for that so that people can just have a look at the space and the environment that they're going to get to experience if they join one of your trial series. But talking about some personal experiences, I think there was one lady named Charmaine and, you know, they were talking about some of the aspects of the trial and about the fear of running downhill. And they were talking about just being aware, you know, and I'm talking to people who are obviously going to be examining their own fitness levels. So talk to us a little bit about, you know, running uphill and down dale, just about the fitness around running, you know, using polls and just managing heat, diet, dehydration, that kind of thing. Can you talk to us a little bit about that? Because, yeah, I think that's something people will be thinking about if they're going to come and do something like this. David Lloyd: Yeah, I mean, you mentioned I mean, she's a pretty extreme example. She's 100k champion. Kerry Newsome : Oh, wow. David Lloyd: I know her very well. She's an Aussie. And I remember her very well because as she crossed the finish line, she came right into my face and said, David, I hate you. I'm never doing this again. But with a big smile on her face. And she's a real character and she's really well liked, in the trailer community, but she's pretty extreme. So she might have said something about her ability downhill, but she's very modest, like she's very, very good up and down and with whatever you throw at her. But generally we have from 10K up to 100k. So the Charmaine's of this world can join 100K, but normal people can choose 10K, 15k, 22k and then we have 42k and 70k. But the ability to run, I mean run is a key word here, because while it's called trail running. Even someone like Charmain, who's winning 100K is spending a lot of that time walking, because it's so steep up there, the fastest way to get up as the economy running economy wise, actually to walk quite often, to walk as fast as you can. If you're if you're a good top runner. But if you're a normal person, you will be walking quite a lot anyway. So it's about running when you can on an easy trail, and then the ups and the downs, you just take them on as well as you can do. So for some people, that means walking uphill fast. For some people it means just getting to the top so they can get down the other side again. Yes, just keep moving. I mean, some people call it when it gets longer distance or longer time, like Jasmine Paris we just interviewed. She's one of the best entrepreneurs in the world. We just interviewed her for our website and she said it's like one long picnic going on an ultra run, and it's about being the best at picnicking and running at the same time. It's like an eating contest with running thrown in. You've got to keep getting your food in, and finding out what works for you food wise. So, yeah, for people who are who like to eat and be active, it's like the ultimate sport, really. So, yeah, a lot about eating, keeping, eating and keeping moving and yeah. Like for new runners or mountain runners or mountain walkers, whatever you want to call it, it's really about enjoying making sure you enjoy yourself. David Lloyd: So yeah, certainly some training is needed, but if as long as people start off with the shorter distance events don't bite off more than they can chew at the beginning, then they should have a good time and then sort of gradually progress through the to the longer distances, if that's what they want to do. But yeah, for most of the runners are those eight or ten thousand. It's not really about eventually running and it's much more about having a good time and getting out onto the trails and having an adventure that they would never normally have. You know, versus sitting behind a desk in the city nine to five. Kerry Newsome : From your experience, do people come to Vietnam ahead of the series to do any, like pre training or do they kind of land arriving to Hanoi? Have a good sleep next day. They're into it. Or do they kind of come a couple of days ahead and kind of acclimatize? Is that something that you see? David Lloyd: Yeah, the people I would say definitely the people who are coming in from overseas, like a lot of our runners, a regional would be Singapore, Hong Kong, and they would tend to come in with a day or two. One thing is so they can just get over that flight. And another thing is so they can enjoy being here. If you're going to fly to Vietnam, it's not normally just about the running for most people. They want to see a bit of Hanoi before they come up to the mountains, enjoy some food, see the cafe culture. So, yeah, they tend to come in earlier and I absolutely recommend people have that time. Of course they should. And then ideally they should stay for a week afterwards as well and go around it and enjoy what Vietnam has to offer. But people are coming from Australia, like I say, like the Charmaine's of this world. And generally they'd be having a week or 10 days holiday because it's it's a long flight. And, yeah, they want to make the most of it for sure. Kerry Newsome: And, you know, people coming from the UK and Europe the same, it's it's a bit of a journey! So why not? Hey, look, you talk about the food, I had a look at your organic pumpkin soup and recovering green smoothies. I mean, they sound pretty awesome. Are they on the menu? Are they part of the picnic race? So, yeah. So the picnic element, people tend to bring quite a lot of picnic stuff in in their own backpacks. But what we provide is so that what specifically is from Christian, who's a chef we have up at the Topas Eco Lodge & Sapa and actually now he's general manager of the Topas Riverside Lodge, and he's big into sort of farm to table, and organic as much as possible. And we partner up there with a lot of the growers. So we know where our rice comes from. We have people who grow the fruit that we purchased directly from. And the food actually goes through the eco lodge in a nice circular economy, and that the food waste we have, we'll then turn into compost, which you give to the farmers or to just straightforward animal feed to give to the pigs. And so he's really into this. And also he grows his own vegetables. But yeah, that's his recipe. And that proves pretty popular on checkpoint. So for the longer run, as they get food on the way around the race, if they're doing 70K, they'll get fed on the way. But all runners, when they come to our finish line, they get meals. So at the eco lodge that's prepared at the eco lodge. And if we do a race, so we do races in other places which don't finish conveniently on our own property, they finish in the middle of nowhere in a field. And that's kind of more fun in a way, how it works. But we have a chef, Ben, who's become amazing at setting up like a “field” kitchen, almost military style. And he creates food for 4500 runners. In the kitchen, and he'll say employ local people, and he'll bring his own canteen, but then he employs local people in the area and just creates like a crack team of cooks and they knock up this great food. So we always have that pumpkin soup, but then we'll have another dish that's more local to each area generally. So we have a beef stew, for the meat eaters. And then we've got the pumpkin for the non-meat eaters and we have a load of different vegetable options and local fruits. And so, like, almost like a buffet. When you finish the run, because whether you've run 10K or 100k you tend to be quite hungry. And actually even the 10K runners, they tend to take hours and hours to finish the 10K because it's on the trail and it can be rigorous. And they also like to take a lot of photos along the way. So we take a long time and so when they arrive it can be quite late lunch. So they're quite happy to get stuck into the end to be prepared. That's actually one of my favorite aspects of our races, is to watch what he creates in this, because it's just a field with nothing in it, and then it's overrun with4-5,000 people. So, a little shout out to the team. It's a pretty amazing, fantastic job. Kerry Newsome: So talk to us about these locations now that are involved in each of the trials. So I think there’s 4 locations all throughout this now? David Lloyd: That's very, very current of you because you are just adding one, the fourth one in June that's just about to come up. Perhaps your listeners who've been to Vietnam or certainly if they are thinking about coming to Vietnam, they know Sapa and if they're researching coming, they'd know it is the sort of class tour. [00:18:22] But beyond that are the grand big high mountains and the rice terraces, the majestic kind. Every scenery that you think of when you think of Vietnam that's up there, with all of the ethnic minority villages amongst it. And so the big draw of running there is, like I say this, the highest mountains in Vietnam and perhaps the most picturesque rice terraces that exist/ And also it's the first one we started in 2013. So sort of seen as the original and the biggest. It's the hardest. You can throw a lot of superlatives at that race. So that's Vietnam, an amazing marathon. And this year we had 100 hundred miles of that race, which is for the truly insane who want to run 168, which is. Yeah, completely ridiculous. But anyway, they want to try it. So we're giving it to them this year. And then we have Moc Chau, which is that one I would say would be famous within Vietnam, but not well known at all outside. And what it's famous for here, is in just before Tet or Lunar New Year, it is the blossom season. There you have a plum and apricot blossom flowers. And yeah, it's incredible. And people, from anywhere love it. People here completely go mad for it. So, you're running through these incredible dreamlike scenes of Blossoms. [00:19:44] And actually that area also has a lot of different ethnic minority villages and just incredible trails. And then the third one is the more extreme case. David Lloyd: [00:19:58] That's four hours south of Hanoi. But I mean, you ask where it is and even people in Hanoi would say, where is that? When we first found. Yeah, that's why I'm saying they didn't know it. [00:20:09] So, it was pretty much off the map when we went there and there was one hotel there with a pool, that wasn't very well known yet, and that was 2017. And now it's becoming more on the maps. If you say to looking to someone in Hanoi now, they'll know where you mean. But that area is pure magic. And almost got everything apart from the beach that you think of in Vietnam in this small microcosm area. So amazing. Rice terraces, limestone mountains, ethnic beautiful ethnic minority villages that look like they haven't changed for years. And all some trails from a business perspective, really excellent runnable trails and a lot of diversity on the on the course as well. [00:21:00] But it's one of those places where no matter how useless you are, no matter how bad your camera phone is, you can't fail to take an amazing photo of that place. [00:21:08] So it's a no brainer to a race there from a beauty point of view, but from a logistics and accommodation point of view, it was a daft idea because that's in 2017 there was not much there and you could barely get a bus there. So we had to do a lot of work, a lot of work to set that one up. But it was worth it for sure. It's an amazing race, that one. Kerry Newsome: So that's been a matter of people taking selfies along the way. Yeah. You know, it’s Vietnam. Yeah. So what's the fourth one. David Lloyd; The fourth one. We're going back to our roots and that one's coming up. In June, and that's going to be called VMD Kang, so Kang is an area of Sapa that people wouldn't know and that's where the race is going to finish and it's going to go for the 50 K, it's going to start in Saper and go up onto the high mountain ridge, which is so it's a bridge run style race, like a sky run style, which has never been done in Vietnam before, is another first. [00:22:06] And also it's a great one if people will do the 100 mile later in the year, they can test part of that route. But more importantly, most people will never, ever run the 100 mile, even a good 70 K run. They won't do it because it's, as I say, ridiculous is the word. So this is a chance for people who are more normal to see that route, than the people who are very much not normal they'll do when they run the 100 miles. It's like opening up for more people and, you know, doing it in June. Is it? Kerry Newsome: I mean, June, to me spells heat. David Lloyd: Yeah, well, definitely I mean, we had the jungle marathon in May before we moved because it was so hot. [00:22:50] But what we do is we start early. [00:22:52] So to start times are really early and people who do these kind of things,tend to quite like getting up early, luckily. [00:22:57] So the shorter distance runners will be done by the time it gets super hot. And then when we finish, there's a river right next to the Riverside Lodge. So people will finish and then just go and jump into the cold River and hang out with some beers. I hope, ….I've got this image in my mind and I have everyone hanging out with a bit of cold beer in the river and just having a good time. [00:23:19] But yeah, it will be hot. That will be a challenge. But one thing one thing is now everyone who's going to do it is going to be living in Vietnam, thanks to the borders being closed. So everyone will be acclimatized and ready for sure. Kerry Newsome : So talk to me a little bit about, you know, pre req’s for the marathon. Like, is there an age barrier or age set that you take on and talk to us a little bit about the safety aspect of that. You know, if somebody kind of collapses along the way or, you know, is affected by heat or heat exhaustion. Talk to us a little bit about how you manage that. David Lloyd: Yeah. So there is age limits. They vary depending on race. And the one in in May that I was talking about, we had a higher minimum age limit because of that heat aspect there, actually. But so for the longer distances 21 & up, you've got to be 18. But a 10K is younger and it depends on the race. But you have to be with a parent or guardian who will run with you. So you sign a consent form for the kid. And so you're taking care of the kid who's coming along with you. And then we have a 5K which kids like. But, they of course have to be with parents or guardians to take them and to go along with them. But that 5K one is normally is in January. So that's the weather cool line. And it's not very far and there's no big climb. So along the way we have lots of water stations with food, and fruits. We have fruits and water and electrolytes. So to the hydration aspect and every aid station, we have medical staff and then we have people on the course with we all have our phones dedicated for that race. So it's not like you've got your Facebook and everything on that would just be a phone just purely for the race. And so if and if that phone rings, you answer, it doesn't matter what you do and you answer it. So that's for me and my key port management team. And we also have satellite phone. So when where out of reach, which we never really are on most of these races, but we've also got back up satellite phone. So we've got a place pretty well, covered. [00:25:31] And then we are very fortunate to be part of it. I'm not which is a used to be known for their hotel they had in the old quarter in Hanoi. And that's how our relationship with them goes back to the 90s as a company. [00:25:46] But now they're in hot, they're in medical and they're about to open a massive hospital in Hanoi that's coming about how many beds. But it's got it's a colossal and we're lucky to have them as our medical partners. So they have the most we've had seven doctors, two or three ambulances and 10 or 12 nurses from them. And then we supplement that with the medical team from the local area as well. So we have the local hospitals provide staff and ambulances and they're also on backup ready if anything happens. But, yeah, we luckily nothing has happened that's been major yet. So small issues with ankles and some dehydration issues, but nothing that hasn't been able to be sorted out within the day. So, yeah, we're we're lucky we talk a lot about drinking so. Well, if you come to our race on the start line, I'm generally there and I'm sure people think I'm like a broken record. But it's all that I remember to drink, remember to drink and remember to drink because especially at 4am on the start line for a long distance, it's not hot yet. People aren't thinking about they need to drink necessarily, especially newbies. So it's a of drilling and in checkpoints, I'm constantly reminding people to drink when they come to the checkpoint. So, yeah. David Lloyd : So you definitely have to keep an eye on or keep a lookout. And remember, you've got to take care of these people on the course. But as I say, luckily nothing has happened major, no big issues yet. Kerry Newsome : That's a great record. Just something else I noted about what you do, which I think is fantastic, that, you know, your marathons go to support some various charities, as in Operation Smile, Newborns, Vietnam, Blue Dragon. How did that come about? I think that's a great, great way to contribute to the community. So talk to us a little bit about that. David Lloyd: I can say this without sounding arrogant, because that wasn't my idea originally when it started in 2013. [00:27:40] I think it was. The first race, if not the first, and very early on, it was decided that a portion of the race fees would go to charities and that's been up to 20 dollars per race fee for the longer distance one, and which is definitely unusual in terms of the percentage of the of the fee. And so at the beginning of Operation Smile and local charities, what we do is split it 50 percent between all local projects sorry that we could manage in South because we'd been working there since the 90s and then 50 per cent to a national charity or international charity. So that was all reaching Operation Smile and that's the race grew. And now I think we've given around 30 US dollars each. That's too much way too much for us to handle in local projects. And also I wanted to split it between more charities. So the first other one I brought on was newborns Vietnam, which I have a quite close relationship because there is a British charity and I was involved with them on a personal level, fundraising through challenges before, and they work to reduce neonatal mortality and critically ill babies. So they started in Danang and there's a great graph of what their impact was in Danang hospital. So it's it actually falls off a cliff, the mortality rate when they went in there and started working with them, because there's so many small things that you could do which made a huge difference with very little money. And now they want more long term bringing in the professors from UK, teaching hospitals and teaching here. And the idea is they teach and then the people here learn and then they teach. So it's sustainable for the for the long term. So hopefully at some point they won't be bringing people from Britain anymore and they'll move on to do other work as newborns. [00:29:24] And then we also work with Blue Dragon, which is a Blue Dragon Children's Foundation. Now, that's a that's a fellow Aussie who started that one of yours. And he's amazing is Michael. So he started that as a as a kids charity, working with kids on the street in Hanoi, and that grew them to not only work with street kids, but also victims of human trafficking. So they do amazing work bringing people back from who've been trafficked to China. And then they work on advocacy and they work on changing the law here in Vietnam to be able to be better attuned to these victims of trafficking, when they come back. And they also have kids running club. Now, when we started working with them, we gave them free slots for the Emem and the who's an amazing guy. He was a former street kids, became their main, if not their head of social work and one of their top social workers working with the kids. And he set up the run club. And so we do that together now. So each week, once or twice, Lakita what people always go, one of our good runners, Brangwyn, goes along and coaches them and I'll go when I can when I'm in Hanoi. And yes, these kids are amazing. And they they know train once or twice a week, sometimes more. And then they come up and they run mostly the 10K because a young couple of them are doing 21. And not that it matters how good they are, but there are some also some pretty good talent. You can see those promising kids in that group, one or two. [00:30:52] So it that's a great thing to be involved with for on many, many levels. And there are the charities we've worked with, but those are the top three we're working with now. [00:31:04] Yeah, I know a little bit about the Blue Dragon because of a charity I support called the CEF Foundation. I don't know whether you know Linda Burn, but she's based in Hoi An. Yes. So I know from an education point in the trafficking side of things, I think is key for, you know, young and impressionable Vietnamese to be aware of the tricks and traps that they can be exploited by in that in that area. So it's great to see you involved with that. And of course the others as well. Operation Smile, Newborns, Vietnam. We might put some links to those charities and in the episode notes for sure. Kerry Newsome : So in summary, if you were to give some advice to anyone considering this and as I said before, I'm sure across the globe, everyone listening is thinking of Vietnam as a place to come Post Covid because of just how well it's done as far as managing the Covid pandemic. But also because it does involve some great opportunities to do things like what you do. [00:32:19] Ah, you know, what advice would you give them? You know, if they're thinking about this and joining one of your trials series, like train up, like get out, get really super fit and, you know, start doing some training in hot weather or I don't know anything like that. [00:32:37] I'd say do it. I mean I would say anybody could do it. So you've got all. [00:32:41] All of all shapes and sizes coming across the finish line, and you can either flip through and look at videos and you'll see that we do see people of all sorts of all walks of life doing it. So let's say you want to do it. And if you if you have certainly not done some training, that would be a bit daft. And if you’ve done some longer a little longer walk before you come and have a crack at it, and try and do something of similar distance to what you're going to do, sign up for 10K, trying doing a 10K walk or run before you do it. [00:33:06] But I would say for a start, a 10k one, if you're if you've never run before or walked. Well yeah. Could be a good start or 21k. A lot of people do 21k off the bat. Kerry Newsome: I mean actually I do 5k and I think I'm doing well …ha! If you look at it is a hike as a long hike then people will have a bit more confidence I think to go for something longer. David Lloyd: But I mean here in Vietnam, people who just go up, sign up for 40k to and just do that first. But basically, we have some regulations about that to guide people that they shouldn't jump in the deep end. But yeah, it's I doable. And for many people, almost all people, I'd say if you get something in a diary, it gives you that motivation to get out and run. So, you know, the hardest thing about starting with running is, you know, getting out the door and that first kilometre course. But once you're out there and you've done the first km walk or run, it's worth it. You feel a lot better and you start to feel like you're moving better. But it's that initial part. But for a lot of people, just getting that done it's just it's not going to happen without some reason. And a reason can be making a race. But in a race that you don't say it, whether it's a 5K, you know, in your local city or a 10K in Vietnam, getting something in there to motivate you is key, I think. But I think if that's if you're in Australia and that is a 21 K in the mountains of Vietnam and a holiday to get in shape for, I think these are two pretty good carrots. Yeah, why not. Of course it's a takes a bit of a leap of faith to book something now of course. But I think that things are starting to look like they're not so unrealistic to think it might happen in the next year and into 2022. I think we could be welcoming people again from from where you are and from around the world to run these races. Kerry Newsome: Yeah, I think this week's been encouraging in the media that's come out that, you know, Vietnam is recognising that they do need to look at opportunities to open their doors to tourists, and now the vaccine is getting rolled out. I think, you know, vaccine passport holders and things. I think I'm crossing fingers that, yes, you know, end of the year, 21, 22. Hopefully we can welcome people back to Vietnam. [00:35:30] So I've started this thing, David, where after the Lunar New Year, I decided to try and pick a word for the year to help me focus on everything I'm doing. So I'm going to tell you mine my word for the year, so that'll give you a couple of minutes to think about what yours would be. But mine is REVIVE So my aim for the year is to revive the best experiences of Vietnam and share them with everyone on this show. Because I think to talk about Vietnam in a way of, you know, of it being stuck in COVID. But it's never going to be stuck in covid forever. So, you know, anything I can do to revive the travel industry and tourism and put a positive spin on coming to Vietnam? That's what I'm about. So my words revive. [00:36:26] Do you have a word for the year, the year of the buffalo? David Lloyd: I think I would have two. [00:36:38] Yeah. I mean, something key for us, really. And I try to instil in my team here is “resilience” really that you've got to be resilient at the moment here because, you can have everything set up and ready to roll that. [00:36:50] We've had the recent race and that we had to postpone for a few months. And the key thing everyone in our team needs to be is they need to be resilient and be able to keep going. And also they need to be second, whether to be optimistic. So like you say, things are going to open up here. And we've been extremely lucky in Vietnam in the last twelve months with the way the Covid situation has been handled. It's been a few little waves, but they've always been resolved and they've been able to open up things again to have the domestic tourism in these races. So I think each time something happens, we need to be resilient and we need to be optimistic and remember that it always comes good there in Vietnam. It has done this has been three times now, four times. So, yeah, optimism and resilience. I am sorry for cheating? Kerry Newsome: I like it. I like it. I'll take them. I'll take them. David, it's been great having you on the show. Thanks for sharing your experiences and everything about the series, really love to explore that further. I'll make sure for everyone listening that I put as many links in the episode notes so people can can contact you directly to know more about it and get involved. Just just. Yes. Sincerely, just great to have you on the program. [00:38:01] Thank you very much. And it's great to spread the word more and a real pleasure to be on. Thank you for having us to help us spread that word further. Kerry Newsome : OK, thanks, David.

S5-E27 Discovering Catholic Treasures of Vietnam S5-E27 – Discovering Catholic Treasures of Vietnam: Church Hunting in Ninh Binh and Nam Dinh Kerry Newsome: Xin chào and welcome to the What About Vietnam podcast. I'm your host, Kerry Newsome. And today we're stepping into the world you may not expect to find in Vietnam, the world of Catholic churches. I know it took me by surprise as well. On a recent journey through the North, I found myself genuinely surprised and deeply moved by the stunning architecture, peaceful presence and rich history of these churches. Some tucked away in the most unlikely places. You might be wondering how did Catholicism end up in Vietnam? Well, it dates back to the 16th century with Portuguese missionaries, but it was during the French colonial era, particularly the 19th and the 20th centuries, that Catholicism really took root. The French left more than just baguettes and grand boulevards. They left cathedrals, monasteries, convents, and a strong Christian presence that still lives on today. And you'll hear that in the stories that we tell. Today, about 7% of Vietnam's population identifies as Catholic, one of the largest Catholic communities in Southeast Asia. And while many associate Catholicism with the South, the North is full of hidden gems, quiet villages, with beautiful stone churches. As we were driving along the road, we could see the steeples, some over a hundred years old, where the faith and local culture intertwine in the most unique ways. I hope you'll join me and my guest as we go in search of churches, exploring their stories, their architecture, and the peaceful energy they bring to the vibrant and spiritual land of Vietnam. This show and my longer guest have had this in the works for a very long time. We've talked about exploring Northern Vietnam and certainly in the region of Ninh Binh and Nam Dinh in our search, would you believe, for churches. So you may have heard a previous episode that I did with her and we did mention it briefly and we did say look next trip we will definitely go in search for churches. null: So today I hope you'll welcome her to the program. Kerry Newsome: over the last 24-48 hours of exploring this area for churches. And I think you're going to really, really be surprised because I know, I hope I've captured my amazing face and expressions when I have seen these magnificent churches. So heart, please say hello. Ha ( Hannah ) Dau : Hello Kerry, hello everybody. Welcome and I'm so happy to indeed have this opportunity to go church hunting with Kerry Newsome. Kerry Newsome : Okay, alright, so a little bit of background to the trip and the beginning. So we of course started in Hanoi. And from Hanoi, we have engaged with a personal driver. And from my perspective as an international traveler, obviously as a foreigner, I think this was the best way to do it. Now, I have the advantage of her, and I have her for two reasons of enjoyment. One, she is extremely knowledgeable about these churches. And secondly, she has put some research into the churches that we are going to talk about. So she was able to speak to them with great fluency, and you're going to hear that as we go through the show. Plus, she can even use her Vietnamese tongue to be able to say the names and the districts and things like that. And of course, you know much better than me. and then a great company as I got to know her a little bit more and in our exploration with visiting the churches, just how lovely it was to find this part of Vietnam that I don't know, I'm not sure that many of you would think of Vietnam in this vein and think of I think Ham mentioned to me during the day that it's around about 80% of the population of Vietnamese that are actually Catholic and follow the Catholic Church. So it's still a very thriving religion in the country and as we discuss some construction stages and rebuilding and you just get a sense that the churches are very symbolic. Ha ( Hannah ) Dau : Meaning that I'm not even a Catholic, but me being brought up in Hanoi and have been to the Hanoi church, the Hanoi Cathedral, and seeing the splendor, the beauty of it, I eventually got interested to know more about the church. And I have to admit that I didn't really understand the differences between Catholicism and Protestantism up to I was quite a young adult. So Northern Vietnam, where I come from, is about Catholicism. In the provinces that we visited this time with Carrie, Nam Dinh, and Ninh Binh, are the cradle of Christianity, specifically Catholicism in Vietnam. And the first church that we visited is the Bùi Chù Cathedral. And Bùi Chù Diocese is the longest serving and one can say it is like truly the cradle of Portuguese missionaries who came to Vietnam and started the dioceses there. Bui Chu Cathedral used to be, it had a 150 years history, it used to be quite run down. And the fathers at Bui Chu were worried before COVID about it being the risking to collapse anytime. So despite all the old history and the splendor of it and all the non-stop discussion with architects, they actually had to make the painful decision to take down and build a new one. So when Carrie and I visited this time, We actually see the mostly completed new cathedral built, I think, mostly to the same exact design and decoration as the old one. It's beautiful and it sits in a majestic area. And the people, the workers, the contractors who are working there, were beaming with pride about what they are doing and they are completing. And they told us that the grand opening of the new cathedral, Bùi Chù Cathedral, is going to be sometime next year, 2026. But as soon as August this year, masses and services could be started to be conducted inside the church again. And for visitors who come to Nam Dinh to see the beauties of the cathedrals and churches there. I think if you had to, if you can plan to be on a weekend, it would be wonderful because you wouldn't see the masses, you wouldn't see the churches as a community center with activities, with all the living actions in there, and it is actually seeing it is, in a way, is also as interesting as seeing those churches and cathedrals just as like old wood relics or old building architectures. So that is something that both Carrie and I were very happy to see, including we were able to speak to the people around and hear them expressing their joy and pride of the cathedral that they are contributing to. Kerry Newsome: And you know it was intriguing for me to learn during the journey that Hart was saying that you know we were spotting churches on the road like we were driving along and we would see the the churches and the steeples. The spires. Yeah, the spires. And it was like every couple of miles in some places. And I think, what did you say, you said there's about two churches? Ha ( Hannah ) Dau : Yes, so the density and the frequency of you spotting churches in Nam Dinh, especially, is so much that it's almost like two churches per village. To be admittedly, not all villages in Nam Dinh are Christian and Catholic churches, villages, but they have a very dense areas, almost like whole districts, where the Catholic population is so dense and so long-serving that you do have two churches per village. And it's such a big fun because it is literally church hunting because we will see two churches to the left and three churches to our right and it is like oh like to trying to see which one is bigger, which one is more beautiful, which one has a more interesting bell tower, that kind of thing. Kerry Newsome : And as we're going along, I was like, oh look, there's another one, and Carrie, you missed this one. And I was like, you know, my head was on a swivel. Spinning. Just, I was, because I think Once again, going into this trip, obviously I had the headset to look for churches, but they would be easy to dismiss if you were just taking the journey to get from Hanoi to Nam Dinh or to Ninh Binh, because this is the area that we are in. Do not keep your eyes open to this. And what was lovely about this cathedral in particular, the father that was there. Unfortunately my French is very poor, as poor as my Vietnamese. So Hart did a great job to sort of say hello and tell the father about what we were doing. But we made the comments about the construction and some of the decisions to make it all look perfectly new and all the rest building and obviously with that age and sure it is destruction and it can't be sustainable but it shows the history you can see the history and the brickwork and what is left so we were able to wander around the grounds we weren't able to actually go inside because of the construction but it began We went on a little bit further and we went on to explore the Basilica. As you would know of the Basilica, it is recognised by the church as an official part of their, of the religion and recognised by the Pope and all the rest of it. So over to you Hap. Ha ( Hannah ) Dau : Yes, so we have four basilicas in Vietnam, two in the north, one in central Vietnam, and one is right there in the center of Saigon. So it is actually for you to find out more about the four basilicas, but this time Carrie and I, we were able to visit Phú Nhai Basilica, and it is I think number two or number three largest Catholic churches in Vietnam. And Phu Nhai Basilica is also famous because it appeared in many films and documentaries in Vietnam. And when you are either in Bui Chu Cathedral or Phu Nhai Basilica, you would be easily thinking that you are not in Vietnam. The Gothic architecture, all the details, all the design and decoration, all the bas-relief on the walls surrounding the basilica are European, are so like, even like Greek in some ways. So it is kind of intriguing to to look further and see rice fields and some very non-Vietnamese edifice being there. And the Basilica is wonderful in the sense that it is truly the center of that community and we were able to walk around and children running around and families next door to the basilica, creating beautiful bonsais and, you know, leaving cross using like ornament trees and plants. So all those smaller details add to the living beauty of Basilica in a thriving community. And I'm sure that many visitors could also, we would recommend you also to walk around and many of the houses actually open and people are very welcoming. people to come in and whether you are a Catholic like them or you are not, like in my case, they would be like very, very willing to tell you about the basilicas, the importance of it in their community. Kerry Newsome: Was that the one where we went to the very elaborate houses? Ha ( Hannah ) Dau : We did, we did. It's actually next door. Yes, next door. Kerry Newsome: Because the grounds were immaculate. They were well maintained. The bonsais were beautifully crafted. Hannah tells me that the area is well known to have bonsai masters who do take great care in looking after the bonsais because they are everywhere. And what was crazy and kind of doing my head in a little bit is that you can be forgiven for thinking, am I still in Vietnam? This looks and feels like it could be somewhere in Italy because the craftsmanship is Gothic, is Roman, is Catholic in every sense of the word. So what you are seeing in some of the statues and some of the engravings and some of the architecture. There's nothing that they have adapted to make it look Vietnamese. It's the other way. It's made to look very, very, very Catholic and obviously religious. Ha ( Hannah ) Dau : I really hope that since we asked Vietnam Stats to have the representative of the Pope residing in Hanoi since 2022, one day the representative of the Pope would be able to come and visit this magnificent basilica around the country. Kerry Newsome: We moved on from the basilica and we went to another church. and I got to have a really good walk around this one, and I'll leave it to you, Ha, to give a little bit of context to, is it Kien Lao? Ha ( Hannah ) Dau : Kien Lao, yeah. Actually, we stayed there a little bit too short time. You flew the, yeah? Yeah. But I think we, since we, you going to do that but you know with the flycam was it good enough to null: imagery I was able to capture using a small drone. Kerry Newsome: I'll be able to show you just how magnificent it is but we kind of got chewed up with time with a little bit of technology issues but Ha ( Hannah ) Dau : So we went to Kien Lao Church, which is beautiful and special in the sense that we were able to go inside and the acoustics as well as the lighting inside the church is just mesmerizing. It's just so captivating. And we are not in a very like sunny day, but the light inside, outside, inside the church makes me feel very special. And that is one thing that makes me wanting to go back to the Catholic churches all the time, because I can see the harmony of the light and the beauty of the the sound of the acoustic inside when we step inside a church. So it is really special when thinking that those churches being built like 100 years ago, and the craftsmanship and the people who built them at that time already must, in the countryside of Vietnam, already mastered. the engineering that makes the light and the acoustics work so wonderfully, almost like in any other Catholic churches elsewhere in Europe. Kerry Newsome: Was this the one where the children were singing and we caught the children? Ha ( Hannah ) Dau : Yes, it was. Kerry Newsome: That was such a lucky chance. That was so beautiful. They were so enthusiastic and maybe I made sure that they kind of knew that I was filming them because I thought they would sing to that knowing that I was doing some filming. But it was just lovely. And then we walked around and there was the pulpit stair, that was the one with the staircase up? Yes, yes. That was just incredible. Ha ( Hannah ) Dau : Stunning, isn't it? For visitors, I think if you can time your time to Kien Lao Church, or like some of those bigger churches, at after 11 in the morning, at around before lunchtime, I think you have a very good probability catching those children learning, children's choir. practicing singing chanting in the church because that is when they came back from their morning school and they would have church class hours quickly. So we were very lucky that in the morning we hear the children singing and the afternoon we hear another wonderful chanting, yes. Kerry Newsome: next church and this one was very, very different. In fact, Halloween has been referred to this church and she'll explain a little bit about that. Ha ( Hannah ) Dau : we went to Hung Nghia Church, which is not too far away from Kien Lau Church. And in the past, it was like dark and reddish color, which is very striking among the Vietnamese lush green rice field and everything. But this time when we visited it, it's painted, being painted, yes, dark black, and in another striking way, because some of the decoration details are intentionally, I think, painted red and white, and so, and the contrast is striking, and it is a super big complex of a church, so I thought they are going to use it for filming of some Halloween story, but I asked the people around, the locals, and they said no, no, no. They are serious about keeping it officially in this appearance. So it is like painting dark black with red windows and decoration details in white. So it's kind of, really out of this world and In a few months time in few months time yes And Kerry Newsome: It doesn't have too much of a surrounding area that you would want to spend time with. You just need to add it into the trip to just see the striking difference against the setting of Vietnam rice fields and all of that area. But I do want Hutt to talk a lot about the next stop. have an experience there that we didn't expect. It was at dusk. So we did this on a Friday, which is probably, Hartley's going to say probably the weekend is probably better, but it will be busier. So we got to experience a lot of these without any big crowds. There was no see that kind of experience in these places. So, you know, it is a journey very personal and I think for those of you who do follow the faith, you know, you would go with that mindset. It's not a touristy kind of experience and I don't actually want it to be. I do not want big buses rolling up at these places, but I do want you to know about them, so that if you do want to take this personal journey like I did, and not be fed out of curiosity that in a country where over 90% of the population is Buddhist, to find in our thriving Catholic communities that exist and and are there with these magnificent churches you know you kind of have to see it to believe it but this particular cathedral is the setting just let me try and paint this picture before I leave it was like about 5 p.m and it was just coming into dusk so you can imagine this over to you so you can talk through our total experience including some of the acoustic experience. Ha ( Hannah ) Dau : So Kerry and I saved the best for last because in the afternoon we crossed the borders from Nam Dinh province to Ninh Binh province and we visited a hidden treasure the Choson Monastery. It is a functioning monastery. It's a little bit far away. It is actually next to Dao Mountain. And the driver was also a little bit unsure of how to find that place. And certainly there are no busloads of tourists. It is a quiet, tranquil place. It is a gothic monastery just like you are stepping in a Harry Potter world. It is so beautiful and well kept with minimal restoration, I would say. So you really have to see it in order to be stunned by the Gothic architecture against the beauty of Ninh Binh mountains with a magnificent garden with the underground caves and all the immaculately manicured lawns and bonsai. And we were so lucky that the chapel was opened and the monks who lived there, trained there, studied there, came in and did a wonderful afternoon chanting. Again, as you might know, I come to those places because I admire the acoustics. And this time, of course, it didn't disappoint me. The acoustics in this beautiful location and looking a little bit out to see the sunset, the dusk, it's like unbelievable, unbelievably surreal. Choson Monastery, as I mentioned, it's going to be 90 years old next year, and they have been a functioning monastery with practicing monks all the time, and they are very thoughtful to make it available and accessible to the public. gradually, because I have visited that place maybe 15 times. So the first few times when I came there, I actually had to call in advance, ask for permission from the father to come in. And then eventually they open it like one, two days per week. And now it looks to me that they are not like open for massive tourism, but they do open and they do welcome the guests. And it is pretty far away. It is pretty unwell-known yet, but it is truly somewhere you really won't feel that you are you touch the beauty of your spiritual soul and the setting is there for you to really to see the grandiose of nature with thoughtfulness of people. And the rabbits in the garden. And the roosters fighting nicely. Yeah, I mean the gardens are just something else. Kerry Newsome: to the actual church itself. So it's a place where you could spend and you should allow a little bit more time I think. Now Hart was surprised that we were able to be there at about five o'clock and experience of the of the bumps and we don't know yet we're going to do a bit more research around whether that is actually typical because she was kind of told it's normally at two o'clock not at five o'clock and you know i had i kind of put my two bobs in in the sense that i was trying colors of dust in the sky to surround this area and I was right when we were there and I was taking photos and doing a little bit of video. It was just mesmerizing the color mixtures and the feeling I could have spent more time there and I wish we did have more time and that's going to lead into the next thing I want to talk about is timing because we were able to fit those five in that we've just talked about Now, if you pushed yourself, you know, with still having time for lunch and to come back to wherever you're staying, now we're staying at the Emeralda in Tampcock. And I have to say, we were really impressed. It's really only been open here for a couple of years, and the setting of it and where it is, as much imagery and photos because I did go a bit nuts with the photos and video so please watch the social pages and you know you can talk to me anytime reach out and I can give you some more information about these places. But specifically I do want to talk about the timing and the time allowance that you should consider when you're putting your trip together from Hanoi to visit this area. So today we have experience where we're going to see one more and I'm going to ask her to talk about this one because we won't get to come back on the microphones again. from her experience. So today we have one more. That means that in two days, one night, we will have seen six and that is allowing me time to get back to Hanoi and Hanoi airport. Now, personally, now that I've done this, I probably would be recommending you to do two nights and take your time and with your driver and with your guide, you know, allow yourself a little bit more time at these places, building a nice place we would look at for you to spend for lunch, and then come back to enjoy the resort. You know, Hart and I wanted to come back later, we've had a great day, we've had a chance to have a nice swim, sit by the water side, and just take in the ambience of the actual resort. I still think one night is rushing it a little bit, two nights is definitely allowing you to luxuriate and really feel the area. And you could still fill it with more churches because there's plenty of them to see. So how can I ask you to just speak to a little bit about the one we're going to see? Ha ( Hannah ) Dau : So, Carrie, yesterday we have seen very, very European-style church, cathedrals, and basilicas, right? Today we are going to see a church, which I would jokingly call a fusion church. It is going to be the Phat Diep stone cathedral, it is the other quadrant of Catholic system in the Nam Dinh and Ninh Binh area, together with Bui Chu cathedral. Phat Diep cathedral is enormous. It is a stone complex of cathedrals and chapels and praying area. And it is built with the Ningbing limestone, which is famous in this area, on what used to be a swamp. So the engineering work that goes into it is enormous, and it is a combination of Catholic church architecture and Vietnamese traditional communal houses. So it's going to look kind of funky in a way. Very traditional but also very unexpected and like very intriguing in many ways. modernistic as well and like if the nuns there would explain to us why certain things are designed or made a certain way and the story behind all those smaller details are also exciting. So I look forward to go with you in a few minutes to that place and for sure please do add more of your own feeling and impression of Phat Diep Stone Cathedral to our podcast, Kerry. For sure. Kerry Newsome: So the other aspect of the trip that it has brought to me is that you definitely could add more churches into your experience. We have done only a small snapshot Ha ( Hannah ) Dau : We have not even done 1% of these over 600 churches in Nam Dinh province alone, right? We have 99% more churches to see. Kerry Newsome: So you're now getting the gist that this is a snapshot of what is open to you to explore and we could build that in. For the purpose of your planning, I would, as I said, have a look at just how much time you have on your hands to explore this region. The lovely thing about this region from Hanoi is that it is still only in the vicinity of two, three hours in time. So it's not like having to go on those bigger trips where you're going into Yen Bai or you're going to Mu Chai or where it's five, six, seven hours each way, which chew up a lot of time. So this is like some magic very close to Hanoi. I will put in the show notes and list the cathedrals and the basilicas and the churches that we did see. You, as I said, can reach out to me any time and I can access the right information because there is no church tour that you can kind of just buy off the shelf. And I think that's good. I think it should be something that, you know, we craft for you as a person, as an individual, as a person who follows the faith, maybe, or like her, who doesn't follow the faith. However, her curiosity in the churches and Catholicism in Vietnam kind of gave her the insights to want to know more and explore more and I mean you know the one we went to yesterday 15 times she's been there so she still looked in awe of the experience as I did for the first time so I think there's a lot to be had I hope you've enjoyed the show And thank you, for spending the time with me. I so enjoyed it. I knew it would be good and it's lived up to my expectations. Ha ( Hannah ) Dau : Wonderful. So happy to hear that you are enjoying it as much as I did, Kerry. Kerry Newsome: we will get on to the next church, the Modernistic Fusion Church. Let's go! Just wanted to finish off everyone referring to the Phat Diem Stone Cathedral that Hannah refers to just as we were closing off there. We did get to cover it off. It was really hot about kind of 10 o'clock in the morning. So, you know, would recommend you going earlier in the day or in the cooler of the afternoon. A massive area. Look, it is modernistic, very futuristic in the way it's trying to combine the two religions. It didn't kind of capture my soul, I have to admit. However, you know, to see just the expansiveness, the devil of detail. that obviously the architects have gone to to try and combine them as best they can is really quite amazing. It is a big area, so you really need to allow plenty of time to walk around it, to get the gardens and just the full area. They do run masses and you can look up their times to attend those masses. It was truly impressive, but as I said, would it? Did it kind of do it for me? Probably not as much as the others did that we covered off yesterday. And because there's so many more to cover, I probably wouldn't include this one. I'd probably go seeking some others that we didn't get to do on this trip. That's not to say we won't do it in the future. However, I just wanted to cover this off as Hannah said, we were going and she was very excited to see this one again. I hope you've enjoyed the show. We have covered off quite a lot and please reach out if you need any further information. I look forward to bringing you future shows of the What About Vietnam podcast and just want to say thank you for listening.

S6-E1 Is it safe to travel to Vietnam as a solo traveller < Back S6-E1 Is it safe to travel to Vietnam as a solo traveller S6-E1 Is it safe to travel to Vietnam as a solo traveller 00:00 / 22:47 Series 6 Episode 1 Question: Is it safe to travel to Vietnam as a solo traveller? In this opening episode, I get up front and personal, Practical advice, and sensible strategies that get to heart of this question Safety is often the first — and loudest — question solo travellers ask, especially first-timers. From personal experience travelling solo across Vietnam, to what visitors commonly misunderstand, this episode breaks down what “safe” really means on the ground, how Vietnam compares to expectations, and what solo travellers should know before they arrive. No scare tactics. No sugar-coating. Just perspective, nuance, and the kind of insight that helps you decide with confidence. If Vietnam is on your radar — or already in your plans — this series is designed to meet you exactly where you are. One question at a time. Do you have a travel question or wish to give some feedback? You have 90 seconds. Click to read the voicemail recording policy Previous Next

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

S4-06 Craft beers in Vietnam What About Vietnam - S4- E6 Craft beers in Vietnam - A heads up! Kerry Newsome: 00:18 Xin Chào and welcome to "“What About Vietnam !” Our subject today is "Craft Beer". And it's an amazing topic to bring up as in regard to Vietnam, but to not include it in the show and to not have it up there, as something really worth talking about would be crazy because there's a real craft beer scene happening in Vietnam as we speak. And that's been developing in a really strong way just over the last maybe three, four years in particular. And I'm delighted today to have Gary Bett on the show. 01:13 Gary is the Head Brewer and founder of "The Five Elements" Brewing Company, which is a small independent brewery in Da Nang. Gary's been in the brewing industry for over 40 years and worked in the UK, Australia, Fiji, China, India, and Vietnam. He actually started as a hot chemist. I don't know what a hot chemist does, I wish I'd asked him actually in the show, I should have done that. And he started that role, with the brewing Research Foundation in the UK before becoming an actual Brewer with CB in Melbourne, Australia. 01:48 After finding himself responsible for Foster's breweries in Asia, India, China, and Vietnam, he always loved coming to Vietnam, which is where he eventually decided to set up his business after leaving Fosters. Vietnam is a great beer market. And as it turns out, this is quite an interesting statistic to take on board is the fact that of all alcohol consumed in Vietnam,95% of it is beer, which is quite extraordinary when you do compare it to other countries around the world. Now, the one important thing about craft beers and Vietnamese craft beers is that you've got to come to Vietnam to try them. And I'm delighted that Gary is on the show because he has the Brewhahataprooms in Da Nang, he also has them in Quảng Ngãi and Nha Trang. And he opens more in the coming years. 02:48 He brews a very interesting Five Element Brew, or brews. And he talks about some of the local ingredients that he has access to in the Northern Highlands and in the Central Highlands, where he uses various different natural ingredients to flavor the beers. And it's those natural ingredients and those flavors, which is the craft obviously, and he tells us a little bit about that. But it means that when you go to try them in the future when you do come to Vietnam and let's face it, you've got to, it's just an experience to have. But you're going to start thinking about some of these flavors that Gary has mentioned. Look, all the details will be in the show notes and available in the transcript on our website, WhatAboutVietnam.com If you prefer to go there and read about it, it's all going to be there. 03:45 In addition, I've kind of added on the website, a really fun activity and fun offer. So, check it out. It is the BBQ Beech Food Tour. And let me tell you what it involves. It takes you through the food markets of Da Nang and it's done with an operator who actually is a qualified chef. And he will then after you've had bite sized pieces, a little taste tests along the way, you will actually get whipped off to this secret location in Da Nang which is beach side. And then he will cook up using some of the bits and bobs that he's bought at the markets on the day. You'll get greeted there with beers, local beers, craft beers, and some wine and over a setting with a bonfire candles and music. The whole tour wraps up with you sipping some nice, long cool drinks over a sunset. I had a hand in crafting this with the operator in Da Nang and I just feel 100% Sure you're going to love it. So please check it out. However, it's time to get ourselves acquainted with craft beers in Vietnam, and I can't think of anybody else to do it better than Gary Bett, who's sitting in Da Nang. So, let's welcome Gary to the program. : 05:19 Xin Chào and welcome to the What About Vietnam Podcast. Today I'm speaking with Gary Bett. Gary, welcome to the show. Gary Bett: 05:29 Thanks for having me. Kerry Newsome: 05:30 Look, today we're going to be talking about a favorite beverage amongst Vietnamese. Well, I mean, I don't think it's exclusive to Vietnamese, how much they love beer. I mean, I'm an Aussie. So clearly, I come from a country that loves beer. But in particular, today, I'm talking to you about craft beer. Because craft beer, in my experience over the last few years in Vietnam, has really been coming up in the headlines, you've got to try the craft beers. Go to Da Nang, you've got to go and try craft beer. So, Gary, I see you as the entrepreneur in this area. And you've certainly been doing a lot of work over the last few years in the craft beer industry in Vietnam having come from a beer and a brewing history. Tell us a little bit about what makes a craft beer. Gary Bett: 06:31 How does a craft beer distinguish itself from a commercial beer? I think it's in the word craft. And that's all about natural ingredients, about the Vietnamese say, "beer thủ công " which means "handmade", thủ công, it's made with the hands, which I think sums it up. So, this is we're talking about small breweries, small independent breweries, making a natural product making beer. And in Vietnam, of course, there's some special ingredients that you can draw on. And also, there's a vibrant Vietnamese cuisine, which of course, influences tastes and preferences. And so, there's been quite a variety of craft beers that have been developed in Vietnam. Kerry Newsome: 07:17 So, when we think about craft beer, we're thinking about a beer that is handcrafted. And you did say that this beer includes some natural ingredients. Can you talk to us a little bit about some of those flavors and some of those natural ingredients that define it? Gary Bett: 07:42 Sure, sure. I mean, beer is... Beer, by definition is malted barley, malted grain, hops, and yeast. And with craft brewing, we've introduced other ingredients. So, the local ingredients, I'm brewing a range of beers, I brew five beers as the Five Elements range, the Ngu Hanh range. And so, we use... we basically have an international style beer, perhaps the well-known beer, and then we're adding a Vietnamese flavor that's complementary to that. So, for instance, I'll give an example. We brew a beer, Tho, which is a black forest ale. 08:24 Now that evokes all those- gives you a bit of a picture straightaway of what you're looking at. But we had Nam Huong which is a forest mushroom. So, it's a Vietnamese shiitake mushroom. And that adds a richness to it, that you normally- add flavor to it. But it's complimentary to the background beer craft. I make a very good, Weizen beer, but it's probably more of a Belgium style where it's a wheat beer, but it's had the citrus that you would normally find in a Belgium wheat beer, it's from Mac Mat, which is a leaf that you would see you'd see in Vietnam wrapped around pork, because there was a barbecue pork. So, we're using a Mac Mat leaf in particular- these citrus notes in a wheat beer. So, these are the kinds of things you can do and experiment with and come up with some very interesting and different flavors. Kerry Newsome: 09:24 Be it that you are handcrafting these beers and I guess, quantity wise, does that make a batch of beer- even though you're using the same ingredients, does that make one batch of beer slightly different from another? Or are they kind of traditionally exactly all the same? So, on any given day, you can't really tell the difference, even though it's a different batch or a new batch. Gary Bett: 09:53 Yeah, we produce in relatively small batches, certainly comparing with the big breweries, but it gives you an ability to experiment. So, we have maybe a 500-liter batch or a 1000-liter batch. And then that could get consumed very quickly and therefore, you can change the next, a bit more of this, bit less of that, which you can do. 10:21 We have our own taprooms, all the craft brewers here in Vietnam tend to have their own taprooms. So, we can have regular customers come in and you can say, the latest batch of this particular beer, you should give this one a try. So, again, it's a variety within your own range. I mean, all brewers aim for consistency, I mean, once you've gone through a good recipe, you want to keep that recipe consistent. So, we've hit the mark with quite a few of our beers now, with some of the beers we're still experimenting, which is part of the fun, both for the brewer and for the drinker in terms of what's his latest batch. Kerry Newsome: 11:03 Just to make sure that I'm understanding this. So, these beers that you made, obviously have got a lifespan. So, talk to me about preservatives and alcohol content and things like that. What is the life of a brewed batch of beer? Gary Bett: 11:21 Beer should be consumed as quickly as it can be, to when it was produced. We're all natural. · We don't use preservatives. · We don't pasteurize. · In fact, we don't filter at the moment. So, it's a completely natural product. We would like to see the beer consumed probably within one or two months after we've made it. I mean, they are usually consumed quite a lot faster than that, certainly within a month. Again, it comes back to this having small batches, it gives you the opportunity to do that small batches, if you have a small batch in your own outlets, you can sell the product through and make sure it's moving. That just becomes less of an issue. Kerry Newsome: 12:07 Okay, talk about the alcohol content. Gary Bett: 12:12 The alcohol content, we have a range of... well, our beers have a range, we have Kim who is standard 4.6% Alcohol. So, it's very easy to drink. End of the day, either you've been to the beach, or you've been working or had to work in Vietnam. But if you are certainly convinced the beach has a great end of the day kind of drink. And then we have a range of different alcohols and different products right up to Tui, which is a Belgium Strong Dark Ale, which is seven and a half percent alcohol. That's what we brew. Now some of the other brewers think, they've been brewing a lot, some stronger alcohols that vary up to 10%. But I don't think those are particularly session beers. Maybe you have one. So, I strongly say, at the moment is a seven and a half percent alcohol. And then we have an ingredient called Tagua which is like black cardamom. Add some black cardamom in it, which gives it that kind of spicy, almost a Christmas cake addition really. Kerry Newsome: 13:13 So, for my listeners who are coming to Vietnam, there's only one way they're going to try these beers. Because they only exist in your brewery in Vietnam. They can't buy them off the shelf anywhere else, can they? Gary Bett: 13:32 No, they can't at the moment anyway, maybe in time we'll, we'll package, and we'll export but at the moment we're selling only in our own outlets and some key accounts. We've got some friendly accounts that we supply to. So, at the moment, we have three outlets. We have one in Nha Trang. We have one in Quảng Ngãi and we have one here in Da Nang. And they've been open a year now actually, the biggest one has been over a year now, pretty centrally located and easy to find in Nha Trang , Da Nang and Quảng Ngãi . And then we supply to some outlets down in Phú Quốc, which is a pretty famous tourist destination. And we will slowly introduce into other markets. Either we open the more outlets, or we supply to more key accounts. 14:22 But if somebody's visiting Vietnam and they want to try craft beer, there's a number of craft breweries down in Saigon. There's a number of them in Hanoi. There's not as many in Central Vietnam. So, in Saigon, you've got Pasteur Steet . You've got Heart of Darkness . You've got Taytay. There's been an explosion or there was an explosion of craft brewers in Vietnam. And similarly, in, in Hanoi there's more than a couple, there's a few craft brewers up in Hanoi. An interesting place for tasting beers probably not expecting their way. I think there's one thing about Vietnam, which I don't think everybody appreciates is that the Vietnamese are absolutely beer centric. It's part of their culture, it's part of their social life. I often use the statistic, of alcohol consumed, 95% of alcohol consumed in Vietnam by Vietnamese is beer. Now that might seem to be... Kerry Newsome: 15:21 Staggering. Gary Bett: 15:22 Well, it's an outlier. It's out there on its own, everywhere else, every other country would have a pretty mix of different alcohols. In Thailand, it will be whiskey, in Japan, it will be Saké, it might be rice wine in China. There can be Soju in Korea, there's always an alternative of wine in some markets, there's always an alternative alcohol is socialization, alcohol consumed. But in Vietnam, and it has been as for as long as I've known Vietnam, it's beer. And it's not just guys, it's wives and families, and beer is a central part of socializing. Kerry Newsome: 16:07 How did the Vietnamese market take to craft beer? Gary Bett: 16:12 Very well, I mean, as you say, they're just general love and openness to the product, which helps and isn't the Vietnamese are very curious. So, they're naturally curious about new things and international trends, they are very conscious. There's a lot of Vietnamese who go for education overseas, so they can go to the US, and they go to Australia, UK. So, they come back, and they know what the latest has been happening. And then they obviously- the Vietnamese see what the tourists are looking for, and the international business travelers are looking for. And then they're obviously very open to craft beer. So, I think that is generally pretty well accepted. It's not really the barrier that you would normally see for new products or new initiatives. It wasn't something that had to be overly sold. Kerry Newsome: 17:03 Why am I laughing at that? No, it wouldn't be hard to sell. And just to clarify for me as well. Do you- I know you have it on tap. But you are obviously have it in bottles as well? Or how do you distribute it to other places like Phu Quoc? Gary Bett: 17:26 At the moment, I'm just kegging. The new beers have bottled and canned beers in Vietnam before. There's a very pure efficient bottle recycling system in Vietnam, which is obviously environmentally friendly. And it's part of the way that beer industry in Vietnam works. And then for the model of trade, I'm talking about convenience stores and supermarkets, they're pretty open to having cans on the shelf. So, there's some canning, so actually, I'm looking at buying a canned line, maybe early next year, as there is a can plant only half a kilometer away from my brewery. So, it makes sense for me to start thinking about doing cans. Kerry Newsome: 18:17 I wanted to just delve a little bit more into the natural ingredients that you started talking about. And maybe could you speak to us just a little bit about how and where you get some of those natural ingredients from? And is this becoming an industry that a lot of Vietnamese are wanting to work in? Will you pass on your skills to become a brewer and things like that. Like is the industry kind of heading that way? Yeah, I'd just like to know more about not so much the mushrooms but the mushrooms and like cardamom and things like that, because what I think is unique to Vietnam is the flavors and the flavors in Vietnam for some people are quite intense. Sometimes they can get upset tummies and things like that, but I feel it's rich in flavor. So, for me it suits me, but I think the way vegetables that are grown, the soil and all that kind of stuff plays a role. So maybe speak to us a little bit about that and why did you choose mushrooms over, something else? Or why did you go- what steered you in, in which direction? Gary Bett: 19:43 Okay, can I start first with what the basic raw materials for beer? Kerry Newsome: 19:48 Yes. That was a big question. I just realized that. Gary Bett: 19:52 So, the basic raw materials for beer are barley or malted barley, generally, and hops and yeast. So actually, Vietnam doesn't have any barley growing regions or hop growing regions in Vietnam. But it is in the middle of between the big areas that do have that. So, we can choose to get our barley from Europe, or we can choose to get our barley from Canada, or we can choose to get our barley from Australia, actually, in Vietnam, most of the barley actually comes from Australia, I think. And there is a malting plant where the barley is, is malted here in Vietnam, run by Intermalt , which is associated Western Australia Barley Industry. 20:39 So that's important. And then the hops again, can come from Australia, or can come from the US or can come from Europe, Germany, or France, or wherever. So, we have a selection of all sorts of or different varieties of hops from around the world, which gives the craft brewers the flexibility to choose where they get their hops from. Now, in terms of- that is international component of the beer, which is pretty standard. And as far as the local component, I'm quite lucky in that- my wife's Vietnamese and her relatives have landed up in the Central Highlands, in Northern Highlands. And so, we can draw directly from their farm. 21:23 So, if something like Mak Mak, we can get on the phone and have it delivered in a day or two, when we run short, the forest- the shiitake, the Nam Han, which is the shiitake mushrooms, which comes from the Northern Highlands. And that comes from the forest. So basically, people go out into the forest and harvest these, these mushrooms, and then they put them on bamboo, dry them and put them on bamboo sticks. And that's how we receive them. And so, they're very natural. And then likewise, with the Tagua, the black cardamom, and that, again, is a spice that comes from the highlands. 22:01 And then we have Soy spice, which is as a spice, a true spice, or a hot spice. And we're using [inaudible 22:09], which is the beer Quah, which is a Forest Fire. So, we use it in the spicy red ale, and we add the Soy space to that. But all the local ingredients, they add, they are complimentary to the beer and they're not going to bite your head off. They're subtle flavors that are complementary to the beer. So, you might not like them. Sometimes, we have customers that don't like a particular flavor. But that's the whole thing about having choice. 22:37 You want particular like that on, but you love that one, and we find that a lot. Some people might like it, some people might not so, but that's great. I think that's a good part about it, we see flavors, and what I'm trying to do as well with the flavors, is, there should be recognizable to Vietnamese. So, you see them, they're tasting, and they go, they recognize it, "Not sure! Not sure!" if there is a flavor going... And then when you say what it is, "Yeah, that's what it is. Yeah. Okay." So, it might feel like, my target consumer, a local consumer. And so, it gives them a- now I am used to the five elements are talking point of the Nhu Hang, the narrative about The Five Elements is a talking point, but also the flavors they recognize, not straightaway, but they suddenly realize where that flavor is coming from. So that's what I do. Kerry Newsome: 23:31 Yeah, and that's kind of a nice story to tell about it that you are targeting locals and Vietnamese. And obviously they're resonating with those flavors. And they're trying to pick it. And I think it's just, say when you are trying these beers. That's kind of part of the adventure, isn't it? Gary Bett: 23:55 I don't really want to do copycat craft beer. So, I don't want to do that. A New England IPA. I mean, why would I want to do a New England IPA in Vietnam, just copying a style. And leaving as it is, I don't see much point in that. So, I just want to try and create something, as you say that's appealing to the locals, which is recognizable, has a good story behind it. And I like as well, which is good too. Kerry Newsome: 24:26 Thanks very much for being on the show. I just want to finish up with what I'm going to include in the show for everyone listening. So, we'll include obviously the addresses of where your breweries, or where people can go to try it. So, we'll definitely put those in the show. I want to put a little bit more around The Five Styles. So, I might get you to give us a little bit more information there so everyone listening can understand that. Is there anything you want to finish off with? Gary Bett: 25:02 It's always a bit difficult talking about beer without a beer in front of you. So, I'd really like [laughter] so if anybody's coming to Vietnam, by all means come to our Brewhaha in Da Nang or and if I'm here, always ask for me. I am more than happy to sit down and talk about the beers and beer glass in front of me. I think it's a lot easier, a bit more fun. Kerry Newsome: 25:25 A bit more fun. Brilliant. Thanks for being on the show Gary. All the best. Gary Bett: 25:29 Okay, thank you. Thanks very much. Thank you. Links as promised: BREWHAHA FB - https://m.facebook.com/brewhahavietnam BREWHAHA NHA TRANG 0779 027 779 https://goo.gl/maps/h9yqLxhuH5wUh6ca6 BrewHaHa QN 0763 537 676 https://goo.gl/maps/FbkRWstKBqwDKgkW9 Brewhaha - Danang 091 134 09 89 https://goo.gl/maps/fHPig3rJPVEPmjeQ9

S4-11 Revisiting Vietnam What About Vietnam – S4- E11 Revisiting Vietnam post Covid – First Impressions Introduction: [00:00:02] What about Vietnam? A podcast with Kerry Newsome, the series where Kerry talks with travelers about their experiences and adventures. Find out more about Vietnam from the people who have actually been there. What about Vietnam? Whether it's an adventure, exploring the culture and cuisine, shopping or just soaking up the sun, let Kerry and her travelers pave the way for a magical holiday in Vietnam. Kerry Newsome: [00:00:38] Xin chao and welcome to What About Vietnam? I'm delighted to be recording this show from Vietnam. I'm sitting in Hoi An and I've been one week in the country. Boy, oh, boy. Have things changed! I feel like I'm almost in a little bit of a time warp, as in it feels like about 2016. I just wanted to do this very short episode as a bit of a revisit to help you with your trip planning. With thinking about Vietnam, post-COVID because, you know, there's so much in the media and it's very hard to get a really good fix on what it's like to travel here again. I'm happy to say it's easy. There's just a lot of things that have happened to make it more seamless, certainly in the months since May of this year. So let's start right at the very beginning and we talk about the visa situation. So where it was in 2019, two types of main visas in the sense that there are a list of countries that are visa free and you could go to the website. There's actually a blog on my What about Vietnam website , and you can go there and you'll see the list of countries. So you may fit into that category where you can stay visa free, stay for 15 days. Then there is the opportunity for those countries that are requiring a visa and I'm sitting in Australia, of course, I do have to have a visa. I get up to 30 days with that visa and the fee for that is 25 USD. You should allow about 2 to 3 business days for processing. Kerry Newsome: [00:02:43] Once you get that letter, which I suggest, you really do need to print that off, take that with your passport and your ticket. It's a very simple process now to check in. You don't need to or I haven't been asked anywhere during my travels in Vietnam for my status, for vaccination or anything like that. So that's all pretty much put to bed. Nor did I get asked anywhere about my status with travel insurance. Now, even though that wasn't asked, I would still suggest there are still serious numbers of COVID in Vietnam. While it's pretty much the same in Australia, everybody is looking forward and not looking backward. I would still suggest that you check with your travel insurance company to make sure that you have got coverage, which includes anything to do with COVID. Just, to make sure, I'm just the kind of girl that wants to make sure you tick all the boxes. When you're looking to plan your trip and certainly if you're a long haul traveler, you want to have a look now at airlines that are offering you direct flights from Australia. You can fly direct into Ho Chi Minh or Hanoi with Vietnam Airlines, but also you might want to check Bamboo Airways as they are also offering you direct flights. Kerry Newsome: [00:04:24] So, you know, it's a nice easy eight hour flight. I did a daytime flight, so I left Australia at 10 a.m. and I got into Vietnam at 4:00 in the afternoon, which was just “easy peasy”. I think the most staggering difference for me on coming back into Vietnam was getting out of my country and getting into Vietnam, just the absolute contrast. Getting out of Australia there's been lots in the news about staff shortages in the travel industry that certainly seemed reflected in Sydney Airport in Australia. The queues to get through, check in the queues to get through immigration and then the queues to get through security took at least 3 hours. Maybe just check depending on the country that you are departing that things have caught up, they've got the right staff technologies in place and saving time, etc. At least allow your 3 hours to get through the queues because I was marching pretty sprightly to my gate in the end to get there on time. Allowing about three and a half hours to do that and then getting into Vietnam. Similarly there used to be long queues, but I looked over at immigration and there were six or seven people ahead of me in each queue. It was super, super quick and I was just staggered, having left my country with those long queues and then coming into Vietnam where I was kind of thinking I'd be up against the same thing, that just wasn't the case. Kerry Newsome: [00:06:17] Now when you start to move around the country and you're going into domestic airports, one thing you are really going to notice is a difference in the amount of domestic tourism. That's probably been the most staggering change I've seen. There definitely is a growing upper middle class in Vietnam, a more educated, more business, more enterprising Vietnam. Uh, industry growth! So you're seeing a lot more well-heeled travelers, I guess, travelers that are traveling for specific regions that they've never been to. I was talking to some people the other day, and Vietnam is really opening up in the sense that their own countrymen are wanting to discover more about their country. I mean, there's some people that have lived all their life in Saigon but never ventured any further than Saigon. Those people are now changing up and going to Dalat or going to Mui Ne or going to the northern regions. It's quite staggering. When you're standing in the queues where, you know, 2019, I'd be standing in a queue with a lot of Westerners standing with me. I'm now standing abreast with a lot of Vietnamese. That was just an observation, I guess I made very, very quickly that there was certainly less of me and much more of them. Now coming into Vietnam, your main ports are going to be one of three. Kerry Newsome: [00:08:03] Ho Chi Minh City, Danang or Hanoi. For me, it was coming into Ho Chi Minh City. Now, Ho Chi Minh City has been traditionally, for me, a leapfrog city. I would come in and I would just think, oh no, I don't want to be here for too long because of the chaos. It's just the buzz of a city, but it's certainly one for me, traditionally just too busy because I'm here for a holiday. I want to relax. Well, I decided to take a longer period of time in Ho Chi Minh City this time, because I really wanted to experience it. Post-covid, I mean, in 2021, there were some serious lockdowns here in Ho Chi Minh City. I wanted to see what were the signs post that era, what had changed? The last time I'd been there was a lot of construction and there still is. There's definitely been some upgrades and just a few different things that I wanted to share with you that may influence you to maybe stay a little bit longer and discover the city. Some of the things for me that really hit home was the easier way to get around. Now, traditionally walking around and, you know, you've probably also heard that getting around crossing roads and the amount of bikes was really quite difficult and people got quite overwhelmed with it. Well, for me this time I found it quite easy. Kerry Newsome: [00:09:52] On a lot of the tourist kind of streets, etc. they've made walkways. They've added one way streets. So where there was that crazy mix where people were on bikes and kind of converging and you were trying to walk through those. There's not as many of those anymore. There's a lot more one-way streets. So at least you're only having to look either left or right to cross the road if it's a wide road. That's just one of the things. The other thing is the amount of traffic lights. There's many, many more traffic lights, and I think Vietnamese are getting used to that. That's also helping guide the whole traffic scene and making it easier for us to maneuver the city and get around. Then thirdly, the difference is there's many more cars now. That's both good and bad, certainly. You know, cars have the ability to transport more than one person. If you're in a small group or you've got a family or you'd like to travel together, you know, the four seater, six seater, that car, there's definitely more of those on the road. I'm a bit of a fan of the GRAB App (Download to your phone) and while you can order a grab car or a grab bike if you're going a longer distance and obviously the weather plays a role in this as well. You might want to do the car, but if you've got to be there at a specific time, allow more time for the car. Kerry Newsome: [00:11:41] The car obviously doesn't have quite the same maneuverability as the bike. Just getting around the traffic is going to take longer. Like every country in the world, every city has their peak hours and Ho Chi Minh City is no different. So definitely with a Grab bike and a Grab car, the car will get to you quicker. I was able to because I was going kind of short distances and mainly moving within District one, District two, District five and District three, etc.. I was using the bike and I found the bike very effective, very quick and with the app. The thing I love about the app is that with the cash situation, you are able to know up front how much money it's going to cost. You never at any point or any time had the feeling that you're going to get ripped off or anything like that. You've got easy identification. They can see your name on their app, on their phone, you can see it on the map, and you've got a registration that you can match up. It gives you, I think, another layer of confidence to get around the city and discover it because it's also changing. I found some fascinating places. I really want you to stay tuned to Ho Chi Minh City and the show, because I am putting together some interesting tours within that city, and I'll be telling you more about those in the coming months. Kerry Newsome: [00:13:27] I think Saigon is a city where you're definitely going to get your fix of street food, but then you're going to also experience some fabulous coffee shops on all levels. You can eat good quality food, get great coffee. I don't know whether you follow me on my Instagram , but my new favorite coffee is an iced coke Vietnamese coconut coffee . My God, it is just to die for and certainly on a warm day, it is the perfect refreshment. You're also paying a very small amount for a very luscious drink. Just in these really natty interesting coffee shops and they're everywhere all over Saigon. I think the other thing is dining out has changed. Where before, Ho Chi Minh City in particular, was really just about street food and experiencing the markets and doing that kind of thing. It is now evolving into a very sophisticated city, and it's been doing that just by osmosis, really just organically in the last few years. I got to experience Tung Restaurant , which is the flagship restaurant for Chef Tung. I did an episode on Fine Dining with Raj Taneja , and we hooked up on this trip to go and experience it. Oh, my God, 19 Courses of a Degustation menu - it was just amazing! Kerry Newsome: [00:15:22] I just don't know whether I'm going to do it justice here in this show, but I'll definitely put a link to it in the show notes . So think about Ho Chi Minh City as an experience that you might want to spend a few more days and discover it from a different angle and from the level. I can confidently say that you can get around more one way straight streets, easy walking paths, or more so than there used to be anyway. Some of that construction is now converting itself into some really lovely districts, and beautiful bars overlooking the river. I got to have a look at the deck, which is an absolutely gorgeous place. Then there are a couple of others, which I'll let you know in due course. Coming into Danang and now arriving in Hoi An, that's been crazy for me as well because it's quiet, and I feel like I'm in a bit of a time warp here. I was saying to someone this morning, I feel like I'm in 2016 when Vietnam was really wanting to grow its tourism market. The city of Hoi An, in particular being a UNESCO World Heritage site, was really targeted as the city that would bring the foreign tourists to it. At the moment, I'm definitely in the minority, I think Vietnamese and certainly there's a high percentage of Koreans here at the moment. You know, tourism is here, but it's not to the extent that it was when I left in 2019, 2020, actually, just as COVID was hitting. It's still a beautiful city! Kerry Newsome: [00:17:33] It's got that lovely Thu Bon river, the lanterns are still there, and beautiful cafes. They're starting to open up again, the shops, etc. My beautiful tailor, she's back working. She hadn't been working for two years, and it's just remarkable how they've survived and how well they've survived just attitudinally. How beautiful and how gracious they are about welcoming everybody back. It's just fabulous to be back and experience the Vietnam that I love! I'm going to keep this episode pretty short because I'm going to be moving on to some other places in Vietnam during my stay. I want to try and cram in as much as I can in my 30 day visa and have as much as I can to share with you as I go. The show notes will include as much as I can and have been covered in today's show. Bear with me! I've got a fantastic episode coming up next on Art in Vietnam and we're going to focus on that in Hanoi. So stay tuned for that and always feel like you can go to the website, search for a subject, search for a destination, and if I haven't got it, I haven't covered, please reach out to me directly at whataboutvietnam@gmail.com . Thanks for staying with me. Stay tuned for more stories and more shows on the What About Vietnam podcast? Outtro: [00:19:21] Thank you for listening. Check out the episode notes for more information. Love What about Vietnam? Don't forget to subscribe, write and review and stay tuned for more fun adventures in Vietnam. Time stamps to help guide you through the episode:- 00.38 The Visa process in action 04.24 Arriving into Vietnam – what to expect 06.17 The domestic travel experience 08.03 HCMC – most significant changes 09.52 Getting around HCMC 13.27 Dining out and the coffee scene Saigon 17.32 Hoi An – Welcoming me back Please rate, review and send us your comments. Follow us on facebook here - https://www.facebook.com/whataboutvietnam Follow us on Insta here - https://www.instagram.com/whataboutvietnampodcast/ Follow us on LinkedIN here - https://www.linkedin.com/company/what-about-vietnam/ YOU TUBE - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCavCC1--oE5rUhO_SlENmqw

S5-13 - Out and About in Nha Trang - The city of 300 days of sunshine S5- E13 - Out & About in Nha Trang – The city of 300 days of sunshine a year Kerry Newsome : Xin chào and welcome to the Out and About series of the What About Vietnam podcast. Today I'd like to invite you to join me on my trip to Nha Trang City. It's March 2024 and I haven't been back to this city since about 2011. Came here with a girlfriend Stayed on a beachside resort Had a fabulous fun few days. So I haven't actually been here since then however, I have been talking to various people and of course because I'm in the industry I'm talking to people about their stays here and But in particular, I got to record an episode with Colm Hutchinson, and it was episode, season four, episode five. And he is an Irish expat and been living here for about eight years. And he was just awesome at sharing some really great insights into the city and was, you know, willing to offer up 10 really interesting, good things to do in the city. So that has always been kind of the basic inspiration for me to come back. Prior to that I had done another show talking about diving with Jeremy Stein who really brought paddy diving and paddy diving training to Vietnam and really the birth of that happened in Nha Trang. So you can also hear, if that's an interest of yours, you can also go back to Season 3, Episode 6 and hear about it from there. I'm getting to share with you know, my experiences, but also my experiences alongside my husband. So for a rare occasion in this trip, I'm able to travel with him. So it's really good to get his perspective on things, his views. You know, he obviously hasn't traveled to Vietnam, you know, anywhere near as much as myself. So, it's really fabulous to get his take on it, just his experience of it and us as a couple choosing different things to do over what I would choose to do myself. So I think for if you're a solo traveler, if you're you know a couple thinking of coming, if you love beachside locations, this is the show for you as we're really going to get into Nha Trang as a beachside water play destination. Just before I jump into the full length and breadth of the show, I would like to give my sincere thanks to the Potique Hotel. Now, the Potique Hotel is sponsoring this show and just had a fantastic stay at their location in Natrang. A little bit about the hotel for you, It's what I'd call a boutique, very elegant Indochine style. It's only about three or four years old, so it's brand spanking new, very clean. It's in a fab location, like literally walk out the front door, you've got a block to the beach, you've got views of the beach in most of the rooms. But then you go left or right and you've got easy access to restaurants and, you know, spa centers and everything that you need is right at your doorstep. It's got a great breakfast buffet, which my husband is a buffet breakfast fan. So, you know, he really soaked up that. It's got a fabulous gym which I was able to use over the stay but we chose to stay three nights there and it was just perfect. I would really recommend it to anyone who wants to be in the thick of things, wants a city hotel, wants those real beautiful spacious type rooms Very elegantly done, really great value for money. Potique Hotel , link for you to be able to check it out yourself. And go direct because I know they do some really good specials and deals and they really want to look after their customers and their guests. So Potique Hotel, thank you very much for the stay and thank you for sponsoring this episode. Jumping right into our stay. We had really only planned a three-night stay. The plan was to go to Mui Ne and then go Mui Ne, then Nha Trang. So it's been my plan all along to do three beachside locations. Well actually four if you take in Ho Tram. So we've done Ho Tram, we've done Mui Ne, today is Nha Trang and then following our three nights in Nha Trang we'll be doing Quy Nhon. As a form of comparison, and for my listeners who are looking at beachside locations like, you know, that still include some of the great Vietnamese cultural things to experience, These would be the cities that are a little bit out of the way. I mean, Nha Trang definitely features as a very tourist-based city and has been on the map for many, many years. But places like Mui Ne and like Quy Nhon, Not so, but they're on the potential map. So they are definitely being touted as the cities that are going to really attract the new tourists. Vietnamese are also taking up a greater interest in domestic travel. So you're going to see a lot more domestic Vietnamese travellers in these destinations because they've Guess what? Finally wised up that they have got some fabulous destinations that they can go and enjoy when they get their holidays. Okay, so getting to Nha Trang from Muni, we could have opted for train, we could have opted for a bus. The only other option was car. We are travelling with a lot of luggage and so I opted for the car. Four hours and around about, you can get that for about two to three million in cost to do that trip with a private driver and a seven seat vehicle. So, that was very comfortable, highway all the way, all along the coast road, really “easy peasy”, four hours, not a hassle. So, we got into Nha Trang afternoon and, you know, kind of ready to find somewhere to eat, to kind of get a bit of a feel of the city and, you know, it was time for sunset drinks, let's face it. So, that was easy to find. There were lots and lots of bars and restaurants at our fingertips from that location in the city. I did feel the busyness side of it as a beachside location. And having come from Mui Newhere, you know, it's a lot sleepier, it's a lot more casual, it's a lot more very Vietnamese focused, where this is much more multicultural. So, you've got all your brands, all your different cuisines. You've got, you know, chock-a-block streets and cities full of, you know, a really mixed bag of tourists. So, I didn't kind of get the chill-out vibe when I first got here. I got the busy vibe and I got the noisy vibe. So as much as it is a beachside location, I think the best part of, or the best parts of Nha Trang are just kind of beyond that city centre area. And I think you owe it to yourself to explore beyond that, which is kind of what we did. And, you know, think water, think water sports. So diving, as I mentioned, You can catch the cable car across to Hon Tre Island, which is where the Vinpearl land is. And if you're staying at Vinpearl, that's fabulous, but there is other resorts over there and other beaches. But it's about doing a little bit of homework on the access to those other islands. A lot of expats tend to choose Long Beach as their favorite beach. and it's just a little bit further around the bay and a little bit less touristy. So you've got those options to do. I think if I did something wrong I might have taken it just on face value and I was a bit stuck in 2011 to be honest. I was thinking, gosh, it's just kind of a sleepy town just coming into its vogue. It really wasn't like this when I was here then. But guess what? That's all changed. It's just a really busy tourist city. Some of the things that I did really enjoy was the option to do this island hopping. And one of the things I was keen to try, or I was keen to get my husband to try, was definitely the mud baths. So, we were able to combine the two, as in we were able to do a three island hop, and one of the islands actually features the mud baths. Now, originally, I thought the mud baths were going to be something like the Grecian or the Russian kind of mud bath in some kind of spa treatment kind of centre. Wrong. Bom-bom. No go. This is actually an outdoor park. So, it's featured on one of the islands. They have these kind of tubs, these cement tubs with a spout that then spurts the mud or the mud liquid because it's very watery. To me, it just looks like dirt and water, et cetera. And they fill up the tubs and you can go there and choose to have the tub to yourself. or you can share it with your family or as we had a small group because we were part of a tour the whole tour group kind of sat in the tub and everybody had a bit of a chuckle and have a laugh and you know questioning the whole outlay of the place and it was just it was goddamn hilarious to be honest. So, you know, we got to experience the islands, the beauty of the islands, the water. Look, you are going to see rubbish on the islands and in the water. The plastic is an issue. They're aware of it. They're trying to educate and do what they can to rectify that before it gets beyond redemption, I guess. So that's disappointing because The beach, the water is definitely the big attraction for this city. But let's not forget you can go further afield and experience some of the Cham civilization with the Po Nagar temple and the pagoda out there. So don't think it's just about beach things. You've just got to go a little bit further. Colm Hutchinson on that episode I referenced before, he talked about going out to the salt mines where if you get up very early, and I'm talking very early, like 4 a.m. in the morning, and you get out there in the cooler part of the day, you'll see some of those epic photos that are taken of the Vietnamese working the salt fields. And it's just an incredible scene to have. I wish I'd had time to do that. It's probably a good segue for me to talk about how much time to have here. Originally I thought the three nights would be adequate. I would be able to kind of do the basic things that I wanted to do and be able to talk to you about on the show. But getting here and spending time here, you know, probably my biggest regret is not having more time, as I would have liked to have gone a little bit further afield, because I think the gems are just beyond the city perimeter. And, you know, you can see some amazing pagodas and Buddhas and that Cham civilization and those just really exquisite areas of culture that do exist in those regions. So time-wise, I'd probably allow four to five days to do that. And I think that would just give you ample time to, you know, still soak up the pool, still have time to, you know, check out the rooftop baths, still enjoy a sunset or a sunrise, you know, but do those really super duper great activities. They don't call it the city of 300 days of sunshine for nothing. You are pretty much guaranteed a big chunk of the year whereby you're going to have sunshine. So if you want to build it into your holiday and you are a sun lover and a beach and a water person, this is definitely the place for you. And don't forget you can do that diving as another option. I think if you were to be thinking about a beachside location, you wanted the option, you know, from budget to, you know, five star, and Trang is really, it's geared for that. That's it. That's its job. It really fulfils that if you're prepared to do a little bit more scouting outside You know the hubba hubba. I think you'd even enjoy it more. You've definitely got Cam Ran we passed through Cam Ran as we came down the highway there's absolutely massive beautiful resorts out there and You know, we've talked about on the show the hotel being the destination. If you're wanting, you know, that really great escape and you want to have, you know, a beach hotel, but you want kids club and you want to be able to relax by the pool for hours, and have choice of restaurants and things like that within the hotel space, then Cam Ranh would definitely be your go. In fact, I've got a really good offer on our office page on What About Vietnam. So go there for move and pick. And I was able to kind of see that as I was driving into Nha Trang. Look, I really enjoyed my time here, had a real hoot with the group when we did the island hop and the mud baths. I think we'll be laughing about that for years to come. My husband, his impression certainly was that feeling of quite busy, quite noisy, quite loud. And I think we got that because we just come from Mui Ne it was quite the reverse. But I think Nha Trang is and has always been very open to the European, the Russian tourist. It is however now attracting more of the domestic market. And I think if you came here and you kind of followed Some of the advice I've given you here on the show, I think you'd really enjoy your stay in a train. I hope you'll stick with me as I get out and about with the other cities coming up. All in all, I'll be covering 10 cities in this out and about mini series. So we've still got a way to go but I really look forward to bringing them to you and please reach out to me directly if you have any questions that I haven't covered during the show today. But thank you for sticking with me and I look forward to talking with you again on the next Out and About.

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

< Back 3 Days 2 nights Indulgent Escape package Cam Ranh - Indulgent Escape to Movenpick Resort Experience highlights A 3 day/ 2 night indulgent escape to MÖVENPICK RESORT carefully crafted:- ● For people who are looking for a relaxing and indulgent escape from everyday life ● For foodies who enjoy great choices in restaurants and food that satisfies the most sophisticated palettes ● For people who want to travel differently and enjoy the touches that 5 * luxury brings ● For those wishing to explore Nha Trang including the local culture and cuisine in a relaxed way ● For those who want a family holiday with all the trimmings ● Ideal for couples solo travellers, and small groups. If you’re feeling like you need a bit of spoiling, this 3 day/2 night indulgent escape to the 5-star Movenpick Resort is perfect for you. This escape at Movenpick Resort in Nha Trang has been designed and crafted by Kerry Newsome, the Host of the "What About Vietnam Podcast and the Movenpick Resort team. The aim of this escape is to indulge in the finer things in a beautiful setting that you won’t soon forget. At an easy 45 min flight from HCMC, this offer is ideal for Vietnamese locals, expats and for weekends away. This incredible experience will leave you feeling relaxed and rejuvenated, as well as spoiled rotten by your choices in restaurants, beaches, and exciting things to do in Nha Trang. What to expect Round trip transfers – Pick up from Cam Ranh Airport Nha Trang and return Full breakfast daily Welcome beach dinner for 2 , perfect for couples or friends traveling together A full hour massage per person, for 2, in Movenpick’s superior treatment rooms Choice of delicious dining that will satisfy the most sophisticated palette For the adventurous - One time free access and use of the Rope Park Exploration of the surrounding area in Nha Trang including sandy white beaches, cultural history and amazing seafood Remarkable technicolor sunsets to enjoy with your partner, friends or solo Top Things To Do In Nha Trang Near Movenpick Resort Visit some of the 19 beautiful islands and islets of Nha Trang Beach hop and soak up the sun at Tra Phu Beach or Long Beach Enjoy fresh seafood in the Seafood Capital of Vietnam Check out the mineral rich Mud Baths Explore VinWonders, the island playground and sprawling amusement park Discover culture at Nha Trang Cathedral, Long Song Pagoda, or the Buddhist Meditation Institute Challenge yourself at the Rope Park with 145 obstacles while 35 feet in the air For more information or to book click here Rates for your stay explained The great thing about this stay, is that it has most of your stay costs covered with great access to everything the property offers. For those choosing the pool Villa, even your own private pool. The rates detailed below are for the entire stay of 2 nights, 3 day stay with 12 midday check out Rates are for 2 nights’ stay/room/villa (the price is for the entire stay) Rates are applicable for single / double occupancy rooms. Up to maximum 2 children 6-years and below eat and stay for free , however, sharing bed with parents. Extra bed charge (Maximum one rollaway bed allowed/room/villa) is USD23/bed/night. *For the Seaview Superior Room and Seaview One-Bedroom Pool Villa, the rates are for 2 persons, and 4 persons for the Seaview 2-Bedroom Pool Villa We recommend accommodation either in our SUP (for couples) or our 2-BRVilla (for family of 4) Black out dates – 2-4 Sept 2022 Valid till 30/12/2022 PACKAGE PRICES: USD$374.00++ (Seaview Superior Room ) USD$540.00++ (Seaview 1-Bedroom Pool Villa ) USD$652.00++ (Seaview 2-Bedroom Pool Villa )(Recommend for family – children eat for free)

< Back Chef Duyen’s Cooking class and Market Tours A TRULY LOCAL EXPERIENCE with chef in own home COOKING CLASS & MARKET TOUR – English and Vietnamese Speaking This is the chance to learn how to cook famous Vietnamese dishes with a fully trained Chef in the comfort of her own home. In my experience this is a truly a unique way to get to know how Vietnamese live in today’s world, and how their food is a big part of their culture, family life and social upbringing. You should try all kinds of cooking classes in Vietnam, however what makes this a stand out, is that the chef welcomes you into her own home to get to a feel for what family life is really like. You will never get that from a restaurant lesson, so consider this a real treat. Chef Duyen adds her own warm and friendly personality to this experience which when you hear about her history you will be amazed at her journey as a young mother, trainee chef and business owner. I did this tour with her in 2018 and can speak highly of her character, warmth and knowledge of Vietnamese cooking. You will learn a lot, so be prepared for a fun day of learning. You can also hear her and I chat about the 5 main dishes in Hanoi on this YOU TUBE Video HERE. Food brings people together and is central to family life. In this experience you can choose the best tour that suits your time frame and food interest. If you have any particular food allergies or intolerances Chef Duyen can accommodate these if you can advise her when you book. This is a fun activity for the whole family including kids as they will enjoy the fun of making food like they have never tasted before. COOKING AND MARKET TOUR OPTION 1 $45 USD per person includes class & market tour, ingredients, recipes, drink & hotel pickup 🍀🍀🍀 Duration 3-4 hours from 9am to 1pm 🍀🍀🍀 Your chef and tour guide for this experience is Chef Duyen who will pick you up from your hotel then take you to visit the local market and show you around her own neighbourhood. You will get the chance to meet local people and enjoy local activities within a friendly neighbourhood setting. You will experience cooking & eating outside people’s houses and watch how produce is sold at local markets. Because the Chef has good English speaking skills the Chef will explain to you about the Vietnam vegetables / herbs and ingredients Vietnamese used for cooking. Then, the thing that makes this extra special, is Chef Duyen invites you to her home which is not so far from a famous Long Biên bridge & the local market . It is here you will get to experience a very homely ‘hands on’ cooking class facilitated by Chef Duyen. You will learnhow to make some of these local delicacies. You will find out more about Vietnamese cuisine and experience the flavours and tastes all the foods after chef duyen show you how to you did in the class and enjoy with beer for yourself in the comfortable home of local Hanoian, 🍀🍀🍀 Menu choices: Dishes from my Countryside: • Caramel Pork • Banana Flower Salad with Chicken • Fried Spring Rolls • Dipping Sauce • Sweet Coconut Soup with Taro (Che) Hanoi Favourites: • West Lake Prawn Cakes • Green Papaya Salad • Bun Cha • Dipping Sauce with Pickles • Pho Cuon • Sweet Coconut Soup with Corn, Jackfruit &Taro (Che) Vietnamese Vegan Dishes: • Tofu Pillows in Tomato Sauce • Banana Flower Salad • Vegeatrian beef noodle soup ( Pho bò chay ) • Vegetarian Fried Spring Rolls • Vegan Dipping Sauce WHOLESALE MARKET TOUR & STREET FOOD TOUR OPTION 2 $65USD per person includes hotel pickup, taxis, street food tasting, coffee & water Please note: 4am pick up /return to hotel approx. 8am, or as negotiated Of special interest to chefs, foodies, photographers as well as foreigners living in Hanoi – a night tour, for night owls or early risers only. Visit the chaotic wholesale market, where stallholders from wet markets, restaurants and other businesses stock up for the day. Fruit and vegetables come in from provinces all over Vietnam and from China, arriving in trucks from 1am. Meat, poultry and seafood comes in around 4am. It’s a tough place to work and the alleyways are narrow and full of people busy earning their livelihoods. Many workers are from poor rural areas and send money home to their families. It is a very different experience to a local wet market. Visitors need to be aware this is a place of business, it’s not for the faint hearted. From the wholesale market you also visit a local market and the spice market at Cho Dong Xuan, coffee and several street food venues, tasting the dishes and learning about their history, from market to plate COOKING CLASSES DEMONSTRATION WITH EVENING STREET FOOD TOUR AND WHOLE SALE MARKET EXPERIENCE FOR SMALL GROUP 4 TO 7 PAX - OPTION 3 $65USD per person from 5pm to 9 _ 9.30pm (approximately 4 hours ) 🍀🍀🍀 includes hotel pickup, cooking class demonstration, street food + 9 different tastings / wholesale market experience 🍀🍀🍀 Chef Duyen will pick you up from your hotel then you come to her own home for the cooking demonstration of Vietnamese food ( Green papaya salad with dried beef and bbq pork with lemongrass skewers ) and testing ( or tasting) Vietnamese Rice Wine soaked fruits by chef Duyen 😊 then she will take you through the backstreets to places known by locals,+ 9 different tastings and learning about lots of different food and how it is connected to Vietnam’s culture. For more information or to book click here LOCAL KNOWLEDGE The insights that come from your Host Chef Duyen and food With Chef Duyen you will get to explore the more popular streets with locals, which have that very buzz of activity that Hanoi is renowned for. You will get to visit the Long Bien market to see the atmosphere of daily life, and how the locals work hard at the night market. This is a big market supporting all the farmers in Vietnam from the south and the north of Vietnam, with exported fruits, flowers and locally grown product. It’s a hub of activity so make sure to bring your camera. phanduyenchef@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/chefduyen https://chefduyen.com/home https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g293924-d12666110-Reviews-Chef_Duyen_Home_Cooking_Classes_Tours-Hanoi.html For Bookings and more information - Contact What About Vietnam here OR Contact Chef Duyen - whatssap ( +84 ) 0387 941 73

S4-22 Trekking in Sapa A wide lens view A wide eyed lens view of trekking in Sapa Episode 22 S4-22 Trekking in Sapa A wide lens view 00:00 / 30:47 Experiencing local cultures authentically is an amazing experience that can be found in many places around the world. One such place is Sapa, a small town in Northern Vietnam. There are a variety of activities to do in the town, from trekking to visiting local villages. Trekking is a great way to explore the area and to get a better understanding of the local culture. The trekking routes vary from easy to difficult, so there is something for everyone. The trekking routes also offer a variety of stunning views, from the rice paddies to the mountains. Jack Taylor is my guest and he talks about his experience trekking in the region, and his interactions with the various hill tribes such as the Hmong, the Tay, and the Dao. In particular the Dao tribe which is who he does his 3 day trek with. His cinematography captures the beauty of the area, and he has great tips for those looking to go trekking in Sapa. It’s a great show for trekking enthusiasts and people looking for a very authentic close up view of the local people in their own habitat. Check out Jack Taylor’s YouTube videos here for a more visual overview of his experience. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSToRsNfb6A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4kPFsRVuAM - the trek Download Transcript PDF Read the transcript here

3f489e6a-8dfa-44cc-825b-69aabdfd9d88Why you should do more than one cooking class What About Vietnam - S2-23 – Cooking classes in Vietnam, why you should do more than one! Kerry Newsome: [00:00:36] Xin chau and welcome to what about Vietnam? I'm very excited about today's program because it's not often that I get somebody as talented and as gifted in the art of cooking as my guest today, Chef Tracey Lister. I'm going to give you a little bit of background about her because she has a long history, having lived in Vietnam and she's been part of some very interesting growth areas in the area of cooking classes, etc. And I just think she will bring a lot to the program. We're going to be talking about cooking classes, which is a really fun thing to do in Vietnam and a great way to learn about the country and the culture of the country through its food. So about Tracey. Tracey has, as I said, been going back and forth to Vietnam for over 20 years. She did actually live in Hanoi back in 2008. She's a well-published author. "A Culinary Journey Through Vietnam" was released with her husband back in 2008, sold over 9000 copies around Australia, Japan, UK, and the USA. She brought out a second book in 2011 called "Vietnamese Street Food", and that's been translated into German and Finnish. And her most recent books in 2017 called "Real Vietnamese Cooking" and “Made in Vietnam” came out and is a really great third addition to her list of writings. She is currently based in Australia, in Melbourne, and she's opened up her own restaurant and cooking school called “Brunswick Kitchen”. I really suggest if you come to Australia or you live in Melbourne to check out her restaurant. I'll put the link in the notes. It's a fantastic opportunity for you to learn the art of cooking Vietnamese food, but also extends to the art of even making your own gnocchi. So there's lots of opportunities for learning there just to end off some history. Tracey was very instrumental in forming KOTO and KOTO is a grassroots charity and restaurant that helps street kids to free themselves from the poverty cycle through vocational training. I've been to the restaurant several times over the years. It's a fantastic project. She was a major contributor to the training aspect of some of these kids to make it what it is. And it is a great culinary experience. If you do get to visit Hanoi I and I suggest that you definitely go to the KOTO restaurant. I hope you're going to enjoy this episode. Tracey has a lot to offer and advice in choosing a cooking class to attend what you can expect to get from the class and just all of the stuff that you would come to expect on this show. Let's welcome to the program. If I sound a bit excited, I am. Tracey, welcome to the show, we're going to talk cooking, one of my most favorite things to do in Vietnam. How are you? Tracey Lister: [00:04:25] Hi, Kerry. I'm great. Thanks very much. Yes, talking about Vietnamese food is one of my favorite things, too. Kerry Newsome: [00:04:33] Ok, look, one of the things that does come up on a tour to Vietnam is definitely the option for people to do cooking classes. So what in your experience and considering you've been at the front of the room mostly of late doing cooking classes, what can a person expect to get out of a class? I mean, I'm taking into consideration that, you know, not everyone's into cooking. And sometimes, you know, for couples traveling to Vietnam, maybe the guy's not that interested. So what would you say to that? Tracey Lister: [00:05:14] Well, I think doing a cooking class in Vietnam is well worth it. You will walk away with it being one of the highlights, even the people that don't want to do it and totally enjoying it because the food is fantastic, but it's so much more than the food. It's really about the culture and traditions associated with that. Most cooking schools will take you to the market and the market is the soul of a Vietnamese community. You know, you go there to find out the latest news and what's happening. And it's busy and it's vibrant and just a fabulous experience. Even if you're not really into the cooking side of things, you do get to eat some delicious food afterwards. Kerry Newsome: [00:06:02] There's a character that goes with the cooking class itself, because I think if you take into consideration things like the location of the school, you know, there's always something of value to that. Like the actual if it's a restaurant, it's usually got some history to it. So you learn something from them and then a lot of them, as you say, don't just minimize it to, you know, chopping, cutting and cooking. The class is usually about a half day event. Tracey Lister: [00:06:49] Yeah, that's correct. And so you keep going to the market as well. I think you need to do them everywhere you go, because food in Vietnam is very regional and as you say, there's all different characters, but there's always wonderful regional differences. So I’d do a class, Saigon and do one in Hoi An where there are plenty of cooking classes. But don't forget Hue. Hue has amazing cuisine, has rich vegan history and culinary traditions because of all the pagodas there in the imperial city. And then you've got Hanoi food. And then even when you go up north into Sapa and around the Chinese border, the cuisine changes again. So do them where you go, I think, and just make sure that when you're doing it, class is not repeating the same thing. Kerry Newsome: [00:07:56] I agree with you. So walk us through just roughly what a school would include from start to finish. What would it typically include? Tracey Lister: [00:08:13] Well, generally, a welcome and an introduction to Vietnamese food and a bit of advice about how to navigate streets in the market before you head out. I would spend probably a good forty five minutes to an hour at the market. It might seem like a lot, but it is such an exciting place and it is so different to what we're used to here. Like, I would walk and talk about the rising importance of fish sauce into the market, looking at all the various eggs, including, of course, the fertilized egg and then there is somebody selling votives So for a funeral paying respects at the old church, you can purchase your votives there. So when you go into these markets, there's no refrigeration, there's no running water, but there's no odor. They are so clean. And that's because the women (and it is mainly the women who work really hard to clean.) A busy market will have two kills a day. The meat is killed in the morning and that's for lunch. That's all gone by around 11:30 or 12:00. Ladies have a siesta and then it's back on again at 3:00 with a fresh kill. I’d loop back around and go through all the amazing products, including a woman that would be selling bouquets for hair washing. So she was your pharmacist basically so she could put a little bouquet together for you to wash your hair and beautiful aromas from that. And that's a very small space, but probably about a quarter of the size of your average big chain supermarket here. Kerry Newsome: [00:11:32] And I think all that fresh produce that you mention, I can remember in very early days when I took someone to the markets because of the no refrigeration, because of the space elements and because it is in normal circumstances kind of open and out there, isn't it, it's kind of as you say, the meat is freshly chopped and cut in front of you. There's eels jumping around in a plastic tub and crabs in similar kinds of circumstances. So for me and certainly for people that have never seen that, it’s a little bit in your face, isn't it? Tracey Lister: [00:12:20] It can be very confronting. And I have had people that have had to leave the tour. I'll always have someone with me and they would take that person back. But in 10 years, maybe five people have had to go back because of the humidity and all that sort of stuff as well. Yes, I tend to get warnings. So, you know, it's coming up to it, chopping the heads off so you can go another way. The rest of us will walk around that way. Same with the fish, they're not killing chickens in the market anymore since bird flu and the porks are killed at an abattoir. But it comes in as a dead pig in the west, where you see a very sanitized fillets and no bones. And we've got so far removed from what we're actually eating. We don't even have to acknowledge that it's a dead animal. And I know, I really think the Vietnamese approach is much better. There is no wastage. They're not squeamish about having the blood of the duck or any of the organs. In fact, they're all the best bits. And the bits that would go first for staff meals. But it's. You know, we don't see that in the West.I totally understand being a vegetarian. Or a vegan, but if you're going to eat an animal, you need to acknowledge where it comes from and you should also eat the whole thing and not have the wastage that we have here in the West. Kerry Newsome: [00:14:15] Yeah, and I think that's where some of the education that comes in, one of the things that I learned very early on was the way that they would make use of absolutely everything, whether that's a plant, whether that's a vegetable or whether that's an animal and just how they could talk about the loaves and fishes. I mean, man, oh, man, they really know how to do that well, and as you say, we live in such a high wastage environment where we want to cut the fat off and we trim it. And it's hardly recognizable in the end, as you say, where it really came from. So I think it's a really good point. Tracey Lister: [00:15:01] And you mentioned not wasting fruit and vegetables either. So that's not being wasted, taking the peel of citrus fruit, drying it out with beautiful oils in there and taking them home and using it for hair washing or selling it so it's not a waste. Kerry Newsome: [00:15:39] And I think one of the other things I'd like to mention at the markets, which I found fascinating, was making noodles. Tracey Lister: [00:15:49] Yes, the noodles. Kerry Newsome: [00:15:52] And tell us a little bit about why these noodles are better than ours in the sense that they don't kind of clog up my gut like noodles at home. Talk to us about that. Tracey Lister: [00:16:07] Noodles in Vietnam have a shelf life for three hours. They don't throw them away after three hours. Again, no wastage. They will sell them cheaper. They might have them themselves for lunch. Often you get two baskets of noodles and that's for breakfast, but your breakfast tray and then you get another delivery coming through a couple of hours later with noodles for your lunch. And when you go there, you can actually touch the baskets that the noodles are in and they are still warm. They've been delivered from one noodle village into the markets and they're still warm. And when you go to a street vendor, you'll see motorbikes coming in all the time with fresh noodles. And you see the motorbikes around town, I might have five baskets on the back of the motorbike and stacked up on top of each other with the fresh noodles. And unfortunately, we just don't get that freshness here. Kerry Newsome: [00:17:28] It's just it was one of the things I first noticed, and in particular in Hoi An with the dish Cau Lau which has got noodles and one of my favorites; are they still made from wheat? Tracey Lister: [00:17:48] It depends on what noodles you're talking about. the most common noodle that would be for banh pho which is what goes into the soup and they are a flat rice noodle. Bun is another one, and that's a smaller rounded noodle, and that's when you grill pork belly and pork patties. and the rice in the noodle is slightly fermented. So the majority of noodles, I would say 90%, are rice. There is a little bit of wheat noodle. And then, of course, there's cellophane noodles which is what you put in a fried spring roll, or you might be certain other soup dishes, and that's made from some sort of starch.ht be certain other soup dishes, and that's made from some sort of starch. Kerry Newsome: [00:18:54] Right. So if you have gluten intolerant people on a tour, what dish would you steer them to then? Tracey Lister: [00:19:03] For traveling and being gluten intolerant in Vietnam and is pretty easy. Well the staple in Vietnam is rice, rice and fish sauce, and they can appear on every table and so pretty good with that. I’d just stay away from the Banh Mi. But there's so many other options and so many varied rice dishes and noodle dishes. Every village has its own kind of noodle dish or every region has its own dish that you have to try. There's not a lot of soy sauce used in Vietnamise cuisine, so again if you're gluten intolerant, It's not like going to mainland China where it's kind of appearing everywhere. My sister's gluten free and she visited quite a lot and it was never a problem. Kerry Newsome: [00:20:02] I think that's good to know. So what would be some of the dishes you would learn to cook? Well, in a class we mentioned. Tracey Lister: [00:20:19] On a talk about banana flour well banana flour is just absolutely beautiful, beautiful long purple bell shape. And as you peel off the outer layers, you can see what would become the banana, the hand of bananas underneath. But they are immature. So they are generally not Asian.You see the ladies in the market doing it and I do it with a knife no chopping board straight into water with a bit of acid. But chop it finely, as you can get it, put it in some water. It's a little bit of lime juice or some vinegar and that just washes off the slime because you'll feel your fingers are quite sticky and it also softens a little bit and stops going brown. Then it will start to brown a little bit in the same way a banana does want to cut. And then depending on what you want to put with it, it could be some carrots and beans. And again, there's all sorts of regional differences. There's a beautiful, vegan one where you use tofu and fresh lime to make the dressing. Kerry Newsome: [00:22:03] How selective should you be? Should you kind of look at the menu each time that they offer or see what they're going to cover in the class? That would be definitely a good class to do versus another one. Tracey Lister: [00:22:46] A lot of cooking skills or some cooking schools will have different menus they offer at different times of the day or on different days. So I'd look at that. And maybe when you're planning your schedules have a look. We would offer six different classes. Kerry Newsome: [00:23:13] And this is when you were doing these in Hanoi. Tracey Lister: [00:23:16] Yeah. And a very good friend of mine, she does amazing cooking classes and I know she has a couple of different menus and is very happy to adjust them or cater to people's tastes and requirements. So I just find out what's on offer. When I was in Hanoi, we would have six different classes, so we would have street food class food from Hanoi, a vegan class, one just about spring rolls, a seafood class. Kerry Newsome: [00:24:01] oh, that's a good variety, Tracey Lister: [00:24:02] Yes, so you could just look at the website and choose which one on a particular day you might want to do. And perhaps if someone is already locked into food from Hanoi, people will often say, let's go to the mausoleum. But to stop for supper when I come back, that's when you're doing your vegan class. So I look around and say, see if there are different classes on offer from the one that's I. Kerry Newsome: [00:24:30] Yeah, that's a good point. So we've kind of mentioned a little bit about the locations as in and your suggestion, I think to do a cooking class in each location that you visit, I think is a definite great idea. But talk to us a little bit about just what those differences are. So what's the difference between something that you choose to wait in Hanoi versus Hoi An versus Saigon? So give us some food. Tracey Lister: [00:25:04] In Vietnam it is very regional. What is consistent throughout Vietnam is the concept of five flavors. So Vietnamese meals need to be balanced, sweet, salty, spicy, and sour. So not in every dish, but in the five dishes that are making up that meal. Those flavors should be present some way, one or two might be more at the front, but might be more salty with the fish sauce and chili, but the other things might be there in the background like it's part of the salad mix. So that's consistent throughout the use of rice and fish sauce. It gets quite cold in Hanoi in December andJanuary. People can often be a bit surprised when they get off the plane. It's very much like a Melbourne winter, but it is short and only goes for about two months. So the food reflects that. There's a lot of hardier dishes in the north. For example, the spring roll that's very common in Hanoi is poached seafood bound with mayonnaise in a rice paper, wrapped egg and bread crumb and fried. So it's picking up a bit of the French tradition. It looks like a little croquet, but the mayonnaise is there, and that's perfect for the winter food. There's also the use of Chinese influence in the north because of the proximity to China. And I suppose in some ways it's a little bit more austere in Hanoi not to show, you know, it's kind of a quite a sort of place, a bit more conservative. Yeah. It's like Sydney, Melbourne, you know, it's kind of Sydney's beautiful and it's out there and it's bright and that's kind of Saigon and Hanoi. You've got a look for things a little bit more, but it's all there. And it's the truth. It's when you get to choose to find that and explore that. So when you get down to the centre a little bit more of the Thai influence, it's coming again because of the proximity to Thailand. So more lemongrass, more chili, the food gets to be hotter around more than people often prefer Hoi An food because it's probably more similar to what they've had back home. Tracey Lister: [00:27:43] They're probably more familiar with Thai food than they are with Vietnamese and as you get further south, getting more of the tropical fruits coming into a fruit can be used either to sweeten the dish or it can be used. If it's not, fruit can be used to sour the dish. And then we've got a lot more use of coconut milk down south. And then when you get down around the Mekong, you're picking up a lot of those could be in Malay spices coming into it. So the chicken curries that you might have had back in Sydney or Melbourne or Brisbane or whatever, they're generally from down south. But it's all delicious. Kerry Newsome: [00:28:33] It is delicious. Yes,I don't think I've had a bad meal in Vietnam. I really don't. And that's a rarity, I think,So, yes, I suppose I have a bit of an inside running. And, you know, for people listening, I'm hoping to give them the inside running to so that I can come away with a great experience. So when we talk about some of the cultural aspects of food and cooking in particular, I think you and I both agree that a great way to learn about Vietnamese and just some of their cultural history is through their food. You and I, the other day, we're talking about some of the funny cultural things to come out of what you know, and I think there was an egg story. Do you want to start with the egg story? Tracey Lister: [00:29:31] Oh, yes. So if you're taking a child to school and they're going to be sitting an exam, you don't want to give them a hard boiled egg on that day because an egg shaped like zero and you don't want them to get zero. That would be bad luck. But, you know, that might be strange to us. But when I was in Vietnam and we used to make hot cross buns every Easter for the expat community, the Vietnamese staff would just ask what is it putting on top of what is the cross and why are you doing that? So we have our own kind of tradition. But otherwise in Vietnam, it is linked more to culture and traditions and the diet will vary greatly. So foods are hot or cold, not the temperature, what it does to your body. So if you've got some sort of skin allergy, your blood's too hot. So you need to have foods that are going to come down. And that's kind of just ingrained in a lot of people in Vietnam. But wonderful food traditions like- don't eat ducks on the first of the lunar month. That's very unlucky. Not for the ducks, obviously, but for the very unlucky day. And maybe these things were originally about breeding cycles, these traditions in the same way in Europe, there are different Starkweather being different things on different days or don't eat at all. So I think that it probably related to perhaps breeding cycles at some point, but it's become part of the culture and the traditions. There's another great one that I love and particular day of the year you eat fermented sticky rice and it just suddenly appears and it's everywhere and you have to eat on that day and that gets rid of any worms. And I don't know whether it worked, but I certainly ate that fermented sticky rice on that day every year because it links you in and it brings you part of the community. It's something to do together. I mean, sharing food is such a beautiful, beautiful thing. Kerry Newsome: [00:32:06] Exactly. And I really love the reverence they have for food. They kind of treat it with respect. They use it as a means, as you say, to bring people together to share. They are always so welcoming. So no matter what there is on the table, if someone comes in, they'll always make room for you to join them. And I've had that experience many times and just overcome by their generosity. Tracey Lister: [00:32:42] Yes, there is a saying in Vietnam, which is “have you eaten rice yet?’ most people probably know anyway. And that's really saying, are you being taken care of, are you nourished?. And I used to find that really weird when I first lived there and it's like, why are you asking me all the time? Have I? And it's not like you had breakfast? It's eaten rice because rice is central. And yes, it is very important to have certain dishes you put on your altar at certain times of the year and then that all the food from the altar, of course, is always Asian and it's very special to have that food from the old. And so if someone takes an apple from the altar and gives it to you, even if you don't want to eat that apple, that is such a beautiful, generous gift and they pass on any good luck to you. Kerry Newsome: [00:33:39] Yes, and of course, the special food that comes out when they celebrate!! Tracey Lister: [00:33:46] Isn't there yet. So the Lunar New Year is the most important holiday in Vietnam and the most important food item for Tet. It is a sticky rice cake that in the center of it has mung beans and pork, it's wrapped in leaves and then it's cooked and it has to be cooked over flame. It can't be cooked on an electric flame or gas it has to be a wooden fire that it's cooked under for about nine hours. So generally everybody has a role like the children in the family will wash the leaves. The women would wash the rice, the men would cut pork, and then it's assembled and generally you might. 20 of them, it's a bit like your auntie who was in charge of the Christmas puddings for the family and she'd make 10 of them and give them out spread between the family. So somebody would be in charge of that. And actually riding around Vietnam on your motorbike a few days before Tet you'll see lots of big pots out on the footpath or on the road with the wood underneath and people just sitting around watching the cooking. And that's probably the most important. Dish, but. It's also one of the reasons why it is important that no further cooking is required, so you don't actually want to; you don't want to be cooking on the first couple of days of Tet. Kerry Newsome: [00:35:48] Yes and you know, we won't go too much into Tet some of the ceremony around the first day and we won't go too much into that because that's that's a whole episode just on its own just to talk about Tet but what I would like to grab you and your thoughts and your experience obviously in is social enterprise in the sense of the work that you did with KOTO. And and once again, one of my favorite places to visit in Hanoi. Tracey Lister: [00:36:22] Yeah. Kerry Newsome: [00:36:24] Is it particularly very special, so maybe for people as a great starting point and a means to, I think, give back if that's the best way to describe it to Vietnam? I always recommend a visit to KOTO. But because you have had such a very big role in KOTO, I thought maybe you might speak to us a little bit about KOTO history and what KOTO was about. Tracey Lister: [00:36:55] KOTO an amazing project training restaurant in Hanoi. I was lucky enough to meet Jimmy Pham, who's a Cabramatta boy, Vietnamese Australian man at that time he was only twenty-six. So he was quite young, went to Vietnam as a tour leader and just met the kids on the street, started buying meals and paying for them to go to school. And what they said was what we really want to do if we want to work and we want to take care of our family. And he said, well, what do you think we could do? And like a lot of people, I said we could run a restaurant. And that's where I met Jimmy and heard about his vision and thought he was crazy. And he's like, oh, look, I came back and there were problems along the way, but it's still going strong. So when we opened in 2000 had 17 kids off the street and KOTO is now recruiting, I think, class 30. And it's about 200 kids going through the program at any one time. And it's a two-year program. They receive a Certificate three from Australian training institutions. So it's very important to me that quality training was given and they stayed with the program for two years and covered things like life skills, integrating them back into the community, sometimes the kids are quite frustrated because. Estranged from their families and society. So it's sort of linking him back in money management, numeracy and literacy skills. So yet an amazing program and it's helped thousands and thousands of kids and their families all. I'll go and visit the families of some of the first and second classes that were my students. And when I first went there, they had a dirt floor. And I bet now they've got towels on the floor and they've got an extra real bathroom. All that sort of stuff. So it's an amazing program. So, yeah, when you go to visit them, make sure you go there. It's open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and coffee. You can go and have a Lamington. It's great for kids. So, you know, sometimes you're a bit exhausted after traveling. The kids are getting restless. And you want to take them somewhere with that great energy from you working at KOTO plus being able to have a toasted sandwich perhaps, or pasta, just settle down a little bit. So it's a good great spot. Kerry Newsome: [00:40:12] Yeah. And as you say, the food's good. The service, when you understand the history, the people that are serving you are really doing it from the heart. And you know that as a student, they're in a learning kind of phase. But the whole vibe, the whole energy of the place is always divine. And as you say, if you want a bit of a treat that reminds you of home or you're a little bit over rice or noodles, et cetera, you can definitely get some of those home traits. Tracey Lister: [00:40:45] And its supporting kids through the program. Kerry Newsome: [00:40:49] Exactly.As far as I'm concerned, Tracey. Look, I could sit and chat with you for hours about this subject, but I know you're busy, lady. I'm going to put some links to your restaurant and your cooking school in Melbourne, the Brunswick Kitchen. And so everything will be there for everyone that wants to get in touch with you and maybe attend one of your classes, because I know that would be fabulous. I know you're an author, so we're going to put links to your books. And I've also got a copy of that, which is most handy at times. Lovely to have you on the show. Really grateful for your time, your expertise and knowledge.

7a9010db-6536-4892-bc86-bd98867e1185Finding the best nightlife in buzzing Saigon The inside scoop on Saigon's best nightlife Episode 20 The inside scoop on Saigon's best nightlife 00:00 / 37:33 Arriving into any big city can be daunting for even the most seasoned traveler. Arriving into Saigon with a population of about 8.6 million people and over 9 million motorbikes can be downright “hair raising”. It's 2020 and most of the world is in lockdown, except maybe Saigon or HCMC as it is also known. Vietnam is doing well, despite it all. You’ve heard about the nightlife. You’ve read about how much the locals like to party. You know that in the bowels of this city there is an energetic bar scene just waiting to be found. Where are those amazing rooftop bars that showcase those vistas of the city at night? Where are those eclectic bars down alleys, upstairs, and hidden behind big heavy doors? Is it safe to go out at night? Download Transcript PDF Read the transcript here

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

S5-E3- Heritage and discovery in Saigon, The Mekong Delta and Dalat S5-E3- Heritage and discovery in Saigon, The Mekong Delta and Dalat Episode 03 S5-E3- Heritage and discovery in Saigon, The Mekong Delta and Dalat 00:00 / 1:14:40 In this podcast episode, I have the opportunity to introduce you to Vicki Thai, a Health Care Sales professional living in Utah, USA, with Vietnamese heritage. Vicki's family immigrated to the United States from Vietnam when she was four years old, and during her growing up, she had never given much thought to her Vietnamese background. However, a moment of vulnerability in her mother's health led her to realize the importance of experiencing her heritage. She decided to plan a trip to Vietnam with her mother and reached out to the "What About Vietnam" podcast for assistance. As I knew the background to the tour, I took great pleasure in planning this trip for Vicki and her mum, which included visits to Saigon, the Mekong Delta, and Dalat. These locations held special significance for Vicki and her mother, allowing them to explore their roots and connect with their heritage. Unexpectedly, the trip evoked strong emotions and a newfound appreciation for their Vietnamese identity. During their stay in Vietnam, Vicki and her mother engaged with the local people, immersed themselves in the country's culture, and marveled at the landscapes. This experience transformed Vicki's perception of her birthplace, instilling a deep sense of pride in her heritage. She also praises the warmth and thoughtfulness of the Vietnamese people, particularly their tour guides, and one in particular in Saigon, Ms Thuy. The episode highlights Vicki's journey through Saigon, the Mekong Delta, and Dalat, showcasing her awe and discovery of these places. I think for those who don’t live in their country of birth, you will relate to Vicki's story. Despite the trip going mostly smoothly, there was a minor glitch, illustrating that while many aspects can be controlled, some factors remain unpredictable. I believe Vicki’s account of her experiences with the locals reflects the country itself, and Vietnam's warm and welcoming nature speaks volumes about the nation's character. From the bustling vibrant city of Saigon, Vicki takes us by the hand as she describes her love of the bustling city of Saigon, to her awe and disbelief cruising through the Mekong Delta and then to discovering through the forests, the city of Dalat. A city she totally didn’t expect, while being her mothers’ birth city. At a deeper level this episode offers insight into the transformative power of heritage exploration and the deep connections it can foster. Download Transcript PDF Read the transcript here

S4-04 Vietnam Wedding Planning What About Vietnam S4-4 Planning a wedding in Vietnam Everything you need to know Kerry Newsome: 00:01 Xin Chào and welcome to "What about Vietnam!” So, I always want to make sure that I deliver something different on this show. One of the things that I feel is really coming up for Vietnam, and that is it becoming a wedding destination. Now, I know not all of us are getting married tomorrow, but sometimes amongst our friends and families, etc. We know people who are thinking of their future wedding. They're in their planning mode, looking for ideas, and something I wanted to share with you is that Vietnam is becoming a very idealistic wedding destination. 00:44 I've asked this lovely girl named Jenny. She is a wedding planner, based in Hà Nội in Vietnam. She has been involved with weddings for over 10 years now. As a wedding planner, she started off her career really behind the camera and putting together some of the photography sessions for the bride and groom to make sure that their albums look absolutely fantastic. So, that was her humble beginnings. That's kind of when she decided that she was good at organization, and she had good event planning skills. So, she would take it to the next level. 01:25 She started her career in beautiful places like Koh Samui, Bali, Jakarta, and other places in Southeast Asia, but came back to really build it in Vietnam. She's going to talk to you very openly and honestly about some of the aspects, some of the crazy things she gets asked. As she says, "The crazier, the better." They are always the most memorable. Managing people's expectations, of course, is a very big part of this role. So having a good team behind her, and a good team that understands some of the nuances of Vietnam and its destinations. The time of year, some of the legalities around that, and then travel arrangements. Obviously, with a wedding party, you've got at least two people coming, possibly more, as in family, and then you may have guests that you want to include, so it can be managing a bigger event. 02:28 She's got some great stories to share, I know you're going to love it. Please share with your friends and family who are thinking about getting married, because I'm sure a wedding in Vietnam would be something super-duper, and something wonderful to remember for the rest of your life. So, please welcome Jenny to the program. 02:49 Whilst I think being a wedding planner must be a super fun thing to do, I can imagine there's a lot to that job, like you have to cover a lot of people. I mean, people are a bit emotional about weddings, and they have very particular ideas in their heads about what they think they want it to be like and there's all of that going on, and you have to manage that. So what got you interested in becoming a wedding planner? Jenny Hoàng: 03:30 I think that it wasn't easy at first. I think it went all the way back to 2010 when I was working part time in a wedding video and photography studio. My job was to take care of the client requests regarding the decoration, the attire, the flower setup, the poses, before and during the shooting day. So, in short, I made sure that everything looked good in the picture. It was this one wedding where the bride specifically asked me to monitor her wedding venue the night before her wedding. 04:15 I feel the need to add in right here that I wasn't a wedding planner. I was a student working part time in the studio and the studio back then did mostly engagement photo shoots. So, my job was very simple. That was the first time ever that I had to take care of a wedding venue. The situation was that her wedding happened the next morning while the venue was fully occupied the night before by another wedding. So, we had to wait for the party to be over. 04:53 Then clean up everything so the decoration team could bring her flowers, and all of this happened after midnight. I think it wasn't a good idea for a bride who came all the way to the wedding venue at midnight, the night before her wedding day to check on it. So, I agreed to do it for her. But by midnight or by 2am she appeared anyway because she couldn't rest her head, she couldn't sleep, she had to come by and see for herself. And because I was just a photograph assistant, she knew that she couldn't just hand over the wedding to me. Remember that it was in 2010, a decade ago right, when wedding planner didn't even exist in Vietnam, event planner or a wedding planner wasn't a popular profession. 05:50 That's the moment when I realized that her nails weren't done, her hair was messy, and her eyes were puffy. It came to my mind that there must be someone who worked through the planning process with them in their shoes, who understands why they do things where they want in a specific way. What needs to be done in what way on time, is like catching sheep. I hadn’t even heard of the word, wedding planner before. And thanks to J Lo. I couldn't say that it was a good movie, but it was the first movie ever talking about the wedding planner. Every wedding planner can relate. Kerry Newsome: 06:48 There's a couple of things that I got out of what you've said in the fact that sometimes your chosen profession, in some ways, chooses you rather than you choosing it. You find yourself having a moment where you go, "Well, I'm good at organizing, I'm good at putting things together, I care about people, and I like to see them have a good experience." So, when people that I've met in the travel industry are event planners, some of those event management companies have then decided to specialize in weddings, because it's a major event. 07:38 What adds an extra level of complexity to being a wedding planner, in Vietnam, when you are selling your skills or offering your skills to foreigners is you are not only planning their wedding. As in the two persons that are key, the groom and bride, but you are also managing the travel aspects of the wedding. And all the people in the wedding party, and sometimes many of the guests. So, it has a couple of extra layers of complexity to it. 08:19 And why I wanted to have you on the show, Jenny is I believe Vietnam is growing in this area of becoming a wedding destination. I think it deserves some exposure to the rest of the world and my audience for this show is global. So, I've got people in my audience that are sitting in Canada, in the US, Europe, Australia, and Vietnam, I might add. But I don't know whether or not they would initially think of Vietnam as a destination for a wedding. 09:00 So, having you on and talking about your experiences, I think is going to give people some extra insight into Vietnam, getting on the radar for people as a destination for a wedding. So, in that vein, why do you think Vietnam is an ideal destination? Now, you and I talked before the show about Bali and Thailand and all those other countries that are possibly 20 years ahead. Why is Vietnam a really great place to come to for a wedding? Jenny Hoàng: 09:42 I will not oversell my country right here. I love Vietnam so much. I'm very proud to be Vietnamese in every way. I have to add it here that I started my career as a destination wedding planner in Thailand, Koh Samui to be exact, and everyone who listens to the podcast knows about Koh Samui that it's a wedding heaven. Where 1000s of couples travel to the island every year to get married, to party, to have the honeymoon. So, I've been in one of the busiest wedding destinations in all of Southeast Asia. I've been to Bali as well, I traveled to Korea to see how the wedding industry is developed, how developed it is over there. Also, Jakarta, where the biggest wedding fair happens every year. I can see there are several elements for couples to choose a destination for their weddings. 10:52 Vietnam has the advantage of having three UNESCO heritage sites. Since we are very long in shape, we have very different landscapes, and we have different climates. Up in the north, you can have mountains with European- like weather, if you don't want to get your guests to sweat over their dress, you can bring them to the north where the mountain is beautiful. If you love the beach, and your spa lovers and all your guests really like to have a warm bath every day, besides the wedding days, you can just travel to the south of Vietnam. One thing about having a very diverse topography is that you have a very diverse cuisine as well. So that's the first thing. 11:48 The second thing is about the flavor climate where you can save and sow, have your wedding out for at least nine months, our 12 months of the year. I think the third element would be availability. So, no matter how beautiful or famous the landscaping is, the lack of services needed for the wedding will be a big obstacle in the organizing process. Vietnam is one of the 10 fastest growing economies in the world. So, service availability is guaranteed in this year, or the next 5-10 year. We have connectivity to put on the table as well, it is about how easy you and your loved one can travel to the place. 12:43 Normally in a city wedding, you don't have to figure out how you get there. For destination weddings, I think connectivity is very important. Of course, there will be the popularity of the place. I know that Vietnam is not that popular, like in Thailand or Bali. We couldn't say for now that Vietnam is the top choice of wedding destination. I really wish that I could invite Leonardo DiCaprio to star in the beach remake movie in Vietnam because even though he's old now he's still got his charm. We actually have the King Kong: Skull Island movie shot in the north of Vietnam a few years ago. But compared to 20 years old Leonardo, I think that Thailand has the advantage of 20 years ahead because they have the beach and Leonardo starred in those movies. The Gulf of Thailand was so famous two decades ago. If you can hear me, Leonardo, please come to Vietnam. 13:55 And then, I think the competitive costs in terms of the beneficial rates for foreigners to have their weddings in Vietnam, the stability of the currency, and the average cost of the service will be one very important element for couples to look at when they compare destinations. Kerry Newsome: 14:23 So, Jenny, where do most of your guests come from? Where do your brides and grooms originally come to you? Do they come to you more locally or are they coming from overseas countries? Jenny Hoàng: 14:42 So, before COVID 60% of my clients came from Australia, the US and Russia. Mostly, they are a mixed couple who are Vietnamese married to a foreigner or people with Western background. People who live abroad, or maybe they study abroad, get very close to the Western wedding traditions, and they want to do things differently in Vietnam. That is something about the people who choose to wed the non-traditional way. 15:23 Most of the couples who choose Vietnam, because they have seen their friends posting their wedding or honeymoon pictures in wedding heavens, like Phuket, Samui, Bali before, and they want to keep an eye out for a novel tropical wedding destination. They think that Vietnam is really worth exploring. I want them to know that it should be easy to bring your families and your friends here, from halfway around the world to a tropical country and have your celebration there. Kerry Newsome: 15:59 I think that's a really good thing. When you're talking about a couple and then sitting down together to plan a wedding, obviously, they're going to be tossing around lots of different options. I think, if they are creative people, if they're people that want to do something a little bit different. I know, I have spoken to another wedding planner that was doing some work. This was before COVID, and I think you know her, Nadine. She was saying that people who do decide to have a wedding in another country, are very open to new ideas. They're very creative. They're looking for something special and something unique. They also want to make it very special for their guests. 16:53 Sometimes, families are meeting each other for the first time. Sometimes, the husband's friends don't know all the bride's friends. So, there's a really big coming together. And I think that opens up lots of different experiences to have in Vietnam, as you said, on the beach, in the highlands of North Vietnam, there's just so many different experiences. In my time traveling back and forth to Vietnam, I have very often run into a group of guys that are celebrating the pre-wedding, bachelor party, and they're having a lot of fun. I've caught up with some girls that are over there the week before, and they're getting their dresses finished and being made and tailored in Vietnam, as the bridesmaids. Talk to us a little bit about some of the strange requests that you get from these brides and grooms. If anything stands out like wacky ideas? Jenny Hoàng: 18:05 They'll question, "Are we bringing back good memories?" And since you have mentioned Nadine, I just really missed the time. Nadine was actually one of the first foreign wedding planners in Vietnam, who did weddings for foreigner couples. She's a pioneer in inserting Vietnamese wedding features into foreigner weddings that make it a mixed wedding where your guests travel 1000 miles to the wedding and then see and experience a new culture. So, I think it's very unique. That's the thing that I learned from Nadine as well. That's the philosophy that I try to work with my destination wedding clients too. 19:05 And going back to your questions, do I have any strange requests? I have strange requests all the time. I’ve had couples who paraglide from a cliff to their ceremony. I’ve had a couple who rock climbed to their ceremony on top of a mountain in Bali. And I also just did a cruise wedding in Hạ Long Bay, one of the three UNESCO heritage sites that I mentioned before. I just did a cruise wedding there. And every wedding is uniquely designed for the couples, and I try to guarantee a novel firsthand experience because a wedding is a social event. It's somehow a social event where you still have to impress and take care of your guests. It's so personal on so many levels we make it very distinctive from other types of events. 20:07 I have been doing weddings for 10 years now. And it's safe to say that nothing actually can surprise me anymore unless our beloved audience right here who are listening to these podcasts, and maybe come up with a more wacky, crazy idea. I would love to hear them, because there's so many possibilities that we can do together in Vietnam. Kerry Newsome: 20:29 And I think you're right. I think there are so many different possibilities. When I interviewed Nadine, and this is all early stages of COVID. She was still getting inquiries, because at that stage, we didn't really know what COVID was going to do, or how long it was going to last. If you were to talk about actual destinations, as in, what are some of the best wedding destinations in Vietnam? You mentioned in the highlands, we've talked about Hội An. I've seen people that had weddings in caves in Vietnam, like all sorts of places. What's your thoughts there? Jenny Hoàng: 21:21 I would love to share with you a cave wedding that I did, come by with a cruise wedding. So, they have a cruise wedding, and we have a cave that can be registered and used for weddings during sunset time. So, the idea was to bring the whole family onto a cruise. Then by the sunset time, we have smaller boats, bringing them to this island. So, they walk 500 meters through a beautiful natural cave to a very white powder beach. When the flower art is set up, and the couple is waiting for them it’s very beautiful and emotional for the guests, because even in Vietnam, they don't even know that they can experience something like that. 22:21 So, to say the best places in Vietnam to have the actual wedding, I have so many names in my head right now. It really depends on which elements you prioritize. If you look for something super fun, a beach city that gives you the Thailand vibe, you can go to Phú Quốc Island, the very South Island of Vietnam. Where it is getting promoted to be the tourists’ heaven. And thinking about the Genting Highlands in Malaysia, Phú Quốc is developed in the same way. 23:09 If you look for something more natural, more relaxed and laid back, we have big cities and islands to choose from. If you are very keen on having something unique, there's so many places that we can actually do it. Like Nadine was so smart when she picked Hội An because the lovely old town gives you everything you need, and is just near the beach. It had a very diverse cultural background. Kerry Newsome: 23:43 You're right. I think Hội An, I know from just my limited experience, because you've got the old town. It's just such a beautiful place for your photography. And you've also got the beach at An Bằng, you can do something on the beach there. So, you can really mix it up in your photos. That's where I've actually bumped into most of the pre-wedding or post-wedding celebrations. Do you want to tell your story now about the hangover story? I thought that was hilarious. You should add that now. Jenny Hoàng: 24:27 That's crazy. That's hilarious. So, as a wedding planner, and then a destination wedding planner. I believe that 50% of a destination wedding is the destination where I take care of the travels of the guests, of the accommodation, transportation and all the activity before and after the weddings with families and friends coming together. 25:01 This is one story that I will remember for the rest of my life because reality is stranger than fiction. And I watch movies like Hangover all the time. In the movie, we have bachelor parties that went crazy, someone's missing, lost their tooth, having a baby in the bathroom. We think that it shows movies. But it was from my experience that I have a groom that disappeared the morning before the wedding day, they went to a bachelor party the night before, and got reported that they went back to the hotel by 4am. But by 10am, when the bride came into the room, and looked for the groom, he wasn't there. Nobody knew where he went, the groomsmen confirmed that they all left the bar together, even the bar confirmed through CCTV that they left, and he'd just gone. 26:16 Everyone's just freaked out, we rushed to the beach, we filed a police report, and you can tell that it's chaos. It's not like runaway bride movies, they love each other, and he can't wait to get married to her. So, it couldn't be a chance that he ran away. Then I think just half an hour later when one of the resort's staff found him on the beach, around a few 100 meter away from the resort. In the condition that he was half naked, and he was wearing a tutu, as in a ballet dancer skirt. He was sleeping like a baby and safe and sound next to a beach dock. And nobody had a clue how he got there; he didn't have a clue why he got there. Then he suffers from the heat of the sun. Just like the Hangover movies. 27:24 That's where I got the idea that reality is sometimes stranger than fiction, because it's just out of my mind that a junior wedding planner, like me, would have encountered a situation like that. But every wedding has its grain of craziness in it. If you look at it as memories, it is going to be beautiful, you can laugh about it for the rest of your life. If you look at it as a flaw, or the pressure of perfection, if you think that your wedding is going to be the way you wanted it, I can confirm that you are going to be very shocked, that is not going to happen. Kerry Newsome: 28:14 And you're right, that's just being human. I know some brides turn into bridezillas. I had this conversation with Nadine as well. And I think, there is that level that everybody wants it to be absolutely perfect. Actually, some of the gems to come out of a wedding is when things don't go exactly as they should. They're the memories that everybody can relate to and laughs about, they pick up the photos later. They're the ones that take you into the future, and you'll never get that time back again, and nor should you. So, just in wrapping up, Jenny, do you have any hints or tips or anything you'd like to share with my guests who are thinking about Vietnam as a wedding destination? Do you have anything you'd like to share to them that can help them plan and make this decision? Jenny Hoàng: 29:16 Even if I say to you now that Vietnam is on the rise as a new wedding destination, we still have some disadvantages. I wouldn't say disadvantage, but then compared to other wedding heavens, where you have to do everything very novelly. So, the first thing that you should watch out for is that Vietnam is a very cost-effective destination. But cost effective is not equal to cheap. We have to look at your destination wedding as a travel holiday experience. If you can compare the price to having a holiday in your country and in Vietnam, then it would be more competitive than if you compare the cost in Vietnam to other well established wedding heavens in the same area, then it might not look that inviting to you. I can guarantee you that with the services developing in Vietnam right now, the image of Vietnam will be way promoted into a developing, more modern and well established one with a great sound service in the future. Kerry Newsome: 30:41 I think where we're going with this is that countries like Thailand, and Indonesia and Bali, etc., have been marketing those destinations for many, many years. So, they're way ahead in the marketing of those countries as wedding destinations, they're featured in travel magazines around the world, etc. So, with that comes some knowledge, obviously, that they really know their stuff, they really have set venues, and they really downplay it. That also means that when you're looking at those destinations, you're probably looking at those destinations with thousands of others. So, you've got the disadvantage of, maybe having to book way more in advance, and you've got to queue up. And there's applicable prices, etc. 31:31 What I like about Vietnam, and what I'm delighted to talk to you about is that Vietnam is in the developmental stage of this, so you can get to be a little bit more creative. I think, you're going to get a little bit more originality, maybe there will be some things that are not exactly perfect. Planning for the unexpected, I think should be part of any wedding plan that I've ever been involved in. They are the star moments that you get to hold on and share down the track and have a good laugh about. 32:06 I think cost wise, it's a really good thing to bring up. Sometimes I think Vietnam gets thought about, or there's the perspective that everything's cheap. That everything you buy in Vietnam is cheap, or it's a copy, or it's a fake. This comes up on my podcast a lot. And I really want to try and dispel that everything is cheap. Sure, you get great value, that's a different way of saying cheap, it's not cheap. I'm saying you get really good value for your money. I think it is very competitive. So, in the Southeast Asian region, Vietnam is coming up as a wedding destination, because of all of those factors. You've got 3800 kilometers of beach side; you've got the variance of weather. And see, that's another thing people don't even think about because Vietnam is having cold weather. Let me assure you in the north, it's freezing in January. Jenny Hoàng: 33:10 Yeah, it's freezing. Kerry Newsome: 33:12 Absolutely, January, February, you could be wearing a fur coat to your wedding. So, I think, the variables available make it extremely attractive. I mean, who would have thought that you'd be skydiving or landing on your wedding destination that way? Well, that's where the originality comes in. I think, when you take that care, and I really love hearing that you want to make that experience really special for them. Because I think Vietnamese have a really great way of showing, you know, really good service. 33:51 I can't think of too many places that would be running around beaches, trying to find the guy that was asleep with the dog on the beach. A lot of us would just say, he'll have to just find his way to the wedding where I know that there would be staff at the hotel, you and your staff would be also running around trying to find him to get him back in time for the actual event. Jenny Hoàng: 34:22 Thank you for putting the word in, I really appreciate it. For me, Vietnam is a novel experience and to pay for experience is not cheap. But then due to all the advantages that Vietnam is having, we are a growing economy, we are learning from Thailand and other tourism destinations. We try to promote our country. There are possibilities where you can have your experience here at a very affordable cost. You will be one of the many first ones who see Vietnam and have your wedding in Vietnam, amongst your friends, and have a very novel taste of it. Kerry Newsome: 35:19 Absolutely. Jenny Hoàng: 35:21 Can I add one more option? Kerry Newsome: 35:22 Yes, sure. Jenny Hoàng: 35:23 Since travel to Vietnam is a bit more complex than in Thailand, or in Bali, make sure that if you are planning your wedding in Vietnam, you get in touch with a wedding planner who has experience in travel. Or at least have the experience of marrying couples or foreigner couples in Vietnam, because the transportation will be a little bit more complex than others. So, you want to make sure that you and your guests will be comfortable and relaxed when they come to the wedding. Make sure that you book a wedding planner with experience in this criterion. Or if your wedding planner doesn't have it, then try to find a tour agency that takes care of the travel for you. That way it helps you take the loss of your shoulder, and then 100% just enjoy the wedding in our beautiful country. Kerry Newsome: 36:27 I totally agree with having the travel experience and knowledge, just simple things like meeting the person at the airport for pickups and drop offs at the hotel. Just so that those kinds of things go smoothly because they can easily go off the rails. Okay, Jenny, thank you for being on the program. I'm really glad you're able to come and talk about weddings and hope to be talking again soon. Jenny Hoàng: 36:55 Thank you, Kerry for inviting me and I really hope that we can see more and more couples hearing this podcast. I'm sharing it with their friends and family, since Kerry's podcast channel is very helpful for not people who want to get married in Vietnam, but people who are curious about our country and our culture or planning their holiday here. It also could be very useful for you too. So, thank you Kerry for that as well. Kerry Newsome: 37:26 That's my absolute pleasure. Kerry – Let me help plan your travel arrangements along with Jenny - https://itsvietnam.com/blog/vietnam-perfect-wedding-destination/ We are here to help make this special day one you and your friends will remember forever. LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/hoang-anh-duong-vu Email hatmemwp@gmail.com Other projects that Jenny works on https://www.facebook.com/groups/kinhnghiemweddingplanner https://wsen-vietnam.org/ Press and Media: https://dantri.com.vn/nhip-song-tre/co-dau-chu-re-dap-du-luon-toi-dam-cuoi-tren-canh-dong-ha-noi-20161214073425709.htm https://www.weddingchicks.com/blog/a-gorgeous-styled-wedding-inspiration-in-vietnam-l-17395-l-41.html https://www.weddingchicks.com/blog/how-to-have-the-perfect-beach-wedding-in-vietnam-l-16441-l-43.html https://www.weddingchicks.com/blog/elegant-beachfront-wedding-in-vietnam-l-17588-l-43.html

81fddd7d-8d67-497b-8500-29c80f9e6466Leaving a positive footprint through social enterprise Jimmy Pham on leaving a positive tourism footprint through social enterprise Episode 7 S3-07 Positive tourism 00:00 / 38:52 In today's episode, we are going to be talking about responsible tourism, impactful tourism, and social enterprise in Vietnam. To open our eyes and our hearts to social enterprise there is no one better equipped to do so, than my guest today Jimmy Pham. Jimmy Pham’s name is synonymous with social enterprise In Vietnam. As the founder of the KOTO organisation, Know One, Teach One, 23 years ago. Jimmy will tell us how one trip back to Vietnam changed his life. As a Vietnamese Australian, Jimmy will share with us how social enterprise businesses are influencing change, and breaking the poverty cycle of millions in Vietnam. As a traveller we get the chance to be part of that positive change. Download Transcript PDF Read transcript

S5-E23 - Caving and Trekking in Phong Nha’s Tu Lan Cave System S5-E23 - Caving and Trekking in Phong Nha’s Tu Lan Cave System Episode 23 S5-E23 - Caving and Trekking in Phong Nha’s Tu Lan Cave System 00:00 / 34:58 A Thrilling Underground Adventure – Exploring the Tu Lan Cave System with Oxalis If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to swim through ancient caves, trek through dense jungle terrain, and uncover one of Vietnam’s most pristine underground worlds, this episode is your backstage pass. In this episode of What About Vietnam, I sit down with my husband, Andrew Newsome, who is still riding the adrenaline rush from his once-in-a-lifetime expedition through the Tu Lan Cave system in Phong Nha, Vietnam. Led by the elite Oxalis Adventure team, this four-day trek pushed him to his limits, but he loved every minute. While he says it is both physically and mentally challenging— judge for yourself if you think your fitness and skills are up for it. What to Expect in This Episode: • What makes Tu Lan different from its famous cousin, Son Doong • The fitness factor – Who is this expedition really for? Can a regular traveler take on the challenge? • Would you expect this kind of outdoor experience in Vietnam?– Jungle treks, river crossings, and nights under the stars • What does the experience of swimming through caves feel like?– • Flawless organization – How Oxalis delivers world-class safety, guidance, and an unforgettable experience • Food in the wild – Yes, even in the middle of the jungle, the meals were next level This is not just another travel story. This is an adventure that redefines what’s possible in Vietnam’s breathtaking landscapes. In all our years of visiting this country, rarely has anything impressed my husband this much—and that says a lot. If you're an adventure seeker, nature lover, or someone looking for an epic bucket-list experience, this episode will leave you lacing up your trekking boots to start training, and itching to book your own Tu Lan expedition. Tune in now, and let’s dive into the adventure of a lifetime. [00:04:28] Caving expedition motivation. [00:07:41] Fitness levels for jungle trekking. [00:10:15] Expedition planning and organization. [00:16:30] Hiking through jungle terrain. [00:21:07] Organised adventure in Vietnam. [00:22:51] Delicious Vietnamese jungle food. [00:27:15] The beauty of the caves. The book tour Andrew did is here - https://oxalisadventure.com/cave/tu-lan-cave-system/ The show with Howard Limbert that inspired Andrew - https://www.whataboutvietnam.com/series-3/episode-22/vietnam's-phong-nha-caves---in-depth Download Transcript PDF Read the transcript here

S5-E27 Discovering Catholic Treasures of Vietnam S5-E27 Discovering Catholic Treasures of Vietnam Episode 27 S5-E27 Discovering Catholic Treasures of Vietnam 00:00 / 44:19 Get ready to discover a side of Vietnam that remains largely unknown to most Western visitors Vietnam’s northern provinces hold secrets beyond the usual tourist trail—and in this episode, we go “church hunting” to uncover them. Joined by my returning guest, Ha (Hannah) from S5-E18 – Hanoi Below the Surface, we explore the stunning Catholic heritage in regions like Ninh Binh and Nam Dinh. With roots dating back to the 16th century and flourishing during French colonial times, Catholicism in Vietnam has left behind a breathtaking legacy of Gothic cathedrals, convents, and monasteries. We visit iconic sites like Phú Nhai Basilica and Bùi Chù Cathedral, as well as hidden gems like the Chau Son Monastery. All in flourishing communities. Ha shares her local insights and personal reflections as we trace the footsteps of history through quiet villages brimming with faith, architectural wonder, and community spirit. If you thought Vietnam was only temples and beaches—prepare to be surprised. These soulful spaces welcome all who seek beauty, history, and a deeper connection to place. The Churches we saw in our trip are listed below. Church 1 -Bui Chu Cathedral Church 2 - Phu Nhai Basilica Church 3 - Kien Lao Church. Church 4 - Hung Nghia Church Church 5 – Chau Son Monastery Church 6 - Phat Diem Stone Cathedral Download Transcript PDF Read the transcript here

S5-E6-Explore the ‘Land of Lychees’ – Bac Giang with return traveller to Vietnam S5-E6-Explore the ‘Land of Lychees’ – Bac Giang with return traveller to Vietnam Episode 06 S5-E6-Explore the ‘Land of Lychees’ – Bac Giang with return traveller to Vietnam 00:00 / 40:19 Bac Giang, is a pictureesque province in northern Vietnam. It’s one place you most likely won’t see hit the social pages and news till around the time of the Lychee Festival. This vibrant event is held in June, and celebrates Bac Giang's reputation as the "Land of Lychees. In today’s episode Bac Giang and the subject of lychees are front and centre, as I get to share the story of a photographer named Jessie Pearlman, a previous guest on the podcast, who embarked on a return trip to Vietnam, driven by his love for the country and his desire to reconnect with friends and explore new experiences. This show delves into the motivations behind his journey; the significance of the lychees to the region and the community, and how best to navigate a visit there. Jesse has a wonderful gift for self-expression and description which will immediately transport you to the experiences he had during his time in the heart of Bac Giang province, Luc Ngan, the township designated as the biggest growing township for lychees. He provides valuable tips on organizing your trip and strongly recommends it as a destination to visit, just a short 2.5-hour drive from Hanoi, especially for photographers and tropical fruit enthusiasts. This is an off the beaten track location and experience, so information is as Jesse describes, hard to find. Therefore, we have the following links to the people who helped him create his trip, which we hope will help you too. Phung Lan, Tour Guide for Luc Ngan Lychee Harvest in Bac Giang Province: https://www.facebook.com/kalydao.phung Lan's Tour Company: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100076182891385 By visiting lesser-known regions like Bac Giang, we can contribute to the local economy and make a positive impact on the community. Let's make a conscious effort to explore off-the-beaten-path destinations and give back to the places we visit. Follow Jesse or get in touch via his IG page here - https://www.instagram.com/pearlmanj1/?hl=en Download Transcript PDF Read the transcript here