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

f95cbcc0-460f-45ef-a101-7e7674afa267Unrivaled golfing experiences and locations Greg Norman isn't the only one raving about golf in Vietnam Episode 11 Greg Norman isn't the only one raving about golf in Vietnam 00:00 / 50:30 Vietnam is well known for its magnificent natural beauty, culture, great food and tropical climate. However, it is fast becoming better known to golfers for its unrivaled golfing experiences and locations. Part of that is due to the promotional work of Greg Norman - Vietnam Tourism Ambassador. With Norman’s global presence, vast background in golf, business and experience designing and building some of the top resort golf courses in Vietnam and around the world, he was identified by the Vietnam Ministry as the ideal candidate to help the country capitalize on the influx of international tourists looking to experience first class golf resorts in one of the most unique and visually stunning destinations in the world. Now don't get too excited ! We don't have Greg on the show. Better still, we have Chrissy Hordern, a strong, avid player who is accustom to taking groups all over the world including the US Masters, Ireland, and Europe. You will love the detail she will give you to the courses she has played. Download Transcript PDF Read the transcript here

S4-03 Travel Outlook 2022-23 Vietnam Travel Outlook 2022-23 Episode 3 S4-03 Travel Outlook 2022-23 00:00 / 58:37 This is a Podswap from the Conor Kelly & Kerry Newsome interview - ComebaCK Podcast #371 If you are sitting on the sidelines Googling madly, watching and reading social media chatter, but still unsure if it’s a good idea to take your next holiday in Vietnam, or go back there?;- then this show is for you. Why? Because Conor asks the questions I think many of you want to know the answers to. The doors are open, but is everyone rushing through the gates? And if not? Why? This is a totally different show. As I am the guest, not the host on the ComebaCK Podcast and this is what we call a Podswap. Essentially this allows me to share his show with you, on my channel. Conor Kelly, the host and ambitious podcaster of his own show ‘ComebaCK’ generously invited me to come on his show to talk about my thoughts on the future of travel in Vietnam and the ‘What About Vietnam’ podcast. Of course, I was delighted to do this, as it gave me a chance to share my journey with Vietnam from over 15 years working in the travel industry, talking with Vietnam travel organisations, industry boards and chambers, and travelling back and forth. Conor and I got down to business very quickly and settled into a hearty discussion on my personal history with travel in Vietnam as far back as 2007, and how I am tracking Vietnam’s comeback!! Great name for a Podcast, Conor Kelly. So here you have it - Ep #371 ComebaCK To make it easy- Some of the subjects we covered are here:- 00:02:34 – Kerry’s first visit to Vietnam 2007 00:08:33 – The travel boom 2019 to now 00:10:13 – When Covid hit 2020 – Kerry’s reaction 00:14:48 – Keeping tabs on Vietnam during Covid 00:18:16 – The launch of ‘ What About Vietnam’ 00:20:21 – What’s trending on the show 00:29:54 – Tourism forecasting beyond May 2022 00:36:01 – Over-tourism to sustainable tourism 00:37:27 – Hidden gems needing more promotion 00:42:54 – Managing over- tourism – some ideas 00:46:35 – Crystal ball – 2022,23,24 travel trends 00:48:45 – Sustainable tourism opportunities 00:51:35 – Is Podcasting a good platform to inform people on travel in Vietnam? 00:56:01 – How to access Kerry and What about Vietnam If you prefer to read please check out the Transcript on the www.whataboutvietnam.com website. Download Transcript PDF Read the transcript here

S4-19 Vietnam wins the heart of the daring Why Vietnam wins the hearts of the daring Episode 19 S4-19 Vietnam wins the heart of the daring 00:00 / 45:11 Is Vietnam for the daring? The brave hearted. Or is it a country that you can feel confident about challenging yourself in, no matter what is daring for you? If Vietnam feels like a leap of faith to you, then press PLAY. In today’s show we explore some of the things that contribute to making Vietnam a country you can feel safe in, and yet you can push your own personal boundaries. For some people visiting any country in the S E Asia region can feel like a deep dive into uncharted and circumspect waters. If you'd like to experience Vietnam with a sense of curiosity and confidence then my guest today is just the person to allay any of your fears, real or otherwise. Once a tourist to Vietnam from Barcelona Spain, now General Manager of the Fusion Original Saigon, my guest Alvaro Moreno does a wonderful job of identifying those often-unspoken gems that make travel so easy in Vietnam. As a lover of travel Alvaro shares some of the ways in which Vietnam can offer the traveller the chance to challenge themselves in relative safety, and on a range of budgets. He speaks about the high level of connectivity within the country digitally and how easy it is to travel about using various modes of transport, made easy to book on any mobile device through an App. You may be surprised to hear his favourite foodie experience. We touch on the growth of the country and its forward thinking that’s changing its appearance to the tourist and offering them more choices. A competitiveness that adds up to different levels of experiences in the country. He has worked on the pre-opening phase of three hotels and one re-brand in Vietnam over the past 8 years, and he sits with great pride in his staff and hotel as GM of the Fusion Original Saigon Centre. If you would like to check out his hotel - https://saigoncentre.fusionoriginals.com/ You can follow the hotel on their social pages: FB - https://www.facebook.com/FusionOriginalSaigonCentre/ IG - https://www.instagram.com/fusionoriginalsaigoncentre/ YT - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5iXwi8aX-x256XtjDNosxQ Download Transcript PDF Read the transcript here

563d5888-0c4a-4aa2-bc33-874a4fa3d98eHow Danang offers up a new kind of experience Chilling out in Vietnam's most liveable city - Danang Episode 16 Chilling out in Vietnam's most liveable city - Danang 00:00 / 20:42 Danang has really come of age! One could say the "Age of living better", as todays guest Jonathan Kiely offers up his insights into the chilled out vibes of Danang. A fun Irish lad who left Ireland in search of adventure and who found himself drawn to the beachside city of Danang where he has decided, he might just settle for a bit, as he rates it as one of the best “Chilled out” cities he has ever visited. Jonathan left his high pressure job in Ireland to go traveling. He landed in Vietnam and despite the Covid Pandemic he opted to stay on and live the life of “Riley” so to speak as an Expat. A year and a half on, Jonathan gives us his version of Vietnam and his experience of Danang and the local community which he has found an affinity with through various health and well being programs. He raves about the people and the environment in which you can explore your own creativity. Plus, you can SURF. Download Transcript PDF Read the transcript here

237094e6-207c-48f9-8161-68f4458ddf60In this session, I talk about food, people and experiences. Vietnam Travel Planning Episode 1 S1-01 Vietnam Travel Planning 00:00 / 27:16 In this session, I talk about food, people and experiences. What's in store for history buffs, adventure seekers, and luxury travellers. They say that the best way to understand a country is through their food. boy, are you in for a treat. I’d like to share with you my experiences with the people and what you can expect from their hospitality. What kind of trip do you want? Let me share with you my top 4 main categories of experiences. And where you have to go to find them. I invite you to the Vietnam I know and love. Download Transcript PDF Read the transcript here

0fb6c539-013e-4680-af6e-b74130a97da9Is Vietnam family-friendly? With guest Suzie Slingsby. What About Vietnam - Series 2 - 3 Is Vietnam a Family Friendly destination? Kerry Newsome: Xing Chau ,and Welcome to What about Vietnam? Today we tackle a question that comes up a lot. Is Vietnam a family friendly country, and does it cater to kids? I'm lucky today to be putting this question to my well traveled guest, Suzie Slingsby Slingsby. Suzie Slingsby's had the privilege of traveling over many years, working in the financial services and the travel industry. And while she's a busy girl, as she is a board member for a local credit union, I caught up with her in Lennox heads Australia. We had a good chat about her visits to Vietnam and how much she loves the country. Suzie Slingsby has a beautiful daughter, Bella, and as a family they've traveled to Vietnam several times, and she says, There's really good reasons for that. I'd love you to welcome Suzie Slingsby to the program. Hello, Suzie, Welcome. To What About Vietnam? Suzie Slingsby: Thanks, Kerry Kerry Newsome: Look great to have you on the show for many reasons. As I know, you're a very well travelled person and certainly done are few trips now to Vietnam. I know you also travel with your lovely daughter Bella, who I think has got a birthday very soon. She's coming up to eight. That is. Oh, God, That time went quick. You know, when people think about Vietnam, possibly their first thought is not to think about it as a family friendly or kid friendly destination, But I'm glad to hear you think otherwise. So tell us a bit about why you do think Vietnam is a family friendly destination and maybe give us some tips for our listeners. Suzie Slingsby : Sure thing. I think there's one of those things with Third World countries where sometimes people think they're a bit apprehensive about taking small Children there. And I suppose certainly some countries we wouldn't take hours to other. However, I mean, Vietnam, for us, has always been one of those places since the first time we did take Bella, was you know, what's not to love about it. You've got good weather, amazing food. The people are friendly. It really gives them a good introduction to different cultures in a really safe environment. And I think you know, my daughter is probably not dissimilar to a lot of others that sometimes they need a good dose of gratitude. I guess I'm thinking of how other people live in very different circumstances. It’s a good experience with some really fun stuff for them. It's a really good learning lesson, Kerry Newsome: I think you're right. I think opening Children's eyes to another culture and just seeing how the other half live is a big thing. I know I took my grandson last year and I thought, Gosh, even just getting him away from a device was going to be a challenge. But he just embraced it. I mean, how do you think Bella goes? Does she? Does she love it? Does she get really into Suzie Slingsby : She does. She actually tells everyone her best friend is in Hoi An now, which is quite humorous because she's only met this little girl a couple of times. However, and apparently it's her best friend, Um, but she enjoys every time they see each other, and while the girls doesn't really speak any English, thats pretty great. But those two can play for hours and have a really good time & somehow they speak a language that they both connect and have a great time together. Kerry Newsome: I think you've been there about three or four times. Do you think It's kind of grown up or adapted to the foreigner to bring Children and made it a little bit safer and a little bit more family friendly? I know they've got a lot more attractions that cater to Children these days. Do you think? Suzie Slingsby: Its changed? Yeah, I think the last couple of trips I've noticed that, you know, with some of the theme parks and you know, some of the facilities that are a bit better for Children, as well. I mean, the people have always been very friendly, and that's great. I suppose the only thing for me that hasn't really changed is probably the traffic, but your Children get used to it. I think that's probably the scariest thing about our trips is, you know, trying to cross the road. Particularly in Hanoi. But I think the more you go on, the more they're exposed to it and they get a bit of common sense about it. They understand it'll work. I think Vietnam is doing a good job of trying to have something for everyone. And Children are definitely getting catered for in that mix. Kerry Newsome: I definitely agree. So do you have any kid friendly advice for parents; things they need to just be aware of? I mean, sometimes the food is an issue sometimes. As you say, it's the getting around bit or getting a across the road bit. But you know, any advice for parents traveling with with families that would be useful? Suzie Slingsby : Well, I think you know, our daughter can be a picky eater at times, that's for sure. But we never found a meal where we thought, Hang on. There's nothing here she can eat, whether it was, you know, chicken fried rice, or whether it was something that they had catered for, um, you might. You will find a lot of places have Western food as well, if that's what you want. But there's not too many kids that wouldn't eat rice or a spring roll or chips or something like that. So we didn't have a problem with food. There was also, like some really fun treats as well, like in the night markets where they make hand rolled ice creams and things like that they love. That was the highlight having those things. And they're actually not as naughty as the treats that we have at home. So good to know someone. That's my excuse, because I was eating them as well. But they have this delicious food everywhere. Kerry Newsome: I know when you're talking about the night markets. I think there is, uh, there's one that kind of has this Effervescence that comes off. Did you see that one? I know my grandson tried it and, you know, like I think he had that brain freeze. He got brain freeze because it was so cold. But because it was so, you know, the evening was so hot. You know, it was like he said, “I'm still eating every drop of this because I want to cool down”. And I went OK, go for it. Suzie Slingsby : Yeah, it's a bit like that Liquid nitrogen you get in the nice hotels, But you're buying it on the side of the road with bits of fruit. So I did have a few pieces like, Oh, well, yeah, but that's all part of the fun, isn't it? Kerry Newsome: It is. It's all part of the experience. Exactly. TOP 5 THINGS for KIDS Kerry Newsome: So does Bella have a top five things to do? Suzie Slingsby: I did actually ask her to give me the top five off some of her trips and some of them surprised me and may be hard to get across the board for a lot of people. RIDING A BUFFALO Find this fun right at the top of her list was actually riding a water buffalo. Um and it was I would not have gone. I would not have guessed that at all. Well, let's just say the video of me on the water. One buffalo has been deleted, but I would say that is quite a good one for all ages. SIDE CAR RIDE TO TAM KY Um, but somehow Gary found this sidecar company where you can actually get the motorbike with the sidecar. Now, I was quite nervous about this because I'm a bit of one of those careful girls, when it comes to safety all the time. And I was like, it was just gonna be safe enough. However, we all had helmets. We had the three of us on the bike. So Gary was on the back behind the driver, and Bella and I were in the little sidecar. We had a motorbike that was like the guide who was in front of us for the traffic. So it was a really nice adventure, and they took us out through the rice paddies and we somehow ended up where these water buffalo were, and we all got out and they had a man on the water buffalo. And one by one, we all had a ride through the river. So it was remember a with buffalo was right up there. THEME PARK - VIN PEARL LAND There was a theme park called Vin Pearl Land and it was just out of Hoi An on the way to Tam Ky, and you turn up and it's like a Disneyland, but with very few people and for about 1/10 of the price, I can't remember exactly in my mind, I'm thinking about $30 or something. It was not expensive, not expensive. There was zero lines we thought. I think at the time we went there, she might have had have been six or five. I kind of remember maybe six on. We thought all a couple of hours, and we'll leave, but after 8.5 hours we had to go. The hotel was actually ringing us up to say, Do you want the driver to come yet? We had to drag her out of there. But they had everything. There was a water section. There was a zoo like the headline from Jurassic Park. Yeah, it was amazing. So we're feeding giraffes, then we had the roller coasters, then they had also I'm not a gaming huge gaming fan, but included was this indoor gaming center fully air conditioned? So if you need to escape the heat, the parents could sit in there, um, and have a drink, and then they can play on some stuff. So that was a huge day. WATER PUPPETS We believe it’s on in a number of places. But we did see that in Hanoi, and that was really spectacular, actually. And it's, I think they're beautiful. I highly rate them, and it is back to the olden days of it, isn't it? It's not the most over the top production, but it was really well done. And she said that was very high on her list. LANTERN MAKING Next one is very random. Um, she did some lantern making and really enjoyed that. They so Ah, lovely lady in the night markets. Well, actually, not in the night markets in the old town. I think she waas um and she had a beautiful stall, and so she would teach the Children how to make lanterns, and they could keep, um and I suppose, on the making theme. Another thing that Bella said in the same breath was there was a place where you could get little stamps made and you could get stamps made of yourself of your teacher of anything that you wanted, you could just take Wow. Thanks. So that gives, you know, some idea. Kerry Newsome: I think I know where the place, it's in Hoi An. BIKE RIDING Another thing to really enjoy was bike riding. We used to do as a family. As we've said, the traffic could be rather hectic. But bike riding is definitely the way to get around in a lot of places. So we'd get up early in the morning, get on our bikes in whatever shape and form they were. Um, and luckily, the hotel in, um, Hoi An had good bikes, Thank goodness. And all the brakes work, so we would go out cycling down the road. She thought It was quite hilarious watching me on a bike,ha! We woud go exploring out with the villages and go on to have coffees. And that was the highlight of the day, I must say, that was really nice. Kerry Newsome: And there's those little tracks. The only way you can get on those tracks and go into the paddy fields and, you know, really experience the local farmers at work like they've done for hundreds of years. The only way you can really do that is on the little bicycles. Some are motorized. Have you seen the motorized ones? Suzie Slingsby: I aay sucked into the good old fashioned pedals. That was really good, but I mean, it just seemed there's so many things that was actually quite hard to get her top five because there's so many impressive things like the That IMPRESSION SHOW OR MEMORIES SHOW HOI AN MEMORIES SHOW Suzie Slingsby: That's another point about the memory show. Yes, and there's thousands of people in that production. And you think it's spectacular. It's not expensive. It's such a show. And you think, Where else could you go and see all of this for this price? That was That was in there as well. But that's sort of around at her top list. Kerry Newsome: Okay, that's fantastic. Okay, so just to finish up our session, Susie, uh, you know, just on, I guess, if you are preparing for a trip. What would you say is a good length of time? So you can fit everything in and do everything you want to do in a good space of time. How much time should people allow, Do you think? HOW MUCH TIME SHOULD YOU ALLOW? Suzie Slingsby: Well, I'm one of those people that likes to withdraw on your holiday, and I know it's not a huge, long way to go, but I would think you probably need two weeks at least, because don't forget, depending on the time of the year, it can get really hot and your kids can get really exhausted. So we always made sure there was a part of the day where we were just swimming by the pool on, depending on the heat of the day, whether it was riding or whatever. But, um, I said, That's a top tip as well. Make sure you have a pool because you will definitely use it a lot. Um, and it's nice for parents. Have a cocktail by the pool while the kids having a good time. But I did find, um, one time we were there in July, when its very hot. Bella was exhausted. We'd go out and do something for a couple of hours, and then she was actually sleeping during the day. She was just so exhausted. So just make sure you give yourself time. But I wouldn't rush it because there's so many places to see. Kerry Newsome: Thanks very much, Suzie, it's been great to have you on the show. I look forward to talking to you again about maybe some other experiences and exploits that you've had in Vietnam.

f95cbcc0-460f-45ef-a101-7e7674afa267Unrivaled golfing experiences and locations What About Vietnam - 2 - 11 Greg Norman isn't the only one raving about Golf in Vietnam Kerry: Xin Chao and welcome to What About Vietnam. Today in our episode, we explore Vietnam as a golfing holiday destination, and we take the journey with the lovely Chrissy Hordern who joined me on a familiarization tour back in May 2019. Now, while Vietnam has over 60 courses to choose from, our focus was on central Vietnam. Vietnam is certainly popping up on the radar as a major golfing destination. Let me assure you, Chrissy Hordern herself has played all over the world and has hosted groups to the U S masters. And she's a very experienced and talented player. She's got a lot of knowledge and I think the kind of person to give you some qualification, just on how the courses do compare with the ones that she's played within other countries. Chrissy herself is a tour host, and ambassador for Teed Up Golf in Australia and as I mentioned, a very talented player and in the group really gave everyone some stick during the 10 days that she was with the group, and enjoying the courses in Vietnam. I think to give the listener who is a golfer, the information they need to decide, you know, what about Vietnam as a golfing destination, Chrissy will have a lot to offer you. You'll soon pick up I don't play golf, but as I was the Vietnam host, it was my job to show her my Vietnam, which just quietly I think she fell in love with. Golfers stay tuned we are up early and about to tee off, welcome to the show, Chrissy Hordern. Chrissy Hordern: Thank you, Kerry, great to be with you this afternoon. Kerry: We've got a lot to get through and you know, really going to be picking your brains, but I'm going to start right at the beginning and I'm going to start when you got the invitation to come to Vietnam. What did you think about that idea? Firstly, first impressions. Chrissy Hordern: Well, I was really excited about the possibility of going to Vietnam. Because as you said, I'd never been to Vietnam before and actually I have very limited experience really in golfing in Asia and I know that Vietnam is an increasingly popular golf destination. So, I was keen to go and experience it really, it was a wonderful invitation and one that I jumped at and was lucky enough to get a seat on. Kerry: Great. And I was glad to have you for two reasons. One, because you had traveled extensively around the world playing golf and as you say, your experience in the Indochina region was fairly limited in this area. So, first impressions of Vietnam for you were? Chrissy Hordern: Well, I guess in a nutshell it was wonderful, how many days? 10 days, 7 days and I actually can't wait to go back. Unfortunately for COVID that's been a bit of a spanner in the works just for right now, but I'm keen to get back there and take people back there as soon as it's possible to travel. I had a great time, I absolutely loved it and I guess first impressions it's busy, it's everything you expect from Asia. I think there were 90 million motorbikes or 130 million motorbikes in Hoi An city. Kerry: You can usually add so many zeros to that and that will probably be close. Chrissy Hordern: So, yeah, it's out of control, but you know, the great part about that is that once you actually get on a golf course, or once you get to a spa or a retreat you can just step out of the craziness and into luxury and just have this wonderful combination of everything. Kerry: So, our first stop is Hoi An and we're going to use Hoi An as a bit of a base to play two courses; Vinpearl Nam, Hoi An, and Montgomerie links. So, Chrissy Hordern tell us a little bit about your stay at the Nam Hoi An resort and those courses that we played from that hotel as the base. Chrissy Hordern: Well, the Vinpearl resort was a great place for us to be based really. I mean, it's on the coast right on the beach there and there's a thousand miles of coastline in Vietnam and this is a fantastic sort of part of it. It's a very big hotel, I think it's about 430 rooms and a hundred add villas where we stayed, and they were really well appointed. And you know, it's got all those facilities that you want from a big hotel. So, it's got gyms, spas, pools, all that sort of thing. And located in close proximity to the golf courses, so that was a great place for us to be. Personally, I guess I'd probably prefer something smaller, but for a golf holiday and particularly if you've got a short period of time and you just focused on that one sort of area, I'd say it's a great spot to be. Kerry: And it's in an ideal location from a transport perspective to access the courses that we played as it's about 20 minutes out of the actual old town itself. The Nam, Hoi An Golf Club or the course itself is actually right at the resort, along with a Safari park and Nam Hoi An land, which is a bit of a mini–Disney land. I mean, it's a space, all of it, let's be truthful there. So, we were able to get you onto the course nice and early and very easily, because you were actually staying at the resort to actually access your play on your first day. So, it was a new course, wasn't it? It was about a year old. Chrissy Hordern: Yeah, the other great thing is that it's located pretty close to Danang and to the airport. So, it was actually a quick hop when we actually arrived in, which was fantastic as well. We got in pretty late, so that was great, it wasn't a long journey to actually get there. Yeah, the golf course the Vinpearl Golf course is within the resort. It's about a five-minute drive and that was fantastic. You know what, I think if you going on a golf trip, probably that's a really good golf course to kind of launch your holiday. It's a link style course, it's relatively new, it's built on sand dunes as links courses are, it's got nice and a generous fairway, and it's just a really nice golf experience. So, as I say, a nice place to start and instantly, you sort of introduced to golf in Vietnam with the caddies that are there. And they are predominantly. I am not sure if it's mandatory to have a caddy in Vietnam, but I would say to people, you know, don't even think about not having one. It's all part of the Vietnam experience. And they're predominantly women, they're gorgeous, they go out of their way to help you. I think costs 140,000 dong, which is about $8.50 to actually secure a caddy. And that just bear in mind that that amount of money just goes to the administration. So, that doesn't really go as far as I understand, I don't think most of that goes to the caddy. So, they are then reliant on about a 20 us dollar tip at the end, and they work incredibly hard for the $20 tip. So, they'll guide you and make sure that you don't go down the wrong path, they'll stand at the tee and tell you the best direction to hit off the tee. They may never have had around a golf in their entire life, but they have been trained within an inch of their lives on where to hit for each shot on that specific golf course and also, they can just read those greens impeccably. And they know that their tip is probably based on how many putts you seek. So, I'd say put your trust in them and you'll putt really well. In fact, I don't think I've ever had better in my life, they were fantastic and they'll, they'll get water for you, they'll steer the cart, they'll get food, they'll do all those sorts of things. And at the end of the round, they'll give you a little paddle that has their name on it and you basically, you're invited to put the pedal into a box and I think there's about four boxes and so you are rating them. So, if you had an excellent experience, you put it in box one, if you had a not such a great experience, you put it in box four. So, they're working really hard to get their name in box one. There must be some sort of incentive program associated with that, I don't know possibly that the people who are rated number one or that the caddies that are rated number one, maybe given the best and high net worth players when they come individually or whatever. But anyway, it all helps to really maximize the level of service they over deliver. And it's a great part of that experience and very cheap. Kerry: And let's face it that's kind of a unique aspect to playing golf. Isn't it in Vietnam? I mean, definitely that's a kind of a personality to it. It adds I think just some uniqueness to it and as you say, like the stories about the paddle, that's the first time I'd heard about that. I know they work hard for their, for their tips and for any praise that they get just lap it up. But I think just how they feature in the whole game experience is unique to Vietnam. Chrissy Hordern: Definitely, and, you know each course has its own crew of caddies that have a different uniform. So, and they're gorgeous, like for instance, at Montgomerie links, they've got, what I'd assume is the Montgomerie Tartan from Scotland. And so, that features very much in the you know, in the caddy uniform, but it’s got its own sort of Vietnam flavor. So yeah, it really is, I think a very special part of the experience. Kerry: So, moving from the Vinpearl Nam, Hoi An Golf Club, the next day we played Montgomerie links. So, tell us just a little bit about that course. I mean, it's been designed by the golfer Colin Montgomerie who you would know all about, but tell us about that course. Chrissy Hordern: Well anyone who is a golfer and has been playing as long as I have, knows Monte really well. I mean, he's a legend of the game. And clearly, he loved Vietnam and being from Scotland, you know, the opportunity to create a golf course, that's on the coast there, and a link style course was obviously really up his alley. And I think he's probably very proud of it. It’s set at the foot of the Marble Mountains sort of on the central coast and from various halls, you can actually see the Marble Mountain. Whereas Vinpearl is in an area where there's a lot of construction happening and so, I guess what you're seeing on the horizon at Vinpearl, although it's a really great golf course the surrounds maybe not quite as attractive, but once you start to get to courses like Montgomerie links the scenery really starts to become a feature. And yeah, I mean, there's more water holes that you'd normally find on a traditional links course in Scotland. And the pot bank, well they're nothing like they are in Scotland. They're more sort of, I guess, wasteland, which is probably a really good thing. But yes, it's a world-class course, it's very, well-regarded, it's got lots of facilities, it's got a wonderful golf clubhouse and a PGI Academy, that kind of thing. So, I would say a golf trip to Vietnam is probably not a golf trip without, including Montgomerie links. Kerry: So, we were staying as we mentioned out at the resort, which has a little bit of inconvenience as far as transport is concerned into the old town. So, it's about a 15-to-20-minute trip back into the old town. We did spend a couple of nice nights, if you recall, in the old town. I certainly enjoyed taking you on a river cruise where we had dinner on the cruise, but you tell your experience of Hoi An and the old town experience. Chrissy Hordern: Yeah, look, I loved the old town of Hoi An, and I guess if I was taking a group of people back there personally, that's where I would elect to stay. Look at it as you say, it's a UNESCO world heritage site now. It's being renovated, I think sort of very much for a showcase really for the tourists, but it's not, I don't think it's kitsch at all. I think it's just got a wonderful charm; it's located on a river that was say in the old days was a flourishing port and a meeting place of East and West, and you still get that feeling there that the people who live there, I think are very proud of it. You've got museums, assembly halls, temples, a lot of the old homes have sort of wooden doors and carved things and open airy rooms. And many of those have been sort of, I guess, converted into fun restaurants and things. You've got rooftop bars, it's a lovely atmosphere. And I think it's been really well restored, and some gorgeous hotels and I think a great place to stay. Kerry: And it's walkable, isn't it? Like, it's easy to wander around. It hasn't got the chaos of a major city, like Saigon. Chrissy Hordern: No, not at all, it's easy to walk around, Kerry: But you might have to step over a few wires here and there. Chrissy Hordern: Not just the wires there are street vendors everywhere. And yeah, as we said 50 million motorbikes and that kind of thing, but it's not actually as you said, it's not as chaotic as the big cities. I mean, its just built on a whole other level. But I just think it's got a wonderful charm, you could walk everywhere, you can go to restaurants, the bars were fun, you know, you can have tailoring done. There's a lot to do for non-golfers, for instance, if you've got people with you who are non-golfers, they can happily fill in several days, I think you know, in the old city of Hoi An and certainly not run out of things to do. Kerry: Definitely, and I think also it's very much, well from my perspective. Anyway, it seems to create a different atmosphere at night, like with the lanterns. How did you find that atmosphere? Because that's quite an experience. Chrissy Hordern: It's very special, I just loved it. And that's why for me, I think that it has a lot more charm and character than probably you sort of staying on the coast. Yeah, can't wait to go back really. Kerry: That makes two of us. So, as far as the heat is concerned, how did you find the heat? Now you'd had two days playing, we did manage to play early in the morning, and I think that's probably worth mentioning, but how did you go with the heat and how did, how did the people you were playing with go with the heat? Chrissy Hordern: Some managed it better than others but look I'm a bit of a Queensland girl these days, so to be honest, I have to say that I think I coped with it pretty well. We were there in May, which means its starting to get hot, it was hot. I can't remember, but it would have been late thirties every day and if you're not used to the humidity, which I'm used to it so if you're not, it's a challenge. The great thing about the golf of course, is that you're in carts all the way, and the caddies will have ice with them. And they'll have these funny little sort of ice pouches that just fit in around your neck, which are fantastic, and they keep filling those up at ice stations and things. Kerry: And umbrellas. Chrissy Hordern: And umbrellas and they hold an umbrella over your head when you're going onto the green, etc. I was absolutely fine but again, if I were taking a group of people back there, I probably would go earlier than May. Because you know, a lot of people would find it challenging and some of the people actually in our group found it challenging and actually towards the end, I think a couple elected not to play the final round golf, crazy I don't know why they did that. But I think a lot of that was actually just really due to the heat. Kerry: Struggling due to the heat. Chrissy Hordern: Yes, absolutely. Kerry: And I think, when I talk to people and they are considering going, I do try and encourage them to go earlier in the year, you know, around the, the kind of March, April, probably latest as the best time of the year. Because let's face it, you want to enjoy the experience, you don't want it to be unbearable out there. And if everybody's wanting to play early while you're going to struggle to get that tee times that you want. So, I think sharing with our listeners, if we can encourage them to go earlier in the year, I think that's the best idea. Chrissy Hordern: Yeah, well I think correct me if I'm wrong. But I think the rainy season is actually from May through September, so you want to avoid the rainy season and the heat. So yeah, absolutely. I would say probably depending on where you go, of course, North or South it differs a little bit, but you probably February, March would be ideal February, March early April. But I know people that have gone in October, November and really enjoyed it as well. Kerry: Being in October at the moment which I believe Hoi An is flooding. So, you know, it's a bit “ luck of the draw.” Countries that live on that part of the globe, but yeah, who knows. Now we went on to Ba Na Hills after this. And we, we went up to the Ba Na Hills theme park, but we also played then at the Ba Na Hills golf club, which is kind of at the base almost of the Ba Na Hills theme park. Maybe tell us a little bit about that experience. Chrissy Hordern: Ah, Ba Na Hills was wonderful and I think more like Montgomerie links, I put it as a definite on your list of courses as its designed by a PGA tour player Luke Donald. And I think it's actually Luke's first golf course design and one that he should be really proud of and it's managed by IMG, so, it's a pretty sort of sleek operation. It's located in the foothills of Ba Na Hills. And look, it's won lots of awards, it's set amongst impressive mountain ranges, it's challenging, it's exciting. And really the two nines are quite different than the first nine is sort of say Parkland with a bit of forest and the back nine sort of weave its way through the hillside. So, it's got some blind holes as well, as certainly some blind shots up on the greens. You’ve got no idea where the hell you are going that's why you kind of rely on your caddy, where do I hit? So, actually, I mean, I was just itching to go back and play it again. Because once you actually played it once, you know, you do have a better idea of where you're going, yeah, that was certainly a really special experience. They've also got look, there's a mix of playing lengths there and what I mean by that is there's various tees. So, you can either elect to hit off a longer tee or a, or a shorter tee. And so, for the higher handicappers, for instance, for the women there is a much shorter tee to hit off, to make the round, I guess, more enjoyable for those that are going to take a few more shots than those on a lower handicap. And I think that's a great thing actually about, Vietnam really and golf in Vietnam is that it's a fantastic destination for golfers of all abilities. The lower handicappers will be really challenged, but the higher handicappers have an equally enjoyable experience. And you know, other destinations in the world are not quite so user-friendly particularly for those on a higher handicap. Kerry: And what would you say because when we think about golf and certainly from a planning and a tour perspective. First things come to mind to me is kind of a bunch of guys getting together and going away on a trip, you know, kind of a bit of a boys trip. I mean, how would you rate Vietnam and your experience of that, is it the place for the boys trip? You know, are they going to get to do what they want to do there. And maybe speak a little bit to the entertainment side of it. Chrissy Hordern: Sure, well I mean, it's a great destination for groups of boys who may be celebrating a 40th birthday or a 50th birthday, or I don't know, just having a boys week way. And I think you can actually go for a week if you were just going for a week, I'd say, just go to somewhere for instance, like you Hoi An or Danang, and play all the courses in or around that one area don't try and do too much. And so, you could have a great week of golf and you know, the food and beverage side of things is look, the foods absolutely fantastic and alcohol is very, very cheap, particularly beer, if you’re a beer drinker. So, it is one of those destinations that really, you're not worried about your credit card statement when you get home, it's a very inexpensive destination. You'd almost have to say that really, it's a first world experience probably at more third world prices in a lot of instances. That may change there's so much construction things going on. You kind of feel like Vietnam it's about to go to a whole new level. Kerry: Yeah. Chrissy Hordern: It does have that feeling and so I guess part of me thinks I really want to get back there soon before, you know, while it's still really authentic. And that's the part I still love about it now is that it's still that way, although there's so much of the old new, and a lot of new is happening it still feels like a very authentic experience. So, yes great for the boys' trips and great for couples too sort of traveling together and there's really, there's accommodation to sort of Absolute luxury and style, or you can... and it's still very affordable. Or you can stay in a really nice hotel that's really pretty cheap. Kerry: Yes, and I think the fantastic thing about Vietnam, it does offer that range. I mean you can spend a hundred dollars a night and get four-star quality. And I think that's quite rare. I mean, if you would agree with me…. in Australia, four-star is pretty average, a four-star hotel or a three-star hotel is not flash at all. Where four-star over there is still pretty flash. Five-Star obviously I think for what you pay in Vietnam and because depending on the rate of exchange, what dollar you're using, you are getting a good bang for your buck kind of thing. It's buying you a lot more in Vietnam than it is in say, if you exchange rates into Europe or the U S etc., Because you're losing so much on the exchange rate where you're gaining in most cases in Vietnam. Chrissy Hordern: Sure, I mean, I think it's a very affordable destination, you know what I mean. I go to a lot of places in the world, you know, for instance you know, I take groups into the U S masters for instance, and as much as sort of every golfer probably has that on their bucket list to once in their life go to the U S masters, I'd say, you know what, absolutely do it, if you can. Financially, it really is out of reach for a lot of people and even a lot of Iconic golf courses in the U S are out of reach. I mean, for Pebble Beach, now probably it's about 600 us, it's very difficult to access unless you're actually staying at the lodge at Pebble Beach. So, you know those things really if you're going away with a group of mates, for instance, that's just for the most groups, it's just not a possibility, ….whereas you can go to Vietnam and you can have a really great time and it's just not going to cost you a lot and it's going to be accessible a lot more people. Kerry: Sure, now we did a little detour while we were at Ba Na Hills and where did we go, Chrissy Hordern? Chrissy Hordern: We went to this extraordinary French replica village called at the top of Ba Na Hills which was …...look it's at the end of the longest non-stop cable car in the world. And I have to say, I think that was actually the best part of the trip, it's extraordinary. And that was really special and the scenery going up and back is incredible. And at the top you've got sort of this massive Buddha. I think it's about; I don't know how tall it is, it's just absolutely massive. You've got manicured gardens; you've got this fantastic sort of golden bridge that's held up by these giant hands. The giant hand I think they are stone, are they stone? They look like they're stone it's just fantastic. But the whole, the whole experience up there is it's very kitsch, I have to say it is kitsch, but you know what, when I got home and looked at all the photos, they're fantastic. I just go, oh, wow! That's impressive. Kerry: So, I'd say as long as you actually know what you're in for, I'd still, if I had a group of people and half were playing the golf course, I'd still send the others up to Ba Na Hills to have a look at it. Chrissy Hordern: For the day, maybe. Kerry: Yeah, I have a day trip up there. And I think it's actually, it's a nice day trip. Yes, it's got the secret gardens, it's got the funicular up too, as you say, the Buddha, in its original form it was a wealthy retreat for the French when they occupied Vietnam. So, some of that replication of buildings, etc., where we think it looks a little bit, Disneyland is actually taken from its pure origin, which was because it's a lot cooler up there. The French used to try to escape the heat because traditionally they wouldn't have been accustomed to that level of heat. So, going as high as that to get away from it was their plan and they built these little chalets. The Mercure Hotel actually runs and operates, I think about six of these chalets around the actual Hill development, but someone took it over and has converted it into a theme park. So, it's really designed for families and possibly more for Vietnamese to visit who may never get to Disneyland & who may never get to the theme parks that we may be accustomed to in our countries. It was really designed for them. And I think you'll agree that they are 90% along with the Koreans and maybe Taiwanese people who love it as well. I think it's something that they just say is WOW, as they kind of entry pointing to what France or French colonial village may look like. And then some of the other aspects of the gardens and the wine cellars, and things like that. So, that's kind of the background to Ba Na Hills, but I wanted you to experience it. And so, maybe say, okay, well, we've done that, but you know, it probably may not do that together. I know the boys in the group, they weren't overly thrilled, but once again, as I said, well, now when somebody says to you do you want to go to Ba Na Hills? You'll be able to give them a heads up as in to. Chrissy Hordern: Oh, absolutely. I mean, I was so glad we went there and look as you say, it's not about us, you know? And I think different people want different things. And if you actually go up there knowing all those things, and I think if I sent people up there, I'd give them that kind of an intro as to the history and the background of it. I think there's a lot to love about it. So, I think don't rule it out, I think it's just one of those things you have to take it for what it is. Kerry: Take it for what it is. Absolutely. Chrissy Hordern: Exactly. Kerry: So, then we moved on and we headed out to Lang Co to play the Laguna LangCo course. And we stayed at a resort out there, called Vedana Lagoon Resort. Tell us a little bit about your experience with the course and that location that we stayed at. Chrissy Hordern: Well, from Ba Na Hills, we went to Vedana and we played the course the following day, and I think sort of having played sort of three rounds of golf and had a fairly hectic schedule, it was a perfect addition to the itinerary. You know, it was an opportunity to kind of get out of the hustle and bustle in the chaos and actually just stop. And you know It was hot and so, yeah, after sort of three or four days we were tired. So, it was a great place to go. I mean, the resort sits on about 27 hectares I think of land, right on one of the biggest lagoons in the whole of Southeast Asia. I think I'm right in saying that, and it's kind of low key, which is to love about it as well. The accommodation is sort of villas & bungalows, beautifully appointed. They've got their own private sun decks and balconies that sort of lead out onto the lagoon or to a private garden. In fact, the bungalow that I had there was a veranda onto the water and then at the back, there was like almost little courtyard that was covered over in totally private and I had a rain shower there. So, having a rain shower there and just looking up at the stars and actually, I think we had a brief thunderstorm when I was under the shower, which it was just really special, it was absolutely fantastic. So, look it was a great place to just read a book, ride a bike. I had a 90-minute spa treatment, which I think was the best spa treatment I've ever had in my entire life. Kerry: Yes. Chrissy Hordern: The treatment rooms were all on some little bungalows, you know, again, sort of looking out over the lagoon and you had the boats going past with the fishermen in them, that kind of thing. It was just gorgeous and, you know, the dinner we had, I think there were two restaurants, we went to one obviously. And look the food was delicious a really nice atmosphere, but not stitched up or over the top or anything like that. It was just laid back and oh yeah, a lovely experience. I mean, my only regret was that we didn't have more time there to be honest. Kerry: Yes, and I think the time factor is something I want to get to maybe a little bit further down the track during this conversation because time people say, oh, you know go for a week and you can play five courses and all the rest of it, but would you want to push yourself to that kind of level? Is the question maybe I'll ask you at the end, but tell us a little bit about the Laguna LangCo course itself. Chrissy Hordern: Yeah, well another golf course to love as well, designed by another golfing legend, Nick Faldo. Again, it's a link style course, but it's built in natural rugged terrain. There are mountains you've got coastal views. You really feel like you're in Vietnam. So, I loved that there's rice patties and all that sort of thing. So, yeah, I loved that course, and I can't wait. I'd happily go back there and play it time and time again. Kerry: And I think out of the courses that you've got on offer in that what we would call central Vietnam region, we didn't get to play the BIG Danang course. And there's since our trip there has been the opening of Hoiana Shores. So, as you said before, basing yourself in Hoi An or Danang you do have access to a really great range of courses to give you I guess a variety of experiences and a variety of, is the word ambiance, as in you've said many times about Lang Co and Ba Na Hills, like you really felt like I'm really in Vietnam now. I'm in Vietnam and playing in the surrounds, you know, hitting across Paddy fields and things like that. So, we based this tour with you around this central region as a bit of a hub, and would you agree that it would be a good base to spread your wings as far as playing is concerned? Chrissy Hordern: Definitely, I mean, you've always got to leave something for next time and certainly you know, Greg Norman's BG Danang course and Robert Trent Jones Jr. Hoiana Shores as you say, which is new. I mean, they definitely will be on my list for next time. So, yeah, as you say, if you've got a week, probably a week or 10 days, you can easily fill that being based in Danang or Hoi An and playing golf and allowing yourself a little extra time for a day or two off, I think we madly put together golfing itineraries and play six courses in seven days and time and time again, when you've done that, it's really great, but you get to the end and go, oh, I wish we'd had a day off in the middle. So, you know, I think try and mix it up if you can and try and just base yourself in one place, particularly if you've got limited time and I would say that's a great spot to go. Kerry: And I think that was kind of my plan in building in the Vedana resort opportunity. As I just sort of felt that people would look for a little bit of a rest spot from the heat a little bit of chill out time, you know, a chance to be relaxed & kind of take the pace down a tad because you were going to be playing Lang Co the next day. And it had been a bit go, go, go, I felt. But everybody was so excited and keen and everything because you want to experience everything, but as you say, if you get to choose it yourself you might go and you know what, I could've done with just one extra night more and I hear that so much, so many times. Chrissy Hordern: I think so, I mean, if it is the boys group, probably for the 50th birthday, they probably wouldn't be going to the spa resort. And so, it's probably for a slightly older demographic people that have more time. But then again, you are finding younger people going on these trips who actually need to check in with their office, they need to answer emails or be available to take zoom calls or whatever for a day. So, if that's the case, then actually you know, Vedana could be a really good place to have a down day where people can just attend to all those other things that they need to plus have a rest. Kerry: Good idea. So, now we finish up at Lang Co, we then head to Saigon and we're down to our last sort of 24, 48 hours. And you're going to be playing at the Vietnam golf and country club course, which is located in fairly easy access from Saigon. So, we're back into crazy, we're back into a city, which is known for its craziness and you either get amongst it, or you don't. And I think we got amongst it by getting you around the town a little bit, took you to the local markets, Ben Thanh Market, which, you know everybody has to go to Ben Thanh Market, it's just kind of the thing you have to do. So, I think you we embraced that pretty well. And you're able to get all your bits and bobs to take home, you know, gifts and souvenirs, etc. But we managed to fit in also a little bit of extra tailoring, I believe, Miss Chrissy Hordern, just a few extra little things that I think we then shared amongst our luggage, if I recall. Am I right? Chrissy Hordern: Absolutely right and you can go totally crazy, I mean and we did, I bought a lot of stuff and it was fun. I mean, even the trying on things and being measured up and all that sort of stuff. I guess with the beauty of hindsight, I'd say, and you'd probably agree with this, looked Vietnam was a great place to have clothes tailored. I would say, go with a plan, take some of the favorite items with you that you want to have copied or I think I'll just decide when I'm there often, it's just totally overwhelming. And you know, there's so many fabrics and so many designs and things you can often go home with things that you probably might never wear again, really. So, I would say you definitely go with your own stuff and a plan. The other thing is, I'd say, look be aware of going home with too many Ao dais, which are the local dress. The Ao dais look just logo, which is on all of Vietnamese women. You know, everybody from the flight, the crews, all the women they wear them. Even the corporates just have sort of very modern contemporary Ao dais, which is sort of the flowing pants with the long tunic over the top. And to be honest, I thought I looked pretty good in the Ao dais as well. Until I actually got home in sort of contemplating wearing one to dinner and I was like, I shouldn't, you know what it's not really quite working for me. Kerry: Oh, I can relate to that experience totally. And my friends and family go to me “don't wear one of those Ao dais to that party” and I go “what do you mean?” And they go we know that you go crazy with them, but they just don't fit the scene, and I get so disappointed about that. Because you're right, you get kind of drawn into it, don't you? Chrissy Hordern: I think the thing is you're going to have to plan another trip back really to take them back to wear them. I really didn't learn the lesson because after going to Vietnam, I then ventured to India some months later and I've come home with a stash Saree. So, look, if you need a Saree at any time or any of your listeners needs one, give me a call. Kerry: I did the same with the skirts in Myanmar, would you believe I came back with a whole heap of those, which were kind of required to getting into the temples in Myanmarbecause you've got to cover your knees. And I was wrapping these things, massive pieces of cloth, like in Saree, you know, you wrap them around yourself a hundred times. Oh yeah, I'm so glad you got sucked into that as well. But we've got to finish on the last golf course, which is, we stayed at the Nikko Hotel, which was spectacular. Wasn't it? We had a gorgeous dinner on the top floor of the restaurant, it was amazing. But tell us about that course. Would you include the country club in your last course, if you were to go again or would you go somewhere else? Chrissy Hordern: Look just before we get to that, I mean, you know, Saigon was just fantastic and incredibly chaotic. And I think the great thing about the Nikko staying there, which it's obviously a big chain hotels sort of throughout the world, but it was actually a great place to stay because it was located in that sort of district, one of the CBD in really close proximity to everything you need to all the cultural sites to great food, restaurants, all that kind of stuff and wonderful little precincts and all that sort of stuff. So, I would say it was definitely a great place to stay. Kerry: We had a good guide, do you remember? Chrissy Hordern: Yeah, we did, the guide was terrific. And I mean, I guess the one thing people sort of say, oh, did you feel safe traveling Vietnam? I certainly felt safe because we had a guide with us and we had you the whole way, which was fantastic. So, maybe that was a false sense of security. I didn't have the experience of the free independent traveler. However, everybody that I've spoken to who's been to Vietnam has never had a problem there. And I think because tourism is such a huge part, their they rely on it so heavily, economically that really, it's in the interest of the locals and the police to keep you safe. So, aside from, you know, the ATM scam or the taxi driver that might actually, not have the meter running, it's a very safe place, I think to travel. As far as the golf was concerned look, it was a really enjoyable course at the Country Club, it's located pretty close, as you say, it's got two courses in East and West course, we played the West course, it's a tree line, Woodland style course. That was really enjoyable but probably not my favorite. It's hosted the Vietnam open and it's got generous fairways and undulating, grains, all those things. But I don't know, I suppose in comparison to where we played before it, maybe wasn't my favorite, but if you're in Saigon, you've got a set of golf clubs do it. And probably next time, I'd add in Twin Doves, which is about an hour out of Saigon. And I'd also looking forward to playing Long Thanh, which has got 36 holes, it's a different style of course, it's sort of built on former rice paddies as I understand. And I think it sounds fantastic. Kerry: I agree, now as much as I would just love to relive this trip again and go on forever. I wonder if we could just wrap it up by maybe giving our listeners, I don't know, final tips, hints, advice. What would you say to people who are considering Vietnam? I mean, we're talking coming out of COVID people are going to be looking for their next destination. Vietnam is definitely up there in the top, I think 13 or 14 countries named as the best places to visit in 21/22. So, what advice would you share to people and golfers in particular? Chrissy Hordern: Yeah, well, hopefully it is one of the destinations that will open up sort of fairly quickly post COVID. I'd say research where you want to go and particularly look at the weather you know, time, your trip around the best possible time. Kerry: Thank you so much #ChrissyHordern for being on the program. It was really great to relive that trip and to get your insights on probably the more golfing type aspects, because I know we talked a lot about when we came back about your impressions of Vietnam and Hoi An and some of the places we stayed at, but it was just nice to get your kind of golfing insights to some of those courses probably we didn't get a chance to debrief. Look, I'm sure listeners, if you are a golfer, if you're a partner to a golfer, if you're heading up a group of guys who are looking for a golfing destination in the future, I really hope that this episode was able to give you some insights into what you can expect, certainly in the central Vietnam district. Love to get your take on it, if you've already been, I like to say thank you to everyone that's supporting the program. We are really getting to cover some amazing stuff in Vietnam. I'm just so thankful for your support, I know travel just looks like something that doesn't even fit on a calendar at the moment. So, if you can use the program to get information, to help you make decisions in the future, my job is done. Thank you. Please rate, please share if you can, it all goes towards making the program just little bit more special and certainly for me, I truly appreciate it. Until next time. We'll see you in Vietnam.

2680acaa-0464-444a-81fb-2efe1910fc5aVietnam is the ideal place for social enterprise travel Gain a deeper love of Vietnam through social enterprises Episode 14 Gain a deeper love of Vietnam through social enterprises 00:00 / 30:32 Traveling throughout Vietnam with a Social Enterprise headset has the power to greatly deepen your experience of Vietnam. While you as the traveler often gain a more adventurous, rewarding, and insightful experience, you also have the opportunity to leave your mark on Vietnam in a very positive and enriching way. To help us know more about the value of Social Enterprise Travel in Vietnam, I'm fortunate to be talking to Emily Lush, a former magazine journalist, whose passion for storytelling to help Social Enterprises and Not-for-Profits inspires her Blog, Wander Lush. Download Transcript PDF Read the transcript here

S4-08 Travel Addict podswap The Travel Addict Show featuring Kerry Newsome Episode 8 S4-08 Travel Addict podswap 00:00 / 41:09 Today's program is about sharing another Podcasters show, which will give you a whole new perspective on travel as seen through the eyes of a different host, on a different show. In this scenario I am the guest. Our topic is, as you would guess- Travel In Vietnam post covid.
 Malcom Teasdale is the host of the Travel addict podcast where he talks to all kinds of people and explores travels all over the world. Malcom heralds from the UK, so hello to all my UK listeners, you might really relate to Malcom as while he has travelled to Vietnam previously and really enjoyed his stay, he and I had much to share in experiences and certain cities he enjoyed as in Hanoi, HCMC and Nha Trang. My thanks to Malcolm for asking me to come on the show.
 Please see below:- The Original show notes from Travel Addict program release in June 2022.
 Kerry Newsome has a travel and marketing background and has been traveling back and forth to Vietnam from Australia for the last 14 years. She has a genuine love of the country and the people and enjoys sharing traveler stories and insights with anyone who is interested. She loves to travel and experience new cultures and has become a Travel expert for westerners interested in traveling to Vietnam. Personally, I have been to Ho Chi Minh, Hanoi and Nha Trang, all of which are great destinations and have different personalities. For more about Malcolm and his shows check some of his other channels here:- https://www.malcolmjteasdale.com/podcast-episodes https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-travel-addict/id1529802944 https://open.spotify.com/show/31sDaMn2zvtPOekza0y9OB https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5idXp6c3Byb3V0LmNvbS8xMjg4ODA4LnJzcw https://podcastaddict.com/podcast/3091275 Due to copyright factors transcripts for this episode are not available Download Transcript PDF Read the transcript here

S4-21 Beyond the Phong Nha caves Exploring Phong Nha beyond the caves Episode 21 S4-21 Beyond the Phong Nha caves 00:00 / 35:50 If you thought Phong Nha, was just all about visiting the amazing caves you see and hear about, you would really be selling the area short. In this episode of "What about Vietnam?" we get to showcase many other cool fun things to do in the locality.
 My guest, is a bit of a legend in this area of Vietnam, and is none other than Ben Mitchell. Besides being an all round nice "Aussie bloke", he is extremely knowledgeable in travel and tourism overall.
 Ben has been on the program before and along with Howard Limbert in other episodes we have covered the caving aspect of Phong Nha in great detail, which undoubtedly is its main attraction. However what you are about to find out in this show is the caves, ....are just the entry point to other things to do in the region.

 Furthermore, the episode encourages visitors to consider extending their stay in Phong Nha since a couple of days might not be enough to experience all the activities available. Everything from bike riding, walking tours, cycling through villages, farm to table feasts, and surfing, to finally enjoying a G&T watching a beautiful sunset over the paddy fields.

 Ben has done a lot for tourism in the region, and is considered very knowledgeable on its history and many aspects of bike touring along the HCM trail. I feel sure from listening today you may like to consider bringing the whole family, as like Ben's young family, there is something for everyone. And everyone gets into it!
 
On the aspect of history - Ben mentions this Video you may like to look at https://vimeo.com/424932090?fs=e&s=cl&fbclid=IwAR0tf7bfnyxT0z1LGYifi_0tSs6Q18RmZBnrkIMOoItPr-w8mfPx66V8zkQ There is also a Podcast talking about the National Park - The Ke Bang Park
 https://soundcloud.com/user-326960059 You can reach Ben at his local homestay called - Phong Nha Farm stay - https://www.facebook.com/thephongnhafarmstay 

[00:01:28] Phong Nha's diversification efforts during and beyond Covid
 [00:06:18] The Ho Chi Minh Trail. 
[00:11:21] Other attractions in Phong Nha
 [00:14:03] Free-range chickens - a fun story 
[00:18:44] Vietnamese workers leaving travel industry - the impact on tourism 
[00:25:02] Phong Nha Cave tourism and main operators
 [00:29:09] Vietnamese War veterans in Utah. Download Transcript PDF Read the transcript here

17f693a3-e0d3-48a7-bc50-3b3790001b10Vietnam from a cultural and historical standpoint. What About Vietnam - Series 1 - 6 The culture and Visa Process Mid Covid19 -2020 Xing Chau and Welcome to What About Vietnam. My name is Kerry Newsome and I am your host. In this episode I’d like to give you some final background to the country you will be visiting, from a cultural and historical point of view, and so there are no shocks or surprises, I will endeavour to explain a few things that might hit you first off. Plus I want to cover off one of my most asked questions. Do I need a visa …...The answer is most likely….YES...But..I’d like to give you some detail about the process for that here as well. In saying that ..I am recording this episode in the midst of Covid 19, mid May 2020, so this is what is current as of this date. I may in the future record an update once we are out of the other side of travel bans and it is clearer what the Visa situation will be, moving forward. However, let me cover off what we know to be true about Vietnam from a factual point of view. Vietnam, ….officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, it is the easternmost country on the Southeast Asian Indochinese Peninsula. It has an estimated 96.5 million inhabitants as of 2019. It shares its land borders with China to the north, and Laos and Cambodia to the west. It shares its maritime borders with Thailand through the Gulf of Thailand, and the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia through the South China Sea. Its capital city is Hanoi, while its most populated city is Ho Chi Minh City. In the whole country there are 45 million registered motor bikes …….with 7.43 million in HCMC alone. With a population of 8.9 million people, that makes 1+ bikes per person. I mention this because your entry port is going to be either one of 3 major cities - HCMC, Hanoi, or Danang. So that initial introduction to Vietnam is going to be around the sounds, the heat and the volume of motorbikes you will encounter as soon as you leave the airport. For some it can be overwhelming and that’s why I cover it off here. I can remember my sister’s first trip. Once you know what to expect and you have the right mindset, it’s something you can manage. Vietnam is a beautiful country with so much to see. I am amazed that as many times as I go there, there is always something new to discover. Often called the Dragons spine….. A long skinny country with a coastline that stretches over 3,200km. It’s a gifted country, with some of the most beautiful beaches, caves, grotoes, waterfalls and scenery, it’s not surprising it has won so many Travel awards over the past few years. Its definitely woken up the world in recent times with how well it took command of the Covid 19 crisis. With more than 4000 years of history, the soulful culture can be seen in its pagodas, shop houses, art, folk songs, amazing performances, of a world standard, …..but there is so much more in the smiles of the Vietnamese people themselves. Who I guarantee you will fall in love with. Mostly Buddhist, the Vietnamese are conservative by world standards. They are a country that has been hardened by wars, famines, floods and tyranny. However as you will soon realise they are a hopeful country. It is a country that is now coming into its own. So don’t be fooled, the Vietnamese are astute in business and have an eagerness to acquire wealth and status. But take yourself out into the country regions and you will be overwhelmed by the poverty, the living standards and the lack of infrastructure. It’s as if you have stepped back in time. In recognising the poor and humble beginnings of many of its people will give you a deeper understanding and appreciation of how far the Vietnamese have come. For the tourist, you have been flocking to its shores now in the millions. Tourism to date prior to Covid 19 was 6% of the GDP. The why is easy...as Y0U will soon find out once you go there... As a country recognized as “the kitchen of the world”. It’s a diverse culture and lifestyle waiting for you to explore. So…. as we make sure you get on board your flight safely and enjoy your stay without any hassles, lets firstly get that Visa process sorted:- If your country is NOT Visa Exempt, there are 3 options available to you. Btw...You can find out if your country is Visa exempt by checking your country listing on the immigration website. The link is in my notes. As we are now In Covid 19, and the world is coming to grips with a new generation of travel, the Visa process may change and I will update as and when that information is available. So first lets start with the easiest version: EVISA = Single entry - for an Under 30 day stay The quickest, simplest and cheapest way to apply for a Visa to Vietnam. I call it the no mess charlie option. It does not necessitate you having to send your passport to the Vietnam consulate or queue upon arrival in Vietnam for a Visa stamp in your passport. Nominally called VOA - Visa On Arrival. However, The Evisa has its limitations as it is strictly for single entry only and up to 30 days maximum stay. Its as simple as making your application on the website - the address is noted in the Episode notes - Follow the website instructions and its as easy as that. Well almost…..I do want to share a couple of "bugs" in the website that can be good to know about so it doesn’t muck you about. 1. When it asks for a passport photo to be uploaded. I have found the best process is to take a photo of a Passport photo you have as a spare. NOT the one in your current passport. It doesn't like that one. It doesn’t matter if it is not the same as your current passport photo. Once you have photographed it. Crop it to Passport size roughly. Save and upload. 2. When asked to upload a photo of your passport. Once again. Photograph your current passport and then crop to neat size, save and upload. 3. Double triple check …. You have spelt your name correctly, in the order shown and all details. MOST Important. Once you are approved, you will need to go back to the website and using your reference number print out the “Visa letter”. You will not necessarily get an email advising you the application is approved. It is up to you to go back into the website, using your reference number and check if it approved. ….allow up to 3 working days to process. This letter serves as your Visa (there will be no stamp in your passport) and you will have to present it at check in, and at immigration with your passport when you arrive in Vietnam. Do NOT lose this letter. Keep it with your passport at all times. NOTE: This letter is NOT the same as the Introduction letter they talk about when or if they are references the VOA...Visa on arrival. So just remember processing time of about 3 business days COST: As at 2019 $25 USD Check my link in the episode notes. See link below for the Visa application: - ONLY USE THIS LINK https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/ The second Option - Option 2 – is for Multiple entry – Visa on Arrival (VOA) VOA as it is commonly referred to. Watch out for many websites trying to sell this service to you for exorbitant prices. Many are hoax sites, some offer VIP services mostly for those people who want to skip the queues and get special treatment..or they just plane forgot or left it too late to get the Evisa. Simply put, if you follow the instructions in the link on the website you will receive a letter by email with your name on it, which is your "letter of Introduction", along with a form with your name on it. There is an initial fee for this first step. By taking this letter together with your 2 passport photos and completed Visa Application form you will be able to ;- · Check in to your flight. If you do not have your letter of introduction they won’t let you board. Please take care to bring the letter and the pages with your name on it to confirm you have been accepted for this kind of Visa. The forms with your name on it are often separate to the main Introduction letter · Once you arrive at your first point of entry to Vietnam, which from Australia will most likely be Hanoi, or HCMC you will go to the "VOA "Counter located just before you go through Immigration. By handing them your letter + form + photos + passport and fee, they will take it and stamp your Multiple Entry Visa into your passport. Try and get to this VOA counter asap, as you may have to wait a while for them to call you, and if you have a connecting flight, that can make it a bit stressful. It can take up to 30 minutes if the queue is long. Once gaining the Visa stamp, you can progress through immigration and every time you go in and out of the country you will be covered; as per the Visa, you have applied for. You will see it says Multiple entry. See the link in the Episode notes. The fee is $25USD ( This may have changed as at 2019) so it helps if you have the correct currency to pay when you arrive as there are NO ATMs inside the arrival hall before you go through Immigration. However, I think they do now accept other currencies. NOTE- You can use VOA for single entry as well, but why would you bother with all that when Evisa now is much simpler. https://www.vietnamimmigration.com.au/faq/how-it-works?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIiI_gu_fF2wIVzhwrCh3ESgrBEAAYAiAAEgKuCPD_BwE The last option and for some the most preferred Visa – Applications can be made direct to Consulate (these include single and multiple entries) For direct applications, you can download the appropriate forms from the Consulate website. By completing the form along with getting 1 Passport Photos you can hand them in along with your passport over the counter or mail them to Consulate's office, in your country. In Australia where I am speaking from it is in Edgecliff, Sydney. Allow minimum 2-3 days for processing plus postage. There are options for quicker turnaround if urgent, but you will pay an extra fee for that service. See the Consulate website below for all the details. For a general single entry - Cost $90 For a Multiple Entry Visa - $140 http://www.vietnamconsulate.org.au/ A few Words of caution There are a lot of Visa Service organizations out there. Some are not regulated. Some charge more for the same service you can do yourself and some are illegal. Please be careful when making your selection as some VIP ones charge more but do not provide a quick and efficient service, if you have forgotten to get a Visa and you are about to check-in and realize this…. One of the legitimate VIP services may be your only option. But expect to pay through the nose. So there you have the Visa process…. I hope you have gained a little bit more insight into some of things to consider when planning your trip to Vietnam, in this ….. Our first series. Keep a look out for updates in coming months. ….stay tuned for more to come in the NEW series ...Whatabout Vietnam…... A Travellers Guide to Experiences ….. - I can’t wait as you are going to meet so many interesting people who will tell you their tales of adventures in this amazing country. Thanks for listening.

e6acd571-d597-42f0-a46f-3c845c437070Health and wellness retreats - what to look for. What About Vietnam - 2-12 Health and Wellness Retreats - What to look for, Part 1 Kerry Newsome: Hi, and welcome to What About Vietnam. Look, with so much going on in the world right now, challenging us on so many levels, I thought it was perfect timing to release a series of episodes, focusing on the opportunities in Vietnam for healing, relaxation, wellbeing, and health. Now, I know travel remains for most of us something that we're restricted to our own countries and our local areas. But I think for the future, I wanted to let people know that when the doors open, Vietnam has a lot to offer in this area, like not only is there the beautiful scenery, but there are some very special retreats specifically designed to help us, you know, reboot our energy levels, heal our minds, and connect with like-minded people. Okay, so, let's welcome Emma Sothern Sothern, a yoga and mindfulness instructor and local to Hoi An, who offers yoga and mindfulness retreats. As a traveler herself, Emma talks to us about what to expect from a retreat in Vietnam. I mean, specializing in the area of yoga and mindfulness, she's got some great advice on what to look for when researching the best retreat for you and the best retreat that's going to serve your expectations. You know, like what do you want to get out of a retreat? Emma Sothern herself arrived in Vietnam from Ireland about two to three years ago. And she was immediately smitten by the people and the locality of Hoi An. After traveling extensively through Southeast Asia and Vietnam, she decided to come back and finally settled down with her partner in Vietnam and offer retreats for people wanting the experience of rejuvenation. As she knows it's possible. When you decide to say to yourself, I deserve this. It's not a self-indulgence, it's something that's good for me. And it is going to offer me the healing and general escape or reboot that I need. Emma has been driven in her studies of yoga and teaching due to her own stresses as a young girl, coping with a condition called Alopecia, which is an auto-immune condition she's had most of her life, you can access more information about the great work she does in this area to support people, as I will put a link in the episode notes. As a delightful Irish girl now living and very happy in Hoi An. She's got some smart advice for all of us when we think about choosing to do something for ourselves, especially when that opportunity comes in another country and possibly a country that is foreign to you. So, learning a little bit about Vietnam, let's get straight into it as I ask Emma Sothern with my vision board for what to expect from a retreat in Vietnam matches what can be achieved, let's say hello to Emma. Talk to us a little bit about what someone can expect from a retreat in Vietnam. Just make sure that my vision is matching out my expectations kind of thing. Emma Sothern: Sure, well it's a really exciting time I think, to come on a retreat in Vietnam because it hasn't quite reached, maybe saturation point like some other countries like say Bali as it is wonderful for yoga; but there's just so much. It can be a little overwhelming. Vietnam for me anyway, it still feels like retreats here are very genuine and very authentic. So, they're not just kind of only focused on marketing, maybe they're here to give you just a beautiful setting. People who are really, really passionate about yoga and they practice what they preach as well,plus... it's affordable, which is really important. And you have all the other aspects of Vietnam, like just amazing food, really healthy foods, your beautiful settings. So, in Hoi An, we're lucky to have the beach; the rice fields and then the river running through. So, you have all these bamboo trees and yeah, it’s your ideal setting. I suppose, if what you envisage is just somewhere, you can just totally relax in a lovely setting with really good teachers and really good food, then it does live up to that. Kerry Newsome: Oh, brilliant. Okay, fantastic. Now I decided when we began chatting that I would actually devote a couple of episodes, actually I think I'm doing three or four different episodes about retreats, health retreats in Vietnam. And obviously I'm delighted to talk to you about yoga and meditation, but also mindfullness in this session. So, tell us a little bit, like how do you separate out one from the other, as in what's the difference between a mindfulness retreat and a yoga retreat or do they sometimes get combined? Emma Sothern: Yeah, so they're often combined. But I suppose before you maybe book your retreat, it's important to maybe see what you want to get out of it. So, if you're looking for something that you really want to get exercise, or you want to find out more about yoga and you want to know about the kind of different varieties available and more of, I suppose, the theoretical side of yoga than a purely yoga retreat is really good. Especially that's what I did before in Bali and other retreats, but it was mainly focused on the physical exercise and I did have things like breath work and some meditation in it, but it was quite a physical experience, like it's more like a workshop and extended workshops. So, we were doing three classes a day, quite intense, quite tiring. Kerry Newsome: Yeah, that can be rigorous. Emma Sothern: And you usually, your schedule can be quite busy, so you might not actually have that much relaxation time that can be maybe a big class in the morning, you have breakfast and it's all kind of planned out for you. But I suppose on some yoga retreats, we'll have aspects of more the spiritual chanting and some other activities like that. So, you can really kind of get back to the roots of yoga I suppose. I'm finding back to connection with the ancient practice of yoga, whereas mindful retreats. Some mindful retreats won't even have yoga in them like you might be just doing different activities, like mindful writing or mindful eating. You could be doing different forms of meditation, so you're doing shisha meditations, walking meditations, even things like tea ceremonies and there's so many different aspects. And I suppose I see mindfulness as this kind of toolkit that you can bring with you for everyday life. So, for me, it's really about coping with things like stress and just to enjoy life more and it's like a mental training course. So, that doesn't always involve exercise, but I do think it's an important part of it to help mindful movement as well. And yoga just fits in really well with it because it's focused on the breath. So, if you can practice yoga in a mindful way, that's really getting all the benefits out of it. So, I suppose my ideal retreat that I'd like to go on and the ones I hope to teach are ones that involve both. So, they'll have maybe two yoga classes, but they'll have like a morning more active one and then a very relaxed evening one. So, you're not pushing yourself too much and throughout the day they'll have those mindful activities like meditation and doing things that are accessible for everyone. So, it's not overwhelming for people who've never practiced yoga before they can still get a lot out of it without feeling stressed. Because you had lots of anticipation, I can't pronounce that word, that's the opposite of what you want for the yoga retreat is to come out feeling stressed or, you know overwhelmed. So, yeah, mindfulness retreats I suppose are just about feeling good and coming out of a feeling better than when you went in, hopefully. Kerry Newsome: Yes, and I think sometimes you know, some of the retreats that I've been on. They've kind of been a little bit rigorous in the sense that the routines are quite strict and have to do this, and you have to do that. So, maybe I didn't make the right choices. So, it's good to learn about different types of retreats so, that people, when they're listening to programs like this, that they can make a wise choice because you're off often spending a reasonable amount of money and sometimes, I think people don't get everything they want out of it because the one they've chosen didn't kind of match up or fit their expectations. Emma Sothern: Yeah, so, I really agree with that because and that's where I go back to, like when you're researching a retreat, just write down what you need at that point in your life, what are you looking for and not what other people think you should be doing maybe and going on a really challenging thing. If what you need is to relax and if you're feeling exhausted, then these retreats that involve getting up at four in the morning or three in the morning for like a two-hour meditation might not be what you need. So, it's just important to kind of reflect on what you're looking for and not base it all around price as well, because you know, often the cheapest as well will be these very, no-frills saying that you might just feel exhausted after, and you might want to leave after two days. And sometimes like I've been on these sorts of retreats and I love them. I've got a lot out of them, but you just have to maybe assess where you are in your life and what might make you feel better at that point. Kerry Newsome: Yes, so if we were talking about a retreat in Vietnam and let's talk about typically ones that that you facilitate as in maybe a slight combination of mindfulness and yoga. So, what's a good amount of time to consider a retreat two days like what's a good amount of time to do one? Emma Sothern: I would say, so it's interesting because I actually did before our lockdown here. So, one night retreat the purpose of that was to kind of cater for people living here, maybe who had families and mightn't be able to take longer time away and to try to make it affordable. And some of the feedback from the participants was that they couldn't believe how much they could maybe change in 24 hours or how much they could get out of 24 hours. If you can offer them those tools, they can take with them afterwards. But they did say, you know, I would have loved an extra night because it does take a little bit of a while to switch off from whatever's going on. So, I would say minimum two nights, really. Especially if you've been traveling, you might even feel jet lagged when you come to a place still, and it takes you a little bit of time just to get used to it. You're bound to feel nervous maybe by meeting new people, especially if you've never been on a yoga retreat before, it can all feel a bit overwhelming. And like you say, if there's a routine, it takes some time to get used to that, maybe a different time of eating or getting up. And not only it might take you 24 hours, you can get used to that and then you don't want to be leaving straightaway and stressing about what you have to do next. So, I'd say very minimum, two days, even better if it's in your budget, maybe four days, if you can, to get really into it. Kerry Newsome: Now, I mean, where in the midst of COVID and we're all about social distancing and we're all about zoom and we're all about doing everything online. And I think it's great that you do offer classes and a guided meditation online. So, I'm going to put that link in the episode notes, but what I'm keen to talk to you about is, you know, coming through COVID, we're going to have retreats where people are coming together again. So, be it that there'll be the distancing, etc. and everyone will follow that rule. But talk to us a little bit about the coming together aspect; what is gained from being together as a group in a retreat rather than doing a zoom thing online or something like that? Talk to us about that togetherness. Emma Sothern: Sure, so a couple of aspects, I think first of all, I think there's something just really special about meditation together as a group. Like that's the one aspect of a yoga retreat that I just think you can't really mirror like meditation by yourself can be really difficult and really challenging. And it's a hard one to explain if you're not into things like energy and stuff. It's a very special energy that can happen when you're in a group just being silent together, not even feeling the need to talk, it can be quite transformative. And I know I find in my own retreats that even though we have amazing chats over the meals together, or swimming in the pool and you connect with people in a new way. Kind of the most powerful moments are when we're sitting together; just meditating in silence. Or when we had a silent breakfast one day and just that feeling of, okay, you can be around people and supporting each other, but you don't need to speak. It's something we're never used to in our usual lives. We're used to like filling in with small talk. So, there's something special about being quiet in a group setting together. And also, I suppose in the wake of COVID when we've been so isolated, I know we can connect online. It's just a really nice feeling to be able to come together in person and learning something like this, but especially if you're like an introvert like me, I suppose when you get released from lockdown, it can be a bit scary to go into the outside world straight away and suddenly by surrounded by people and noise, that's why going on a retreat and meeting people who are maybe equally a little bit shy by that sort of thing and making real connections with them can be very powerful. Like any retreats I've ever been on, even if it is one day and if it was five or six years ago across the world, I still connect with those people and we could still message each other. It's quite a special bond you can form very quickly. Which I think it's unlike any other bond I've ever made with someone, that just from, I suppose it's the stuff a form of healing, the transformative aspect. People are very open when they go on yoga retreats. They're very mindful of each other's kind of feelings and emotions and it's that special kind of environment. Kerry Newsome: It is, and I think you're right. I think that energy exchange between people in that open space, in that allowing space, in that space that is free, it's non-judgmental and I think just in a beautiful environment kind of takes all that armor off. I think everyone kind of relaxes a little bit more and is a bit more willing and open to share or, or not share as you say, in a silent environment. Talk to us a little bit about the kinds of people that are coming to Vietnam and enjoying these kinds of retreats. Emma Sothern: Yeah, so they'd be all different types. Like on my last retreat, I had a few people already living here. Kerry Newsome: They are ex-pats. Emma Sothern: Yeah, and there was one person who was a mom with three kids and traveling around. And I think she, so my post about the day before it started or something like that, she'd never been on a retreat before and decided it was perfect timing that she thought. She was stressed traveling with her kids and family, and she thought, oh, it's only one night I can give myself that gift. So, it was really lovely to see people who'd kind of practice yoga a little bit, who were used to maybe just doing drop-in classes and hadn't done a retreat before. So, that's the expats and then this lady who'd never done any sort of retreats, they decide they could kind of benefit from it. So, I suppose in retreats normally you might not get young backpacker types maybe because maybe it's not in the budget depending on the retreat. It's often people who have families who are just very busy, they feel they need this couple of days just to themselves to be able to recess and to offer more to their families or to their communities when they leave. But really all sorts of people are welcome and good retreats will foster all levels whether you're very experienced or whether you're totally new. Kerry Newsome: Because you know, coming from the commercial world. I often talk to people about a holiday obviously in Vietnam and when there's so much to do and see and experience in Vietnam, that can be quite tiring, you know. It can be kind of jumping on and off planes and getting around, etc. So, I've often suggested to people that they may consider a retreat, on the last couple of days, just to wind themselves down, get them geared to come home, you know, come home with some skills and some tools to use back in their work life and try and I guess help them manage stress moving forward and long-term. Because you don't want to kind of do all that, and then not come home with something, a gift, I guess from a retreat to you. You want to be able to use it in your day-to-day life, Emma Sothern: Yeah, that's such a good point and actually that's probably the people you'd see most and these retreats they maybe solo travelers. Because I know that's what I did myself the first time I went traveling myself, I knew I'd feel quite overwhelmed maybe coming to a new country and not knowing what was going on. So, I started it with a retreat just to ease into “ to shake off the kind of tiredness of traveling and to mentally prepare myself”. And I went back to that same retreat, like three months later, right before I went home just to, again, set myself up to feel calm and grounded going home. So, it's really good for people who maybe aren't used to traveling so much or feeling a bit nervous, or like you say, people who have a jam-packed schedule and they don't need to be going home still exhausted after all the activities, even if it's for those two nights, just to unwind a little bit before they go home. Kerry Newsome: And you know, it's a good point, you raise about the solo traveler too, because sometimes it's an opportunity to form friendships. I mean, you've talked about that yourself, that the bonds that you can make on those retreats are quite deep bonds I think, and I know myself I've done similar things. So, I think that's a really good point that for a solo traveler, if they want to look at a retreat to also meet people and to share with people, you know, a common passion in yoga and mindfulness. I want to talk to you a little bit more about Vietnam as the destination for these retreats. Tell us how important is the location or venue of a retreat. Emma Sothern: I would say very, very important because you could have an incredible teacher and all you hear is honking horns and it's I don't know a room that's totally sweltering. It's very hard to relax like, they can make it possible that the teacher is very good, but usually a bit of beautiful surroundings will go a long way. So, Vietnam has a lovely kind of luxurious aspect. I know it has a lot of beeping scooters as well. Kerry Newsome: Certainly, in the main cities. Emma Sothern: We have an awful lot of them, which is why many of these retreats are kind of built specifically that they are a little bit away from that, there'll be in kind of a right scene site or by a river by the beach, or I know there's a beautiful one of site in Hoi An and the Cham islands. And even for people living here that can feel like another universe because it's just this lovely little Island setting. So, I would say yeah, really important because you want to feel like you're going on holidays anyway, seeing somewhere you wouldn't be used to in your home life. Just making it easier for you to switch off. And because the good retreats we'll have a little bit of maybe a lot of relaxation, as well as the kind of activities you want it to be somewhere that you can really just relax enough, just going to bed. Maybe somewhere you can sit out and look at nature and do some writing and just give yourself some time you wouldn't have normally. Kerry Newsome: Yes, and you're right. Like you do need to be in some kind of idyllic location to do that, I think after a meal or after you finished a meditation, etc. Just to take it down and chill and all of that sort of stuff, you know. Emma Sothern: If you are getting up at three in the morning, you know, it helps to have a nice sunrise after your meditation. Kerry Newsome: You're absolutely right. Okay, so any words of advice or guidance you'd like to share with the listeners today just on selecting the right retreat and that kind of thing? Emma Sothern: Sure, I'd say like I said before, like focus on your reasons for doing it, what you need in the moment. And I know a lot of people might think maybe going on a retreat or booking a retreat for themselves might be maybe an overindulgence or a self-indulgence, whereas it's really one of the best ways you can spend your money rather than ticking off boxes of all the different sites you want to go see, you know, this is something that could really benefit your physical and mental health not just on your holiday but going home. So, it might seem like a bit of an investment, but you're doing just so much good for yourself just by taking this time away. And the fact that it's guided as well, so you could take yourself to a lovely Island yourself, or, you know, spend some time writing in your book and drinking cocktails, and that's lovely as well. But to have this kind of retreat escape where you don't have to think about anything, the activities are there for you to take or leave, and you have this ready community of people who are like-minded as well to support you through it. It's really, really a special thing to do for yourself. So, my main piece of advice I suppose is just go for it, don't think you don't deserve it because you really do, especially after this stressful time. Kerry Newsome: I'm going to finish on that. That's perfect advice, thanks again, Emma Sothern. Thank you, Emma Sothern, for being part of this series with me on what about Vietnam? I'm sure this is going to help a lot of us navigate the world of wellness and yoga retreats in Vietnam as there are certainly a lot of them. And I totally agree with you, we should just do it as we deserve some self-nurturing after the year it's been. Please check out the episode notes, but links to Emma Sothern's pages, where she announces her retreats and she also offers online yoga sessions, and you can join in those, no matter where you are. Stay tuned over the next few episodes as I bring you more in keeping with wellness and retreats in general in Vietnam. Please if you are on Apple, iTunes person, please rate and review the show as it really helps me reach more people. And of course, you can reach me through my Facebook page and website What about Vietnam. Please share, stay safe till next time.

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

cd6811b6-5086-4174-8bab-bb04fa9d2ec2Samantha Coomber guides us through Saigon's districts What About Vietnam – S3-3 Saigon / HCMC's best districts to visit in 2021 and beyond [00:00:35]Kerry Newsome: Xin chào. Welcome to What About Vietnam. Today, we take a wander around the districts of Ho Chi Minh City, otherwise known as Saigon, to bring you the most up-to-date areas to visit when the borders open up post the pandemic. For those of my listeners in Vietnam, I'm hoping that's going to be very soon. We cover some of the lesser-known local neighborhoods and introduce you to what I think is, I don't know, a little bit more of an authentic view of Saigon-ish life with great cafes, local eateries, pagodas, temples, and more. Look, like most busy cities, it's all about knowing where to go. You can waste so much time trying to find places. While some of the best experiences I've had have been when I've got lost, it's always best to get lost in a happening neighborhood. I'm delighted to have Samantha Coomber on the show, a British-Australian lady, who's currently living in Ho Chi Minh City. I caught up with her there. She was able to start the episode by just sharing with us the latest on what's happening with social distancing in Ho Chi Minh City as it's June 21. I thought it was important for context to include that. Thankfully, it sounds like it's mostly under control. Thankfully, we were able to get into the really good stuff, which is to talk about the districts of Saigon that she's fallen in love with. Samantha comes to the show with a library of knowledge and a passion for this city, developed over 12 years of traveling around as a freelance travel and lifestyle writer, including guidebook writing. Samantha's respect in the travel industry was earned very early in her days employed as a foreigner and editorial consultant, full-time by the state-run V.N.A.T - Vietnam National Administration of Tourism in the years 2002 to 2004. She went on to co-author the first edition Insight guides: Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City Smart Guide, covering the Ho Chi Minh City, Southern Vietnam sections and published in 2009. Beyond that, she has written for a myriad of travel publications around the world. She really walks the talk. Some of these publications include The Wall Street Journal Asia, National Geographic Traveler, Condé Nast Traveler UK and India, and many, many more. She has her own blog called The Jaded Empress Chronicles. You will be able to catch up with all her writings from the links in the episode notes. For all the detail that she shares with us on this show, that's going to be included in the transcription notes. You'll be able to download and print that and use that when you come to this amazing city. I know you're going to love this episode. Samantha is going to really give us some insights that you couldn't get anywhere else. Please welcome her to the program. [music] Hi, Samantha. Lovely to have you on the show. How are things tracking in Saigon at the moment? [00:03:46] Samantha Coomber: Hi, Kerry. Lovely to be here. Yes, at the moment in Saigon, we have, what is called, "A social distancing two weeks" We had this last April. After a year, we've got that again. It's basically because we got some spikes in cases in Saigon. The government wants to keep everything in hand. It's basically I can go out of my house and do what I want, go for walk. I see plenty of people on their motorbikes. People going out to get delivery or takeouts, but non-essential services are closed, which means things like cafes, restaurants, gyms, salons, bars. It's only for two weeks. I just want to put this in context, Kerry, that the past year or so, compared to other people, I've had complete freedom, virtually complete freedom to go out, do what I want, take a flight down to Phu Quoc Island, socialize with my friends in bars, squashed into restaurants and cafes with all the locals. It has been a great year, but I think the government's just trying to keep everything under wraps, before any explosions happened, being on the safe side. [00:05:04] Kerry Newsome: I agree. I think the attitude that the Vietnam government took right from the very beginning with being very aggressive and assertive in closing areas down, and closing airports was the best thing they could have done. The numbers have been so low in comparison to other countries. I'm glad you did that by putting it into perspective. Look, we're going to be talking districts today. I'm really thrilled to do this with you. You're a travel writer, a very seasoned professional in the area of the travel industry with your own blog, etc and writing for international publications, and the fact that you live in Saigon. You can give us both perspectives as a tourist once yourself and writing for those magazines, as I said, but also as a local. I always think the locals know the great places. You and I got together before today. We decided to pick out the best districts to focus on, but we need to start with number 1 I think. District 1, for me, certainly has been where I've spent most time. It's only really been in my last couple of trips that I've ventured further. There is a lot more in the other districts, but I think this is where most people find themself from the very beginning and for very good reasons because it's got a lot to offer. Now, over to you, Samantha. Tell us what you know about District 1. [00:06:38] Samantha Coomber: Well, District 1 is obviously the main tourist area, but it's where the French actually came over in the late 19th century and set up their own little city as such. They started building a lot of the buildings in the style of French Colonial architecture. A lot of those remnants are legacies of what you see today. It's a lovely area. Central District 1 is quite compact. It's easily walkable. A lot of the sites are down a main artery called Dong Khoi Street. You can just walk, or take a cyclo ride is nice, or perhaps take a Vespa scooter ride in the evening. It's quite manageable. The landmarks are pretty impressive. You've got the People's Committee Building, Hôtel de Ville, the Central Post Office, Notre-Dame Cathedral, which was modeled on the Notre-Dame of Paris, the beautiful Saigon Opera House. Then, you've got a couple of lovely colonial hotels, which are the Majestic and the Continental. As you walk around here, there are other sites, of course, things I must point out to your listeners. There's a big boulevard, which is now pedestrianized, just by Dong Khoi. Nguyen Hue. That's lovely at nighttime to walk down. All the high rises around. The boulevard is all lit up. It goes down towards the river, but everyone's out, all the locals around, families and tourists. It's lined with cafes. Then, you've got quite a few war remnants, as you know, in war legacies that are in the city. One of them is the Independence Palace. That's where the reunification all started. That's in the center of town, but then you've got all these modern buildings, like the Bitexco Financial Tower. I think that's about 59 floors with a helipad. [00:08:48] Kerry Newsome: Yes. [chuckles] [00:08:49] Samantha Coomber: I'm scared of heights, Kerry. I haven't had the bottle to go up there, but if you do go to the top, it's fantastic views across the city. That's recommended. Then, you've got real favorites. I'm sure you've been there Ben Thanh Market, which is another-- [00:09:09] Kerry Newsome: Absolutely. [00:09:10] Samantha Coomber: Yes. It's another old colonial building. Looks a bit dilapidated, but it's actually a fun place. That's one thing I want to point out about Vietnam and Saigon, that they are quite fun people with a good sense of humor. When you go into Ben Thanh Market, you can do a bit of haggling. Everything on sale. There are souvenirs. There's a wet market and you can get your coffee beans there. That's lovely, but as you were pointing out, Kerry, there are other places in District 1, which are worth visiting as well. [00:09:44] Kerry Newsome: Yes. I think the district also offers up a lot of rooftop bars. It's got quite a nightlife vicinity where you can enjoy all sorts of food, etc. There are lots of bars and clubs and cafes. We talked about on another episode, I was talking to a girl, just where there are artists and bars and dj’s playing all different kinds of music. You've got coffee shops. You've got craft beers. It's quite an eclectic mix in some areas, isn't it? it's got a vibe. It definitely has a vibe. [00:10:29] Samantha Coomber: Absolutely, yes. I must point out one of my favorite things in Saigon is the cafes and coffee houses. There are too many to mention, but there are lots of them, obviously, around this area. You pointed out the other rooftop bars. That's really progressed in the last few years. Look up when you're walking around because there are some wonderful ones. Two of the ones actually that are my favorites at the Majestic Hotel overlooking the river and the Caravelle Hotel, which is actually where all the war correspondents used to congregate for that sundowners. I don't think they did much work, but that's a big, popular bar. That's lovely. obviously, rooftop bars, they've got great cocktails, but fabulous views for the sunset. A lot of them have great deejays now. It's quite a party atmosphere. Of course, there are also clubs and artisan bars. Yes, the last few years, It's really quite the cool cosmopolitan city now. [00:11:36] Kerry Newsome: Absolutely. [00:11:37] Samantha Coomber: Also, Kerry, I'd like to point out to your listeners about an area then we don't know much about. It's in the very northeast corner of District 1. It's called Tan Dinh neighborhood. It's actually that they have wards in Ho Chi Minh City, but it's a small little neighborhood, right in the pocket of Northeastern District 1. People might know it because it's where that beautiful pink Catholic church is the home of. Tan Dinh Church, a Catholic church, but there's so much in this area. It's packed into a compact area. You just wander around. One of the great things about Tan Dinh neighborhood is they've got fantastic street food, which is everywhere on the street. It was originally an old Chinese ghetto centuries ago. You've still got traces of the Chinese there. You've got a wonderful marketplace called Tan Dinh Market. If you find Ben Thanh a bit commercialized, then this one is a very local one. They've got things like a martial arts center. You can watch them practice their martial arts at a temple in the evening. You can just wander around cafes and street food in the marketplace. It's a wonderful-- it's an authentic slice of Saigon, but it's still in District 1. [00:13:11] Kerry Newsome: Okay. If I'm staying at a hotel in the primary area of District 1, say, at The Rex or something like that-- In that vicinity, if I go to the receptionist, and I say, "I need a grab car or a taxi to go to the Tan Dinh area." They're going to know what I'm talking about? [00:13:35] Samantha Coomber: Oh, yes, definitely. They'll know. You can say it's the Pink Church and Tan Dinh Market. They all know that. It's quite well-known, but it's not so wellknown for tourists and travelers. I think it's a real treat for people to have a wander around. [00:13:57] Kerry Newsome: Samantha, if we're going to, head to District 2, that does come up as there's a lot of ex-pats in the area. We've talked about that. I did find some shopping there last time. There are a few venues like The Deck and Mia Saigon Hotel. Can you tell us a little bit more just to give my listeners your take on District 2? [00:14:24] Samantha Coomber: Yes. District 2, I joke, it's called "The Republic of District 2" Because it's across the river. It's a bit of a drive-out. It is where all the ex-pats tend to congregate to live. I don't think, in terms of the history and the ambiance, it's so good, but what's so wonderful about District 2 is that it's right along the Saigon River. There are lots of new developments there to really enjoy the river life. As you mentioned, there's The Deck with a-- there's a few bars as well. Now, The Deck has been voted recently, "One of the top 50 bars in the world." It's obviously a great place. It's a deck along the river, as the name suggests. Great cocktails. They have brunches, lunch, and dinner there. It's very, very popular, but there are others as well. You're basically sitting out with the cool river breeze, surrounded by coconut trees, and you watch the boats go past. There are great places for sundowners, but I want to point out to your listeners that there are also three hotels that I know along the riverbank, which are great places. If you want to get out today-- Much as we love Saigon, it can be a bit frenetic and energetic. Motorbike traffic. If you want to have a couple of nights, where you’re waking up beside the river. There's the An Lam, the Mia Saigon, and the Villa Song. These are beautiful boutique hotels. You can dine, have your breakfast by the river, or as such, a candlelit dinner. Wonderful places to just retreat a bit at the beginning or the end of your holiday. [00:16:09] Kerry Newsome: Sounds lovely. I think sometimes if you can allow yourself a few extra days in Saigon, you can tend to get into its rhythm a bit more. I think when you just arrive, it is kind of overwhelming. I can remember my sister coming on a visit with me. She was just struck by millions and millions of motorbikes and Ben Thanh Market. I found her gasping standing outside. [00:16:42] Samantha Coomber: [chuckles] [00:16:43] Kerry Newsome: Sometimes, as you say, a district like District 2 is a little bit of a reprieve. It is a little bit more civilized and a little bit, I guess, catering to the Westerner, but with some lovely little gems in there, like you described, with those hotels. I think it's one to still put on everyone's list to check out. Of course, I'm going to have a transcription in this podcast. You're going to be able to look up these places. Also, you're going to be able to contact Samantha for any more information that she can share. Obviously, she's got some blogs on this as well. [00:17:23] Samantha Coomber: I just want to tell your listeners as well that the hidden beauty of this is a lot of them provide free speedboat, transfer shuttles from the center of town, which is the Bach Dang Wharf. You actually get this James-Bond-style speedboat trip along the Saigon River. [00:17:41] Kerry Newsome: [chuckles] [00:17:44] Samantha Coomber: You can live the Champagne lifestyle on a shoestring budget. It's quite interesting because you're passing a lot of the new Saigon, a lot of new developments. Then, you get the cargo boats going past and some fishermen or local people on a sunny day. It takes, usually, about 15 to 20 minutes to get to these places. It's such a treat. As I said, a lot of these places do throw it in for free, but you have to book up in advance because they've only got eight seats on the speedboat or something. A wonderful treat. I really enjoy it. [00:18:24] Kerry Newsome: Absolutely. I think it's good to mention the river. It took me a couple of visits before I got onto the river. I think when you're on the river and there are some lovely cruises, dinner cruises that you can do also. [00:18:37] Samantha Coomber: Absolutely, yes. [00:18:39] Kerry Newsome: Absolutely. I think from the dinner cruise or from a boat, you actually get to look back at the city. Certainly, at night, it looks absolutely stunning. It gives you another perspective. Sometimes, when you're in the thick of it, you think, "Oh, gosh." You're getting swallowed up, but from the river, you get a chance to reflect back on it, to see it as a city from a different perspective. I just thought that was also worth mentioning as we're talking about that area. now, I'm going to move you on to District 3. The reason I want you to touch on that is that it rarely gets mentioned, in my experience, District 3. Maybe you can give us a little bit more detail about what District 3 offers up. [00:19:28] Samantha Coomber: Well, Kerry, if you've got all day. [00:19:31] Kerry Newsome: [chuckles] [00:19:32] Samantha Coomber: I'm such a huge fan of District 3. I always wanted to live here, actually. Then, I got my wish came true. just to point out, it's probably the oldest part of the Saigon proper and that the French were actually developing this bit before the actual downtown District 1. What I want to point out as well is that it's such a pretty area. They've still got the remnants of the beautiful tree-lined boulevards, quite a few of those. I think Pasteur and Truong Dinh are some of the prettiest, but this quite a few. They're lovely places to wander around. as I mentioned, there are sites in District 1. There's a whole list of them, but there's a lot going on in District 3 as well. For example, one of the top tourist attractions in Saigon is actually the War Remnants Museum, which is in District 3, and a very prominent pagoda called Xa Loi, which was the scene of a lot of Buddhist monk activity before the Vietnam War. There are lots of other lovely sites. There's a place called Turtle Lake that your listeners should go to. This is just above the Notre-Dame Cathedral. It's where all the young lovers in Saigon go to. It's a big intersection with the lake. It's full of cafes and street food places. a wonderful atmosphere. Then, what District 3 is really known for is one of the best places in the city for Saigon's wonderful street food. Street food is everywhere in Saigon, but this is a particular note. My Vietnamese isn't that good. [00:21:21] Kerry Newsome: [laughs] We have that in common. [00:21:25] Samantha Coomber: As you said, they can read on the transcript, but I'll just say it's Nguyen Thuong Hien. It's designated as street food. It's in lots of guidebooks and magazines. It's packed with street food stalls and eateries. There's another one called Nguyen Dinh Chieu, which is another place which is excellent for street food. Then, there's Saigon's oldest building, which is here, which is this Tan Xa Palace, which is built about 1790. There are also some very interesting wartime legacies here from the Vietnam War. One of them is a secret weapon cellar, where they stashed away weapons during the Vietnam War, which is on Nguyen Dinh Chieu. There's another place maybe-- some people know about it, some don't. It's a noodle shop, which is your Pho ga, which is the chicken noodles. There's a place called Pho Binh. When you go away and you just have your-- which is one of Vietnam's iconic dishes, the Pho ga, the noodle soup. You're eating your noodle soup, but it was actually a secret HQ of the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War. They actually used to congregate up in the mezzanine level to plan the Tet Offensive during the Vietnam War, but no one knew about this. People were just eating their soup. When you go in nowadays, the owner will give you photographs and talk through about this. You have these wonderful wartime legacies. It's definitely worth wandering around. just soaking up the atmosphere and eating yourself crazy with the street food. [00:23:18] Kerry Newsome: I'm sure people that have an interest in Vietnam and Vietnam history and certainly war history, whilst some of that isn't for all of us, but people that were involved in the Vietnam War and sometimes go back to visit. There are lots of tours that do take you around some of those places that featured strongly during that period. I think that was really good to mention, Samantha. Very good. I think one of the other things I think we talked about was, wasn't it voted one of the world's top 50 coolest neighborhoods or something? [00:24:00] Samantha Coomber: Yes. Of course, I have to live in one of the world's coolest neighborhoods. [crosstalk] [00:24:04] Kerry Newsome: Of course you do. [00:24:05] Samantha Coomber: Of course I do. This is actually ‘Time Out’ London. I'm actually from London. That was great. They did a list of the world's coolest neighborhoods. It was amongst the top 50, but I think they recognize the historical buildings. There are lots of French colonial villas. Obviously, some have been pulled down, but actually, there are quite a few still standing, which the people at the consulates now are housed in. There's another thing I wanted to discuss with you and the listeners. Where I live in District 3, there's a wonderful canal area. Again, my Vietnamese is not the best. It's called Nhieu Loc - Thi Nghe Canal. To be fair, it does go through five districts, including District 1. There are a few others, but in District 3, I think it's the poshest bit. It's the most scenic part. That's why I wanted to discuss it in District 3. Kerry, shall I tell your listeners about what's going on along this canal area? I stumbled across it by accident. judging by how few foreigners are walking around this canal, I think people should maybe know about this because it's one of Ho Chi Minh City's biggest urban redevelopment projects. It was finished redevelopment in about 2012. Today, when you're walking along, it's a wide, broad canal, which is lined with trees, hibiscus flowers, bamboo, frangipani trees. This is right in the center of the city. It's got a lovely walkway. You can do your exercise or have a lovely evening stroll along. That's packed with locals all out, doing their exercising and gossiping, just getting together, walking the dog, and whatever. another thing which is wonderful about this. It's lined with the most gorgeous little cafes, very atmospheric, very artsy, which a lot of people don't know, packed with locals, some of the most beautiful pagodas, which I didn't expect to find along the canal, which I have written about on my blog, posting quite a lot of detail, some fantastic old pagodas which have been here for centuries. It's a wonderful place to soak up the local atmosphere, have a coffee, have some street food. The street food is delicious here. If you don't want to have a stroll along-- you were mentioning river cruises. What I find fascinating is now, they run sunset cruises along this canal, from District 1 through District 3 at Sunset Cruises. I've been doing my exercise for five o'clock in the afternoon and I-- on Sunset Cruises with deejays for the tourists go past. They have dinner cruises lit with fairy lights and gondola rides like little [crosstalk]. [00:27:23] Kerry Newsome: Oh, gondolas. [00:27:24] Samantha Coomber: Gondolas. For that romantic-- maybe you want to drop a proposal or something, but for me, this is like-- [00:27:33] Kerry Newsome: [laughs] [00:27:34] Samantha Coomber: When I first came to Saigon, this was what I class as a stinky, black canal years ago. Now, it's a happening area. Like I said, it does go down into District 1, It runs past the Saigon Zoo, but you can actually do a boat ride. I've even seen standup paddleboarders along there and kayaks. [00:27:58] Kerry Newsome: Oh my God. [00:27:59] Samantha Coomber: A lot of people go fishing there. Well, I think people should know about is a real slice of local life. Everyone is out doing their thing, but you get authentic cafes and street foods and beautiful little pagodas. They're not crowded. They're just virtually empty. It's a wonderful place to just stroll around, explore or maybe take a boat cruise through. [00:28:26] Kerry Newsome: Samantha, I think that's a good thing to just cover off for everyone listening is that the things that we're talking about aren't totally reliant on the overseas tourist because we're talking about a population of-- what? Is it 8,000,000 or something like that? [00:28:44] Samantha Coomber: Yes. Maybe 9,000,000. Yes, that's in the metro area. [00:28:50] Kerry Newsome: We're talking about places that are going to be here beyond COVID because let's face it. We're probably not looking for the country to open its borders, maybe, till 2022. I thought it was a good thing to just mention for everyone listening that we don't have an expiry date on this episode. We're trying to talk and keep the focus for everyone who's listening that these are the things that you're still going to be able to experience and be able to wander around and explore after COVID, when COVID is a thing of the past. [00:29:27] Samantha Coomber: Exactly. This place is buzzing all the time. Even during the social distancing, you still got people whizzing around and everything. It's a wonderful, wonderful energy here. That's the same for the Tan Dinh neighborhood in District 1. That's such a buzzy local area. Whatever happens in Vietnam, they just keep rolling on with their energy at their local communities. [00:29:58] Kerry Newsome: Absolutely. Now, I think almost every major city in the world has one of these. I'm referring now to Chinatown, which sits in District 5. I hear from you, also, that this is a favorite one as well. Tell us more about Chinatown, Saigon. [00:30:19] Samantha Coomber: Yes, I love Chinatowns around the world. As you said, everyone's got one, but Chinatown, in a sense, in Ho Chi Minh City, it's to the West, quite to the West. It takes about 25 minutes in a taxi ride to get there. a lot of visitors tend to go on tour buses and just do this quick, in and out, do all the main sites, and then going out, which is fine. I think it's a very underrated area. Why I really love the Chinatown here is that it hasn't been commercialized. It's not like the Singapore one. I love that one, but it's almost like Disneyfied in terms of a big tourist area. Whereas the Chinatown here, which is called Cho Lon, is very much a working local area. Of course, you've got the main pagodas, which I'll discuss in a few sites, but it's not laid out for tourists. It's a big working area. The name Cho Lon is actually translated as "Big market" That's the thing about this. It's all about trading and wholesale and retail and a hive of activity. When you go to Chinatown, you're seeing a really local area, but very different from the ones I've described because it's the local Chinese- Vietnamese community. It hasn't got a sign. When you actually getting into Chinatown territory, you know you're getting in that because you've got all these Chinese characters on the buildings and signs. It doesn't say, "Welcome to Cho Lon, Chinatown." [00:32:05] Kerry Newsome: [laughs] Yes, I get you. [00:32:07] Samantha Coomber: Yes, you know because you've got the Chinese characters. It's got a very distinct feel to it compared to other parts. I've been going there for years. I wrote a walking tour for a Wall Street Journal Asia. I'm obsessed with the place. Every time I go down there, I see very few foreigners. people don't speak English, but I must say people have been so friendly to me. You just point at stuff if you can't communicate with each other. People have been very welcoming and friendly to me. Perfectly safe to just wander around. I just want to point out there's going to be, obviously, the main landmark areas, which a lot of tours will go to. They are worth the visit. The main things in Chinatown are the pagodas. They are not only the oldest ones in Ho Chi Minh City, but they are also, I'd say, the loveliest. They're just so exquisite, beautifully decorated. They are working pagodas and temples. When you go in there, it's not for show. It's packed with people worshipping. You're almost crying because the incense is so strong in that. They preserve them very well. They are absolutely stunning. The main one is Quan Am Pagoda. This is the oldest. It was built in 1740, but you've also got the other one, which is very well-known, Thien Hau Pagoda, that 1760 built. Then, there are a few others. This is the beauty of Chinatown. It's a vast area and actually spills out into District 6 and District 10, but the main area that you want to visit is actually quite walkable. The only site that is a little bit further out is the famous Binh Tay Market, which you must go to. It's the biggest market in Chinatown. It dwarfs the size of Ben Thanh Market. It's just into District 6, but it's a wholesale market, but it's absolutely fascinating. Then, you just jump in a taxi back to the main concentration of the pagodas. Also, there are two other sites I want to point out. There's a street called the Luong Nhu Hoc, which is where you want to buy your Lion Dance masks. It's a ritual costume street. It's where everyone buys their things to worship in the pagodas and the temples. It's also called Lanterns Street because of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the end of September. It's all beautifully lit up with lanterns. [00:35:16] Kerry Newsome: Oh, beautiful. Love that. [00:35:18] Samantha Coomber: If you've got any energy left because there's a lot to see. It's still worth visiting is the traditional Chinese medicine street. I'm not even going to pronounce the name, but it's very well-known. That's when you wander along, you see all the bags of Chinese herbal medicine and roots and bags. That was very important before. It's dwindled a bit, but it's still quite visible. That said, all this is quite walkable. Then, when you've had enough, if you're not on a tour bus, you can get a taxi back into the center of town again. It's very manageable, but I do recommend having a wander around District 5 Chinatown. [00:36:06] Kerry Newsome: That's on the top of my list when I'm back. I haven't had a chance to experience Chinatown in Saigon. That's definitely on my list. I think some of the things that you've mentioned, which ring some bells for me in the sense of some of these districts are about 25 minutes out of town. by the sounds of what you're saying, you need to allow yourself at least a few hours to walk around to discover everything. I think people have got to be prepared for that. There's a little bit of smooching and musing. some of the sights and smells and things are going to be strange and probably taking some people out of their comfort zone to experience, but definitely worth being curious and sticking your nose into places. Being mindful. However, when you are walking around, you've just got your bag that you're carrying, etc., well sealed, so that you can't have any experience like bag-snatching or anything like that happen in any of these districts or anywhere in Saigon. I know some people have had that happen. That's marred their experience of Saigon. I would hate that to be the case. I'm mentioning it just to be aware and holding phones out and taking photographs. By all means, do that, but just be mindful that a driver could just whiz past and grab that phone very quickly. It's just a matter of common sense. [00:37:45] Samantha Coomber: Yes, it's common sense. I must say I've been here for a total of eight years. I personally have found it myself, I've used common sense, etc, but I found it very safe to wander around on my own as a single female. Wandering around the city, as long as you use your common sense and not dress ostentatiously, and as you said, stick your hand out and taking lots of photos and everything, but I find it very safe and very welcoming. It's a great place to just-- people are very friendly. If you wander down an alleyway-- I think when the borders are open again, I think people are going to be more welcoming because they'll be so happy to see tourists back again. how I've done a lot of my discoveries in this city is just sticking my nose down an alleyway or-- being curious and looking up. I found a fantastic cafe at the end of Dong Khoi in District 1, which is wonderful river views. I didn’t know it existed, but I looked up and I saw, "Oh, this is a great rooftop cafe." It's a case of-- being careful, but having a good look around because you'll find, on the whole, people are very friendly and welcoming here. [00:39:04] Kerry Newsome: Yes. One thing I want to mention is definitely keeping that curious and open mind and keeping a positive attitude, because I know sometimes you'll be taking some, "Oh, I'll be taking a friend. I'll say, oh, we're just going to go down this alley." Now, a Westerner doesn't really think that that's a good idea in a lot of cities around the world going down small, dingy alleys, etc.. You can go down a small alley in any city in Vietnam, in fact, and find yourself then into an oasis or then open a door, and then, you're walking up some steps. I'm even in the Caravelle Hotel. I don't think it's changed, but you get the elevator to level 9 or 10. I think it is. Then, you go up these crappy old steps. Then, you on this amazing rooftop bar that overlooks the city. There's got to be a little bit of trust. I think that goes into some of your travels and other trusting the guidance that you're getting. I think people, I'm hoping, listening to this podcast are going to get from yourself and myself that, we've had good experiences because we have been curious and been willing to just step out of our comfort zone a little bit. being mindful of not being, as you say, ostentatious or flippant and being respectful. I think the Vietnamese are very open to being friendly if you are friendly to them and courteous and being respectful. I think you get more from the Vietnamese out of that, even if you fail to be able to pronounce their language. I think if you try, and I think if you endeavor to be show politeness, they will do anything for you. This podcast's given me a great opportunity to talk to people who have traveled in Vietnam and people sharing their stories, telling me that people have opened their homes to them, to heal from an injury. They've lost something in the street. Someone's running after them with their key card because they dropped it or something like that. There are really good stories to be told, but it takes two to tango. I think you're right. I think coming back after COVID, the country will be very welcoming for tourists. It is what motivates me to do this podcast. I think the fact that we've been able to talk to you, Samantha, today to share your insights is just going to be gold for people coming back. Samantha, it's been absolutely fabulous having you on the show. I'm going to have to say farewell now, but I hope everything continues to go well in Vietnam. Maybe we'll see you in Australia very soon. [00:42:04] Samantha Coomber: Thanks so much, Kerry, for this wonderful opportunity to chat with you. Thanks so much. All the best. [music]

S4-25 A fun Guide to droning - Photos Part 3 A fun guide to droning in Vietnam - Photos Part 3 Episode 25 S4-25 A fun Guide to droning - Photos Part 3 00:00 / 48:23 Are you a drone enthusiast planning to visit Vietnam? Or do you have a general interest in drone photography. Either way you won't want to miss this episode where my guest Anton, a local drone enthusiast, shares his tips and experiences on drone use in the country. Along with some humorous tales of motor bike riding in Vietnam.

 Anton, known as 'Alright Anton' from his YouTube channel is able to share with us his insights and tips on how to simplify the process of using drones for non-commercial purposes. He shares very real circumstances that can impact your drone flying success in some locations; and you will laugh hysterically at the stories he shares containing birds, wind and avoiding mountains.
 The big tip: - Stick to avoiding 'no fly' zones and you won't have any problems.

 For the real amateurs like myself I share some of my own experiences with my DJI Mavic Pro 3, and how travelling with this camera can cause some challenges. However, with some forethought, and proper planning, these can easily be overcome. 

It's a fun show as in addition to Anton's droning experiences he shares his genuine love of places like Ninh Binh, Ha Giang, and Sapa and while some of his travel stories are scary, his tales are very amusing.

 This is Part 3 of the mini series of Photography, which I hope you are enjoying and will keep for reference and share with other interested travellers.

 Please check out Anton's work here, truly worthwhile :-
 Alright Anton's YouTube page:https://www.youtube.com/channelUCrg2HDkWT86HENJHQPKk3gg Alright Anton's Instagram page:https://www.instagram.com/alright_anton/
 This is the drone Anton uses: https://www.dji.com/mini-2 Download Transcript PDF Read the transcript here

6be74599-4c80-4018-9b47-90e4003ef720Know the best time to as a travel manager and “its important”. Best time to travel in Vietnam Episode 2 S1-02 Best Time to Travel in Vietnam 00:00 / 14:17 This is probably one of the most common questions I get asked as a travel manager. The reason being is….. “its important”. It's where you move into that commitment phase and by plotting dates you feel like "this is really going to happen. While we are in Covid 19 times, it is hard to plot actual dates, however, you can at least find out the best seasons to travel and where to in Vietnam as it does vary. Let's stay focused on the prize and get you sorted for a great holiday in Vietnam when the borders open. Download Transcript PDF Read the transcript here

f633923d-dcb9-4cc1-b5e2-02708a05122dTam Ky and Tam Thanh beach - not on the regular tourist track yet! What About Vietnam - Series 2 - 4 Tam Ky and Tam Thanh Beach - Not on the regular Tourist Track YET! What about Vietnam? My name's Kerry Newsome and I'm your host. Today. We're going to be talking about a place I've wanted to learn about myself for quite some time. It's a place called Tam Ky and very close to Tam Ky is a beach called Tam Thanh. Very small Vietnamese style beach. Very local, very authentic area. I've asked Sander Seymore to come on today because he runs a consulting company called Keyway Consulting, and in that role is talking to many people in the region and in the hospitality and tourism industry. So, he has some very good knowledge to share with us about going to happen in tourism in this area and just what's available to the tourist if they would like to go there and visit. Hand on heart. I haven't been there myself yet, but I've wanted to go. And because it is so close to Hoi An, it does make an ideal day trip or possibly overnight trip. I hope you will welcome Sander to the program as he had a lot to share with us about this area. Good morning, Sander How are you? Sander Seymour: Hi. Good morning. It's Ah, nice and hot here in Vietnam. Kerry Newsome : Would I expect anything different in July in Vietnam? No, Sander Seymour: no, Absolutely not. Now it is great at the moment. Kerry Newsome : It's great to have you on the program. And you're going to be talking about a place that I in all the times I've been there, haven't managed to visit, which I feel very bad about because I've wanted to, but literally haven't got there. So we're gonna be talking about Tam Ky. Yes. Yeah. Sander Seymour: This is the capital of Quang Nam, where Hoi An is located, which I'm sure you've talked about extensively before. Kerry Newsome : Yes, yes. So maybe give us a little bit more as far as our location point of view. Where is Tam Ky. Am I even saying it right like Tam Ky. Sander Seymour: It is fine. And and both of us are going to be saying all of the words incorrectly, so well done. Kerry Newsome: Yeah, yeah, I feel good with that yet. So where is it? Actually, Sander Seymour : it's Ah, it's about ah, 45 kilometers south of Hoi An.. Um, which would be about 65. 60 south of Danang, which is quite a large city. That would be the closest large city. Tam Ky is Ah is also a pretty large city, actually. Kerry Newsome: okay. I keep thinking of Tam Ky as more like a village rather than a city. Sander Seymour: Yeah, they designated it as the capital of Quang Nam. Um and so now it is It's more, quite like a city. There's actually ah, south of Tam Ky. About 30 minutes. There's also quite a large seaport, , in Quang Nai, um which means there's a lot of big industrial area. And there's also, for example, Kia Motors operates a factory out of there. And so there's, um along with being the government area, off of Quang Nam. That means there's a lot of infrastructure and a lot of work down there, except it's just not a big tourist area yet. Kerry Newsome: YET. Okay, So if I am a tourist Ah, how long is it going to take me to get there, Say from Hoi An. And like, what's the best way to get there, I'm aware of many tour operators that offer different ways, but what what would you recommend the best way to get there? Sander Seymour: I think at this point, like you said, the tour operators would be the best. You can take a private car. You can even take a taxi. Of course. But the tour operators from, say, if you rented a room or a hotel in Hoi An, and that would be the best way to get there. Um, mainly because in Tam Ky, like I was saying, there is not a lot of tourism there, so there's not a lot of English spoken there yet, so it can be a little difficult to get around if you, uh, if you're on your own. Okay. For example, if you rented a motor biker a car, Kerry Newsome: Yes. Yes. Ah, and I do know some people who yet just just head off in that direction as ah as a key place to visit on a bike. But what they do there, I haven't actually got any feedback. So it’s good to have this chat. I mean, how do you come to discover Tam Ky. How did it get on your radar Sander Seymour: Basically because my fiance is from Tam Ky. Um, I've been working for a couple of years now in Hoi An and Danang, Um, and I met my fiance here, and we visited Tam ky. I think 3.5 years ago was the first time I came there with her, I barely knew her. So I've slowly kept going back to visit her family. And so basically, she is my tour guide. I'm very lucky. I I get to see a city runs that's completely Vietnamese operated. There's not a lot of Westerners there, and it's actually ah, it's quite an upper middle class city. Um, I mean, with a lot of cars and wide roads, and, uh, it's not based on tourism, so So it's not tourism based and focused, which is a quite unique for a lot of people who travel just to places like Hoi Ani and see the touristy areas of Danang or even Hanoi. Kerry Newsome: Yeah. You know, I'm really glad you've touched on that. Because, as I said, when I think of Tam Ky my vision off it is this small, touristy place with a village on a beach. I am I have not thought it about it in any respect to how you're describing it. So, I mean, what is it so special? About Tam Ky. It comes up on lots of discussions. So tell us about why a tourist might like to visit it. Sander Seymour: Well, let me differentiate Tam Ky from Tam Thanh, which is about 11 kilometers outside of Tam Ky. It is where, uh, probably if you were a tourist, you'd want to start there, because that is where the Mural villages are located. Um, so the tanking is the city? Yeah. I think that's what you were getting at. Tam Ky is the city center. I think a lot of people passing through would bypass Tam Ky. At the moment. It's Ah, it's a basic city centre, but it's more commercial and for Vietnamese. There's not a lot of tourism there at the moment. But for some people, if you are a if you are interested in Vietnam or you want a little more, uh, bit of a Vietnam experience compared to, say, maybe Hoi an ancient town just very touristy, that would be a nice place to check out. Kerry Newsome: Okay, so if I separate, those two places. From what you're telling me, there's probably two different sets of things to do, Okay. So, Tam Thanh has the mural village, maybe talk a little bit about the mural village because I've seen some lovely pictures of kids doing some fun things in that village. And, um, you know, I've got a friend of mine. Ah, who also goes there a, Vietnamese friend. Ah. She goes there to just have ah, like a beach experience. So, talk a little bit more about Tam Thanh. Sander Seymour: Sure, Tam Thanh is one of the next areas designated for ah tourism in Vietnam specifically because it is an easy drive from Hoi An. Roughly 45 minutes to an hour. Um uh, easily accessible, free way to get there. They've just completed a new bridge to get there. Um, right now it is. Ah, sort of like your your your friend described, its ah, fishing village. Um, but they put in a mural village there together with the, uh I think some businesses in Korea to try toe, get more tourism. Prior, it sort of was there, but it wasn't really, kept up. Since the Korean tools an interest,It was cleaned up and is a great idea. So now it's kind of Ah, it's There's a lot of changes happening there. There's, ah, a lot of large groups like Sun Group, one of the largest real estate investment company in Vietnam. They plan to build golf courses and, uh, you know, high end resorts there. However, right now it is still quite a nice little fishing village. If you went there, say around one or two PM Obviously it would be hot and it would be empty. You wouldn't see anybody there, but about five or 6 p.m. You will get the flood of After the sun goes down, you will get the flood off of locals, government workers and all the the 9 to 5 job people. They will flood into Tam Thanh and visit the fish restaurants, the local seafood restaurants and the beach will be packed with games and volleyball. It'd just be a flood of people. But if you go during the day, it is it's kind of your own little beach. Kerry Newsome : Ah, Vietnamese obviously taking advantage of it. I mean, obviously they know where the best spots are. Let's face it, Um I mean, when I think about a tourist, however going there, I know a friend of mine did a a sidecar trip down there, and they went as a family in the sidecar thing which looked hilarious like the photos are traveling down and but they I think they might have gone maybe mid morning or early morning and ah, they stayed in the mural village and they did some. Kid stuff. You know, there was things that kind of were geared towards kids and families, and, you know, they had a nice Vietnamese snack. I mean, are there things like that to do in the village? Do you know much happening there? Sander Seymour: That village scene, thats obviously great for kids cause if you go down there right now as a Westerner and you bring your kids, um, that will bring the families out and and they want to interact, especially if you have kids. You know how friendly Vietnamese are with kids. So there are some small shops that have opened up next to the art village. When I let me explain the art village a little more, it's Ah, it's basically murals done. Um, the painted murals done with a lot of local artists. Some artists from Korea, um, there are some kinds done to honor their fishing heritage. There are some basket boats that have been painted. There are some sort of small tower set up that the kids can climb on and take pictures and view the ocean. There's, of course, a couple of temples there you can check out. But I think if you did a day trip there, uh, the reason I say it's it is a very interesting location. As you know Hoi An is quite ah, full. There it is almost at the peak of the tourism. Kerry Newsome: We are recording these on the 14th of July in 2020. So, uh, yeah, maybe it was at its peak but now, not so. Yep. Sander Seymour: Yes, thinking of that. So, for example A large development with the casino and golf courses that is about seven kilometers from Hoi An. So that's to the south so you can get to Hoi An. Um, and then there's also ah, a new French distillery that's open down there, and that's maybe eight or nine kilometers. So on your way to Tam Thanh and Tam Ky, there's starting to be more and more activities and tourist stuff. So if you started yeah, and I think it would be important to mention the Heroic Mother Statue that's also on the way to Tam Ky, Um, if you were traveling down the main ocean road, you would, ah sort of go inland to Tam Ky. It would sort of go back to the coast to Tam Thanh. So right in the middle of that, there is a they call it the Heroic Mother Statue. It was, um, a statue created to honor. Ah, the women of the what? We would call it the Vietnam War. They would call it the Liberation War. So there's a really nice museum there, Its good to see the history. From the Vietnamese perspective. Kerry Newsome: Is it like Lady Buddha up in Danang? Is it similar to that? Sander Seymour : Different? Oh, it's, um it would Ah, it has the faces of about 11 Vietnam mothers on bears. A couple really famous one that one of the mothers they will talk about supposedly lost about 11 sons and grandchildren, and she became sort of ah patriotic for the for the Vietnamese, and to talk about the love for country. So you can visit the museum that's under these statues. It's big, big statues. It isfascinating, with lots of open spaces. There's restaurants across the street, small restaurants. When I say restaurants, I mean little red chairs and canopies where you can buy cold water and coconuts. But inside there is like a sort of underground in an air conditioned museum where there's a lot of relics from from the war that went on here in the sixties. Um, it's pretty amazing to see Yeah, and it's a comfortable, air conditioned museum, so it's a nice break. Kerry Newsome: Um, so if you were talking about a visit to this region, do you see it as a day trip for a tourist? Or would you recommend? I mean, do you have any favorite accommodations or places to it? I know my friend. That had a guide here. She went actually in, like November, so it actually rained and carried on with storms and all sorts of things when she was there. But she absolutely loved the fact that it was quiet; it was right on the beach. You know, she literally had the accommodation or home stay or whatever to herself and, you know, just lapped it up, you know, having some some peaceful time away. But for tourists, you know, Are they gonna make it a day trip, or would you recommend a night there or have you got any good ideas? I mean we appreciate now it's all gonna be Vietnamese, but there's nothing wrong with that. Sander Seymour: Yeah, it's It's all gonna be Vietnamese. Of course. Um, I actually took my mother, who lives here in Vietnam at the moment, and we went down there, and she I say, I use my mother is as an example because, being 73 , she wants comfort. So for her comfort level, we stayed at Tam Thanh Beach Resort. That's probably the main large one. It's a government-owned hotel, but it's got a beautiful outdoor pool overlooking the ocean; its a pretty high standard place. Um, I work in Tam Thanh sometimes. So, about 11 kilometers outside of the beaches, Tam Ky’s city centre, and I stay at Moung Thanh Hotels (See Episodes notes) I think you're probably familiar with that chain. I would, uh, I would consider it equivalent to like Hilton. We have Hilton in the United States that I'm sure you have in Australia. But, uh, that's sort of your basic four-star hotel. With your buffet breakfast, you can get Western food and Western amenities those two are the most comfortable located on the beach. A lot of people have realized that this is gonna be the next, um, tourism spot. S o the majority of oceanfront property has been bought up. There are big plans. I have yet to check it out, but one group is doing something called You - Retreat. So there I've been following them and spoke to them on the phone a few times about They're creating a small home stay style retreat for Westerners. So things like that are kind of coming up soon. As of now, you can stay at a nice place for equivalent of 50 to $60 a night, which is high for that area. Um, and then there are some small home stays as well. So, um, I think you know, if you're on a time limit, depending on how, and what kind of, ah vacation time you have, You could do a day trip. You could do a an overnight stay.. And a long the way: You could see the mother statue. Maybe go for the, uh, the distillery on the way back, I think. Probably the best. Yes. So you could do that in a day being 45 kilometers 45 50 kilometers round trip. He could be back in the day, but staying the night. You know,... Especially in these towns that aren't based on tourism. They move very slow. So So your time frame is it's not gonna be like the West. Um, you might run into some random things that are no cows in the road that will hold you up for some time, things like that. Kerry Newsome: Ah, and I mean, let's face it, that's that's definitely the authentic stay. That's more of an immersive stay. And as you say, the fact that the area has recognized the fact that it's got so much to offer in that authentic way, its a diversion from the touristy kind of aspect with the old town. So I guess if you want to escape that and get in touch with the very real Vietnam, that's how I always saw it. Would I be right in saying that? I Sander Seymour: Think absolutely. The word authentic is a nice, is a nice description because they're not based on tourism. So that would be a real nice way; to see how normal Vietnamese live without the benefit of tourism and how they operate their daily lives. I have a great story about the local Fishing village, which is the reason why I became so invested in that area, is ah, I met an older lady and through my fiance was translating, and she said that she was there all her life. She was a fisherman. Their fishing. Then they also made ah fish sauce the famous fish sauce there. That was, um but ah, when she was old enough to retire and she had some money, she wanted to move into back Tam Ky, because she didn't need her fishing village. So she sold her land in Tam Thanh on the beach for the equivalent of about a few $1000 USD Just nothing. And you know, now there's a golf course being built there. So the idea that Tam Thanh Beach could ever be anything but a place to support Tam Ky to the local population down there was unheard of. So they're only now realizing its value to Westerners. Kerry Newsome: Oh, yes. And as soon as that realization happens, in come the developers. Sander Seymour: Yeah, we might be too late. I'm pretty sure it's all been bought up. Well, actually everything's on hold now. So? So we are hitting the pause button for everyone. I believe, including devoted developers. So when Tam Thnanh does open back up, I think it will still be there, but busy in construction and tourism development. Kerry Newsome: Fantastic. Look, thanks very much for being on the program. I think I'm gonna put some links from our chat in the episode notes. So people watch out for that. As Sander mentioned a few places that I think would be handy for people to know about if they were to explore that area. I really appreciate you being on the show. Um, thanks for coming on. Sander Seymour : It was nice to see you.I'll see you in person again. Okay, Kerry Kerry Newsome: U bet, as soon as they open the gates. Okay, then Thank you for listening. Check out the episode notes for more information. Don't forget to subscribe. Rate review and stay tuned for more fun adventures in Vietnam

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

1af68691-5373-4368-b065-0bf15aeb9b4cWorld's largest cave at Phong Nha National Park. Discover Vietnam's Phong Nha Cave - the largest on the planet Episode 9 Discover Vietnam's Phong Nha Cave - the largest on the planet 00:00 / 38:13 Today we take a peek into one of the world's most famous cave systems located in Phong Nha National Park with my guest Ben Mitchell from Phong Nha Farmstay. A home away from home with great food and a friendly crew. Characterized by mountains, tropical forests and underground rivers, this region is known for its ancient limestone karsts and vast network of caves including the world-famous Son Doong Cave, the largest Cave in the world. Ben will introduce you some amazing facts about the whole region, and while its major tourist attraction is the caves, there is a whole lot more to Phong Nha than meets the eye. Thank you to Oxalis Adventure Tours for these Cave images. Download Transcript PDF Read the transcript here

9d1abf46-8039-4709-ab25-207ac4f01231Ha Giang Loop adventure, Vietnam's final frontier What About Vietnam - S3-5 The Ha Giang Loop - Vietnams’ final frontier [00:00:36] Kerry Newsome: Xin chào . Welcome to What About Vietnam . Today, I'm taking you to the last frontier of Vietnam, a place called Ha Giang. That's spelled “Ha Giang.” Ha Giang actually gets connected to what they call the “Loop”. The loop is actually 350 kilometers in total. It's a spectacular region. Amazing views. You're going to see lots and lots of photos on the internet of this region, and lots of people talking about motorbike riding around the loop. I'm talking today with Tom Stone. Tom has been running tours in this area on bikes for the last 10 to 12 years. He's decided to take up roots in the area and building a boutique hotel. That's pretty exciting. He's going to give you some great insights into what to expect there from a real “living there” perspective. You're going to get, the things that you can't get anywhere else because it’s coming from someone who's really living the life and offering those tours to locals and to foreigners. Come on board today for a fabulous episode, we're going to learn lots about just what to expect in accommodation, how much time as investment that you need to put in to get the best out of the region. We're going to learn a little bit about what minority groups are located in the region. I think it's going to give you some great advice on whether or not it's the right thing for you to include in your next trip. Please welcome Tom to the program. [music] Hello Tom, welcome to What About Vietnam ? [00:02:35] Tom Stone: Hi, Kerry. Thanks for having me. [00:02:37] Kerry Newsome: Just to start with, to give people an understanding of where it is, can you talk to us about its location and proximity to the Chinese border? [00:02:48] Tom Stone: Yes, sure. It’s Vietnam's most Northern province. It's situated approximately-- it's around three hundred kilometers from Hanoi. It's also it's about 250 kilometers, approximately, from Sapa, which a lot of people know about in the North. The province border is surrounded mainly from the East and the West from the Chinese border and the far North. [00:03:19] Kerry Newsome: When I see the photos and I see that beautiful gorge, it is such-- I think we actually talked about it before and you said it's the last frontier. Is that how you feel about the region? You've been there a long time. How do you feel about the region? [00:03:39] Tom Stone: Yes, as you say, I've been coming up here for a long time, recently moved up here, but I spent a lot of my time in Vietnam up in this area. It never fails to blow me away, just how astounding the scenery is. It's a little bit like going back in time even for Vietnam. It's a lot less developed, especially in the way of tourism, than anywhere else in the country. In my opinion, the scenery is unmatched. The gorge that you speak of up in the Mèo Vạc - Đồng Văn area is absolutely incredible. Whenever I've had people go through there, I've never, never failed for them to be, "This is one of the most amazing places I've ever been to." Saying, it's very, very popular for photographers like-- Yes. [00:04:35] Kerry Newsome: I would think some of those photos would be drone photos, wouldn't they? Because they're taken at very high levels, some of them, I say. Is that right? [00:04:43] Tom Stone: Absolutely, but the funny thing is some of the best photos are just off your basic phone. You're so high up. The scenery is literally below your feet and well above your head as well. There's so much of view, which makes it such a popular thing to see by motorbike or scooter because the scenery is so huge. [00:05:10] Kerry Newsome: Talk to us a little bit about the loop because mostly Ha Giang seems to get connected to the loop. They talk about the loop. The image, and how I see it sitting in my head, is I'd say lots of switchbacks, I'd say very, very narrow trials where people are turning their bikes in awkward fashion to try and get around some of those switchbacks. I've been on the back of a bike. I know that feeling. Talk to us about the loop, talk about the what's involved with the tour and doing a loop. [00:05:50] Tom Stone: The loop, as it's known, the Ha Giang loop, has become, I think, mainly popular in the last two years. Before that, it wasn't really known about by many people. In my early days here in Vietnam when we used to go up there, and I would lead tours and things up there, they were very specialized. People would have never really heard about it and wouldn't really remember the name. They would just say, "Oh my God. The tour was amazing. The scenery was outstanding. You've got to go to North Vietnam. That was as far as it went." When Ha Giang became more popular was when there was more accessible by transport up to Ha Giang City and bike rental and bike tours from Ha Giang City. People would then do the super loop as you call it. I've seen people do it. I've done it myself in two days, but it's really not enough to get around that size of a loop. There's obviously different ways you can go and things to see the the Ma Pi Leng canyon and get right up to Đồng Văn and even Lũng Cú , which has the northernmost point, the flag tower on the border of China up there. Back to Ha Giang, I think an absolute minimum of three days to see it all. Even when I get people contacting me, I'd say, "Well, if you can do five days, even better." All these tiny little pathways and little trails that you can take to get up to some of the summits of some of these little mountain peaks and things like that, yes, can be dangerous to some serious drop offs off the side of them and stuff, but what they've also been doing is widening a lot of the popular areas There is a small trail that runs above the Ma Pi Leng canyon. You can go out there. There's some really popular-- I'm sure if you get on Google, you'll see some of the photos of people posing on the side of rock cliff faces and things like that, which are very dangerous, but the roads getting up to them. They've actually widened them since COVID, since I've been up there and exploring a bit more. They've widened them to even almost get a car up there. It's a little less dangerous now [00:08:20] Kerry Newsome: Talk to us about the minority groups and the people of the region. [00:08:25] Tom Stone: The main one seems to be in Ha Giang is the Hmong people? Then, the other ones I think the Dao , the Thái , the Nùng , and even, now, the Kinh people, which is the main Vietnamese one, but a lot of interaction to be had in this area. It's very much here got a variety of villages, different towns and things like that. Every place seems to have its own set of quirks, but very much the local people are happy to interact and engage with foreign tourists coming through. A very happy place here, for sure. [00:09:12] Kerry Newsome: When you're talking about spending three to five days in the region, let’s call it the last frontier, we talked about the loop and doing bike riding. You also said there's the opportunity to do jeep or private car, but, let’s say bike riding would be the optimal experience. You mentioned caves and trekking. Broaden our view of some of the other things that you can do in the region. [00:09:47] Tom Stone: Well, because of this influx, obviously, a lot of it stopped when COVID started. [00:09:55] Kerry Newsome: Like everywhere? [00:09:56] Tom Stone: Yes, but with the influx in the last couple of years with tourism, which is a huge thing for Ha Giang, especially Ha Giang being one of the poorest provinces in the country, this little influx of tourism is a massive thing. A lot of people got on board. A lot of people that weren't necessarily directly on the loop, but people are traveling on either, but people have popped up and started saying, "Look, I'm learning a lot about it now when I go and try and visit new areas here and things." They're saying, "Oh, we can trek up this mountain. We're offering this in our backyard and things like this." There's a lot of spots that are now coming up. Trekking even just outside of Ha Giang City, up on the Tây Côn Lĩnh mountain ranges is exceptional , really, really beautiful, a lot of untouched jungle and great scenery up there, not even far from the city yet. Then, the other thing that they're finding a lot of-- I'm hearing that they will be opening a few in the next few months to tourism, the caves and things . Probably caves are not really in size comparison to what they have down in Phong Nha , but I think equally incredible. It's another thing that you can visit along the way if it's something that you're into. [music] [00:11:30] Kerry Newsome: Now people have starting to get a brand or a location label. That's helping them zero down a little bit more on these areas. As you say, some of the caves are only just being discovered in the last five to 10 years. I know in Phong Nha . [00:11:48] Tom Stone: That's right. [00:11:50] Kerry Newsome: Even in Ba Bể Lake when I was there, there were massive caves. Really, the Vietnamese locals didn't have any idea how spectacular they were, but if I take them back and compare them to, say, Jenolan Caves in Australia, they were of similar ilk, they were just as spectacular. There was like 10 people there. That's what's mostly fascinating to me about Vietnam. Is it a world discovery tour every time you go because they've discovered something else themselves? [00:12:25] Tom Stone: That's absolutely right. I think you hit the nail there when you said that they've chopped it down into different areas to see. Now, instead of just saying something broad like, "I'll go and visit North Vietnam." I think when it was like that, it was mainly made for motor tourists that were here just to discover the country on motorbikes. That's what they would do. They would discover the whole of the North Vietnam, but in reality, the main people that come and visit here, the main tourists that come and see the place, they don't have time to see all of North Vietnam and see if the way that people do that a travelling like that on motorcycles. Now, I think that the way that they've done that is a great idea because it's now promoting a lot of repeat tourism as well because you don't just come here and see Ha Long Bay and then Sapa and then maybe one other place like you say Lake Ba Bể or something like that. In the North, you've got all these other options that are like, "Oh, wow, look at the photos here. I've got to go and see the Ma Pi Leng canyon up in Ha Giang or the markets in Mèo Vạc or something like that. Yes, it really has opened up, I think, places like Ha Giang as a place that you would specifically come back to Vietnam to visit- [00:13:45] Kerry Newsome: Visit. Yes. [00:13:46] Tom Stone: -because you need the time to see it properly you need to have the time. [00:13:50] Kerry Newsome: Time, yes, to those summits, to those peaks and to do it so that you're not exhausted because if you are exhausted, and you've had all that adrenaline pumping through you going around through all these areas, [chuckles] sticking your neck out into places that you probably are a little bit out of your comfort zone. That's exhausting. It's tiring. [00:14:11] Tom Stone: It really is. [00:14:12] Kerry Newsome: It is. Everybody's crashing at early hours of the night because you're just exhausted from the day, but you do need to schedule in time. People say-- they look at the map and they say to me, "Oh, look, it's only there. Today, it's only 200 kilometers." Well, it is, but on that road, as you and I both know, that can take a day. [00:14:39] Tom Stone: Absolutely. That's a huge misconception, especially for-- depending on which country you're from. I know that in Australia and New Zealand, 200 kilometers is like, "Oh, we just go. We'll be there by lunch." Here, we're talking about, for instance, the road from Hanoi up to Ha Giang is only 300 kilometers, but you need at least five and a half hours to get up here even by the fastest transport, which would be private car or motorbike. The buses are similar. You do need to plan around it, plan your time. That's why I say to people, "Look, if you're going to come up here, give it five days or so." It's like nothing you'll ever experience anywhere else, even in Vietnam. It's absolutely incredible. It's absolutely worth it. [00:15:41] Kerry Newsome: I agree. Let’s talk about this time of the year because you and me, when we got together earlier in the week, we discussed that it's a big factor to consider when to go because if it's raining, and some of those roads are wet, and you're trying to battle conditions like that, that can make it more dangerous. Talk to us about the best times of the year to come to Ha Giang. [00:16:12] Kerry Newsome: It's a popular place for local tourism. The thing that the local people like to see is the flowers blooming. This happens. A lot of the buckwheat fields bloom at that time. It's really pretty. It is really pretty. In my opinion, the most pretty of the area is the scenery itself. That's not particularly just the flowers. They're a nice thing to have there, but they happen at around spring and autumn time. Over here-- [00:16:43] Kerry Newsome: What month is that? [00:16:44] Tom Stone: normally around April and October sort of time . That's the time that has been very broadcast on the internet as the best times to visit Ha Giang. Now, I've been running tours up here for a long time, particularly in the last six or seven years. We came up with our true north tour. It became so popular that we were running it two times a week throughout the year. The fairer question I would say is when not to visit Ha Giang. [00:17:22] Kerry Newsome: Oh, okay. That's good to know. [00:17:25] Tom Stone: Absolutely. It is, absolutely. I think whatever time you come, you will be blown away. We had to cancel, I think, two tours in that time due to extreme weather. One was in the middle of winter, when, I think, it was about mid-January. We got ice. That was cold. We had ice on the roads. Everything was frozen up there. You're above 1,000 meters predominantly of the most of the loop and zero visibility at that time. We canceled it. I think the other time that we canceled was extreme heavy rain. That was, I think, in July at one point. That was because it was danger of landslides. Sort of been raining continuously for four days or something, very, very torrential. It was a danger of landslides. That's a danger that happens up here, but if you're watching the weather, and you've planned a trip, and you're already here, I wouldn't recommend canceling that until the last minute, until what's going on, or you've got someone that you're speaking to that's based in the region. You can plan accordingly, but just going off what you see on the internet and saying, "Oh, we can't go on this trip because it's not April or it's not October. Then, we can't go and see it." I don't think you have to do that. As I say, we've had very happy people going up there throughout the year, even in midsummer. It gets very hot, but we can use sunscreen. We can put extra layers on and cover up from the sun. That's okay. The other thing is you start to get the rain like we are now at this time of year, but I'm still out and about every day, getting out on the bikes and doing things. You get a downpour. You pull over and have a coffee somewhere or interact with the locals somewhere along the road. It's always an adventure. Then, you get back on the bike because it seems to stop as abruptly as it starts. [00:19:42] Kerry Newsome: It's a good point that you brought up just about the variances in weather because not everybody thinks it gets cold in Vietnam. [chuckles] [00:19:52] Tom Stone: Yes. That's true. That's true. I've had people get off the aeroplane in Hanoi wearing their bordies! [00:19:58] Kerry Newsome: Crazy. [00:19:58] Tom Stone: Yes. They go, "I thought I was in Southeast Asia. [00:20:02] Kerry Newsome: [laughs] [music] Just talk to us a little bit about the accommodation, Tom. Now, I know you've been running the Flipside Hostels. I know you're also in the mode of building a boutique resort. That's pretty exciting, but when you talk about this area, the last frontier, immediately go to fairly primitive homestays in my mind. Talk to us about the accommodation that a person could experience, or what's on offer for a three to five night stay up in that region. [00:20:51] Tom Stone: Yes. I think you're absolutely right there. Again, being a fairly underdeveloped area, the accommodation that was always here has been, yes, those fairly primitive stood-house-style homestays, which can be a really cool experience for all types of people, a little bit hard on the back when you're sleeping on some hard mattresses on the floor in these stood houses, but a lot of them are really nice, really clean, really good food. The families are just wonderful to drink a bit of the local rice wine with them and things like that, but predominantly that's what you got. That, I think, is what has tagged the area as, possibly, some of the more hard-adventure-type tourism. [00:21:43] Kerry Newsome: Traveler. [00:21:43] Kerry Newsome: Yes, traveler. Yes. As you say, when we think of Ha Giang it was very, very popular. It was predominantly backpackers, young backpackers that didn't-- They don't mind. They wanted that sort of thing. What we're focusing on now because there seems to be a bit of a gap in the market here, that is for the other type of traveler that want a little bit more of comfort and a break from the--how do you say the rawness of Ha Giang? Every now and then, to have some good food, nice comfort and decent beds, and places to stay and things like that. What we are doing here in Ha Giang City is trying to do something like that. Throughout the loop, what's available now? As it's become more popular, a lot of hotels and things like that are popping up throughout the area, but a lot of them are still fairly basic. I think that if people are looking to do it themselves and get up here to Ha Giang and rent a bike or something like that, it's a little bit more difficult to find. You look online and get a barrage of different accommodations that are available. It's really hard to know which ones are legitimate and which ones are actually good. A lot of them share the same photos. I'm sure, I just looked at that one, but it's another place in another town. There is more becoming available for different travelers now as well, which is a good thing, especially in the main towns. [00:23:37] Kerry Newsome: Good to know. I think for everyone listening, it's important to just explain the homestay variable in the sense that if you're staying in a homestay in Hoi An, it's like a mini boutique hotel. It's got all the comforts that a westerner would be used to. The beds might be a little bit hard. You're still looking at quite a modern set-up where the more traditional homestay is as it was deemed to be, was a homestay. It was the home of the local family. They were opening it up to visitors to come, stay in their home, experience their home life with their family, they would cook for them, etc. Things like the bathroom and the bed situation probably would be of that raw, campa-type feel to it. As you say, it's not for everyone, but it's just good to get the measure out there for people so they understand the difference because I've had people come and say, "Oh, homestays fine. We stayed at a fabulous place in Hoi An." I go, "Whoa." That's not what you're going to get in Mu Cang Chai or—Ha Giang? [00:25:04] Tom Stone: You're absolutely right. It's actually a very good point to make. We get asked a lot here. I've always considered a homestay to be the leisure of what you just explained. It's a very local thing. We stay, actually, with the family. You eat dinner with the family. The bathrooms are typically shared. If there's a private room in their homestays, it's typically occurrence that's put across. T But it's an interesting and eye-opening experience for a lot of people. Yes, it’s, as you say, very different to what I would call a homestay in Hoi An or Hanoi or something like that. It seems to even up here now that has started to deviate into nicer places being called homestays, which is typically what we are not calling our place because I think it is. There's a big difference between that raw, real homestay thing and somewhere that is the creature comforts for Western tourists. It's a very big difference. I think you would have seen yourself staying in places like Mu Cang Chai and Ba Bể , where it's all they had. I'm pretty sure what will they still have is that homestay-type accommodation. [00:26:26] Kerry Newsome: But as you say, it's morphing into a more Westerner version of the same thing. Look, to me, it's just about managing people's expectations. [00:26:39] Tom Stone: Absolutely. [00:26:40] Kerry Newsome: For some people, they get quite annoyed that they're not getting an authentic experience if they get the two modern experience. It's just about managing what people have in their vision as to what they want to experience in that region. I think there's something for everybody, but not everything is for everyone. Just what would be some tips for people coming into the area. We talked about the variance of type of person. It's not just a backpacker anymore. Certainly it’s opening up to a much wider audience, but if you were to throw some tips to my listeners as what they need to consider or things to bring or mindsets to have, What would you share for my listeners if they're going to come to Ha Giang?. [00:27:38] Tom Stone: First thing I would say is have an open mind to what you're going to experience because as we discussed, the region is so raw. That is, as we call it, the final frontier of Vietnam. Even the locals call it the final frontier , not just because it's the most Northern frontier on the China border, but because it is the last place that hasn't really been overrun by development and tourism. When you enter the place, you have to understand that. The other thing that I would say, as well as, is try to preplan as much as you can because this tourism thing is new. A lot of people jumped on board. There's a lot of misinformation if you will, especially, looking on the internet and things as most people do these days to find info. There's a lot of conflicting stuff as to where things actually are. Again, having your expectations managed correctly is an important thing. Look at contacting someone local that has been around for a while and things like that. Make sure you have a bit of a plan you've researched where you're going to go, if you're planning on doing it yourself, the type of transport you're going to be using, because safety is a huge thing up here. As we've discussed, 300 kilometers away from Hanoi. It's not that far, but it takes a long time to get there. When bad things happen up here, it's a long way to get to somewhere that can help. Anywhere on a motorcycle can be dangerous. It's important to research where you can as much as you can before you get up here, but absolutely, I'd invite people to come and see it. It’s an incredible thing and well worth visiting. [00:29:30] Kerry Newsome: Yes, I agree with you totally. Just thanks again for being on the show. [00:29:34] Tom Stone: Not a problem. Thank you very much for having me. [music] What About Vietnam. Don't forget to subscribe, rate and review and stay tuned for more fun adventures in Vietnam.

S4-12 Contemporary Art in Vietnam Contemporary art in Vietnam - A window to the future Episode 12 S4-12 Contemporary Art in Vietnam 00:00 / 53:08 How contemporary art is shining fresh eyes on Vietnam. Why are we talking about contemporary art as part of a traveller’s experience of Vietnam? It’s because the art you are seeing today in Vietnam and galleries all round the world, wasn’t always there. The artists coming through now are showing their spirit through their artful skills, and they are painting their version of history. Some with a view to building bridges. Its modernistic, forward thinking and truly powerful with influences from some of our greats Van Gogh, Matisse etc. In some small way I am hoping through the story telling of my guest today visionary of Contemporary Art in Vietnam – world renowned Suzanne Lecht. At the very least you will get a deeper understanding to some of the things you will be seeing and experiencing on your trip. If you are an Art Collector or art enthusiast there are links below to lead you to where you need to go. Today’s story begins in the early 90’s. Not that long ago if you think about it. But years before any reconciliation between the US and Vietnam. Let me introduce you to Suzanne Lecht Time stamps to help guide your listening:- 05:59 - How Suzanne’s interest in art found her in Vietnam. 10:19 - Article: Art from the Heart - Gang of Five Holds Their Third Joint Art Exhibition. 15:41 - “What in God’s name am I doing here in Vietnam?” 21:32 - How the Gang of Five became Suzanne’s window to the outside world. 27:52 - Suzanne’s first gallery was in a house in Hanoi. 34:43 - Vietnam’s culture and art. 40:13 - What should the travelers be looking for, in contemporary art in Vietnam? 47:55 - How can art lovers tell real art from fake art? You can view this YouTube to find out more about Suzanne Lecht - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7O4HOebJyk Art Vietnam Gallery: About the galleryand cultural forum, the Art Directorand specialty services http://www.artvietnamgallery.com/aboutus.html 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 Photo Credit: Suzanne Lecht - Art Vietnam Download Transcript PDF Read the transcript here