Hanoi's Proposal to Stop Train Service Might Spell the End of 'Train Street'
Hanoi’s infamous train street might be going away if a new municipal plan becomes a reality.
A Glimpse Into the Epic Underground Shows of Vietnam Pro Wrestling
Back in 2018, Saigon witnessed the birth of Vietnam Pro Wrestling (VPW), the first and only Pro Wrestlers in the whole of Vietnam, and a lot has changed since then.
In Sa Pa, Learning How to Indigo Dye, One Plant, Vat, and Beeswax Pen at a Time
My first meal in Sa Pa was accidentally earned. After a few hours of uneven rest in a sleeper bus and a short ride from Sa Pa city center to the village, I finally arrived, along with two other indigo...
Uyên Đỗ in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Woko Brings the Comfort of American Chinese Food to Saigon
When a dish travels far from its homeland to take root somewhere else, one common yardstick for judging it is “authenticity.” Is the seasoning true to form? How closely do the ingredients match the or...
Vietnam Bans Unskippable Ads, Requires Skip Button to Appear After 5 Seconds
If things go our way, YouTube’s notorious unskippable ads might be a thing of the past come this February.
The Quiet Architecture of Flavor: Bắc Kim Thang and the Art of Vietnamese Steam
In a city where Vietnamese cuisine is often associated with noise, speed, and abundance, Bắc Kim Thang offers an alternative. This is a restaurant brand built on patience and the quiet power of steam....
Vietnamese Home Cooking Finds a New Voice at Viet Kitchen
“A fine home-cooked dinner can light up even the worst day,” Chef Trung says casually, his hands busy stirring a pot of bần fermented soybean paste destined for a dish of Củ Chi young beef. It’s not a...
Saigon Residents Swap Screens for Ceramics as a Means to Relax and Connect
Can ceramics be a form of self-care? Sitting in a cozy space, slowly covering blank clay with color can have a profoundly calming effect. Rotating a textured mug in your hand to spread paint across a ...
Xuân Phương in Vietnam
A British Photographer's 30 Years of Forming a Kindred Connection With Vietnam
When he boarded a flight from Bangkok to Hanoi in 1992, Andy Soloman thought he would stay in Vietnam for just one month. Little did he know that what seemed like a brief trip would stretch into seven...
Khôi Phạm in Culture
In the Era of AI Slop, I've Learned to Embrace Saigon's Ugly Urban Clutters
To live in Saigon is to coexist with clutter. Chaos is perhaps to be expected, when one’s habitat is a gargantuan crowded compressed narrow concretized megalopolis of over 10 million people, but few c...
Pete Walls in Travel
At Kon Tum's Đăk Đrinh Lake, Life Slows to a Therapeutic Pace
Đăk Đrinh Lake lies in the northern reaches of Kon Tum, where the hills rise in slow, deliberate waves and the pace of life is set by the land. The Ca Dong ethnic communities remain here, maintaining ...
Hẻm Gems: The Spectacular Stink of Bún Mắm Nêm Is My Childhood Aroma
Every time I depart from Vietnam to study abroad or travel, on the way to Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport, I stop by the Bàu Cát area in Tân Bình to stuff myself with at least two bowls of bún mắm ...
Paul Christiansen in Culture
On Grappling With a Consumerist Christmas in Saigon
Growing up in America, Christmas meant arriving at my grandmother's house and immediately devouring a handmade gingerbread cookie drenched in sugar; driving with my Dad to “candy cane lane,” where hom...
A Place to Live the Sea: Inside InterContinental Residences Nha Trang
Between the pulse of Trần Phú and the hush of the ocean lies a place where the sea begins to feel like home.
Amanoi: A Pause Between Two Worlds
Between mountains and sea in Ninh Thuận, a few quiet days at Amanoi became something more enduring than a luxury escape. It became a reflection on transition, attention and the rare calm that remains ...
The BVIS Alumni Story: How Identity Takes Students Further in a Diverse World
Since its first class proudly entered the world in 2014, British Vietnamese International School Ho Chi Minh City (BVIS HCMC) has provided a launchpad for more than 530 graduates to thrive in a divers...
Tim Doling in Saigon
How Nhà Thờ Tân Định, Saigon's Iconic Pink Church, Came to Be
You just have to mention the “pink church” and everyone knows which one you mean. But few are aware that the building in question — Tân Định Church — is one of Saigon’s oldest and most important Roman...
Paul Christiansen in Saigoneer Getaways
Waterfalls, Langur, Oysters and Abandoned Colonial Villas: A Lăng Cô Getaway
What lies between Đà Nẵng and Huế?
More than a Meal; a Shared Cultural Space: Dining Across Borders at Quán Bụi Group Complex
As Saigon’s eastern area continues to take on a rhythm of its own, shaped by new residential communities, international schools, and a younger, more settled urban crowd, Quán Bụi Group Complex emerges...
Paul Christiansen in Literature
In Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai's New Novel, Saigon's Rhythms Hum in the Background
“I’m always homesick for Vietnam. To write is to return home. That's why I had to bring Vietnam alive onto the pages. I had to hear the people speak, I had to listen to the music, to the language; I h...
Slices of Life in Saigon, Huế, Hanoi in 1989 on Film
What is it about coming across old photos that tugs on our heartstrings so much, even when they depict a time when some of us weren’t alive yet?
Festive Season Fun, Entertainment and Dining Arrives Nearby Saigon at The Grand Ho Tram
In Search of Hội An’s Lesser-Known and Overlooked Charms
Hội An, one of Vietnam’s top domestic and international tourist destinations, is in danger of developing a negative reputation.
Just 50km From Hanoi, Đường Lâm Village Is a Charming Historical Relic
If one were to strike out west from Hanoi and follow the Red River for some 50 kilometers, there they will find Đường Lâm Village — a quintessence of rural Vietnam.
European International School Strengthens Global Pathways for Every Learner with Prestigious WASC Accreditation
The European International School Ho Chi Minh City (EIS) has officially been awarded accreditation by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), one of the world’s most respected internat...
Festive Season Sprinkles Magic Throughout Hotel Indigo Saigon The City
The festive season arrives in local style at Hotel Indigo Saigon The City.
Ngõ Nooks: Okachan Shokudo, a Comforting Japanese ‘Cơm Bình Dân’ in Hanoi
If there is a restaurant that is the antithesis of the biting cold of Hanoi, it is Okachan Shokudo.
Thirty 59 Brings Saigon Kitchen Sessions: A One-Night-Only Spectacle of Food and Music
Over the past decade, An Khánh Ward (formerly Thảo Điền) has developed its own F&B ecosystem, becoming one of Saigon’s most diverse culinary landscapes. A relative newcomer, Thirty 59, opened its door...
Uyên Đỗ in Society
On Finding Packaged Existential Relief at Saigon's Convenience Stores
When running away from life’s many grievances, I often find myself at the convenience store.
Saigon Demolishes 3 Heritage Villas to Make Room for Covid-19 Memorial Park
As part of a plan to build a dedicated space to commemorate victims of the COVID-19 pandemic, Saigon authorities recently demolished several heritage buildings from the 1950s, sparking concerns about ...
The Man Bringing a Michelin Reputation to Phú Quốc’s Pink Pearl: Olivier Elzer
Just before reaching the sand, the sky awash in soft, late afternoon pastels, you’ll arrive at the Pink Pearl, which now bears a sign announcing it as the Pink Pearl by Olivier E. But who is Olivier E...
Paul Christiansen in Saigoneer Getaways
Cát Tiên National Park Is the Perfect Cure for the Festering Wounds of Chronic Urban Life
What’s new? What’s trendy? What haven’t I explored? Such questions often dictate our travel plans, but sometimes, we’d be better off asking the opposite: What’s old? What’s impervious to being in styl...
Uyên Đỗ in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: In the Mood for Lẩu? A Ngưu Offers Hong Kong Vibes and Tasty Bites.
I visit Tiệm Lẩu A Ngưu on a rare wintry Saturday evening in Saigon, the perfect occasion to fill one’s stomach with warm broth, noodles, and a host of other tasty accouterments.
From One Restaurant to a Cultural Symbol: Danh Trần and the Evolution of Quán Bụi Group
On the soft opening of Quán Bụi Group Complex on Võ Trường Toản Street, Thủ Đức City, founder Danh Trần sits down with Saigoneer to reflect on his journey from a single Vietnamese eatery to a multi-co...
On Moving Posters and Saigon, the City of Constant Movements and Migration
Each time I stop at a traffic light or visit a street food vendor, I can’t help looking around at nearby utility poles and naked patches of wall that are full of posters advertising moving services.
Slipper Lobster Bisque: When the Local Sea Speaks in the Language of Fine Dining
There are dishes that arrive at the table softly, like a whisper from the ocean. They do not seek attention yet draw it in through restraint and balance. At LAVA, InterContinental Phu Quoc’s signature...
Paul Christiansen in Literature
Meet Dạ Ngân, the Author of the Most Important Vietnamese Novel You've Never Read
When the wind strafes Dạ Ngân’s window, seedpods shake and rattle like spent bullet casings in the tamarind tree that Americans planted decades ago. They also built the large apartment complex where s...
From Delta Winds to Highland Soil: A Plant-Based Odyssey
A restaurant where vegetables speak of home.
Nem Chả Diên Khánh, a Match Made in Khánh Hòa's Coastal Heaven
During my journey to explore the culinary specialties of Khánh Hòa, I was delighted to discover the nem chua and chả lụa from Diên Khánh, a centuries-old ancient town that’s just 10 kilometers from do...
Khôi Phạm in Saigon
1997 Vietnam Through the Lens of Saigon's Former Canadian Consul General
Digging into one’s collection of old mementos can be a thrilling experience. From antique watches to tattered letters, these trinkets serve as a remembrance of a period of time in our past. For Kyle N...
Dream Big: AIS Saigon Opens New Scholarship Pathways for Tomorrow’s Global Citizens
What will the world look like when today’s students enter it as adults?
As Infrastructure Lags Behind, Saigon's Poorest Hardest Hit by Worsening Flooding
In April 2023, in the first downpour of southern Vietnam’s rainy season, the narrow rented room where Mã Thị Diệp and her children were staying in Hồ Chí Minh City was inundated by knee-high water.
The Many Meanings of Red: “ĐỎ” Offers Three Photographers' Perspectives on the World
A single color has no intrinsic meaning, but rather contains and reflects the many emotions, memories, and experiences an individual associates with it. Red, for example, means something different to ...
Why Girls Who Play Sport Go Further — How AIS Nurtures the Next Generation of Confident, Ambitious Students
Some of the world’s most successful women have one thing in common: participation in youth sports.
Oliver Newman in Hanoi Ngõ Nooks
Ngõ Nooks: In the Same Hanoi Building, a Music Fan's Essentials — Vinyls and Cocktails
Sharing a building, Montauk and LP Club might initially appear to be just another cafe and another record store, but their goals are far loftier than selling drinks and vinyl.
Into the Infernal Heat of One of Saigon's Last Remaining Forges
It's no exaggeration to say that working in a forge is akin to being in a fiery sauna.
Emotional Connection is the Key to Luxury Travel at Banyan Tree Lăng Cô
What does luxury travel mean? The center of countless hospitality conference panels, LinkedIn posts, and marketing pitch decks, this question will elicit different answers depending on who is asked. E...
Linh Phạm in Parks & Rec
House Dance Hanoi Teaches You How to Free the Body
I stood on the top floor of a building on Khâm Thiên Street, feeling grateful for the cold air. I came out here to take a break from the other side of the floor, which was divided into three rooms — t...
Inside Saigon's Grassroots Carton and Aluminum Recycling Plants
With plastics claiming many of the headlines worldwide and constituting a major issue in Vietnam, scant attention is being paid to other recyclable materials, namely cardboard and aluminum.
Saigon’s Beloved Basilico Undergoes Re-Imagining to Emphasize Authentic Italian Cuisine
“We are Italians, we do pretty much what we want,” said Chef Francesco Leone when pressed for his vision of Basilico. “If you want to transmit authenticity and the feeling of Italian food by making Ba...
An Ode to Vũng Tàu, Saigon's Unwavering Summer Crush
I recently took a trip to Vũng Tàu after a long summer of cultural research, which had me traveling up and down Vietnam. It had been seven years since I’d been back to the homeland, and 19 since I’d l...
Paul Christiansen in Environment
More than a Powerful Symbol: The Importance of Lotus for Mekong Delta Women and Ecosystems
Women in the Mekong Delta face numerous challenges, including limited access to educational opportunities and agricultural occupations threatened by the effects of climate change. A source of hope in ...
Minigolf Proves Putting is For Everyone, Particularly if Paired with Snacks and Beer
The Saigoneer team does not consist of golfers. Most of us would struggle to define a birdie, let alone achieve one. And yet, despite our lack of experience, golf proved to be the perfect afternoon ac...
A Delicate Dish in Hanoi That's Not Your Usual Crab Salad
Crab has long held a beloved place in Vietnamese cuisine, and it is often simmered into comforting soups, tucked into rustic rolls, or served fresh and simple on coastal tables. Yet it is rarely treat...
Paul Christiansen in Music & Arts
In Hội An, Artist Nguyễn Quốc Dân Breathes New Life Into Scrap Materials
The several dozen family altars that formed a hodgepodge pile had each been abandoned in graveyards. For many, this would make them extremely inauspicious. But to artist Nguyễn Quốc Dân, they are perf...
Integrating Spanish Culinary Traditions into Local Lifestyles
Paella’s elevation of humble countryside ingredients into an extravaganza of flavors united by fluffy rice; soft and creamy Torta del Casar sheep’s milk cheese; intense Pimentón de la Vera paprika mad...
Paul Christiansen in Environment
As Climate Change Threatens, Flood Waters Usher In Sustainable Opportunities for Communities in the Mekong Delta
The Mekong Delta is developing faster than Google Maps can keep up with. A stretch of road that was too narrow to accommodate cars and required a transition to motorbikes just six months ago was under...
How Vietnamese Architecture Adopted Modernism and Made It Our Own
Ask a person on the street what Vietnam’s distinctive style of architecture is, and the answer you get might be traditional architecture, like the historic curves of northern Vietnam’s village temples...
From Goldenhour to Moonlit Magic at INK 360
The journey to INK 360 begins before the first sip of a cocktail. Guests arrive via a golden bubble elevator, its curved glass glowing softly as it rises with a quiet hum. Inside, antic...
What Shipwrecks Can Teach Us About Vietnam's Centuries-Old Maritime History
Deep beneath the ocean surface, colorful ceramic fragments have been scattered and stacked upon one another for centuries. Some remain whole, others broken, many still covered with corals and ocean du...
Hẻm Gems: Bánh Đa Cua Hải Phòng, a Rare Northern Treat in D10
On the way to Phú Thọ Indoor Sports Stadium in District 11, make a turn off 666/74 Ba Tháng Hai, go all the way to the far corner, and you’ll discover Triển Chiêu Quán’s bright yellow sign. Park under...
A Culinary Celebration of the Watermelon That Would Make Mai An Tiêm Proud
I never imagined there could be more than one way to eat a watermelon. Yet here it was, transformed beyond recognition, via a bold experiment and a deeply personal story, challenging everything I thou...
Uyên Đỗ in Society
On Grappling With Our Complicated Bond With Single-Use Raincoats
Like many Vietnamese, I have owned more crumpled raincoats than I can count. They're the disposable kind, cinched with a few rubber bands, folded into a misshapen rectangle, then stuffed unceremonious...
Elise Lương in Architecture
To Teach Children the Importance of Play, First Bring Playgrounds Back to Hanoi
In rapidly developing urban Hanoi, finding engaging outdoor play areas for young children is near impossible. But since 2014, the social enterprise Think Playgrounds has colored public spaces across V...
Khôi Phạm in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Bánh Canh Nam Phổ, Huế's Hearty, Homey Afternoon Snack
There’s a commonly acknowledged nugget of folk wisdom amongst foodies that hole-in-the-wall eateries almost always have the best food. In the context of Vietnam’s street food landscape, this concept c...
Paul Christiansen in Dishcovery
After Coconut and Salt, Is Peanut Butter Coffee Saigon's Next Drink Trend?
After egg coffee, coconut coffee, and salt coffee, is the next coffee trend going to be peanut butter coffee?
BVIS - A Leading International School with a Difference
What defines the British Vietnamese International School Ho Chi Minh City (BVIS)?
Paul Christiansen in Travel
In Hội An’s Pottery Museum, Mini Clay Landmarks Hold Unexpected Memories
When preparing to visit Hội An’s Thanh Hà Pottery Museum, I didn’t anticipate an opportunity to reminisce. I hadn’t been to the museum dedicated to the region’s pottery traditions before, so how could...
ONVIT’s Warm Light: A Korean Culinary Journey Through Vietnamese Terroir
Hanoi’s fine dining landscape has long been shaped by European and Japanese influences. But in August 2025, ONVIT, the first Korean fine dining restaurant in Vietnam, opened inside the Grand Pla...
LAVA: From Ocean’s Bounty to Fire’s Embrace
Amid the tropical beauty of Phú Quốc, where sunsets melt into shades of gold over the sea, a dining destination awaits that is as much about architecture and storytelling as it is about cuisine.
Vietnam’s Design Talents on Display at Gallery Medium’s Three Weeks of Design
When does a piece of functional design become art and vice versa? Gazing long enough at a hook on the wall, noticing its graceful curves, bright colors, and simple flourishes in shape, will have you u...
Hẻm Gems: The Legendary Miến Trộn That Feeds Saigon's Architecture Students
Upon finding out that I’m a student at the University of Architecture HCMC, people tend to bombard me with a barrage of questions: if my coursework is tiring, if my school fees are skyhigh, and what m...
Kit Humphrey in Travel
The Poetry of Everyday Life in Central Vietnam's Coastal Towns
Traveling south through central Vietnam by train can bring you to the familiar or the obscure: the Disney-fication of Hội An, the peaceful bays of Quy Nhơn, or the thrill of derelict spaces in Huế.
New 12,000-Year-Old Skeleton Breaks Record of Oldest Human Remains Found in Vietnam
After analysis, scientists believe that a 12,000-year-old set of human remains found in Ninh Bình belonged to a prehistoric man who died from infection after being struck by a quartz-tipped projectile...
Neighborhood Vibes and Modern Comforts Combine at Hotel Indigo Saigon The City
Staying in a local neighborhood means surrounding yourself with the sights, styles, routines, traditions, and history of a locale. Hotel Indigo Saigon The City, a new boutique lifestyle hotel, tells t...
How a Dance Project Is Reframing Deaf Identity in Saigon via Movement Art
Lắng Nghe Điểm Chạm is a project aiming to expand exposure opportunities and application potentials of performing arts into the life of marginalized and minority communities of Vietnam.
