The Childhood of Côn Đảo's Baby Turtles Caught on Film
In July, I visited Côn Đảo National Park as part of a group of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) sea turtle volunteers to see first-hand conservation efforts aimed at the local sea turtle population.
Ward off Your Monday Blues by Joining Me on Beginners' Skateboard Night
Usually in life, niche topics are commonly associated with unpleasant stigmas and misunderstandings — skateboarding in Vietnam is no exception. Once, I admittedly was influenced by such one-sided assumptions.
Pure Passion Turns Dark: The Unexpected Dangers of the Wild Turtle Trade
Seeking a companion during quarantine, Khánh*, a 25-year-old Hanoian, bought a baby turtle through a Facebook group.
Khôi Phạm in Natural Selection
A Case for the Sweet-and-Sour Tamarind as Saigon's Official Municipal Tree
What is the municipal tree of Saigon? In popular culture, Hanoi is perhaps intricately linked with the paralyzing but often romanticized aroma of hoa sữa, while just over a hundred kilometers to the east, Hải Phòng proudly brandishes the name “the city of red phượng flowers.” Đà Lạt has too many flower varieties to choose just one, and settles for “the city of a thousand flowers.” Down south, Bến Tre’s abundance of coconut trees is famous nationwide. Ask any Saigoneer this question, and you’re likely to get one of two answers: chò nâu (dipterocarp) or me (tamarind).
Requiem for a Bàng Tree That Was Cut Down in Front of My Home
Curiosity drove me downstairs into the downpour. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted the municipal workers — clad in orange-and-green uniforms, their clothes soaked — gathering around a crane. Their attention was focused upward. Following their gaze, I looked up, and froze.
How the Ghosts of iPhones Past Haunt Vietnam's Low-Income Communities
The current e-waste crisis in Vietnam is one example of global environmental apartheid.
Keeping Cool in Thủ Đức With This Humble Abode’s Well-Ventilated Design
Thick multi-layer brick walls, shaded areas, water features, and natural ventilation allow this private home to stay cool amidst the city's stifling heat.
Saigon's VOH Radio Building, a Marvel of Architect Lê Văn Lắm's Modernist Intuition
In the middle of the 20th century, Vietnam grew to become one of the world’s prominent centers of modernist architecture. Saigon at the time was an economic and cultural heart of the region, with many official government structures constructed and designed in the style of modernist architecture. They were created with aesthetics and form in mind, laying the groundwork to usher in a new period of growth for Vietnamese creative independence.
Uber Dodging Taxes on VND1bn in Daily Profits: Official
Vietnam’s battle of the taxi apps has taken another interesting turn: one of the country’s biggest players, Uber, is being called out again for allegedly evading tax payments.
Saigon's Parking Woes: What to Do When a Parking Lot Loses Your Bike
Saigon’s traffic issues are an extremely tough nut to crack for local authorities. In recent years, the government has come up with a slew of solutions in an attempt to ease traffic woes, with va...
Samsung Halts Sales of Galaxy Note 7, Recalls Phones in Vietnam Over Explosion Scare
Samsung Vietnam has announced that it will halt all sales of the new Galaxy Note 7 smartphone, while purchased devices will be recalled.
Vietnam Store Leaks iPhone 7 Details Ahead of New Release
Just two days before Apple officially reveals their final version of the new iPhone 7, a store in Vietnam has somehow managed to procure a sample of the top-secret phone.
Mind-Bending New Skyscraper Becomes Thailand's Tallest Building
On August 29, Pace Development Corp announced the completion of their gigantic mixed-use skyscraper in downtown Bangkok.
Saigon’s “Golden Land” Remains Undeveloped Despite Opportunities
While major new construction projects seem to appear in Saigon on a daily basis, some of the city’s most valuable real estate remains undeveloped.
[Photos] The Family That Traded Hanoi for Red River Wilderness
Hidden behind dense bamboo thickets on a bend in the Red River is what some would call a peculiar family of three.
Le Thanh Ton Restaurant Brings Slick Design to Japanese Dining
A visit to District 1’s Hachi-Juu Hachi Shouten Restaurant offers more than just Japanese cuisine, but also a unique dining experience created by the building’s sleek architecture.
Hanoi to Launch Book Street by End of the Year
Hanoian bookworms will be happy to hear that the capital expects to unveil a brand-new book street by the end of the year.
Michael Tatarski in Sports
Can Vietnam Become Asia’s Sports Tourism Mecca?
Sports-minded residents in Vietnam’s major cities don’t have it easy: traffic overwhelms the streets and sidewalks; air quality is generally terrible; open spaces are nearly non-existent and it’s alwa...
Vietnamese Universities Not Stacking Up Against Regional Rivals
The current edition of Webometrics, an initiative from CSIC, the largest public research body in Spain, which ranks universities around the world, shows that, despite their consistent national pe...
[Video] Where Horticulture Meets Corporate Culture: How a Japanese Office Brings Farming Closer to Its Workers
As humans have become increasingly urban creatures, a disconnect between our life in the city and our food sources has created numerous challenges. These include the distances our food travels, contri...
Japanese Consortium to Build Shopping Center Underneath Ben Thanh Market
Besides alleviating the city’s traffic problems, it seems that Saigon’s future metro system will also serve a commercial purpose, as local officials just put forth a proposal to bring in a consortium ...
[Photos] A Bird's-Eye View of Hanoi's Future Metro
If this breathtaking photo collection, courtesy of Zing, is any indication, Hanoi’s metro system is shaping up to be a sight to behold.
[Photos] Maison T: A Dream Bachelor Pad in Hanoi
Nghia-Architect has unveiled an inviting new home called Maison T in Hanoi’s Dong Da District. According to ArchDaily, the residence was designed for a young man who recently returned from living abr...
Saigon's Remote Can Gio Island Gets First-Ever High School Class
Students who wished to complete high school on Saigon’s Thanh An Island will not have to travel to the mainland now that a high school class has been established right in their neighborhood.
Vietnam’s 3G/4G Speeds Still Among World’s Slowest
Mobile internet speeds in Vietnam remain among the world's most sluggish, according to a recent survey.
Khoi Pham in Society
Catching 'Em All in Saigon: Pokemon GO Brings More Than Old School Nostalgia to Vietnam
One of my colleagues threatened to ban Pokemon GO in the Saigoneer office after he saw me catching a Pidgey, a bird-type Pokemon, at our desk.
Saigon’s Traffic Nightmare: Challenges and Potential Solutions
On one particularly horrific Monday evening last summer, I wound up in a traffic jam. Bounding over the bridge between District 1 and Phu Nhuan, my jaw dropped as I found a sea of vehicles on the othe...
Mekong Delta Grapples With Severe Doctor Shortage
The Mekong Delta region is facing a serious doctor shortage which threatens to become even more severe by 2020.
