vietnam
Vietnamese Comfort Food: Snacking On Banh Beo In Hue
I can still remember the freezing January mornings when I would run into the local deli before heading to school, salivating at the thought of getting my hands on the only food that would begin my day on a good note. I would run past the line of people waiting for a steaming cup of […]
How To Get A Visa For Vietnam
What’s more fun than getting off a plane and immediately being hit up for cash just to step foot outside the airport? (I’ll answer my own question. The answer is: getting the seat next to the lavatory for your 16-hour flight. Oh the stories you’ll tell.) The fact is, visas are never fun, especially for […]
Experiencing The Garden Of Eden That Is Ha Long Bay
I never saw the movie “Indochine.” According to its summary, the flick was released in 1992, and is about a French naval officer and his young Vietnamese lover who are escaping banishment. They seek refuge in the labyrinthine crags erupting from the sea in Ha Long Bay. Those of you that caught the flick were […]
Everything You Wanted To Know About Banh Mi
As synonymous with Vietnamese food as the country’s signature dish, pho, it turns out banh mi is actually quite a new invention for this very old culture. What, did you think the rice farmers along the Mekong Delta were munching on French baguettes back before the 19th century? As the WSJ recently examined, the French […]
Your Best Meal In Saigon Is Made By This Woman
Meet Nguyen Thi Thanh, or better known in these parts as the “lunch lady.” Due to the relentless coverage of television (Bourdain visited her last year on No Reservations) and the blogosphere, Saigon’s own Nguyen Thi Thanh has become the David Chang of Ho Chi Minh, creating legions of foodie followers and elevating her little […]
Exploring Cambodia And Vietnam Through The Eyes Of “La Marguerite”
Most cruise lines seek to provide its customers with what I call the “Best Of” trip (e.g., “See the Best of the Mediterranean: From Scenic Livorno to the Seascapes of San Tropez”). While this is probably a very lovely way to sail and explore, I often want to experience all of what a country has […]
Where To Avoid The Tourists In Vietnam
This week the NYT headed off-the-beaten-path in Vietnam in search of a little respite from the hustle and bustle that is the rest of the country, and where they found it may be a little surprising: Con Dao — the infamous island chain known more for their prisons than for their visitors. Until recently, the […]
A Video Trek Through Southeast Asia
In case you haven’t noticed, we’re big on starting travel groups on sites we like. Jon started up our flickr group for us a little ways back for photos, and I started a travel video group on Vimeo, aptly titled: “Travel Videos” (it was a less than creative day for me that day, give me […]
The 5 Must-See Beaches In Vietnam
Your guide to the five must-see beaches in Vietnam. Vietnam, a country reminiscent of a war-torn epic that rang of rock-and-roll, decadence, and destruction was, up until recently, visited by only the adventurous traveler. Though late in its arrival as a member of part of the Southeast Asian travel belt, today this crescent-shaped land with […]
So You’re Looking For The Best Island In Southeast Asia . . .
We’re going to be running a piece on Monday about the five must-see beaches in Vietnam, but in an effort to get everyone in a Southeast Asia state of mind (my first and likely last Billy Joel reference ever on this site) we’re taking a look at Budget Travel’s top seven secret islands of Southeast […]