Southeast Asia: A Beginner’s Guide
“I haven’t traveled much. Where should I go?”
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Filed Under: Southeast Asia, Travel by: Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott
60 Comments | 8 September 2010
Tag Archive for: Vietnam
Backpacker Ghettos
Every major city in Southeast Asia has a backpacker ghetto – Khao San Road in Bangkok, Pham Ngu Lao in Saigon, Boeng Kak Lake in Phnom Penh. For those of you who have spent time in this region, you know what we’re talking about.
No matter the country, the scenery is the same: Continue Reading »
Filed Under: Perspectives, Southeast Asia, Travel by: Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott
4 Comments | 10 March 2007
Floating Life Along the Mekong
Like other destinations in Vietnam, Cai Rang dials up the activity, color, and sound a notch to the point of overstimulation. Duelling long-tail boats float by and sell everything from turnips to steaming hot soup. At the Mekong Delta’s bazaar on water, transactions take place at every turn and boats jostle for the next deal. Continue Reading »
Filed Under: Food, Southeast Asia, Travel, Videos, Vietnam by: Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott
2 Comments | 17 February 2007
Preparing for Tet, Vietnamese New Year
We were fortunate to be in Southern Vietnam just prior to Tet, the Vietnamese lunar New Year (February 18, 2007). The Year of the Pig was being ushered in with an unassailable enthusiasm, as markets burst with flowers, sewing machines in tailor shops buzzed with the new year’s wardrobe and shops overflowed with green rolls of Bahn Tet (sticky rice, pork fat and soybean paste rolled in a banana leaf). Continue Reading »
Filed Under: Southeast Asia, Travel, Vietnam by: Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott
No Comments | 17 February 2007
The American War
Given our nationality and the fact that the Vietnam War ended just over 30 years ago, we were surprised that Vietnamese people showed us no animosity or resentment. In fact, when we told people that we were from America, they very often smiled – and genuinely so. We’d score even more points when we mentioned that we used to live in California, home to a large Vietnamese community. Cynics would argue that the Vietnamese are shrewd businesspeople, but we’re certain that our treatment wasn’t all about business. Continue Reading »
Filed Under: Perspectives, Southeast Asia, Travel, Vietnam by: Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott
No Comments | 15 February 2007
Saigon First Impressions
We were aware of the difference in population between Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC, a.k.a. Saigon) and Hanoi, but were surprised to find such a difference in wealth and sophistication between the two cities.
HCMC, is a bright, bustling cosmopolitan city. Even with its glitz and splash, it maintains a distinctly Vietnamese feel as street food stalls press up against 5-star hotels. You can still see the French colonial thumbprint in HCMC with buildings like the People’s Committee building (formerly the Hotel De Ville) or the cathedral just a few blocks away. Continue Reading »
Filed Under: Southeast Asia, Travel, Videos, Vietnam by: Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott
No Comments | 15 February 2007
Snackin’ in Saigon
Sit down Hanoi, watch, and learn from your southern sister, Ho Chi Minh City (a.k.a. Saigon or HCMC). Though we unfortunately didn’t have the opportunity to dive into Saigon as deeply as we did Hanoi, we can safely say we prefer its street food scene, hands down. Continue Reading »
Filed Under: Food, Southeast Asia, Travel, Videos, Vietnam by: Daniel Noll
13 Comments | 15 February 2007
A Night at the Symphony in Saigon
Not exactly what we had in mind when we bought tickets to the Ho Chi Minh City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera, but a fun night was had by all watching the Rice Drum Dance.
Video – Rice Drum Dance at the HCMC/Saigon Symphony
Filed Under: Southeast Asia, Travel, Videos, Vietnam by: Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott
No Comments | 15 February 2007
Talkative Tailors in Hoi An, Vietnam
Our forays into the tailor shops in Hoi An left us with more than just extra (or superfluous) clothing for our wardrobe. Even when a business deal was clearly not involved, we found that shop owners were often open to sharing their lives and their opinions with us. These unprotected moments provided us with insight into Vietnam’s diversity, the legacy of the Vietnam War (or, “American War”, as it’s called here), and opinions on the impact of Vietnam’s breakneck speed development is having on Vietnamese tradition and culture. Continue Reading »
Filed Under: Southeast Asia, Travel, Vietnam by: Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott
6 Comments | 10 February 2007
A Story at My Son, Vietnam
We hired a car to take us at 5:30 AM from Hoi An to the Hindu temple complex of My Son, about an hour’s drive away. We arrived in such good time that the ticket office had yet to open and used our available time to share a coffee with our driver as we waited for the ticket office to open. Continue Reading »
Filed Under: Perspectives, Southeast Asia, Travel, Vietnam by: Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott
No Comments | 10 February 2007
