My first morning in Vietnam I was extremely jet lagged after a twenty hour journey from Chicago.  I stumbled blurry eyed down the streets of the backpacker district and hopped into the first cafe I could find and ordered a coffee.   

Local businesses continue to preserve their traditional trademarks.

I have an extremely close relationship with my coiffure. I used to have long thick locks of hair that I wore in a sort of white mans afro like Bob Dylan in his prime. Although I have recently tamed my mane, it is still a focal point of my vanity.

Whenever I have the chance to go abroad, I will first make a visit to Van Phuc silk village to buy gifts for my foreign friends.

For most expats in Hanoi, experiencing the first winter can come as a shock to the system. How do the tropics get so frightfully cold?

“Banh phu the” or the conjugal cake is one of the favorite traditional cakes in Vietnam, but it embodies the philosophy of yin and yang in the nation.

When speaking of the art of drinking tea, people often think of Japan and China – two countries with an age-old tea culture.

With my fifth Tet in Hanoi approaching in the realms of fantasy about the Year of the Dragon, I think back to my first Tet here in 2008 that ushered in the Year of the Rat.

Hanoi is host to a most unusual market in Vietnam: open only once a week, on Saturday, and then for only a few hours, 9:00 to 12:30.  It's known as much for its discriminating buyers and sellers as it is for its fresh products.

It’s just less than two weeks away from Vietnam’s Lunar New Year festival (Tet) which optimizes the cultural identity of the country.

An English couple has joined 14 expeditions to Vietnamese caves over the past 20 years and contributed to UNESCO’s recognition of Phong Nha-Ke Bang as a World Natural Heritage Site.

Social enterprises are businesses that apply their strategies to achieve philanthropic goals. Social entrepreneurs have the same knowledge, skills and characteristics as commercial entrepreneurs, but instead of making profits or financial returns for shareholders, they focus their activities on social or environmental issues.

Christmas in Hanoi a bit strange; it is a foreign holiday in Vietnam, but everyone seems to get into the festive spirit and thoroughly enjoy themselves.

In the context of modernization and industrialization, it is now possible to enjoy a comfortable life in Hanoi’s ancient streets, which appear today much the same as they did at the end of the 19th century.  

I was born in Hanoi - the capital of Vietnam – which has been a paradise from my earliest childhood. Here the weather makes you feel like being in a land of peace and gentleness, where you can feel the lovely touch of four seasons.

Some of the best things about Hanoi are the many museums that, along with its numerous pagodas, temples, communal houses, and other historical sites, make Hanoi a paradise for "culture vultures".

Unlike many Vietnamese who distrust weather forecasts, I just stopped looking at them. This is not to say they are wrong; they are always right.

Stepping out of the mini bus, surrounded by huge hills and lush green fields stretching as far as the eyes can see, the first thing I noticed was the significant improvement in the air quality. Although there are still many motorbikes darting about, I felt as if I could once again breathe!

As for foreign visitors to Vietnam, a few key phrases in Vietnamese should be on your "must-learn" list with which you will find it very useful to get on well with the locals.

Tourists often overlook the beautiful scenery in the Northern provinces, that lie between Sapa to the west, and China to the north and west.   

Working as an English language teacher is becoming an inviting prospect for foreigners who would like to live in Vietnam.

It is getting cooler. Some days are rainy and icy winds make life even chillier. This signals the arrival of autumn in Hanoi and elsewhere in northern Vietnam.

Lê Công Kiều Street, very close to Bến Thành market in downtown Ho Chi Minh City, is where history meets the modern world…

I'm sitting outside a local cafe in Hanoi's bustling street drinking my sugary watermelon juice. As the young chap out front slices open a coconut with his short machete, the clouds open up - sprayed with coconut mist and giant rain glob-lets I feel instantly refreshed.   

John Balaban has long held a fervent love for Vietnamese folk culture. A poet, a professor of English at North Carolina State University, and the former President of the American Literary Translators Association, he also authors many books about Vietnam.

Football is a pretty big deal in England. Being home to one of the biggest domestic leagues in the world, one of the most storied histories of the game and laying claim to inventing the entire notion of the sport, this is hardly surprising.

Tracey Lister, the Australian chef and co-director of the Hanoi Cooking Centre, has co-authored a new book offering insights and recipes for Vietnamese street food, which will delight both foodies and home cooks.

Good morning vacationers!

As scrumptious as it sounds, the chocolate buffet at Hanoi’s Metropole Hotel is a must for all you Cocoa-crazed folk out there.

Talking about Hung Yen province, 60km from Hanoi, many Vietnamese people think of Hien street, which is widely known with a famous saying “One should first visit Thang Long and then Hien street.”