A unique market finds a home in Hanoi
A unique market finds a home in Hanoi

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.

A unique market finds a home in Hanoi
Blossoms in Hanoi
Blossoms in Hanoi

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

Blossoms in Hanoi
English couple and their passion for Vietnamese caves
English couple and their passion for Vietnamese caves

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.

English couple and their passion for Vietnamese caves
Foreign Social Enterprises in Vietnam
Foreign Social Enterprises in Vietnam

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.

Foreign Social Enterprises in Vietnam
Christmas in Hanoi
Christmas in Hanoi

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.

Christmas in Hanoi
Hanoi's unique architecture
Hanoi's unique architecture

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.  

Hanoi's unique architecture
Unforgettable summer and winter in Hanoi
Unforgettable summer and winter in Hanoi

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.

Unforgettable summer and winter in Hanoi
Vietnam Women's Museum
Vietnam Women's Museum

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".

Vietnam Women's Museum
Hue rain
Hue rain

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.

Hue rain
One night for fantasies in Mai Chau
One night for fantasies in Mai Chau

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!

One night for fantasies in Mai Chau
Must-learn list for foreigners
Must-learn list for foreigners

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.

Must-learn list for foreigners
Vietnam, off the beaten path
Vietnam, off the beaten path

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

Vietnam, off the beaten path
Vietnam- Promising Job Market for Foreign Teachers
Vietnam- Promising Job Market for Foreign Teachers

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

Vietnam- Promising Job Market for Foreign Teachers
Hanoi in autumn
Hanoi in autumn

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.

Hanoi in autumn
Visiting an antiques centre
Visiting an antiques centre

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

Visiting an antiques centre
Looking for Zen on a Scooter in Hanoi
Looking for Zen on a Scooter in Hanoi

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.   

Looking for Zen on a Scooter in Hanoi
John Balaban and his ‘love’ for Queen of Nom Poetry
John Balaban and his ‘love’ for Queen of Nom Poetry

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.

John Balaban and his ‘love’ for Queen of Nom Poetry
Gearing up for a fair game
Gearing up for a fair game

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.

Gearing up for a fair game
Vietnamese food streets ahead
Vietnamese food streets ahead

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.

Vietnamese food streets ahead
Crossing the street in Hanoi
Crossing the street in Hanoi

Good morning vacationers!

Crossing the street in Hanoi
Chocolate, Chocolate everywhere… But not a bit to bite
Chocolate, Chocolate everywhere… But not a bit to bite

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

Chocolate, Chocolate everywhere… But not a bit to bite
A weekend trip to Hung Yen
A weekend trip to Hung Yen

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.”

A weekend trip to Hung Yen
“Vietnam has become an indispensable part of my life”
“Vietnam has become an indispensable part of my life”

For the headmaster of the Japanese School of Hanoi, Toshiharu Ishibashi, Vietnam is not only a pleasant working environment but also an ideal destination for tourists.

“Vietnam has become an indispensable part of my life”
An American woman knows Hanoi like the back of her hand
An American woman knows Hanoi like the back of her hand

Raquelle Azran, a woman who was born in Israel with American and French blood, has fostered a deep and mutual love for Vietnam and the capital city. After 18 years she considers the country to be her second home and have many fond memories of her time in Vietnam.

An American woman knows Hanoi like the back of her hand
Chessdom interviews GM Le Quang Liem
Chessdom interviews GM Le Quang Liem

Vietnam’s Grandmaster Le Quang Liem has given an interview to Chessdom, a well-known website featuring chess tournaments, games and history.

Chessdom interviews GM Le Quang Liem
Five things I don’t understand about Hanoi traffic
Five things I don’t understand about Hanoi traffic

Considering how much foreigners like us learn about the traffic in Hanoi it’s pretty surprising that we haven’t figured it all out yet. This is a popular topic of conversation but many still find the unwritten rules of the road confusing. For example - what does the horn ‘mean’?

Five things I don’t understand about Hanoi traffic
Enjoying Hanoi’s Pho (Noodle Soup)
Enjoying Hanoi’s Pho (Noodle Soup)

Today, "pho Hanoi" (Hanoi noodle soup) is not only a popular dish but also a national dish of Vietnam. As a culinary ambassador, it promotes the city's culture around the world.

Enjoying Hanoi’s Pho (Noodle Soup)
Pavements add unique cultural color to Hanoi
Pavements add unique cultural color to Hanoi

Foreign visitors to Hanoi are impressed by the capital's pavements where they can chat, drink tea or coffee, and even have something to eat.

Pavements add unique cultural color to Hanoi
Vietnam’s Mid-Autumn Festival
Vietnam’s Mid-Autumn Festival

The Mid-Autumn Festival, one of the most traditional and popular family holidays in Vietnam, is enjoyed by people throughout the country, regardless of their background or economic status.

Vietnam’s Mid-Autumn Festival
Hanoi’s markets ensure a rich blend of shopping culture
Hanoi’s markets ensure a rich blend of shopping culture

If you want it, you will find it in Hanoi’s markets. Finding it, however, is a completely different question.

Hanoi’s markets ensure a rich blend of shopping culture