June 11, 2020
An expat tells why being a foreigner in a foreign land wasn’t a good thing in the midst of a global pandemic I’ve been based in Hanoi, Vietnam for almost four years, and as an expat, I’ve neither seen nor experienced anything like the xenophobia among the local Vietnamese — towards foreigners — that has occurred as a result of the coronavirus. For one…
February 6, 2020
I have a confession to make. At 53 years of age, I had never lived outside Australia. I’d raised my daughter as a single parent and, well, had neither the time, money or inclination to move overseas. Hell, I didn’t even start travelling internationally until I was 47. The first country I visited? Vietnam. When I was in my twenties,…
January 3, 2020
Getting around Hanoi like a local Despite first appearances (crazy traffic, anyone?) and more than 9 million people, Hanoi is a relatively easy city to get around. Transportation — especially modes that are used by locals — is cheap and convenient. Even taxis, which can be pricey in other countries, are surprisingly cost effective in Hanoi, and Vietnam in general.…
January 1, 2020
One of the best times of the year to visit Hanoi, Vietnam is in autumn — October through to December. The days are warm, with plenty of sunshine and the nights are cool. Rain is rare, and if it does come, it doesn’t hang around for long. Maybe an afternoon, or a few hours in the evening. Hanoi, unlike Saigon…
December 19, 2019
Back in September, I did a three-day film course. It was aimed at photographers, but I was the only photographer there. To cut a long story short it was terrible (so terrible that PayPal gave me a refund) but I did get out and about and shoot some film. The Quang Ba Flower Market is a hive of activity from…
November 30, 2019
Going vegan in Vietnam The Vietnamese are a nation of meat-eaters. Pork, beef, chicken, duck and other meats (you don’t want to know) feature in most dishes. Old wives tales and superstitions abound, where it is considered positively unhealthy if you don’t eat meat at every meal. True story! Despite this, younger Vietnamese — and some older folk — are…
November 24, 2019
It’s surprisingly easy to be vegetarian in Hanoi Around five years ago, while I was still in Australia, I phased beef and lamb out of my diet. Pork (no more Soonta salads) went three years ago — just before I came to Hanoi. Duck, which I also loved, disappeared from my plate two years ago (mainly because it’s so bony…
November 24, 2019
Where to take the best photographs in Hanoi How to to find the best spots in Hanoi to take stunning photos for your Instagram, with a map and insider tips to help you create beautiful pictures. No filter required! I have been in Hanoi for nearly three years and it is a vibrant, bustling city brimming with unique photography opportunities…
February 4, 2019
Tet — Lunar New Year — is a very special time in Hanoi. This year, I went for a wander around the Flower Market, close to Dong Xuan Market in the Old Quarter. This is something that local Hanoians do with their friends and family. The area is alive with colour and noise, and at this time of year, much…
December 22, 2016
I have been living in Hanoi for just over three weeks, and it’s been crazy-amazing and challenging. I’ve found out things about myself that I didn’t think would apply here, because, well, I’m not in Australia. But I am me whether I am in Australia or Vietnam or the Antarctic—who knew?! Here’s what I’ve been up to (and not) since my…
December 3, 2016
I’m here in Vietnam for at least 3 months, volunteering for KOTO. For those of you who don’t know the story, when I was in Vietnam in 2010, as part of the tour I was on we visited KOTO Restaurant in Hanoi for lunch. KOTO (which stands for Know One, Teach One) was started by an Australian, Jimmy Pham, who—while…
Hanoi and Thang Long celebrations We landed in Hanoi during the Thang Long Hanoi – 1000 year celebrations. Apparently it’s wall-to-wall people at the best of times, but was even more so because of Thang Long. It was crowded. Really crowded. People, cars, buses, motorbikes everywhere. Every inch of space was taken up with people, or their activities. It was…