Diaries

Making our way up Mount Fansipan
25/03/2013 03:58
Together with a group of friends, I’ve opted to take the chance. It takes about two hours to reach the campsite from the clearing where we have lunch, according to our guide Dung. From there it’s two more hours to the summit. The mist is thickening. When we reach the next...
Three cheers for 3T
18/03/2013 04:45
A group of expatriates and locals enjoy a birthday bash at 3T downtown� The rooftop eaterie certainly looked the part as I entered. Huge swathes of locals, expats and tourists alike reveling in the dishes on offer and of course washing it down with a few refreshments. So far, so good....
Culinary experts explore mouthwatering dishes
07/03/2013 03:32
“I love it,” she said. Ansky, an Israeli culinary expert and judge on Master Chef Israel, had come to Ha Noi with Ruthie Rousso, a judge on Israel Iron Chef, with the goal of exploring the country’s rich gastronomy. They started with a cooking class at the Sofitel...
Bottoms up to cheap beer
02/03/2013 02:38
Ahhhh. After a hot, steamy day of exploring museums and pagodas there's nothing better than sitting in a pavement cafe, sipping a cold beer, and watching the world go by. The presence of Bia Hanoi, or freshly brewed, light, low-alcohol pilsener-style lager, is one of the best things...
Nosey Vietnamese parkers
04/02/2013 03:27
At the height of the furore in the Western press about Facebook selling users’ data to ad companies, I asked my students if this concerned them that companies could track their movements on the internet and thus target them with advertisements suited to their interests.� They gave...
How it feels in rainy season?
16/01/2013 02:38
A few months of indoor living, poncho motorbikes, damp clothes and sheets would do everyone good I ﬁgured- and by the time the heat rolled around again we’d all be ready for it. As October rolled in, so did the rain. But then something strange happened - it rolled back out as...
Ngu Hanh Son - A famous destination
17/12/2012 07:50
Nestled 8 kilometers southeast of Danang City, Ngu Hanh Son looks like five fingers rising out the ground. It was named after the five basic elements of the universe in which each mountain is assigned an element - metal, wood, fire, water and earth. This is a cluster of five marble...