Nam, the Would-be Dune Guide

We were wondering how much weight the tire swing would hold when a skinny boy rappelled down the worn rope from the bridge overhead. He’d barely touched the water before he started slinging questions at us.
Where were we from? America. Where were we staying? Nhat Quang Bungalows. How long had we been in Vietnam? A [...]

Read Full Post »

Best Little Guest House in Saigon

Throughout my first two weeks in Saigon, I’d gotten used to the good life: waking around 7:30 am and descending the spiral staircase into the Red Lion Space’s attractive cafe for cà phê nong and eggs with cucumber salad. Most mornings, I couldn’t help picking from the croissants and pastries Leon had set out while [...]

Read Full Post »

A Spendthrift You Can Count On

It would be difficult to find a travel writer with so comprehensive an understanding of European budget airlines, better experience penetrating local Caribbean culture, and more evolved opinions on Europop than Alex Robertson Textor.
For these, and many more reasons, any budget traveler looking for cheap flights in Europe or an affordable Caribbean getaway should bookmark [...]

Read Full Post »

Update Saigon

It’s been a busy few days here in Ho Chi Minh City. Here’s a quick rundown of what’s going on and what’s to come:
1. I’ve moved into and (partially) furnished an apartment with Sarah in a new apartment complex in District 7. We were hoping for a house rental nearer to the center, but thanks [...]

Read Full Post »

Things I miss about NYC: FREENYC.NET

When you’re looking for a cheap night after a crap day at work in New York, there’s nothing worse than cracking open a free stuff guide and finding listings like Central Park and Times Square. Lucky for New Yorkers, there’s freenyc.net.
Despite discovering this gem just months before leaving Gotham, I had time to swing by [...]

Read Full Post »

Cheap Eats: Ben Thanh After Dark

During the day, visitors to Saigon flood Ben Thanh Market to rifle through stalls selling chop sticks, dried fruit, pottery, clothing, jewelry…basically everything. But as the sun sets, the main building is shuttered and food stalls set up shop around the square.
While cheap chicken, beef, and pork dishes are available, the real draw at [...]

Read Full Post »

Cà Phê Viêt Nam

Taking coffee in Vietnam will likely be a foreign affair for first-time visitors to South East Asia. Typical Vietnamese coffee is a dark French roast, sometimes spiced with chicory. Like Italian hot chocolate, it’s thicker than its American counterpart.
First things first. Your coffee will come adorned with a metal top hat. Vietnamese coffee is filtered [...]

Read Full Post »

Somewhere Beyond Slips on Gold Stilettos

My friend and former eurocheapo co-worker Suzanne Russo has just relaunched her blog, Somewhere Beyond, under a new name: Around the World in Gold Stilettos.
Suzanne recently returned from a jaunt in South America, where in addition to penning witty dispatches on sub-Equatorial adventures, she managed to pick up guidebook work on the fly. Not surprising. [...]

Read Full Post »

Saigon Moto Traffic: Dodging Noodle-Bearing Ghosts and Olive-Drab Whales

Sarah balls my shirt in her fist. Over the groan of the motorbike, I hear her suck in air, the sound of her heart leaping into her throat. I keep the motorbike aimed forward, my foot teasing the brake. Having played passenger for the first two days after we purchased the bike, I know how [...]

Read Full Post »

Ho Chi Minh City Resources

The apartment hunt is still in full swing (although we’re currently very comfortable at the Red Lion Space), so I have yet to sink my teeth into Ho Chi Minh City. Here are a few resources that have so far whet my appetite.
Daniel Gross took his Moneybox column to Vietnam in December and turned out [...]

Read Full Post »