Hole In The Donut

If Saigon is the irrepressible teenager, then Hanoi is the genteel, elderly aunt. There is a strange energy about this city. Wherever I went, I felt a heaviness; an oppression. Stone-faced police are everywhere, standing around in groups. Whereas in Saigon smiles come easily, in Hanoi most people scowl. Hanoi residents in general are thicker-bodied [...]

Originally I had intended to stay only two days in Saigon, so I crammed a couple of tours into the last couple of days to see everything that was highly recommended by the intrepid travelers on the Thorn Tree Forum at Lonely Planet. But I rather like Saigon and felt I wasn’t quite done with [...]

I arrived in Saigon about 11:30 PM Tuesday evening and was picked up by the hotel’s car. I am staying at the Indochine Hotel, located in District 1, which is in the heart of the business district down by the Saigon River. Most of the sites I want to visit are within easy walking distance [...]