WATCH: This Saigon neighbourhood is one of the world’s coolest to visit in 2025
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WATCH: This Saigon neighbourhood is one of the world’s coolest to visit in 2025

By Matt CowanChief Editor The Bureau Asia Long-running English travel and entertainment magazine Time Out recently released a list of the coolest neighbourhoods on the planet, and this year, Saigon’s expat enclave of Thao Dien came in at number 16 out of 38 ahead of neighbourhoods in London, New York, Paris and LA among others….

PODCAST: What’s it like getting a health check in Vietnam?
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PODCAST: What’s it like getting a health check in Vietnam?

Matt chats about his recent health check experience, how liveable (or not) Vietnam is & Indian tourists Walter Mason Destination Saigon Amazon & Interview Doru’s Instagram  Dai Nam Race Track Website Raffles Medical Website Grab App Website Jackaroo Bar Facebook InterNations Survey Results Website My video on Vietnam’s twist on Indian curry YouTube List of Hindu Temples in District 1 Sri Thendayuthapani Temple 66 Đ….

Walking tour of Cho Lon – Saigon’s “Chinatown”
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Walking tour of Cho Lon – Saigon’s “Chinatown”

Take in the history, food & architecture of Saigon’s most enchanting district solo or with friends & family! Cho Lon (often referred to as “Chinatown”) covers a large part of multiple districts in Ho Chi Minh City, however, this walk introduces you to just a small section of it (map included) and what is perhaps…

Off the beaten tourist trail in Vietnam reveals Saigon’s dark past
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Off the beaten tourist trail in Vietnam reveals Saigon’s dark past

Saigon has earned an enviable reputation for great street food, electric nightlife and friendly people, but it hasn’t always been this way. By Matt CowanChief Editor The Bureau Asia Saigon has a reputation for some of the best street food in Vietnam, friendly people and pretty awesome nightlife.  It’s a lot of fun to be…

Vietnam’s biggest travel expo ITE HCMC set to go around again in 2023
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Vietnam’s biggest travel expo ITE HCMC set to go around again in 2023

Press Release The Bureau Asia The largest travel event in Vietnam is set to take place on September 7-9, 2023 at the Saigon Exhibition & Convention Center (SECC) in Ho Chi Minh City. The 17th International Travel Expo Ho Chi Minh City (ITE HCMC) – themed Connectivity, Growth, Sustainability – will offer three full days of opportunities to network with international and…

Vietnam tourist visa requirements are about to make travel to Vietnam easier
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Vietnam tourist visa requirements are about to make travel to Vietnam easier

But visas are just the beginning, history tells us that we need to work hard in order to keep tourists coming back By Matt CowanChief Editor The Bureau Asia The relief was palpable on social media travel pages in Vietnam this past week after the National Assembly approved a government proposal to extend the validity…

Visiting Cambodia in 2023? Here’s what you need to know before you go
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Visiting Cambodia in 2023? Here’s what you need to know before you go

Cambodia has changed a lot since I visited as an energetic backpacker 20 years ago, but what I soon find is that not all change is good By Matt CowanChief Editor The Bureau Asia Recently I spent a week in Cambodia where I visited the tropical southern island of Koh Rong, the laid-back town of…

What is it actually like to travel by train in Cambodia in 2023?
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What is it actually like to travel by train in Cambodia in 2023?

Built by the French in the 1930s, Cambodia’s railway network was brought to a halt by the Khmer Rouge, now it’s getting back on track By Matt CowanChief Editor The Bureau Asia Here’s one for the train nerds. Cambodia’s national railway network was built in the 1930s, but it gradually fell into disuse with the…