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British photographer based in Vietnam for 5 years. I document stories, focus on everyday moments, and appreciate good food along the way.
15 stories
Saigon Hẻm Gems
When it comes to cơm tấm, most people are familiar with cơm tấm Sài Gòn, featuring grilled pork ribs as the vedette topping. But since the dish’s creation, and as it gained popularity across the Mekong delta and southern Vietnam, another cơm tấm variant emerged alongside cơm tấm Sài Gòn. This version became so cherished by the locals that it was named after its birthplace — cơm tấm Long Xuyên.
Conquering Mount Fansipan’s 3,147 meters was once a feat reserved for those willing to take on the potential multi-day hike from Sapa to the summit and back.
Travel
The alarm goes off at 3am. By 3:30am, scooters laden with empty crates and baskets are already moving through the dark lanes and sandy passages towards Hội An's coast. Long before the old town wakes, the beaches along the shore are coming alive with engines, head torches, waves, and fishermen preparing to return to land. Thankfully, coffee is readily available almost anywhere.
Travel
Đăk Đrinh Lake lies in the northern reaches of Kon Tum, where the hills rise in slow, deliberate waves and the pace of life is set by the land. The Ca Dong ethnic communities remain here, maintaining their language, stilt houses, and routines that have shaped this corner of the highlands for generations.
Saigon
“Do not be angry with the rain; it simply does not know how to fall upwards.” — Vladimir Nabokov.
Saigon Hẻm Gems
“The leopard spots. They hate them,” Hiếu Trần explains to me. “They think it means the pizza is burnt.”
Saigon Hẻm Gems
The first time I tried to visit Aoya Ramen was on a Monday. The pavement where the stall should be was empty, without any trace of noodles or noren. I learned quickly that they’re closed on Mondays. The second time, my joy in discovering that the cart was open for business was quickly dashed by the long queue of hungry diners already in line. The third time, learning from the previous crowd, I arrived later at 8:30pm, just to find out that they were out of stock for the day.
Saigon Hẻm Gems
If I have to use one word to describe the food philosophy of Saigoneers, it would be maximalist. Those who have had the gluttonous joy of hunkering down on a plastic chair on the sidewalk and demolishing a giant tumbler of full-topping bubble tea will know what I’m talking about.
Saigon Hẻm Gems
It took a few visits before I noticed that the music at Sakaba Sasuke was always the same.
Saigon
The city currently has the lowest budget retention rate of any locality.
Roundups
Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook . Each morning, we select some of the most important stories from Saigon, the rest of Vietnam and beyond, and digest them into short, accessible links so you can easily keep up with current affairs.
Roundups
Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook . Each morning, we select some of the most important stories from Saigon, the rest of Vietnam and beyond, and digest them into short, accessible links so you can easily keep up with current affairs.
Roundups
Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook . Each morning, we select some of the most important stories from Saigon, the rest of Vietnam and beyond, and digest them into short, accessible links so you can easily keep up with current affairs.
Roundups
Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook . Each morning, we select some of the most important stories from Saigon, the rest of Vietnam and beyond, and digest them into short, accessible links so you can easily keep up with current affairs.
Roundups
Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook . Each morning, we select some of the most important stories from Saigon, the rest of Vietnam and beyond, and digest them into short, accessible links so you can easily keep up with current affairs.
