The scenic Đray Nur Waterfalls situated 25 kilometres from Buôn Ma Thuột city. - VNS Photo Việt DũngViet Nam News BUÔN MA THUỘT — I arrived in Buôn Ma Thuột, the capital of the Central Highlands province of Đắk Lắk and fondly referred to as the “Queen of Coffee”, after an eight-hour bus ride. What really stuck with me after the trip was just how friendly and open the people were. Whether it was the motorbike taxi driver who enthusiastically spoke about his homeland and the interesting places I should visit, or the kind, loquacious hotel owner couple who shared their story and allowed me to stay past the checkout time. Traffic jams were conspicuous by their absence, and locals were just pleasant to be around with. “I think the people here are honest and natural compared to those in other cities," said Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Hân, a tourist from Hà Nội who was … [Read more...] about Buôn Ma Thuột, a city of coffee and hospitality
Coffee shop outfits
World leaders find Vietnam street dining ambience irresistible
Photo by mgift Coffee One afternoon in November 2017, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited Vy Café on Le Thanh Ton Street in HCMC’s District 1 and had a coffee and a chat with Nguyen Cong Hiep, a former employee of the Canadian consulate. Trudeau was wearing a white shirt and has his sleeves casually rolled up. At the café, he ordered a moka robusta that cost VND30,000 ($1.29) a cup. He was sitting on a small folding chair on the sidewalk with a plastic stool for a table like any regular Saigon coffee drinker. This is a typical way of enjoying coffee at this café. Trudeau’s visit brought the shop huge popularity. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy In November 2016 Britain’s Prince William was spotted in a café very similar to Vy on a sidewalk in Hanoi’s Pho Bac Street during his first trip to Vietnam. He was with pop star Hong Nhung (pink outfit), popular musician Thanh Bui and actor Xuan Bac, who were ambassadors for a … [Read more...] about World leaders find Vietnam street dining ambience irresistible
What is it about casual Vietnamese food experiences that world leaders find irresistible?
Coffee Photo by mgift One afternoon in November 2017, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited Vy Café on Le Thanh Ton Street in HCMC’s District 1 and had a coffee and a chat with Nguyen Cong Hiep, a former employee of the Canadian consulate. Trudeau was wearing a white shirt and has his sleeves casually rolled up. At the café, he ordered a moka robusta that cost VND30,000 ($1.29) a cup. He was sitting on a small folding chair on the sidewalk with a plastic stool for a table like any regular Saigon coffee drinker. This is a typical way of enjoying coffee at this café. Trudeau’s visit brought the shop huge popularity. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy In November 2016 Britain’s Prince William was spotted in a café very similar to Vy on a sidewalk in Hanoi’s Pho Bac Street during his first trip to Vietnam. He was with pop star Hong Nhung (pink outfit), popular musician Thanh Bui and actor Xuan Bac, who were ambassadors for a … [Read more...] about What is it about casual Vietnamese food experiences that world leaders find irresistible?
Locals on board with anti-plastic campaign
Viet Nam News by An Phương Of the 23 people that I have had a discussion with on reducing plastic usage, 20 recognised that excessive plastic consumption is a major problem, and some of them have actually taken action to curb consumers’ habit of using disposable plastic straws and bags. This put a smile on my face as more fish are being saved! This may sound superficial, yet a significant amount of non-recycled plastic waste ending up in the ocean threatens the natural habitat of numerous marine animals every year. Plastic, though being an incredibly affordable and useful material, is composed of major toxic pollutants. As it does not biodegrade, it just sits and accumulates, causing water, air and land pollution. According to an article in Forbes magazine, Việt Nam is one of five countries generating the most ocean waste, dumping about 1.8 million tonnes of trash every year. China, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Việt Nam are responsible for … [Read more...] about Locals on board with anti-plastic campaign