Festive Season Sprinkles Magic Throughout Hotel Indigo Saigon The City

2025-12-08T09:16:00+07:00

The festive season arrives in local style at Hotel Indigo Saigon The City.

From a quaint area reminiscent of Saigon's alleyway culture, where folks on plastic stools sipping coffee out of glasses with colorful polka dots, to rooms paying homage to wicker cabinets and ceramic tiling traditionally found in local residences and a restaurant that borrows design motifs from the nearby historic shipping yard, Hotel Indigo Saigon The City draws inspiration from the idiosyncrasies of its namesake location. A healthy dose of seasonal charm is being added this month, as evidenced by the Christmas tree standing beside the vintage luggage at the lobby.

A variety of food and dining, celebration, and inclusive promotions are now underway to prove that even in a tropical climate, there is room to feel festive. To make a big impression in its first year as a hotel, Hotel Indigo Saigon The City is providing reasons to visit for locals and tourists alike.

On the 24th and 25th, Saigon Jingling, a four-course meal, brings a special Saigon twist to seasonal favorites. Offering land and sea, the menu includes special items such as gin-cured salmon, pan-seared turkey breast and Christmas pudding with brandy sauce while live music plays. Meanwhile, the new year arrives with Ba Son Sparkles. Before the ball drops on the 31st, a new dinner menu will be released that includes Ca Mau crab tartar, Japanese scallops and Parma ham.

Out-of-town guests or those eager for a staycation can take advantage of the Festive Getaway promotion that includes a room stay, breakfast, dinner, and fun amenities such as a disposable camera. With these indulgences taken care of, guests will be able to explore the city and take in its vibrant winter charms.

Early-bird specials and bookings are available with full rates and details in the Festive Brochure.

Hotel Indigo Saigon The City's website

Hotel Indigo Saigon The City's Facebook Page

+84 028 2222 3333

Hotel Indigo Saigon The City | 9 – 11 Ly Tu Trong Street, Saigon Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

From One Restaurant to a Cultural Symbol: Danh Trần and the Evolution of Quán Bụi Group

2025-11-28T11:03:00+07:00

On the soft opening of Quán Bụi Group Complex on Võ Trường Toản Street, Thủ Đức City, founder Danh Trần sits down with Saigoneer to reflect on his journey from a single Vietnamese eatery to a multi-concept restaurant group. With nine Quán Bụi restaurants, two Laang Saigon venues, two Sticky Rice Thai eateries, and five Café’In coffee shops, he shares what it takes to stay authentic while evolving with Saigon’s ever-changing culinary landscape.

The newly launched Quán Bụi Complex in Võ Trường Toản Street, Thủ Đức City.

Saigoneer: Over the years, Quán Bụi has grown into something larger than a restaurant, a reflection of Saigon’s cultural soul. Did you envision it that way from the very beginning?

Danh Trần: To be honest, I never set out to build just a restaurant. I wanted to create something that could carry and preserve a part of our culture. Through Quán Bụi, I wanted to express my own image of Saigon, or perhaps Vietnam, a place where tradition, nostalgia, and hospitality come together. A restaurant can serve food, but a cultural space tells stories. That’s why from the very beginning, I tried to weave those stories into every detail, the décor, the food, and the people.

What kind of image of Vietnamese culture do you want to present to international diners who visit Quán Bụi?

When foreigners dine with us, I want them to feel they’re tasting more than just Vietnamese food. I want them to experience our sense of community, our warmth, and our way of sharing. That’s why I tell my team, we may not be able to do everything, but what we can do, we must do well. Our strength is in food, and through food, we can tell stories about Vietnamese culture.

We even created our own Quán Bụi Journal, an in-house magazine we produce entirely ourselves. It’s like a cultural diary of Quán Bụi, full of stories about our dishes, our people, and Vietnamese dining traditions. We’ve published eight issues so far, and the ninth is on the way. Guests often take it home with them, they flip through it later and remember that meal, that atmosphere. It’s our way of extending the dining experience beyond the table.

Quán Bụi Restaurant at the latest complex in Thủ Đức City

You’ve built an impressive portfolio: nine Quán Bụi restaurants, two Laang, two Sticky Rice, and five Café’In. Managing multiple brands can be complex. What’s your secret to maintaining consistency and quality across all of them?

It always comes down to people. I’ve been very lucky to have a loyal and dedicated core team; what I call my key people. Some have been with me since the very beginning. Even during the toughest times, like the pandemic, they stayed. That kind of loyalty doesn’t come from strict rules, it comes from shared belief and respect.

I lead with discipline, but also with empathy. I’m straightforward, but I also try to create a comfortable working environment. The key is balance, “lạt mềm buộc chặt,” soft power binds strongly. You build trust by giving space, but also by setting clear expectations.

Sticky Rice restaurant.

What about customer loyalty? How do you maintain such strong relationships with your guests?

The customer always comes first. Whenever an issue arises, big or small, I tell my team, resolve it immediately, resolve it properly. Whether a review is positive or negative, we always respond. When a guest takes the time to share feedback, that’s already a gift. If you ignore it, that dissatisfaction can grow quietly until it’s too late.

We also have very strict quality control. Cleanliness, for example, is non-negotiable. Every night, I personally check that our kitchens and bars are deep-cleaned. I still do that, hands-on, because I believe a clean kitchen reflects respect for both the craft and the customer. If the kitchen isn’t right, the food can’t be right.

Sticky rice dishes.

Beyond the people and structure, what would you say is the soul of Quán Bụi?

It’s the emotion behind every dish. We don’t aim to make “wow” food, we aim to make food that feels right.

Take our crispy chicken with snakehead fish cake (gà giòn chả cá thác lác). It’s been with us since the early days. We use smoked chicken skin, spread it with a layer of fish paste, then top it with a tangy-spicy sauce inspired by Thai flavors, mixed with shallots and coriander. It’s comforting yet surprising, something you can enjoy with rice or over drinks.

It’s not fancy, but it’s ours. It captures exactly what Quán Bụi stands for: familiar flavors, elevated with care and creativity.

Café’In.

The restaurant scene in Vietnam is becoming increasingly competitive, with many international awards entering the market. How do you stay calm and focused amid this wave of recognition and competition?

It’s natural to feel the pressure when awards like Michelin arrive; everyone starts comparing and speculating. But I’ve learned to stay grounded. There are thousands of restaurants in Saigon, and only a few can ever make it into those lists. Competing on that level is already a challenge in itself.

That said, credible awards bring visibility and prestige, and that’s good for the industry. They push us to improve. But I also understand the system, Michelin, for example, tends to focus on two extremes: fine dining or street food. Quán Bụi sits somewhere in between, casual yet refined, which doesn’t easily fit into their framework.

So instead of chasing for validation, I focus even more on delivering the best product possible. Maybe the dish isn’t everyone’s taste, but it will always be clean, honest, and worth what the guest pays for. That’s our philosophy.
If one day we make it into an award list, great. If not, we’ll still keep doing what we do, serving good food that represents Vietnam with integrity, and always be ready to conquer any awards.

Quán Bụi aims to combine tradition, nostalgia, and hospitality.

Have you ever thought about franchising Quán Bụi overseas?

Yes, it’s something we’ve been exploring carefully. Many overseas Vietnamese communities, from Australia to the U.S., have reached out about bringing Quán Bụi abroad. But I’m cautious. Vietnamese food deserves to be represented with authenticity and consistency, not just replicated.

If we expand overseas, it must be done with the same heart and attention to detail we have here, from the ingredients and recipes to the atmosphere and hospitality. I don’t want to open restaurants for the sake of expansion; I want to bring a true Saigon dining experience to the world.

It will happen, but step by step, when we’re ready to do it right.

Running a restaurant is never simple. What advice would you give to young entrepreneurs who want to enter this field?

First, customers. You need to understand who you are serving before anything else: their habits, preferences, and what convenience means to them. Only when you know your customer can you design the right experience.

Second, location. You may have great food, but if the address doesn’t align with your target segment or their movement patterns, it will be an uphill battle. A strong concept needs to meet guests where they already are.

Third, people. I’m grateful to have a loyal core team, many of whom have stood by me through major challenges, including the pandemic. Managing people is the hardest part of this business. Skills can be trained, but loyalty must be earned through consistency, respect, and a shared vision.

That, to me, is the foundation of everything.

With Quán Bụi Group Complex was launched earlier this month, how would you see this next chapter for the brand?

This project is special because it brings all our concepts together for the first time: Vietnamese cuisine with Quán Bụi, Thai food with Sticky Rice, and coffee culture through Café’In. Each space tells a different story, but together they form one narrative, a modern Saigon experience rooted in tradition.

For me, the Complex is not just about growth, but about identity. It’s proof that a Vietnamese brand can evolve, diversify, and still stay true to its cultural roots.

At the end of the day, that’s what I want Quán Bụi to be remembered for, not just as a restaurant, but as a piece of Saigon’s living culture.

Quán Bụi's website

Quán Bụi's facebook

Magical Holidays by the Sea: A Season of Warmth at InterContinental Phu Quoc Long Beach Resort

2025-11-25T09:16:00+07:00

There are no carols carried on the wind here, only the hush of waves and the perfume of saltwater.

December on Phú Quốc arrives without hurry, bathed in warmth and quiet light. The festive season unfolds beneath a sky brushed with gold, while InterContinental Phu Quoc Long Beach Resort transforms celebration into something slower, more graceful, and deeply attuned to the rhythm of the tropics.

The first evening of the season feels almost cinematic. In the lobby, a Christmas tree shimmers in coral tones and oceanic gold, catching the light as children’s voices rise in song. Melodies from the children’s choir drift through the air, weaving into laughter, the delicate chime of crystals, and the quiet pulse of the sea beyond. For a moment, time seems to hold its breath and everyone with it.

Morning opens gently. At Sora & Umi, coffee mingles with the ocean breeze, and sunlight stretches lazily across the tables. Parents lean in comfortably, speaking softly; a child’s laughter cuts through the stillness like a note of joy. The sea lies still, shimmering with a kind of knowing calm, as if aware that beauty, too, needs silence to bloom.

By noon, warmth fills the resort like a living rhythm. From Mercado, the scent of cinnamon and ginger spills into the air, carrying a trace of nostalgia. Children run barefoot on the sand, leaving little trails that the waves tenderly erase. In the lobby, handwritten letters to Santa, messy yet hopeful and sincere, fill the letter box with dreams. Adults slow down, surrendering to the gentle pace of the island. Some rest by the pool, book in hand. Others seek refuge in HARNN Heritage Spa, where lemongrass and ginger breathe calm into the skin and stillness is a form of grace.

Then twilight, the hour when the island seems to exhale, arrives. Bonfires spark along the beach, dancers move with the rhythm of drums, and the sea glows as though lit from within. Guests gather, their faces illuminated by firelight. The night becomes a hymn of movement and warmth, a communion between flame and ocean, between strangers turned companions beneath the stars.

The most heartwarming and eagerly awaited moment of the holidays comes on December 24, when families gather by the Oasis Pool. Children with bright eyes and restless excitement hold tightly to their parents’ hands as anticipation fills the air. Then, as if stepping out of a dream, Mr and Mrs. Claus arrive across the sand in their familiar crimson suits, smiling with warmth and joy. They bend to greet each child, lifting them gently, arms filled with gifts for the island’s little dreamers. In that moment, magic feels utterly real.

At LAVA, dinner is art made edible. Candlelight ripples across coral-inspired walls, and each dish arrives like a delicate love letter to the sea. The chefs work quietly, almost reverently, creating flavors that speak of memory, salt, and flame. The world narrows to a table, a shared glance, a moment suspended.

On December 31, the garden transforms into a shimmering landscape of light, welcoming the Tropical Grandeur New Year’s Eve Gala. Beneath the open sky, a lavish buffet of seafood, flame-grilled meats, and exquisite desserts is laid out with care, surrounded by music, artful performances, and applause that rises like the tide. Glasses are refilled, laughter circles the tables, and the night glows with an easy warmth, as if the entire island were holding its breath in celebration.

When the festivities drift upward to INK 360, Phu Quoc’s highest rooftop bar, the rhythm continues between sea and stars. Then the first spark bursts open across the sky, followed by a cascade of colour. Fireworks bloom above the sea, brilliant and fleeting, reflecting in every gaze. In that luminous instant, as one year slips gently into the next, the world feels both magnificent and still. The entire experience is a beauty that glows, then lingers quietly in the heart.

As the colors fade and the night yields to a tender hush, the island becomes quiet. The waves reclaim their beat, carrying whispers of the celebration into the dark. Soon, dawn arrives softly, brushing the sea in strokes of gold. The beach stirs once more, calm and unhurried. Guests cycle leisurely along the resort’s winding paths, basking in the gentle warmth of sunlight as it glazes their skin like honey. Children chase kites into the wind, their laughter mingling with the hush of the tide. The joy lingers, but softer now, already tucked deep into memory.

Every festive season at InterContinental Phu Quoc Long Beach Resort is a story of the heart written in salt and sunlight, held in the warmth of shared moments. The resort’s starfish silhouette is more than a symbol; it is a promise that whoever arrives here will leave with a part of the island still glowing within them, golden as the sea itself.

InterContinental Phu Quoc Long Beach Resort's website

InterContinental Phu Quoc Long Beach Resort's Email

Phone +84 297 397 8888

InterContinental Phu Quoc Long Beach Resort, Phu Quoc Marina, Bai Truong, Duong To, Phu Quoc, An Giang, Vietnam

An Ideal End of the Year at An Lam Retreats Saigon River

2025-11-06T06:31:00+07:00

The close of another year ushers in opportunities to reminisce, reflect, and celebrate. While we all look forward to doing this with our families and loved ones, many of us are lucky enough to have colleagues, partners, and teams that we hope to celebrate with as well. Cramped schedules can make it difficult to do this with as much elegance and nature-filled serenity as we’d like.

Balancing accessibility and escape is one of the city's leading luxury resorts, An Lam Retreats Saigon River. Conveniently located 25 minutes from the city center, the secluded spot offers a refreshing riverside venue filled with greenery, quiet spaces, and opportunities for activities and F&B experiences. Its prime location and all-inclusive services make it an ideal destination for year-end parties, company anniversaries, and team celebrations.

Two Exclusive Venues Offer Flexibility

An Lam Retreats Saigon River’s over-arching design blends timbered architecture with natural surroundings for atmospheres that are comfortable and refined. This verdant aesthetic manifests itself across two separate venues: Saigon River House & Sông Garden. With unique virtues, they facilitate a wide range of year-end moods and purposes.

Sông Garden is a soft and gentle experience that offers the hushed grace of a landscape painting. It’s a gentle setting that allows you to tie a peaceful ribbon on the close of the year. A sprawling green lawn that leads effortlessly to the pool and indoor banquet space makes for bold pronouncements, letting up to 300 guests end the year on firm, elegant footing.

Meanwhile, Saigon River House leans into luxury. Up to 200 guests can fully embrace the charms of the Saigon River and adjacent gardens accented by elegance. The expansive lawn and private pool provide exclusivity and privacy for teams to relish the year’s successes.

Meals Fit for the Mood

As much as a setting makes an event, the food sets the tone and enlivens the entire experience. An Lam Retreats Saigon River’s numerous dining venues typically cater to diverse tastes with Vietnamese, Asian and Western dishes. From intimate, romantic dinners to family gatherings to business meetings, the culinary team has vast experience ensuring each bite plays the perfect pitch. These talents allow any menu to be meticulously customized to your event’s attendees, schedule and intended mood. Seasonal, stylish and exciting, the menus can be as comforting or beguiling as you envision

Sprinkling Wellness Across the Events

Of all the achievements, milestones, and progress one can celebrate at the end of the year, none is perhaps more valuable than one’s health and well-being. An Lam Retreats Saigon River is in a unique situation for groups, teams, and businesses to embrace this reality via the Jungle Wellness and Spa. Three spa treatment rooms, a steam, sauna and jacuzzi room, and yoga and meditation sala bring time-honoured treatments rooted in local traditions together with Western-inspired techniques all in a lush, tropical landscape. Adding a “wellness break” to your year-end event can help teams recharge amidst nature, ensuring the next year starts with a fresh, healthy energy.

Activities to Add Intrigue

When a company announces its year-end event, attendees come with expectations that An Lam Retreats Saigon River is prepared to surpass, thanks to a selection of activities. A private sunset cruise on the Saigon River with dazzling views of the distant skyline and a sprawl of plants is a transformative backdrop for bonding. Opportunities to connect away from corporate constraints extend to fishing, games and music. Teams work and dream together so they can achieve time for fun, which should be an essential element of any celebratory gathering.

The year will end regardless of how we spend it; why not make it a milestone that the entire team can reflect upon as proof that it was a good year? The soothing comforts of nature are less than half an hour away from downtown Saigon, and they provide the perfect setting for sumptuous meals and peaceful moments. An Lam Retreats Saigon River’s all-inclusive services ensure that the entire affair will be an exclamation mark at the end of another spin around the sun.

An Lam Retreats Saigon River's website

An Lam Retreats Saigon River's Facebook Page

An Lam Retreats Saigon River's Email

(+84) 274 378 5555

An Lam Retreats Saigon River | 21/4 Trung Street, Binh Hoa Ward, Ho Chi Minh City

From Goldenhour to Moonlit Magic at INK 360

2025-10-07T14:00:20+07:00

The journey to INK 360 begins before the first sip of a cocktail. Guests arrive via a golden bubble elevator, its curved glass glowing softly as it rises with a quiet hum. Inside, anticipation builds with every floor. When the doors glide open on the 19th level of InterContinental Phu Quoc Long Beach Resort, awe takes over. INK 360 is no ordinary rooftop bar — it is an experience suspended between sea and sky.

Step inside the bar and the sense of wonder deepens. Ashley Sutton, the Australian designer celebrated for his theatrical nightlife spaces across Asia, brings his dramatic vision to Phú Quốc with INK 360. Inspired by the legendary Kraken, the interiors seem to breathe with life: sculptural tentacles coil across the ceiling, their matte, time-worn textures evoking relics from the deep. Shadows ripple through the space like shifting currents beneath the sea. INK 360 is a dreamscape where myth and design entwine.

As daylight wanes, the bar becomes the island’s most spectacular stage. From its lofty perch above Long Beach, guests watch the sun lower into the waters surrounding Pearl Island, igniting the horizon in waves of amber, violet, and rose. Glasses are lifted, conversations soften, and the moment takes on the reverence of a ritual. Yet as twilight fades, the atmosphere changes. The DJ’s rhythms pulse through the room, laughter mingles with music, and the bar glows with a magnetic vibrancy. What begins in serenity at sunset evolves seamlessly into a glamorous night, where elegance meets energy and Phú Quốc itself seems to come alive.

It is in this setting that the cocktails reveal their true magic. At INK 360, every creation is a chapter in a larger myth, a voyage that begins in light and descends into mystery under the watch of the Kraken. The journey opens with Lucky Coral, bright and playful as the reef. Citrus and sea salt sparkle like sunlight on water, a reminder of innocence and beginnings. Darkness soon follows with Kraken’s Deal, where fiery Phú Quốc pepper entwines with cinnamon, clove, and Italian cherry liqueur, leaving a lingering depth. From there the path drifts to the Mysterious Beach, a tranquil blend of rum, herbs, and mint, kissed with sea salt. It is a drink that lingers like footprints fading in the sand. The siren calls with Mermaid Tears. Delicate and perfumed with sim berries, its sweetness balanced in fragile harmony. And finally, Davy Jones’s Heart closes the tale: dark, smoky, and uncompromising, it is a cocktail that beats slow and steady like the pulse of the deep, where the Kraken retreats into shadow and memory.

Mermaid Tears, Dave Jones' Heart and Fountain of Youth.

Yet the story doesn’t end with the printed menu. The truest enchantment may lie in the man behind the bar, who will gladly create something special on request. With a few local ingredients — sea salt, fresh mint, wild sim syrup, and rum infused with Phú Quốc pepper — he can summon Sea and Shore, a drink that captures the island’s sunset in liquid form. One sip, and the island itself seems to dissolve on the lips: the warmth of the sun, the salt of the sea, the breath of the forest. Here, local ingredients are no longer mere flavours, but passports into the soul of Pearl Island.

Lucky Coral, Kraken's Deal and Mysterious Beach

It is this alchemy that elevates INK 360 beyond the notion of a rooftop bar. From the anticipation felt in the golden lift to the Kraken’s mysterious embrace, from the ritual of the sunset to the legends distilled into every glass, the entire experience is designed to awaken the senses and carry guests into something rare and unforgettable. What endures is not just the memory of a night, but the resonance of its bold, comforting, mysterious aftertaste.

INK 360's website

INK 360's Email

Phone +84 0297 3978 888

InterContinental Phu Quoc Long Beach Resort, Phu Quoc Marina, Bai Truong, Duong To, Phu Quoc, An Giang, Vietnam

LAVA: From Ocean’s Bounty to Fire’s Embrace

2025-09-12T08:40:00+07:00

Amid the tropical beauty of Phú Quốc, where sunsets melt into shades of gold over the sea, a dining destination awaits that is as much about architecture and storytelling as it is about cuisine.

Not simply a restaurant but a curated marine experience, LAVA at InterContinental Phu Quoc Long Beach Resort is a journey where fire, ocean, and artistry come together in an unforgettable odyssey.

An Architectural Masterpiece

LAVA is a visual marvel designed by celebrated Vietnamese architect Võ Trọng Nghĩa, renowned for his poetic use of bamboo. The restaurant's sweeping bamboo arches rise like fishermen’s huts along the white sands of Long Beach, paying tribute to Vietnamese heritage while reflecting contemporary elegance. The structure seems to breathe with nature, an ode to craftsmanship set against the rhythm of the sea.

At LAVA's heart glows the fossilised coral bar, radiating with a surreal blue hue and drawing the eye as the restaurant’s luminous centerpiece. Guests may choose the intimacy of a private dining area overlooking a serene water fountain, ideal for treasured moments, or embrace the openness of the beachfront terrace, where the sea breeze drifts through and the sunset paints the horizon in molten gold.

A Feast of Freshness

At LAVA, freshness is philosophy. The seafood display draws inspiration from Phú Quốc's traditional fishing village markets, awakening a spirit of discovery in every guest. Huge fish with shimmering silver scales, crabs, oysters, and other treasures are laid out in abundance. The rustic beauty of the ocean is elevated into a work of art, a celebration of nature’s generosity and boundless plenty.

Guests are invited to choose their favourite seafood from the live tanks or an abundant display, then decide how their selection will be prepared, from delicately steamed to preserve purity of flavor, to seared over charcoal for smoky depth, to complemented with sauces such as butter and garlic, sweet and sour, or fragrant herbs. For those who crave simplicity, sashimi platters reveal the island’s essence in its purest form.

Flame and Culinary Artistry

Fire lies at the center of LAVA’s cuisine. The menu is a dance between flame and ocean, where the primal elegance of charcoal transforms the day’s catch into dishes of depth and character. But beyond the sea, LAVA is also proud of its fine meats, from premium cuts like the tomahawk steak with marbling melting into smoky tenderness, to other selections crafted with precision and care.

Local treasures such as Phú Quốc pepper, sim berries, island honey, and herbs from the resort’s own garden are woven through each dish, marrying authenticity with refinement. The result is cuisine that speaks to both palate and spirit, each plate a work of art and a dialogue between chef and diners.

A Tailored Culinary Journey

What truly distinguishes LAVA is its ability to craft deeply personalised dining experiences, with the Chef’s Table as its most coveted expression. More than a meal, it is an unfolding theatre of taste where the menu is never written, only imagined. Guests share their preferences, inspirations, or even just a mood, and the culinary team responds with a spontaneous symphony of courses, in which each one is a matter of surprise executed with artistry and passion.

When it comes to the Chef's Table, creativity knows no bounds. From the first delicate amuse-bouche to the final flourish of dessert, every dish reflects both the chef’s imagination and the island’s seasonal bounty. At times, the chef emerges to personally introduce a dish, sharing its story before completing the final step at the table. A garnish becomes a flourish, an ingredient transforms into decoration, and what might have seemed purely aesthetic is suddenly revealed as the last touch of flavor, a playful surprise that deepens the connection between diner and creation.

Service, too, plays its part. Attentive yet unobtrusive, the team choreographs each detail with quiet elegance, ensuring that every gesture complements the journey. For those marking a special occasion, or simply indulging in the extraordinary, the Chef’s Table is an unparalleled experience, an intimate encounter with creativity in its purest form, dedicated entirely to you.

The Perfect Pairing

LAVA’s extensive wine cellar honours both old-world and new-world regions, offering prized vintages alongside bold newcomers to complement the menu’s depth of flavor. Equally captivating are the signature cocktails, inspired by the Five Elements: wood, fire, earth, water, and metal. Crafted with homemade syrups and infused with narrative, each creation embodies its element. The must-try, Molten Amber, represents fire, drawn from the blazing heart of LAVA, rich in red hues and warm spice. Infused with spiced botanicals and a whisper of smoke, it unfolds in layers of heat and brightness, finishing with a lingering burn that ignites the senses and captures the elemental spirit at the core of LAVA.

An Experience to Treasure

At LAVA, every detail, from the iconic bamboo arches and the glowing coral bar to the artistry of its cuisine, transcends the notion of a fine meal, becoming a journey that lingers in both memory and emotion. Whether raising a glass at sunset on the terrace by the sand, discovering the surprises of a Chef’s Table menu, or simply savouring the pure essence of Phú Quốc in each refined layer of flavor, the experience at LAVA is one to be cherished. It enriches every holiday with moments of delight, leaving guests with memories to hold close long after their stay.

Written by Queenie Tran.

LAVA's website

LAVA's Email

0919 069 129

LAVA | InterContinental Phu Quoc Long Beach Resort by IHG, Bai Truong, Dương Tơ, Phú Quốc, An Giang, 920000, Vietnam

Neighborhood Vibes and Modern Comforts Combine at Hotel Indigo Saigon The City

2025-08-28T10:40:00+07:00

Staying in a local neighborhood means surrounding yourself with the sights, styles, routines, traditions, and history of a locale. Hotel Indigo Saigon The City, a new boutique lifestyle hotel, tells the stories of the iconic Ba Son area via its details, decor, atmosphere, and experiences, so checking in feels like taking part in a celebration of the city.

Entering the Alleyways

A towering stack of vintage suitcases atop a classic bike at reception greets you upon arrival. Tucked behind this “Bags of Burden” installation are two public computer desks meticulously designed to resemble street barber chairs. This serves as the perfect introduction to how Hotel Indigo Saigon The City infuses iconic elements of the city into every nook and corner of your stay.

Past the reception, a hẻm runs past the lounge area. An intrinsic element of urban activity, the recreated alleyway provides guests an opportunity to relish in the cramped lanes that thrum with activity throughout the city. Sipping an iced coffee made with robusta beans and sweetened condensed milk prepared with a “phin” filter while sitting on a small chair invites guests to the quintessential Saigon pastime of hanging out. The scene is imagined so faithfully in the outdoor veranda that you wouldn’t be surprised if a mobile laminator were to move their cart through the small lane.

Saigon culture plays out primarily on the pavement as understood via the lobby’s homages to sidewalk vendors. Moreover, walking to the elevator to access your room feels like moving through the streets to go home. A vintage Phoenix bicycle rests against the wall beneath modernist light bulbs that resemble streetlights. To enter the elevator, you must pass the decorative folding steel door gate that accompanies a subtle clank of collapsing metal hinges: one of the city’s most charmingly recognizable sounds. Inside, the walls are covered with the familiar scrawl of phone numbers announcing homes for sale and services on offer. Finally, the hallway to your room is awash in color, with reds, yellows, greens, and blues conveying the city’s eclectic use of bright hues. Beside each door, the room number is presented as a mailbox, calling to mind the importance of the city’s Central Post Office and the larger legacy of colonial architecture.

The Familiarity of a Saigon Home

Hotel Indigo Saigon The City’s rooms aim to give you the feel of staying at a local home while providing the international standards the global chain is known for. Accomplishing this balance involves authentic design details, materials, and motifs alongside modern amenities.

A characteristic element of a Saigon dwelling awaits in every corner of the rooms. From floor carpeting styled after buildings’ classic ceramic tiles to wicker and rattan furniture to the dishes of nostalgic street snacks, including pig's ear cookies and dried fruit awaiting alongside a vintage garde-manger minibar, the habits and surroundings of an urban family are presented effortlessly. While the room provides a peaceful bit of serenity, the city beyond makes itself known as well via lightbulbs inspired by a hẻm’s tangle of exposed wiring as depicted on the mural behind the bed. Some of the rooms feature views onto a true and timeless city hẻm while others gaze onto the majestic Ba Son Bridge, a hint at the area’s rapid modernization.

Amidst this careful conflation of styles that embraces a home’s assemblage of hand-me-down and reclaimed items are touches of modern charm. On the bathroom vanity, for example, which is adapted from a humble street cart, is a full assortment of amenities. Whether you are exploring the city as a solo-traveler, on a romantic getaway, a carefree family holiday, or simply in town for business, each room type is aimed at providing you with international comfort wrapped in the aesthetics of historic Saigon.

Stopping at the Shipyard

Ba Son, the neighborhood where , Hotel Indigo Saigon The City is located, has a specific storied past. As part of their colonizing efforts, the French expanded it into Indochina’s largest shipyard. As the metropolis was most frequently accessed via the Saigon River and maritime trade was of the utmost importance, the shipyard’s role in connecting the country to the world was immense. After Vietnam won its independence, it remained crucial to development, allowing the shipbuilding and repair industry to flourish alongside naval needs.

While Ba Son no longer serves a maritime function, the architecture, infrastructure, and details of its history remain as defining characteristics, particularly in The Shipyard, Hotel Indigo Saigon The City’s in-house restaurant. Walking from reception, you’ll pass a communal space with cabinets containing antiques from times past. Old compasses, cameras, lamps, and machine parts set the mood for the nautical iron and fishbone ceiling. A rugged pulley system connects L1 to The Shipyard Upper Deck on the Mezzanine floor, bringing not only dishes down from the kitchen but also taking you back in time to the former shipyards' powerful mechanics.

After sitting down at a table that features a saltwater lamp, a “Storyteller” will arrive wearing a uniform styled after classic sailor attire. Behind you, calming fabrics accenting the wall call to shipments of fine materials and the nearby Tân Định Market, where tailors transformed them into the styles of the day. With ceramic flooring straight out of Saigon’s mid-century modernism, the two floors of dining, which are open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, encapsulate how the city’s collective style is one of contrasting elements.

The Shipyard’s menu reflects the area’s harmonizing of tradition and modern trends with its expansive menu that features Saigon favorites like hủ tiếu and bánh mì alongside expected international items like steak and hamburgers. The coffee, prepared with a heavy dose of caffeine and sugar, as Saigon residents like it, is an essential part of any meal.

While not yet known in Vietnam, Hotel Indigo is a familiar name throughout the world, renowned for its incorporation of local design elements that ensure no two locations are similar. Hotel Indigo Saigon The City, the first Vietnamese location, thus serves as an introduction ot its philosophy. Its faithful embrace of local styles and stories that offer an authentic and intimate experience rewards those who are traveling here for the first time, or are eager to feel the city more deeply than ever. Meanwhile, local residents can be proud that their culture’s unique style is so lovingly presented.

Hotel Indigo Saigon The City's website

Hotel Indigo Saigon The City's Facebook Page

+84 028 2222 3333

Hotel Indigo Saigon The City | 9 – 11 Ly Tu Trong Street, Saigon Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

How Corporate Meetings Can “Go Green”

2025-08-26T05:11:00+07:00

Stepping beyond the confines of four narrow walls to embrace the vastness of nature, creative ideas begin to flow effortlessly.

Breaking away from conventional meeting formats, An Lâm Retreat Saigon River introduces a reimagined MICE concept: one that strengthens team bonds, sparks creativity, and celebrates sustainability. More than a venue for productive meetings, it is a “green journey” where nature, people, and emotions harmonize, elevating collective spirits to new heights.

Green Meetings at An Lâm Retreat Saigon River

The MICE journey at An Lâm Retreat Saigon River begins the moment guests step aboard the resort’s speedboat departing from Bạch Đằng station. In just 25 minutes, the transfer elevates above a simple ride and becomes a chance to connect, pause, and take in the scenery as it gradually transforms from the city’s claustrophobic energy into the lush, tranquil greenery along the Saigon River.

Nestled in the heart of nature, An Lâm Retreat Saigon River is among the premier destinations for an inspiring MICE experience.

Upon arrival, guests will feel as if they have been transported into another world: a tropical garden shaded by lush trees, wooden pathways, and winding vines that fall gracefully like a living painting. The spirit of “green” is reflected in rustic architecture crafted from eco-friendly materials, honoring and preserving nature’s pristine values. Together, these details create an atmosphere that is fresh, serene, and deeply restorative. It is a place to breathe freely and reignite the creative mind.

Alongside five versatile venues for meetings and events of all scales, An Lâm Retreat Saigon River distinguishes itself with its ability to curate tailored experiences that ease tension and enhance productivity.

The event spaces here embody a harmonious and refined balance between modern comforts and the purity of nature.

Beyond meeting sessions, leaders and team members can strengthen their bonds through engaging activities such as a group cooking challenge guided by the resort’s talented chefs, using 100% fresh ingredients handpicked from the organic garden. For simpler moments, coffee breaks can turn into opportunities to enjoy the resort’s “green – clean – wholesome” menus—an effective way to refresh energy and restore balance after hours of intensive discussions.

Yoga exercises inspire positive energy.

At An Lâm Retreat Saigon River, the philosophy of harmony with nature runs through every detail, from architecture and dining to leisure and team-building activities. Far from conventional formats, group experiences are always enriched by the presence of lush greenery and the fresh, invigorating air that eases off the Saigon River.

In particular, riverside spa therapies and yoga sessions offer a holistic sense of balance, enhancing awareness of self-care and contributing to more effective, fulfilling meeting days.

An Lam Retreat Saigon River's website

An Lam Retreat Saigon River's Facebook Page

An Lam Retreat Saigon River's Email

(+84) 274 378 5555

An Lam Retreat Saigon River | 21/4 Trung Street, Binh Hoa Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Why Golf Might Be the Perfect Pastime to Pick Up in Saigon

2025-08-25T09:37:00+07:00

"What is there that's fun to do today?" You've probably found yourself asking this of friends and family during weekends in Saigon. Golf might be the exact activity you're looking for.

Some people think golf is too challenging to pick up or simply not for them. Wiking Golf aims to prove otherwise. Conveniently located just beside Phú Mỹ Hưng, provides a comfortable environment to introduce people of all ages and backgrounds to a sport that can be surprisingly fun and relaxed.

Surrounded by nature in a spacious environment that calls to mind backyards, Wiking Golf balances opportunities for seasoned golfers looking for a place to keep their skills sharp and newbies curious to try out one of the world's most storied pastimes. Experienced coaches offer lessons for newcomers picking up a club for the first time. The 9-hole par 3 allows them to experience the feeling of full courses without the pressure and commitment of a trip to a full course. Meanwhile, 40 practice mats, 10 on-grass practice areas, and a 300-yard driving range that will re-open in November, all situated in expansive green spaces, reveal how any time spent golfing is an opportunity to savor fresh air and blue skies.

In addition to the casual exercise and refreshing time outdoors, golf is a valuable chance to connect with people. Chit-chat between swings, as well as more formal events and meetings, are all a natural part of the golfing world. Wiking Golf welcomes companies, clubs, and organizations, supporting meetings and team-building events with private rooms and catering services.

A perfect opportunity to discover how golf can combine competition and celebration is via the upcoming Three Clubs tournament on August 30. While the cocktails freeflow and the DJ spins music, a total of 48 golfers, spread across 4-person groups in early afternoon, afternoon, and late afternoon sessions, will compete using only three clubs of their choice. In addition to the friendly competition, the day includes food and exciting giveaways.

At some point, everyone asks themselves, their family, or their friends, "What is there to do for fun today?" Wiking Golf is here to suggest a carefree afternoon that combines time with loved ones and the thrill of sport. With full facilities and experts on hand to introduce the game, there is no reason not to give golf a try today.

Wiking Golf's Facebook

Wiking Golf's Email

Phone Number: 0797 475 679

Wiking Golf | 12 Đ. Nguyễn Hữu Thọ, Phước Kiển, Nhà Bè, Hồ Chí Minh 700000

Courtyard By Marriott Danang Han River Officially Certified As A 5-Star Hotel

2025-08-21T19:33:30+07:00

Courtyard by Marriott Danang Han River achieves 5-star hotel certification – affirming its leading position in hospitality and meetings in Danang just over two months after opening its doors.

Courtyard by Marriott Danang Han River achieves 5-Star hotel certification

Danang, Vietnam – August 18, 2025 – Courtyard by Marriott Danang Han River – the first Courtyard by Marriott hotel in Vietnam – has officially been awarded 5-star hotel certification by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Vietnam National Authority of Tourism.

Grand Opening Ceremony of Courtyard by Marriott Danang Han River

This marks a significant milestone, not only affirming the hotel’s position on the map of premium hospitality and conferences but also recognizing its efforts in delivering international high-standard service experiences. With a passionate team, dedicated service, and modern facilities, Courtyard by Marriott Danang Han River has quickly won the hearts of travelers and gained high acclaim from industry professionals.

Grand Opening & Celebrates 5-star hotel certification

This achievement contributes to elevating the image of Danang’s tourism and hospitality industry while reinforcing confidence in the potential of Vietnam’s luxury hotel market.

An Inspired Stay in the Heart of Danang

Located at 58 Bach Dang Street – right in the center of Danang – Courtyard by Marriott Danang Han River enjoys a “golden location” along the Han River, with convenient connections to the international airport, shopping centers, administrative areas, and famous tourist destinations.

The highest rooftop pool in the city center

The hotel features 300 guest rooms designed in a modern style, with floor-to-ceiling windows that open to spectacular views of the Han River, the Dragon Bridge, or the city center, bringing relaxation and comfort to business travelers, leisure guests, and MICE visitors alike.

300 modern guest rooms with spectacular views

International Standard Facilities & Services by Marriott International

The hotel offers a comprehensive system of facilities to meet a wide range of guest needs. The Landmark Restaurant brings diverse culinary experiences, combining the essence of distinctive local cuisine with international flavors. Immerse yourself in the art of tea at The Lobby Lounge with world-famous TWG. The Chill Bean – Espresso Bar is a dedicated space for coffee enthusiasts. M45 Rooftop Bar, the highest rooftop bar in downtown Danang, offers 360° panoramic views along with Japanese-inspired cocktails and an elevated Omakase dining experience.

M45 Rooftop Bar - the highest rooftop bar in downtown Danang

The hotel also features the highest rooftop pool in Danang, an indoor pool with panoramic views, and a modern fitness center overlooking the iconic Dragon Bridge.

Meetings & Events

With 10 versatile meeting rooms and a 385 m² Grand Ballroom featuring the city center’s highest ceiling at 8.5 meters, the hotel is equipped with cutting-edge audio- visual systems to host everything from business conferences to weddings and large- scale events. A unique highlight is the external escalator, connecting the ground floor directly to the 3rd floor event spaces for convenient guest access.

Grand Ballroom has the highest ceiling in the city center

For more information about Courtyard by Marriott Danang Han River or to make a reservation, click here.

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About Courtyard by Marriott®
Courtyard by Marriott is the hotel brand of choice for trailblazing guests who are inspired by a passion to do great things. With over 1,340 locations in over 60 countries and territories, Courtyard is passionate about empowering its guests and serving the needs of travelers everywhere, no matter the purpose of their trip. Its thoughtfully designed guestrooms provide an elevated experience to relax and recharge, complete with plush bedding and flexible workspaces. Guests are able to work, eat well, connect, and be at their best to keep moving forward to succeed. Courtyard is proud to participate in Marriott Bonvoy®, the global travel program from Marriott International. The program offers members an extraordinary portfolio of global brands, exclusive experiences on Marriott Bonvoy Moments and unparalleled benefits including free nights and Elite status recognition. To enroll for free or for more information about the program, visit marriottbonvoy.com. For more information or reservations, visit courtyard.marriott.com and stay connected on X, Instagram, and Facebook.

About Marriott Bonvoy®
Marriott Bonvoy, Marriott International’s portfolio of more than 30 hotel brands and 10,000 global destinations, offers renowned hospitality in the most memorable locations around the world. The award-winning travel program and marketplace gives members access to transformative, eye-opening experiences around the corner and across the globe. To enroll for free or for more information about Marriott Bonvoy, visit marriottbonvoy.com. To download the Marriott app, go here. Travelers can also connect with Marriott Bonvoy on Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok.

Media Contact
Ni Na Nguyen
Marketing & Communications Manager
Courtyard by Marriott Danang Han River
NiNa.Nguyen@courtyard.com

NOPA MOVE: The Bottle That Rewards Re-Use

2025-08-19T13:47:00+07:00

Sometimes we need a little extra motivation to take what we know is a positive action. This certainly applies to sustainability efforts. We know we should bicycle instead of drive, eat at neighborhood spots instead of ordering delivery, turn off the shower while we lather our hair, and bring our own reusable bottles to coffee shops, but all too often we opt for convenience or complacency.

A Seat at the Sustainability Table

To learn more about one team attempting to combat this complacency, Saigoneer traveled to a nondiscript District 4 office. The city outside was humming with end-of-day commotion, but inside, there was a different, no less excited atmosphere. Surrounded by colorful components organized in sleek containers, we took a seat beside a table covered with bright sticker samples and spoke with Mai Trinh and Pierre Rault, the co-founders of NOPA. The company was preparing to launch an updated version of their first product, the NOPA MOVE bottle, and they spoke with the nervous joy one feels when sharing their vision with the world, hoping it will be embraced for the greater good.

Behind the scenes at NOPA.

A classic startup story, NOPA is the brainchild of passionate and experienced individuals who see unexpected challenges as necessary steps in the process. Mai and Pierre first met in 2022 while collaborating on a project for The Schoolab, an innovation studio that fosters collaborations between students and corporations where Pierre worked at the time. Tasked with tackling single-use plastics, the pair created an app for reusing drinking containers. Unfortunately, their product didn’t take off as they’d hoped, due largely to people's exhaustion with downloading more apps. But the experience proved to them that they work well together, and creating a product that seeks to address an important issue provides them both with meaning.

NOPA's founding team. From left to right: Nhan, Mai, Longly and Pierre.

Mai and Pierre remained in touch and, by 2023, decided to go all-in on creating a physical product that could entice people to avoid single-use cups or bottles. This meant that Pierre quit The Schoolab, preferring to dedicate himself fully to one project rather than assist and oversee many, a process he described as “having fingers in too many pies.” Meanwhile, Mai, whose background is in psychology and consumer insight, came to the decision after asking herself, “If I succeed, which is the table I want to be seated at? It’s sustainability.”

It's a Matter of Style

The world indeed has more than enough bottles. But the same could be said for shoes, and no one questions Nike when they release a new model of sneakers because it’s understood as a matter of fashion. This logic applies to NOPA as well.

The NOPA MOVE's bright colors and playful style aim to connect with people who want to carry it around as an extension of their personality and a functional accessory that allows them to feel part of an exclusive club. In this way, it is similar to a tote bag. Moreover, the NOPA team, which includes Chief Product Engineer, Nhan Nguyen, and Art Director, Longiy Trieu, hopes to create a community around the bottles that bonds users and partners around common values and aesthetic preferences.

Beyond the color combinations created via the easy-to-clean interchangeable bases, tops, and lids, the NOPA MOVE bottles stand out because of the stickers people place on them. Like laptops, cellphone cases, and bike helmets, they serve as billboards that advertise one’s interests, sense of humor, and allegiances. Longiy made the initial stickers that are sold with the bottles and reflect the core brand aesthetics, as well as thematic expansion packs such as Summer Vibe. These specially made stickers are uniquely designed to fit on the bottle’s inner and outer layers and withstand temperature changes as well as the routine wear and tear a bottle experiences.

NOPA's collaboration with local artist, Psyche.

Besides the official NOPA stickers, people often attach their designs to the bottles. To indulge a greater number of options while continuing to reflect their core identity, NOPA is thus working with local artists for sticker sets printed to work perfectly with the bottle materials. Psyche, a beloved local artist is the first to be featured. Saigoneer has gotten involved too, with our first-ever sticker set and accompanying bottle launching earlier this summer. Images include ones based on our popular Natural Selectionseries that include our recently announced mascot, the Đông Hồ baby, and humorous typos inspired by old Vietnamese signage. Available for purchase at LÔCÔ Art Markets and via NOPA’s website, they allow people to show off their love for Saigoneer, or at least carry some cool art around with them.

NOPA's collaboration with Saigoneer.

People who refill their NOPA MOVE bottle at a participating partner can receive a discount or promotion that allows them to feel like members of an exclusive club. The specifics of the incentive are up to the particular coffee shop, but examples include reduced prices or free upsizes. All participating venues can be located easily via a phone’s map app, which doubles as a guide for cool cafes in the city. Amongst the more than 90 locations are some familiar names including OKKIO, S'Mores, Bosgaurus, WEGO, Auvery, Mille Mille, and BEL.

NOPA Move in action with participating partner locations.

One of the most exciting developments is a recent partnership with a coffee cart brand, which exemplifies how NOPA aims to integrate with local coffee habits. To this point, Pierre has embarked on amonth-long reuse challenge, visiting a different participating venue each day.

Approaching the Future without Limitations

“We’ve emerged from Death Valley,” Mai joked when asked about the current plans and future of NOPA after undergoing the difficult launching process. The new version of the NOPA MOVE bottle features some design adjustments to make it more durable and contains an NFC chip that allows partners to track reward usage with their partners. The data will also be helpful when assessing broader success in pursuing sustainability as part of grant projects. Since June, they've been working with the UN to explore how gamification can motivate sustainable reuse.

In addition to selling to individuals, the team hopes to expand its B2B sales. They’d like to entice a company to purchase bottles for their entire office located near a participating partner, for example. The NOPA team can create custom designs and stickers for interested clients, allowing them to reflect a company’s or organization’s specific branding as well. NOPA may also branch beyond personal drink bottles into containers for household goods and cleaning products.

Success for any company can be difficult to define. But Pierre admitted that he would be beyond thrilled to see a stranger using a NOPA MOVE “out in the wild.” Considering the unique designs, flexible use, and ability to receive rewards while doing one’s small part to help the environment, it’s not difficult to imagine such a scene playing out soon.

Residence Eleven: A Cantonese Culinary Journey Above Saigon

2025-08-11T06:00:00+07:00

Floating high above the city on the 39th floor of Hilton Saigon, Residence Eleven is a narrative in space, taste, and memory. As the first Chinese fine-dining venue in a five-star hotel to offer direct, panoramic views of the Saigon River, it brings a singular perspective, both literally and metaphorically, on Cantonese cuisine in Vietnam.

A Story Told by Song

At the heart of Residence Eleven lies a fictional muse, Song. The story of the modern-day heiress who spent her childhood in Saigon after leaving China threads through every detail of the restaurant, from its modern Chinese design language to the dishes that evoke a sense of both nostalgia and discovery. This is not a pastiche of the old world, but a quiet reinterpretation with refinement replacing ostentation and craftsmanship revealing itself in restraint.

The restaurant opens with a soaring double-height lobby and a curated wine cellar on display like a living installation. The main dining room floats in warm tones of brushed gold, amber woods, and soft lighting that shifts gently with the sun. Touches like the gold-plated ceiling or the bespoke seating nooks speak the language of a quiet luxury that doesn’t shout, but lingers. The design is thoughtful, not theatrical, and made to elevate both conversation and contemplation.

As you enter the main dining space, a distinct warmth washes over you. The palette of gold, amber, deep reds, and smoky browns evokes the nostalgia and cinematic elegance of a Wong Kar-Wai film. The space whispers of time, layering the grace of the past with the rhythm of the future. It’s majestic, yet not austere. Elegant, yet welcoming.

At the heart of the restaurant lies its soul: a wood-fired oven where Cantonese roasting techniques are taken to extraordinary new heights. This is not merely a showpiece, it’s a living testament to craftsmanship. Here, meats are roasted slowly over wood flames, infusing every dish with a delicate smokiness and textural precision impossible to achieve by modern shortcuts. The drama of the flame, the sound of the carving blade, the subtle perfume of char—each moment is choreographed with purpose.

Seating is thoughtfully arranged to suit both convivial gatherings and quiet moments of reflection. Two private dining rooms, each rich with its own Chinese design cues, offer sanctuary for business lunches, family feasts, or celebrations. Between the semi-private nooks and grand banquettes overlooking the open kitchen, there’s a harmony of flow and privacy, of openness and intimacy.

A Cantonese Soul, a Saigon Spirit

Guiding the kitchen is Chef Gary, a Hong Kong native with over three decades of experience in elite Cantonese kitchens across Asia. For him, Residence Eleven is not just a platform for heritage, but a canvas for evolution. His approach honors traditional techniques while embracing the seasonal richness of Vietnam’s terroir. He incorporates ingredients like Khánh Hòa bird’s nest, Nha Trang lobster, Trà Vinh tiger prawns, and hoa thiên lý into the menu.

“Every ingredient we use must speak to both place and purpose,” Chef Gary shares. “We want to reflect the elegance of Cantonese cuisine, but also the beauty and depth of Vietnam’s local produce.”

A standout on the menu, the garlic and chili stir-fried lobster is a spectacular intersection between the bounty of Vietnamese seas and the signature wok-frying artistry of Cantonese cuisine. The Nha Trang green lobster, prized for its firm, sweet, and exceptionally fresh flesh, is prepared using a traditional garlic and chili stir-frying technique passed down from the coastal fishermen of old Guangdong. Flash-fried with garlic, shallots, fermented soybeans, and chili, then finished with a dusting of refined sea salt, the dish retains the fresh brininess of the ocean while delivering a punch of bold, spicy flavor. It’s a refined blend of heritage cooking and contemporary Hong Kong technique. Meanwhile, Residence Eleven’s signature roast duck is another highlight, featuring crispy skin, tender meat, and a meticulous, performance-like tablesideserving ritual.

A Place to Return To

For discerning diners, international guests, or business leaders seeking a more nuanced dining experience, Residence Eleven offers a rare escape above the urban rhythm. Whether it’s a private celebration, a discreet power lunch, or simply an evening spent savoring well-crafted dim sum, every visit feels intentional and designed not just to impress, but to resonate.

Beyond its à la carte offerings, Residence Eleven also presents seasonal tasting menus, an elegant dim sum brunch, and curated lunch sets for time-conscious connoisseurs.
More than a restaurant, Residence Eleven is an invitation to slow down and to rise above the noise and reconnect with flavor, culture, and self.

Residence Eleven's Facebook

Residence Eleven's Email

Phone Number: 028 3823 7979

Residence Eleven | 11 Cong Truong Me Linh, Saigon Ward, Ho Chi Minh City.

Award-Winning Về Để Đi Prepares for Vietnam’s First Single-Malt Whisky

2025-08-06T05:50:00+07:00

Vietnam’s first single malt whisky is almost here. Right now, it’s up in Hanoi, soaking up subtle flavors from ex bourbon and new American oak barrels.

Về Để Đi’s first home-grown single malt whisky will be bottled in time for Tết 2027, bringing Vietnam into the sophisticated global community of single malt whisky makers. But before that happens, there is already cause for much excitement around the company co-founded by Dr. Michael Rosen and Quân Nguyễn in 2020.

Before There is Single Malt, There are Spirits

Originating in Northern Europe, whisky production is relatively new to subtropical regions, such as Vietnam. When perfromed in hot and humid conditions, the distilling process undergoes significant changes. Most significantly, the whisky ages much faster: what would take 3-4 years in Scotland might only take 1 year in Hanoi. Still, waiting several years before a product is ready to bring in revenues presents a great challenge to any new business. Thus, Về Để Đi, like many craft distilleries around the world, has been making spirits and liquors that don’t require such a lead time, as they prepare for their whisky’s release.

Because gin is a “make-it-today, sell-it-today” spirit, there are already a few local varieties on the market here in Vietnam. However, Về Để Đi has still found room to provide something unique by distilling from scratch using only Red River Delta rice that is blessed with hand-peeled and dried Buddha’s Hand fruit, white tea tree flowers, hạt dổi, mác khén, Italian juniper, cassia lavender, and green cardamom. Về Để Đi’s embrace of local ingredients extends to a Crème de Cacao made with Marou Chocolate’s Lâm Đồng single-origin cocoa nibs; a Crème de Coconut comprised only of Thái Bình rice, Nghệ An sugarcane, and Bến Tre coconuts; Triple Sec made with Hà Giang cam sành oranges, a cold brew Coffee Liqueur made with local Arabica and Robusts beans and a rum that makes use of Nghệ An molasses and village made sugarcane honey.

More than stops along the road till their premium single malt arrives, these are small batch, hand crafted spirits appealing to young, adventurous drinkers and innovative local bartenders in the country’s burgeoning cocktail scene. Particularly suitable for resorts, hotels and the convenience of individuals, Về Để Đi has also released ready-to-drink cocktails and partnered with local resorts and restaurants for customized versions. Curious at-home imbibers can also check out the many recipes featured on the company’s website.

These spirits and liqueurs are helping Về Để Đi build a reputation for expertly crafted and lovingly balanced drinks. They doubled down on these efforts when the team, led by Master Distiller Edward Tiege, purchased a secret single malt whisky from overseas then aged further here to offer a three cask single malt of bourbon, sherry and new American oak. This light and flavorful Distiller's Choice, “aged to perfection in Vietnam,” offers is a well-rounded introductory whisky that is flavorful enough for cocktails, including the region’s famed highballs, a campaign the company light heartedly calls it’s “hai ball” campaign..

Before there is Single Malt, There are Awards

While the quality of the current Về Để Đi lineup should assure thirsty customers that the team’s first single malt whisky will be something special, the greatest reason to trust and anticipate came earlier this year when they won “Best in the World” in the New Make & Young Spirits category at the prestigious 2025 World Whiskies Awards.

To understand the significance of this award, we must first understand a simplistic version of the whisky-making process. It starts when barley milled, seeped in a wash tun, run through a mash filter press, with yeast “pitched” in and the resulting “wash” and attended to as it ferments. Up to this point, the procedure is identical to making craft beers, except without hops. This explains why Về Để Đi employs a head brewer, Ms. Nguyễn Thị Lan Anh, whose mother introduced her to the distilling world in their traditional Ha Tinh village, famed for its rice liquor.

The “distiller’s beer,” as it is sometimes called, is then heated in stills to increase the alcohol percentage and remove impurities. This clear “new make” is then aged in oak barrels, where it acquires the complex flavors, aromas, and color of the oak. Called “moonshine” in America, new make is not commonly consumed outside of niche whisky nerd circles, but making a great new make is a strong sign that a distillery knows what they are doing, having perfected the detail-dependent process, selected excellent ingredients, and maintaining high standards when meticulously experimenting and testing.

When speaking with Saigoneer, Rosen jokingly said the award was akin to a young chessmaster winning a meaningful tournament; there’s good reason to believe he is on the road to being grand master sooner than later. But in all seriousness, it gives Về Để Đi confidence that their vision and execution are at the world-class level they are aspiring to.

Before there is Single Malt, There are Opportunities

While Về Để Đi’s single-malt won't reach glasses for another year and a half, there is plenty to do in the meantime. Logistical matters such as designing labels, selling barrels to interested bars and individuals, and sending out samples for competitions all require a lot of work. Moreover, there is still room to educate local drinkers about the beverage, including the meaning of single malt. Contrary to what people believe, it simply means the whisky was all produced at a single distillery from 100% malted partner. The master distiller or blender often combines many different casks from the one distillery to achieve the specific balance and profile he is after.

In addition to giving drinkers a better understanding of single malt, Về Để Đi is introducing themselves and their other spirits. At various tasting events throughout the country, glasses are being poured so guests can recognize the uniquely Vietnamese touches in the tropical beverages. Similarly, attendees can hear some stories that reveal their dedication to the country’s authentic heritage. In addition to Lanh Anh, the all-Vietnamese distillery team has quite a few interesting stories, including those of Trần Trung Dũng who joined the team after driving long-haul trucks across Russia. Interested folk can also pick up bottles at various shops throughout Vietnam.

Nguyễn Thị Lan Anh (left) and Trần Trung Dũng (right) reflect Về Để Đi's commitment to empowering local producers and experts.

While releasing Vietnam’s first single malt whisky is quite the achievement that upends the geographical expectations for the storied beverage, Rosen is earnest when reflecting on what it means. There are already many whiskies, he admits. But none that reflect the weather of Hanoi and the craft of Vietnam. In deep craft, he sees a sense of peace. “Not to be all 1960s ‘Peace, Love, and Rock & Roll,’ but that's a bit of the truth of it. I wanted us to create something that's a part of a peaceful way people share time and experience, where people share and respect each other's company.”

Về Để Đi's website

Về Để Đi's Facebook

Phone Number:+84 76 634 3438

Idyllic Summer Vacation Awaits at Ixora Ho Tram By Fusion

2025-08-04T09:38:00+07:00

Enjoy a wonderful summer and welcome special anniversaries with family and friends, accompanied by countless five-star resort amenities at Ixora Ho Tram by Fusion resort — the newest arrival toThe Grand Ho Tram complex.

Closeness to Nature Invites Comfort

Conveniently located approximately two and a half hours from Saigon, Ixora Ho Tram by Fushion faces pristine Hồ Tràm Beach on one side and the primeval Phước Bửu - Bình Châu forest on the other. This abundance of nature makes Ixora Ho Tram by Fusion an ideal destination for those yearning for a total escape without spending a lot of time in transit.

Ixora Ho Tram by Fusion consists of 164 apartments and 46 villas.

The sophisticated, modern architecture reflects the resort's appreciation for health, spirit, and elegance, allowing you to feel connected in mind and body to the meticulously maintained green spaces.

A Resort For All Variety of Guests

Ixora Ho Tram by Fusion offers a selection of apartment and villa options with sea or garden views to match every vacation preference. Families and groups of friends often select the 2-bedroom apartments or luxury penthouses with panoramic views of the swimming pools.

Meanwhile, if you are looking for a more luxurious and private experience for your group, the 3-bedroom garden-view villas provide quiet spaces with a harmonious abundance of nature, which is ideal for peaceful mornings with your whole family.

The most sought-after accommodation option at Ixora Ho Tram by Fusion is the 3-bedroom Ocean View villa with a private outdoor swimming pool and sunbathing area just a few steps away from the shimmering blue sea. The villa is carefully designed so natural light fills the spacious shared living area and grants inspiring views of nature outside. It is an ideal place for families to relax together and savor precious time with one another while absorbing a restorative energy and peace of mind from the beach.

Diverse Entertainment Experiences, Enticing Cuisine

Ixora Ho Tram by Fusion gives as much care and attention to entertainment and relaxation activities as it does to the resort's design. The unique open space, surrounded by fresh green areas and calm water, creates a peaceful oasis that helps visitors easily immerse themselves in the presence of bird songs and blooming plants. The on-site Maia Spa offers a variety of intensive treatment packages, from relaxing massages using natural ingredients, including herbs and essential oils, to comprehensive body and facial care packages combined with acupressure and deep massage techniques. A trip to the spa provides adults with a release from busy lives.

All therapies at Maia Spa are performed by a team of skilled technicians who are knowledgeable in traditional treatment methods that incorporate modern technology to improve physical and mental health.

Maia Spa has a unique open architecture style.

Families with young children can visit the Ixora Kids Club, a special hub of fun dedicated to children. Activities that stimulate intelligence and creativity include making paper animals, painting statues, sand painting, and other arts and crafts, as well as novel physical activities such as yoga.

If you consider yourself a foodie, you'll want to start every day at Rush Café to recharge with warm pastries and cool drinks, and then enjoy creative cocktails at Beach Box alongside appealing appetizers that are served with a view of Hồ Tràm Beach. When it comes time for dinner, Sea Salt serves all-day comfort foods that span local flavors and international cuisine.

The Newest Addition to an Expansive Complex

Ixora Ho Tram by Fusion Resort joins a stellar complex of accommodations that share a stunning number of activities for all ages and passions. Guests can also easily access the other facilities and entertainment opportunities at the leading resort complex, The Grand Ho Tram, which is a short stroll away.

There you can visit Beta Cinema to take in the latest movies, strengthen family bonds by belting out trendy hits in a Karaoke room, or get your heart racing together at the pickleball court. You can travel from Ixora Ho Tram by Fushion to these ideal ways to spend a vacation day via a 5-minute walk or a complimentary tram ride.

Start planning now for a special year-end holiday with your family and friends at Ixora Ho Tram By Fusion, where every moment transforms into a cherished memory.

Ixora Ho Tram By Fusion's website

Ixora Ho Tram By Fusion's Facebook

Ixora Ho Tram By Fusion's Email

Phone Number: 0254 3786 666

Ixora Ho Tram By Fusion | Ấp Hồ Tràm, Xã Hồ Tràm, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

"An Evening In The Hẻm" – When Events Become Stories, and Spaces Hold Memories of Saigon

2025-07-30T06:03:18+07:00

Tucked away amidst the vibrant rhythm of Sài Gòn Ward, Hotel Indigo Saigon The City reimagines the purpose of an event space. It's Saigon – Gia Dinh Room is not simply as a venue, but a canvas for storytelling, where memories are awakened, emotions stirred, and every detail pulses with meaning.

At the recent event “An Evening In The Hẻm,” the hotel transformed the Saigon – Gia Dinh Room into a soulful homage to the city’s beloved alleyways, those quiet, unassuming corridors of daily life that cradle Saigon’s most intimate stories. Gone were the expected four walls. In their place stood a memory-laden hẻm scene: bamboo grasshoppers, timeworn tea tables, wooden cabinets, an antique sewing machine, delicate lotus blooms, and the gentle glow of golden light. Each element was crafted to evoke nostalgia and invite connection.

The event was a heartfelt invitation to discover how Hotel Indigo Saigon The City brings stories to life through its spaces. Every gathering there is not just a meeting, it’s an experience told via light, texture, music, and above all, cuisine that speaks with the voice of the neighborhood.

The curated menu, titled “An Exquisite Flavour of Hẻm” unfolded like a culinary memoir. It began with seared Hokkaido scallops nestled atop carrot purée, kissed with lemongrass-makrut lime sauce and a crown of caviar — a graceful introduction that stirred the senses. A sophisticated yet comforting, refined ravioli consommé with green lobster, Iberico Bellota ham, sun-dried tomatoes, and edamame foam followed. The main course, a marbled MB3 beef tenderloin with seared foie gras, truffle mushroom jus, and creamy potatoes, brought depth and indulgence. A serene Sapa peach mousse with sakura jelly and roasted peach closed the meal with a sweet, delicate, and light as a whisper. Every dish was a moment of pause, a tribute to Saigon’s street flavours told through the lens of elegance and craft.

The Saigon – Gia Dinh Room is a testament to the hotel’s design philosophy: spaces should speak. With its fluid layout and locally inspired details, it’s the perfect backdrop for creative workshops, press events, bespoke launches, or meaningful private gatherings. It is where events are more than held, it’s where they are felt.

Throughout the hotel, this narrative continues. The lobby welcomes guests into the spirit of old Saigon: a Phoenix bicycle stacked with vintage suitcases that forms the art installation titled Bags of Burden, which evokes journeys of resilience and return. Reception counters mimic street vendor carts, echoing the city’s lively sidewalks. A hidden alleyway beside the lobby glows with soft light and stories, inviting guests into a microcosm of Saigon’s everyday charm. The guest rooms reinterpret traditional Saigon homes through a modern lens, while The Shipyard restaurant draws inspiration from the legendary Ba Son shipyard, a cornerstone of the city’s industrial and cultural soul.

Rooted in the heritage of District 1 and designed to reflect the rhythm of its surrounding neighbourhood, Hotel Indigo Saigon The City is a living story. Here, every corner, every moment, and every gathering is an invitation to feel something more: a sense of place, a spark of memory, and a connection that lingers long after the night ends.

Hotel Indigo Saigon The City's website

Hotel Indigo Saigon The City's Facebook Page

+84 028 2222 3333

Hotel Indigo Saigon The City | 9 – 11 Ly Tu Trong Street, Saigon Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Award-Winning Madame Son Restaurant Serves Dishes at the Intersection of Tradition and Innovation

2025-07-28T06:37:00+07:00

Most resorts have a restaurant, but few have one as good as Madame Son.

Bright Hội An lanterns seem to float above the tables, casting soft light onto repurposed doors and gracefully carved banisters that provide privacy to secluded tables. Champa reliefs at the entrance, a decorative ship holding flowers, and the peaceful ocean seen from the large windows all place guests firmly in Central Vietnam. This is where Chef Thịnh Nguyễn is from and a location that offers inspiration for each dish at Madame Son.

Chef Thịnh Nguyễn.

Madame Son, a refined but playful restaurant, does what many restaurants attempt: blend traditional flavors and innovative preparation methods. But thanks to Chef Thịnh’s care and creativity, along with the support of his expert team, it succeeds where many do not. It offers genuinely surprising and simultaneously comforting dishes that honor tradition and innovation. Located in Marriott Danang Resorts & Spas, not only should it attract guests from outside the property, but it should serve as a standard for resort restaurants that others aim to achieve.

The Journey of 5 Elements

Madam Son owes its name to Ngũ Hành Sơn, the Marble Mountains, as personified by a charming Vietnamese woman who carefully elevates local cuisine. Like the nature that surrounds her namesake mountain, she prizes balance in her dishes. Her cooking philosophy is one of harmoniously combining contrasts in flavors as well as the past, present, and future. The restaurant features a full menu that brings diners the length of Vietnam via premium ingredients, classic flavors, local spices, and innovative techniques.

During our visit, Saigoneer sampled The Journey of 5 Elements set menu, which served as an ideal introduction to Madam Son’s overall ethos. Exemplifying the eatery’s belief in the importance of balance, it bases each item around five key taste elements: spicy (metal), sour (wood), bitter (fire), salty (water), and sweet (earth).

The meal started in praise of local produce via the heirloom tomato salad. Preserved tomato and fresh watermelon provided sugar and acidity to contrast rich whipped ricotta, all from the Đà Lạt hills. This light and refreshing starter was followed by a salmon tataki inspired by the region’s fishing traditions. Buddha’s Hand citron imparted a bittersweet, floral brightness alongside the sweet tropical tang of golden berries and creamy ponzu sauce with fermented cream. The flavors blended in exciting ways that seemed perfectly at home beside the beach and its soft breezes.

When the meal transitioned to the main courses, Vietnam’s cherished food legacy further asserted itself. The fresh rice noodles with charcoal-grilled pork took familiar bún chả to new and intriguing places via unexpected textures and sauce imbued with lessons learned over generations in Central Vietnamese kitchens.

Diners acquainted with Vietnamese luxury meals will be familiar with salted egg sauce. Frequently lavishing crustaceans, it provides a rich succulence that Chef Thịnh interprets against a backdrop of sweet grilled prawns and sweet cherry tomatoes. This elegant spread of flavors receives an unexpected humility in the form of delicious young corn that calls to mind bắp xào in spicy butter garlic sauce. Taken together, it proves how Vietnam’s fine dining and street food both contribute to the nation’s esteemed culinary reputation.

Our meal ended with 1114 coconut jelly. A popular, palate-cleansing dessert, coconut jelly is a masterpiece of simplicity. Chef Thịnh embraces the coconut’s reputation for versatility by using young coconuts harvested from the resort’s grounds to make the jelly and an incredibly silky ice cream. Decadent without calling undue attention to itself, the item was the perfect closer to one of the best meals we’ve had at a resort anywhere in the country.

Innovation Inspired by Local Seasonality

The Journey of 5 Elements we savored during our visit might not be exactly the same during your visit. The menu frequently undergoes small changes to reflect what produce, meats, and fish are in season, along with the creative impulses of Chef Thịnh and his team. For example, coal fire might bring out the savory notes of tender spring chicken with fresh broccolini and the baby carrots, instead of pork. Or perhaps, scallops will serve as the centerpiece of a starter instead of salmon. The room for flexibility allows Madame Son to serve the absolute best dishes possible while honoring the recipes the local team develops in harmony with the ingredients they grew up with. It also means they can make great use of sustainable ingredients, some of which come from the resort’s garden. This à la carte menu experiences seasonal changes as well. Intriguing items we hope to return to try include lobster bánh mì, Hanoi’s famous chả cá Lã Vọng made with cod, and dry-aged duck.

Eager for any opportunity to showcase local flavors, the cocktails served at Madam Son provide another space for creativity. During our visit, a gin cart frequented our table to serve cocktails made with several varieties of local gin and Vietnamese fruits, herbs, and spices. Honeys made from bees pollinating local plants not only provide fantastic narratives to the drinks, but also deliciously peculiar flavors to the drinks made with traditional Vietnamese rice wine and local rum.

A Growing Reputation

While Madame Son is the hallmark dining destination at Marriott Danang Resort & Spa, it isn’t the only place on the premises for a good meal. The Goji Kitchen and Bar serves international fare that aims to bring something for everyone, including a full children’s menu. Meanwhile, Non Nuoc Bar thrives with seafood and barbeque items that complement cold beer and the ocean waves in the background. Finally, the Writer’s Bar reminds one that some of history’s greatest authors appreciated a strong cocktail, a comfortable chair, and an esteemed ambiance when working.

Chef Thịnh is young but has already accomplished much in his career. Most notably, he helped Madame Son win the award for Best Resort Restaurant in Vietnam at the 2025 Haute Grandeur Global Awards. Noting its innovative approach to contemporary Vietnamese cuisine and successful emphasis on locally sourced ingredients, the judges recognized its commitment to culinary excellence and its modern take on traditional Vietnamese flavors.

Whether it's the convenient location next to your hotel room, the allure of impressive accolades, this article’s promise of a stellar meal, or just happenstance, whatever brings you to Madam Son will be worth it.

Danang Marriott Resort & Spa's website

+84 236 396 8888

Danang Marriott Resort & Spa|7 Truong Sa Street, Hoa Hai Ward, Ngu Hanh Son District, Da Nang, Vietnam, 55000

Summer Nostalgia by the Sea: La Veranda Resort – MGallery Unveils a Golden Escape

2025-07-15T06:49:00+07:00

Summer travelers are invited to step into barefoot elegance on Phú Quốc’s storied shores.

Cozied up against a sun-lavished beach on Phú Quốc Island, La Veranda Resort – MGallery invites travelers to relive the slow, romantic summers of the 1950s. Recognized with the 2024 World Luxury Spa Awards and celebrated among Vietnam’s Top 10 Best Resorts in the 2025 DestinAsian Readers' Choice Awards, La Veranda offers a rare blend of French Indochine grandeur and barefoot tropical ease.

Built as a French colonial-style seaside mansion, La Veranda evokes an era where summers stretched endlessly and life moved with grace. Shaded verandas, handwritten postcards, soft jazz on the breeze — every corner of the resort transmits a timeless charm designed for today's discerning traveler.

For the 2025 summer season, from now until the end of September, La Veranda is offering two carefully designed offers that invite guests to rediscover the elegance of slow living by the sea.

The Holiday Saver

Crafted for seekers of an all-encompassing escape, the Holiday Saver package aims to give guests a full and extended embrace of the many things La Veranda does best. It includes a stay, cocktails, spa experience, and luxury dining. Guests can luxuriate in a four-day, three-night stay that includes buffet breakfasts, two leisurely lunches, and two candlelit dinners at the award-winning fine dining destination, The Peppertree, a tropical cocktail experience, as well as a full-body treatment. Taken together, the entire summer stay will capture the slow, sunlit pleasures of a tropical Indochine summer.

Wellness Hers & His

La Veranda is well known for its health and beauty treatments and the Wellness Hers & His caters to travelers who want to look and feel better than ever after a vacation. The package for two offers a three-day, two-night stay paired with a full-day holistic wellness journey at the resort’s award-winning TĨNH Wellness Sanctuary. Couples can choose between a Detox or Burnout Recovery program, each thoughtfully designed to restore both body and mind.

Whether lounging by the saltwater pool, indulging in award-winning spa therapies, or savoring gourmet French-Vietnamese cuisine overlooking the Gulf of Thailand, every moment at La Veranda feels like stepping into a postcard sent from a romantic version of the past.

Escape into a barefoot summer dream at La Veranda — where the past lingers sweetly and new memories are waiting to be written:

See full summer offer details here.

La Veranda's website

La Veranda's Facebook

La Veranda's Email

Phone Number: +84 (0) 297 3982 988

La Veranda | Tran Hung Dao Street, Duong Dong Beach, Phu Quoc

The ISHCMC Advantage: Instilling Leadership, Academic Excellence, and Global Mindsets in Each Student

2025-07-14T07:19:00+07:00

“These years of my life are very important, they shape the person I'm going to be in the future,” said Danko, a student who just finished Grade 9 at International School Ho Chi Minh City (ISHCMC).

While reflecting on his past five years at the school, Danko explained: “A lot of what I’ve learned is going to stick with me forever. ISHCMC was a place where I was able to learn more about math, English and the obvious school subjects, but also a place where I learned more about myself. It's a place where I've learned how to interact with other people and develop interpersonal communication, leadership, and collaboration skills.”

Classroom opportunities to explore real-world activities related to Danko’s academic interests, as well as his formal and informal leadership roles, exemplify the ISHCMC education. Supported by fantastic facilities and expert educators, the school provides opportunities to grow intellectually and socially, so students become well-rounded, globally-minded, self-motivated lifelong learners ready to thrive in the world.

Before arriving at ISHCMC five years ago, Danko had attended other international schools, including most recently in Kenya. On his very first day, he witnessed ISHCMC’s inviting and supportive culture. “The most important thing is the people that are around you, and as soon as you get here, you get a buddy that will take you around; that will show you everything at the school, and help you integrate.” This uplifting community has allowed him to thrive academically, extracurricularly, and socially during the past five years.

Learning That Applies Beyond the Classroom

Career decisions remain far in the future for Danko, though he is already thinking that he might want to enter the finance field, or something to do with astronomy and aerospace engineering, because he loves mathematics. The International Baccalaureate Programme (IB) relies on inquiry-based, cross-disciplinary activities and applied engagements to foster learning and help him prepare for whatever ambitious goals he sets for himself.

For Danko, the International Baccalaureate Programme Middle Years Program (IB MYP) at ISHCMC allowed him to explore his interest in mathematics via engaging, diverse projects, as compared to the textbooks and problem sets of more traditional educational approaches. For example, all grade 9 students worked together on the Chance carnival. In groups of three to four, they designed original games involving complex probability that were then physically constructed for students in younger grades to test. Danko and his peers then analyzed the actual probabilistic values observed compared to the theoretical ones they had calculated. Danko also noted that the activity was enjoyable and a great opportunity to work collaboratively with his peers.

The Chance carnival assignment reveals how the IB MYP supports students in honing inquiry-based approaches to problems and interests in meaningful ways. While the program expects a lot of the students, ISHCMC’s teachers provide the support needed for them to rise to the challenge. As Danko explained: “It's very rigorous; It really pushes me to try my best … the program here has been curated in a way where it brings the best out of me."

In addition to the expert and experienced staff, students fully benefit from the IB program in all grades thanks to the school’s world-class facilities which include a media center, professional theater, recording studios, design suites, music practice rooms, NBA-size basketball court, rooftop sports field, 25m 8-lane pool, food tech and science labs. These spaces and technologies further diversify the options for students to explore their interests while gaining real-world skills.

Endless Opportunities to Learn and Grow Outside the Classroom

A school is more than its physical space, of course. As Danko explained: “Although the facilities here are top-notch, what really sets ISHCMC apart from other schools is the atmosphere itself... There's definitely a liveliness and energeticness.”

This lively atmosphere is perhaps best observed within the school’s extracurriculars. Students grow and learn in significant ways at ISHCMC thanks to the vast number of clubs, teams, groups, and activities available to students of all ages. Spread across athletics, performing arts, academic, and community involvement disciplines, the voluntary activities give students more chances to discover what they enjoy while cultivating collaborative skills.

Danko offered his philosophy on the availability of activities: “There are a lot of opportunities at ISHCMC, and I personally believe that if you're given an opportunity, then you should take it. Why not? That's how I look at life, and that's something ISHCMC does well: gives you the opportunities, and then you get to make the decision on what you want to do.” Such an outlook led him to take on a leadership role in the Model United Nations (MUN), participate in a Youth Peace and Justice Conference, serve on ISHCMC’s Student Executive Team, and play various sports such as badminton, football, and cross country.

When explaining his involvement in many extracurricular activities, Danko shared a Michaelangelo quote that resonates deeply with him: "The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it."

Building Leadership Through Groups, Sports and Clubs

Through roles like football captain and MUN secretariat, Danko says leadership has been his most meaningful area of growth. As his football team’s captain and a leader in the MUN, he has not only been able to develop leadership skills, but also reflect on their value. He admits that the roles are good for his resume, but more so, they are learning opportunities. “Leadership is something you can learn and develop. You can get better at,” he said.

Leadership isn’t just taught, it’s lived at ISHCMC, as Marco Longmore, the Head of School, stressed earlier this year. The tangible effect of a school of leaders means classrooms, clubs, sports fields, and stages are all filled with individuals eager to support one another to succeed. As Danko said, “You can learn leadership from a certain role, which allows you to apply leadership on a team, in an organization, and even in a classroom. For example, in class, if somebody doesn't understand the concept, you can be someone who goes out of their way to give them a hand and explain it to them, visualize it for them.”

Holistic Development of Life Skills and Global Mindedness

The many extracurricular opportunities available to ISHCMC students, in addition to the rigorous academic expectations, encourage the development of time management and organizational skills. With the support of teachers, peers, and their families, students come to understand how to recognize what they are realistically capable of doing and the most effective way to accomplish the tasks. “It's the idea of prioritizing time and prioritizing what you do,” Danko said. “Sometimes I have too much on my plate to the point where I'm not doing everything perfectly, but I understand I have only this much time, so I have to plan it out, I have to schedule it.”

In the same way that class activities prepare students for real-world projects and extracurricular organizations allow them to practice the collaborative roles they will need to take on in future relationships, workplaces, and groups, exposure to the need for balancing tasks, choosing interests, and managing deadlines prepares them for adult scheduling and accountability.

Meanwhile, having a global mindset is not just a core value at ISHCMC but a philosophy holistically embedded across the school. The IB curriculum fully embraces it, using diverse examples, experience,s and perspectives for its materials and projects. Meanwhile, many of the extracurriculars concern themselves with global connectivity, be it the MUN’s focus on how national governments cooperate, theatre productions that look to scripts from around the world, or athletics with particular cultural roots like yoga and kungfu.

Students develop a global mindedness without even needing to seek it out because of the school’s inherent diversity. With students and faculty reflecting more than 60 nationalities, working with and learning from people with different backgrounds, experiences, cultures and outlooks is guaranteed. ISHCMC underscores to students how this is a core strength of the education. As Danko said: "I truly enjoy learning from various cultures and individuals, seeing how different people approach not only learning, but also how they behave and interact in everyday life and activities."

As Danko looks ahead, he noted plans to continue developing his leadership skills while becoming more experienced and invested in his interests as they become clearer. Over the last five years, he has grown and matured immensely, which also allowed him to look back and put himself in the shoes of a child just arriving at the school. Danko is now leaving the school, however, mentions how he does not regret the choices he has made over his years at ISHCMC. His biggest piece of advice for such a student involves recognizing the strength and warmth of the school community and everyone’s desire to work together to ensure success. "It's easy to get carried away with work, but sometimes you need to take a moment to understand what's happening around you to see how many people are helping you,” he said.

ISHCMC's website

+84 (28) 3898 9100

Primary Campus | 28 Vo Truong Toan Street, D.2, Ho Chi Minh City

Secondary Campus | 1 Xuan Thuy Street, D.2, Ho Chi Minh City

BIS and BVIS: Two International Schools United by Excellence, Differentiated by Pathways

2025-07-11T11:10:00+07:00

Maurice Nguyễn and Rosie Ngô had studied and lived overseas but returned to Vietnam to raise their family.

They wanted a world-class, British-style education for their daughter, but it was 1997, and no such institution existed in Saigon. So they founded British International School Ho Chi Minh City (BIS HCMC), which has developed into a prestigious institution with a reputation for academic and social excellence.

Maurice Nguyễn and Rosie Ngô with their daughter.

One Global Group, Two Premium International Schools

As BIS students graduated and continued on to impressive, globally esteemed universities, the school started noticing a troubling trend. Maurice explained to Saigoneer that “as students progressed through BIS, accessing an extremely high quality of international education, we were finding that some of our local Vietnamese nationals were losing the ability to effectively communicate in their mother tongue. Additionally, they were becoming detached from their own heritage and culture and asking themselves, ‘who am I and where do I really come from?’”

This realization struck a nerve with Maurice because “when students connect with their own language, culture and traditions, they truly understand two very important aspects of their own identity – they know who they actually are and where they come from,” he said. “This helps them to think differently, engage and fit within an ever-changing world whilst also knowing where they belong.”

BVIS HCMC campus.

With these students in mind, in 2011, the team behind BIS opened the British Vietnamese International School (BVIS) with the goal of “giving families a choice to maintain and develop their cultural identity and allowing students to fully experience an international education,” Maurice said.

An Opportunity to Find The Path Suited for Each Student

For the past fifteen years, BVIS has been providing students with a premium international school education while allowing them to strengthen deep connections with their linguistic and cultural identity. They achieve this by delivering the National Curriculum of England in the Primary years in both English and Vietnamese while transitioning to an international education in the Secondary curriculum via 93% English instruction.

In addition to the equal balance of languages in the primary years, BVIS differs from BIS by offering the International A Levels for secondary students. Compared to BIS’s International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP), it fosters a specialized, subject-focused pre-university pathway for students certain in their career trajectories. Both globally recognized programs prepare students to thrive at top universities around the world.

Bảo Quyên represents BVIS at the prestigious STEAM Conference at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the USA.

With the united collaboration of BVIS and BIS, parents have the opportunity to choose the school that represents the right fit for their child’s strengths, aspirations, and cultural goals. The decision is not a matter of good or bad, but rather, the right fit for each individual. Maurice stresses: “What’s important to know is this: regardless of which school you choose, your child will experience the same high standard of teaching, outstanding pastoral care, and world-class learning opportunities. At both BIS and BVIS, we share the same unwavering commitment to excellence.”

Collaboration Enhances Learning Opportunities

Despite serving different demographics, BIS and BVIS are intimately connected. They support each other by sharing best practices, leadership training, and a commitment to excellence as empowered by their membership in the Nord Anglia Education group. Together, BIS and BVIS represent a united educational community where every student benefits from a broader network of learning, leadership, and values.

BVIS and BIS Primary Student Leadership Conference.

Joint teacher development, school leadership forums, and occasional co-hosted community and charity events allow the faculty of both schools to share ideas and develop from one another’s experiences. Meanwhile, the students of both schools enjoy joint events, competitions, student council meetings, and cultural exchange projects, allowing them to broaden their global outlook and connect to larger, more diverse communities.

BIS and BVIS teachers collaborate and share knowledge.

Both BVIS and BIS are able to further their students’ and teachers’ connections with networks far beyond their campuses thanks to Nord Anglia. A collaborative network of more than 80 schools worldwide provides access to an exchange of ideas and experiences at a global level, including through partnerships with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Juilliard, and the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF).

Shaun Williams.

Shaun Williams, Regional Managing Director, Southeast Asia, Middle East and India at Nord Anglia Education, told Saigoneer that exclusive global conferences, professional development, and shared best practices help BVIS and BIS both “raise standards, stay innovative, and deliver the best to your child.” Meanwhile, “for students, it opens a world of opportunity. They take part in exclusive global summits, regional sports competitions, and collaborative events with world-leading institutions — all designed to develop leadership, creativity, and confidence on a global stage.”

Bright Futures Ahead with Shared Commitments to Excellence

Dee Grimshaw arrives from BIS to be the new BVIS principal.

As BVIS’s 15th anniversary approaches in the next academic year 2025-2026, the school is focused on strengthening its position as one of the leading international schools —offering a distinctive educational experience for families who wish to combine international learning with a strong connection to the Vietnamese language and cultural identity.

Further exemplifying the connection between BVIS and BIS, the school will welcome a new principal. Dee Grimshaw will arrive at BVIS after six years as headteacher at BIS. Meanwhile, Simon Higham, the current principal at BVIS will become the new principal at BIS. This leadership transition is part of the ongoing strategy to ensure the schools remain aligned with one another while adapting to the evolving needs of their unique communities.

Dee Grimshaw (left) and Simon Higham (right).

Because BVIS and BIS are both united around the same commitment to world-class teaching and learning, pathways to top global universities, and holistic development and are supported by Nord Anglia, two unique but complementary pathways exist in Saigon. As Maurice explained: “Ultimately, we’re proud to offer these two distinctive pathways because we know that no two families — and no two students — are exactly alike. And that’s exactly why we’ve created environments where every child can thrive, in the way that suits them best.”

BVIS HCMC's website

+84 (28) 3758 8033

44-46 Street 1, Binh Hung, Binh Chanh, HCMC

The ISHCMC Advantage: How Every Child Can Grow and Thrive on Their Journey

2025-07-07T08:50:00+07:00

“The goal of our school is to focus on inclusive practices where our students' individual learning styles are identified so that their learning journey is enriched,” explained Dr. Hana Adams, the Director of Student Support Services at International School Ho Chi Minh City (ISHCMC). The school emphasizes challenging engagements and inquiry-based thinking, and within this rigorous approach, whether ahead or behind their trajectories, some students need additional support to surpass expectations and thrive.

ISHCMC students can reach academic and social well-being goals because growth is carefully assessed and tracked, which allows experts to support and enrich learning. “The way we've developed our support services team is to have a level of expertise so that every child's needs can get met … we have experts on both campuses and dedicated spaces to ensure that all the childrens’ learning is enhanced and then, when needed, specific students get the extra level of support and enrichment that they need,” said Dr. Hana.

How Student Growth is Monitored

To ensure students are provided learning materials and enrichment opportunities that allow them to surpass expectations, academic and well-being growth must be monitored. The holistic monitoring method involves key formative and summative assessment periods, learning update reports, routine collaborative care conversations with the academic and pastoral teams, consultation with parents, observations of the student in their learning environment both in and out of the classroom, data collection, and standard assessments.

When each student begins their studies at ISHCMC, academic benchmarks are created that account for the child’s unique skills, abilities, and background. These outlines of a student’s current level allow teachers to devise lessons and instructions to support individual growth and success. The progress is then monitored in several ways, including rubrics applied to each learning cycle as part of ISHCMC’s continuum IB offering of International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IBPYP), Middle Years Programme (IB MYP), and Degree Program (IBDP). Data from formative and summative assessments is mapped to individual growth profiles, enabling timely and targeted support.

In addition to these empirical methods, students’ academic and well-being growth is carefully observed. Deep knowledge of each student enables the school’s educators to promptly provide targeted support or extend learning opportunities as needed. At ISHCMC, strong partnerships between families and the school, along with a nurturing classroom culture, ensure every student is recognized as an individual and supported to thrive.

Devising Effective, Personalized Strategies for Support and Enrichment

When a teacher recognizes that a student would benefit from alterations to their learning plans, whether providing additional enrichment or support, an organized response is swiftly implemented. For example, a subject teacher may meet with their department lead to review a student's results and determine differentiated supports for the subject. The teacher could also make a referral to the student support services team. Depending on the situation, the support services team will meet with the teacher and start to gather information about the student across subjects to better pinpoint needs. Strategies to address the situation will be devised, allowing time to monitor progress.

Families are involved in this process early on to ensure a holistic understanding of the child’s school and home life. Strategies such as supporting the child's time management or organization skills will be shared with parents so they can support their child at home. Close communication empowers children to foster their sense of inquiry, independence, and agency as the core adults around them are focused on similar goals. Families are also encouraged to create a supportive environment at home where children can openly share their learning, achievements, and successes in school.

ISHCMC’s intentionally low student-to-teacher ratio allows personalized support to take place within the classroom, without disrupting the flow of learning. Rather than pulling students out of class, support is often delivered during regular lessons, whether through an additional teacher working closely with a student during a group activity or a dedicated support aide providing targeted, tiered interventions. This in-class model helps maintain a cohesive, inclusive learning environment while ensuring that every student, whether needing a challenge or extra guidance, receives the individual attention they need to thrive

How Specialists Shape Personalized and Inclusive Learning at ISHCMC

ISHCMC is able to meet and often exceed every student’s learning needs thanks to its exceptionally skilled and fully embedded team of specialists. “One of the things our school has that many others don’t is in-house clinicians,” explains Dr. Hana Adams, Director of Student Support Services. “We have full-time specialists on staff, including a speech and language therapist and an occupational therapist, who are deeply involved in daily school life.

These professionals do more than respond to challenges; they actively shape learning environments. For example, the speech and language therapist works closely with Early Years teachers, equipping them with strategies to better understand and engage with children who are not yet verbal. This proactive collaboration enhances every child’s learning experience, not just those receiving direct services.

Working in tandem with classroom teachers across all grade levels, the support services team helps foster an inclusive culture grounded in individual care, early intervention, and high expectations. Through ongoing professional development, co-planning, and input into classroom design and learning strategies, these experts ensure that ISHCMC classrooms are dynamic, accessible, and responsive to diverse learning needs, so that every student is set up to succeed from the start.

A Culture of Care that Drives Confidence and Excellence

At ISHCMC, a deeply embedded culture of care ensures that every student is known, supported, and empowered to thrive. The visibility and collaboration of the school’s expert support services team make it clear that seeking help, whether academic, social, or emotional, is not only accepted but encouraged. Students are taught that asking for support is a strength, and because this mindset is normalized, they feel confident taking ownership of their well-being and learning.

This culture is reinforced by Positive ISHCMC (POSISH), a school-wide initiative embedded into daily life. POSISH delivers regular lessons and workshops on topics such as digital citizenship, safety, positive relationships, and comprehensive sexual education. By proactively addressing real-world issues within a caring and inclusive framework, POSISH helps students develop strong social-emotional awareness and self-advocacy skills. Because the program is fully integrated into the curriculum, teachers and students alike have the flexibility to explore timely topics while maintaining academic momentum.

This whole-child approach complements ISHCMC’s inquiry-based IB education where students consistently achieve exceptional academic outcomes. IB scores are far above the global average, MAP scores place ISHCMC in the top 1% worldwide, and graduates are accepted into the world’s most competitive universities, including Oxford, the London School of Economics, University of Melbourne, Seoul National University, Harvard, and Yale. To benefit from this world-class education, students are supported and challenged as individuals. Because their growth trajectory is closely monitored and expert-led responses are quickly implemented, ISHCMC students not only meet but consistently exceed academic and social well-being expectations, becoming confident, capable learners prepared for success anywhere in the world.

Behind these results is a school-wide commitment to seeing each child as an individual. Students’ growth is continuously monitored, and tailored support or enrichment is implemented the moment it’s needed. As a result, ISHCMC students don’t just meet expectations they consistently exceed them, emerging as confident, capable learners prepared to lead and succeed on a global stage.

ISHCMC's website

+84 (28) 3898 9100

Primary Campus | 28 Vo Truong Toan Street, D.2, Ho Chi Minh City

Secondary Campus | 1 Xuan Thuy Street, D.2, Ho Chi Minh City

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