We've heard it all before. Vietnam's cheap. The beer's cheap. The food's cheap. And the people are so nice! BUT is everything in Vietnam really as good as everyone says it is? In this episode I give you The Good, The Bad & The Phởgly provide an example of each so that you can plan better and hopefully your Vietnam trip WON'T. GET. RUINED! Big thanks to Ollie Woods for taking time out to chat to me! Check out all the craft beer stuff he's associated with: Brew Asia ⁠https://www.brew-asia.com⁠ Asia Brewers Network ⁠https://asiabrewersnetwork.com⁠ Beer Asia ⁠https://beerasia.net My favourite ..read more

We're back on the poddie train after a 2 month break that included a trip to Cambodia, a flu here and there, a trip home to the Philippines and some family visits here to Ho Chi Minh City. In this episode we catch up on travel news to Vietnam, including the new visa extensions, and we learn about the matchmaker in Singapore hooking up lonely Singaporean men looking for long-time love with Vietnamese ladies. Then our "cover story" reveals 5 dark locations in Saigon where some really bad sh*t has gone down throughout its history, including a couple well and truly off the tourist trail. Be sure t ..read more

In this sizzling hot episode coming from a sweltering Thành Phố HCM, we unpack 5 news items that riled us up and got us hot under the collar this week, including a polarising review of Saigon's nightlife, the revelation (or not) that sugar babies are artfully using social media to snare their sugar daddies, and the release of an English-language song by mega-Vietnamese pop star Song Tung M-TP that requires captions for us to understand. Wrapping the episode up, we get our red flags out and give our avid listeners a list of 5 things they should look out for when choosing street food vendors in ..read more

As usual, Mel joins me to discuss the news and happenings for the week in Vietnam and the region, and then we call in Saigon-based hospitality guru and communications consultant, Chris Thompson, who helps us get our head around why just one restaurant in Vietnam made it into this year's Asia's 50 Best Restaurant list. Connect with Chris on Linkedin at www.linkedin.com/in/chris-thompson-079a88223/ Follow Chris on Instagram at www.instagram.com/ctsaigon06/ Follow Matt on Instagram at www.instagram.com/mattcowanasia Follow Mel on Instagram at www.instagram.com/melaniecasul Follow The Bureau Asia ..read more

Vietnam and the Philippines share a lot of common ground and are just a 2-hour flight from each other. The Philippines has long enjoyed a head start in its development, but in the last decade, Vietnam has made up a lot of ground to challenge its neighbour as more liveable. In this episode, we compare the two countries against indicators such as political stability, healthcare, culture & environment, education and infrastructure. So, who comes out on top?! Rock music history fans, check out Matt's recent episode on the history of rock music in Vietnam: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0Ufko ..read more

Here's a short clip from the Manila episode called It's NOT always fun in the Philippines! Listen to the full podcast here on The Bureau Podcast and let me know what you think! Full episode link: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/YykCCA2aSwb Follow The Bureau Asia on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebureauasia Follow The Bureau Asia on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebureauasia/ Watch The Bureau Asia on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBureauAsia ..read more

We're shown a lot of what's FUN about the Philippines by YouTubers "pinoybaiting" their adoring Filipino fans BUT to hell with that, we're giving you what's NOT always FUN about the land of adobo and lechon kawali and aim to bait you with the facts! Here are 5 things you need to consider before planning your trip to the Philippines! Watch my Philippines Adventures on The Bureau Asia YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBureauAsia Join The Bureau Asia Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheBureauGroup Follow Matt on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattcowanasia  Fo ..read more

After the news, I interview the incomparable Bill Bensley who's brought to life more than 200 hotels and resorts in over 30 countries, including five amazing properties in Vietnam. Bill is widely regarded as one of the finest designers of our time and is responsible for designing Capella Ubud in Bali – a resort with ultra-luxurious tents that in 2020 was voted the best hotel in the world by Travel + Leisure Magazine. During the interview, we find out what he's cooking up in Africa and how he typically approaches his projects. After that, Mel drops by to chat about Detour – a new French-style c ..read more

In this episode of The Bureau Podcast, we're celebrating the first 10 Bureau Bites episodes, our new shortened "pod-bite" series in which we interview a whole bunch of interesting people with a connection to Vietnam. In this first part of two, we revisit the first five stories which delve into the impact COVID-19 is having on travel and hospitality in Vietnam. And for a little added extra fun, we mix it up with a playlist of songs befitting of the stories and the pandemic experience we're going through right now. So crack the top off your favourite beer or mix up your favourite tipple and kick ..read more

Singapore has been widely praised internationally for its efforts in containing COVID-19 and limiting fatalities to two people so far. But concern is afoot as the number of COVID-19 cases in the small island state has doubled over a 48-hour timespan, with an estimated 200,000 citizens yet to return home from overseas. Meanwhile, the livelihoods of just about everyone in every industry have been hard hit, no less so for people working in the entertainment and creative industries in Singapore. In order to find out more about how Singaporeans are coping with COVID-19 and more, we speak to Singapo ..read more