Travel Guides and Poolside Beers

It's curious how a couple of big cameras can whip up a flush of curiosity. What we weren't expecting was to have a film crew join us in our teeny tiny cramped little airplane. The participants of a local TV reality travel show were on our flight and that meant obligatory pieces to camera between the first drinks service and lunch. Made getting to the loo a bit of an adventure.

The flight from Sydney to Ho Chi Minh City is around eight hours, which is about as much as we can readily endure but at least the airline is good.

After collecting our bags we find our driver and 40 minutes later we are at our hotel. The driver drops us at the end of a laneway where we are met by someone from the hotel who leads us the rest of the way along a pedestrian and scooter only street.

The hotel is a narrow four storey building and our room is on the top floor. On the ground floor is a small pool that opens staight out onto the street. That's our first stop, then to find dinner which is a sampling of three or four street stalls.

Back at the hotel and we have a cute little covers band by the pool and a doorman using his dance moves to woo people inside.Read more