Visiting Lio in Vietnam 🇻🇳

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Trip start
November 29, 2025
Visiting Lio in Vietnam 🇻🇳
1
Arrival to HCMC
November 29, 2025 in Vietnam ⛅ 32 °C
After 14 hours of flying ✈️ with a 1-hour stop in Doha 🇶🇦, I finally arrive in Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon 🇻🇳.
Lio has gone to Terminal 3, even though I told him multiple times I was arriving at Terminal 2 😅 — so in the end, I’m the one waiting for him at the airport.

He finally shows up and I can't hold back my tears when I see him again after all this time — almost 18 months 🥺. We hug for a long time before even asking how the other is doing 🤍.

We grab a taxi towards District 1 🚕, where we'll take the recently opened metro 🚇 all the way to Thảo Điền (District 2), where he lives. We catch up as much as we can, but as soon as we arrive at his place, we take a nap 😴. I'm exhausted, and he naps as part of his routine anyway — so the plan is clear.

After waking up, he takes me to a new sauna 🧖‍♀️🧖‍♂️ that just opened in the neighborhood. It also has ice baths and hot pools ❄️🔥, but we didn’t realize and didn’t bring swimsuits, so we stick to the sauna and showers. After two cycles of sauna, we get a pineapple juice 🍍🥤 in the relaxation area and then head to an all-you-can-eat sushi restaurant 🍣 to absolutely stuff our faces.

We decide to go for a drink afterwards and make our way to Pasteur Beers 🍺, the place where we met back in April 2024… 💫Read more
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11/30/25Reply
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Visiting Lio in Vietnam 🇻🇳
Water park, Massage and Night bus
November 30, 2025 in Vietnam ⛅ 32 °C
I wake up at 9:30 😴. By that time, Lio has done laundry, rented a motorbike and tidied his flat 🧺🏍️🧼. And I haven't even been able to open my eyes fully.

Today's breakfast is at a place near the river 🌿🌊. I’m not very hungry, but I cannot resist the Monte Cristo sandwich 🥪 from the menu. I pretend to order an oat milk flat white, but Lio's face suggests that I should order something else 😂. So, I go for the typical black coffee with ice 🧊☕, and Lio gets a salty coffee, an interesting mixture of coffee, whipped cream and salt 🧂☕. The sandwich is amazing, the coffee so refreshing, and the views so relaxing 😌.

Now it's waterpark time! 💦🎢
I saw it on a label in the metro and asked Lio about it. He hasn't gone since he was 12 because he never had anyone to go with 🥺. I love spontaneous plans like this, so as soon as I said I wanted to go, he was in immediately 🤝.

The park is huge — we would need a full day to explore it properly — so we decide to only enter the water area. It's beautifully built, with so many props and different pools 🏊‍♂️💙. We try all the slides, all the pools, and float under the sun for a while 🌞.

The bus to Lio's hometown is at 6:30 🚌, so we grab lunch at a lovely local place: grilled pork in fish soup with greens, noodles and spring rolls 🍜🥢 — absolutely amazing. To drink: dracontomelon juice 🥤!

It's only 4:00, and we want to enjoy every minute ⏳, so we head to a nearby spa for a massage 💆‍♀️💆‍♂️. Lio gets a facial and I get a full body relaxing one… heaven.

All relaxed and revitalised, we check the time — 5:45 😳.
We need to: get home, change, pack the backpack, return the motorcycle, take a taxi to the bus station (20 minutes) and buy tickets before 6:30 🥲.

We rush home, throw everything together and head to the rental shop.
Closed.
Of course 😐.

So we decide to keep the bike — even if that means paying extra — because otherwise we won’t make it. But we need a helmet, so back home we go 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️.

Then: MotoGP mode activated 🏍️💨.
Lio drives through dense Saigon traffic while I shout directions like a chaotic GPS 📍😂.

We arrive at 6:24, abandon the bike in the parking lot, run to the counter and grab the last two tickets.
WE MADE IT 😮‍💨🎉

We definitely need another relaxing massage after this.

The night bus is one of the coolest things I've ever seen — how has Europe not adopted this yet? 😍 And here I am, writing a new Find Penguins entry, on my way to Lio’s hometown… where tomorrow we’ll visit a coffee plantation and factory ☕🌱.Read more
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Visiting Lio in Vietnam 🇻🇳
Gia Nghĩa
December 1, 2025 in Vietnam 🌧 25 °C
Lio takes me to a super nice coffee place ☕🌿 for breakfast. I get a salt coffee 🧂☕ and a pain au chocolat 🥐🍫. I work a bit to finish some things I promised before going on holiday 💻.

It's so interesting how every shop, bar and restaurant is decorated for Christmas 🎄✨. Vietnam isn’t especially Christian and it’s not even cold, but they love installing Santa Clauses and Christmas trees everywhere 🎅😂.

After the nice coffee, we go back home to have lunch with Lio’s family 🍚🥢. I don’t understand a single word apart from the waving hands suggesting I should eat or drink more 😂🙌. They are all very respectful and I can see so many differences between our cultures — but this is an amazing experience, and I feel so lucky to be here ❤️.

We accompany Lio’s mum to the market to buy beef, vegetables and fruit for tonight’s dinner 🛍️🥩🥬🍌. The chickens here are so slim, the fruit so wonky and fresh, and the vegetables huge 🐓🍉🥒.

Once we drop everything off at home, we grab the motorbike and go to Lio’s friend's macadamia nut factory 🌰🏭. Khiêm gives us the best macadamia nut chocolate I’ve ever tried 🤤🍫 and shows us how everything is peeled, roasted, packed, and the different products he’s developed with different flavours. We buy some goodies, and the three of us squeeze onto his motorbike 🏍️😂 to go to a very fancy coffee place with ultra-modern stainless steel furniture 🧊✨ to have a Vietnamese black coffee ☕🇻🇳.

After that, we say goodbye to Khiêm, and Lio’s brother-in-law picks us up to visit a coffee plantation 🌱☕, where I hope to buy some 100% Robusta coffee for Pat, Daryl and Lucia 🎁.

We go back home, drop off our cargo, and take a short trip to look for bánh mì 🥖 — the typical Vietnamese bread. We roast the bread slightly over the fire so it becomes crunchy again 🔥😋, and watch the sunset 🌇 before dinner.

Tonight we’re sleeping on the top floor, which has access to the balcony 🌿. It rains heavily at night 🌧️, giving us a calming background soundtrack for our sleep 😌💤.Read more
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Visiting Lio in Vietnam 🇻🇳
Chilled morning and back to Saigon
December 2, 2025 in Vietnam 🌧 26 °C
We wake up quite late, around 10:15 😴, after a really good sleep. Lio’s mum wants us to have lunch at 11:00, so we take a quick trip to a coffee place to satisfy our morning caffeine cravings ☕💨.

We have lunch with the whole family: a couple of Lio’s parents’ friends, his brother and sister-in-law, his sister and brother-in-law… a full house 🍚👨‍👩‍👧‍👦.

One of his parents’ friends wants to make a toast with me. He stands up, which means I have to drink the entire glass 🥂😅. He even takes a photo of us toasting as a memory and seems genuinely happy to have crossed paths with me.
I keep drinking because, in Vietnam, you cannot drink alone — if someone wants to drink, they must toast the whole table, and then everyone drinks 🍻😂.
No wonder Lio told me most nights out end with half the table getting sick.

We finish the feast: river fish in sauce, boiled chicken, pork soup, rice, fish cakes, rice crackers… 🐟🍗🍲🍚. The same friend says goodbye, wishing me luck and hoping we cross paths again 🤍.

After lunch, we grab another coffee by a beautiful river ☕🌿 and then visit the Museum of Sound — a very interesting but poorly maintained museum about the history of music and the countless ways humans have created sound since the beginning of time 🎶📜.

We’re (again) late for the bus, so we rush home, pack quickly and head to the “bus stop” — which is basically a random spot in the middle of the road where the bus stops for exactly three seconds 🫠🚍.
Back on the night bus, we take it easy and rest 😌💤.

We arrive in Saigon around 9pm, pick up the motorbike and head to Simple Place, one of Lio’s favourite Mexican spots 🇲🇽. We get quesadillas, tacos and nachos 😋🌮.

Before going to bed, we make a final stop at Rehab Station, a super cool brutalist–contemporary beer bar/restaurant 🍻🏙️ with amazing furniture and architecture — an open plan where the roof itself becomes part of the façade. A perfect little nightcap to end the day ✨.Read more
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Visiting Lio in Vietnam 🇻🇳
D1 Shopping and Museum of War
December 3, 2025 in Vietnam 🌧 27 °C
We take it easy in the morning, as usual: coffee and a little walk ☕🚶‍♂️🚶‍♀️.
We visit this amazing perfume shop called May Concept, where each perfume has its own postcard — which I find absolutely adorable 💌✨. I take a few to make some artwork at home.

Then we grab a proper bánh mì 🥖, the typical Vietnamese breakfast baguette with crispy pork belly, cucumber, herbs and pork floss — unbelievably good 🤤.
Coffee at Dolphy ☕ and then off to the metro 🚇.

We stop by the central market 🛍️, wander around, and start walking towards some of Lio’s favourite shops. Our first stop is a vintage shop where I get some pants, a t-shirt and an amazing bag 👖👕👜.

On the way to another shop Lio loves, it suddenly pours 🌧️, so we’re forced to stop and have lunch. I try snails for the first time in my life — although these are stuffed with pork and mushrooms, so I’m not sure they really count 🐌😂.

When we finally reach the shop, it’s closed, and Lio can’t reach the owner (which apparently sometimes has to be done for the shop to open). We call a taxi, but two minutes before it arrives, a shop assistant appears and opens the door for us.

Thank God because the shop is incredible — I try 12 items and buy 6 😍. It’s also surprisingly affordable for the design and quality. We spend £80 for eight items, which feels like a bargain. I’m genuinely so happy with my new acquisitions 🛍️✨.

With all our shopping, we head to the War Museum 🕊️, which I’ve wanted to visit since my first trip to Vietnam. The museum is necessary and important, but also very raw and heavy — concise information, brutal photos, nothing softened.
I leave with an uneasy feeling, reflecting on the world, humanity, and current wars. I’m sure that in 30–40 years we’ll see a similar exhibition about Ukraine or Palestine, and visitors will feel the same heaviness 😔.

We grab a quick beer at one of the best craft beer spots in the city 🍺, then head back to Thảo Điền to get ready for our CrossFit class (where we both almost die 💀🏋️‍♂️😂), and end the day with a proper dinner at Pizza 4P’s 🍕 — an Italian restaurant founded by a Japanese immigrant!Read more
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Visiting Lio in Vietnam 🇻🇳
1
Landmark 81
December 4, 2025 in Vietnam ☀️ 29 °C
We have a “breakfast” that looks more like two full lunches 😅: vermicelli noodles, greens, pork, prawns, scallop buns… absolutely delicious 🍜🥬🍤. Then of course, our daily coffee — this time at a matcha place near the river ☕🌿.

Today we’re staying at Vinpearl Landmark 81, on the top floors of the second tallest building in South Asia 🏙️✨. Since we plan to use the pool, our first mission is to go to the mall so I can buy a swimsuit (because I, of course, forgot to pack mine 🙃). I wanted to get one from a Vietnamese brand, but I end up at Decathlon instead.

There’s a karting track 🏎️ on the top floor of the mall, and I very easily convince Lio to go. It’s his first time — he doesn’t even have a driving license — so we’re forced to join the beginners category with reduced speed 😂.
He beats me (because my kart was definitely slower, obviously 🙄), and after the first round we sign up for another — this time in the Intermediate category — and this time I win 😌🏁.

We go home, pack my recently bought bag for the night, dress up in our freshly purchased clothes 🛍️✨, and take a taxi to the hotel. Our room is on the 51st floor, at a corner, giving us the most incredible views 😍. We can see District 1, Thảo Điền, and half the city stretching far beyond.
We take some photos 📸, go for a quick plunge at the pool 🏊‍♂️, and treat ourselves to a clay facial we bought the day before 🧖‍♂️🧖‍♀️.

Lio takes me to Motly, a new restaurant in Thảo Điền. He’s not convinced about the portion sizes, so we head to the canteen next door for congee with anchovies and pickled melon 🍚🐟. With our bellies full, we go to the karaoke bar next door — supposedly for just one quick drink…
We end up having a couple more 🍹😂. Lio delivers a great performance singing with some locals 🎤, and I showcase my amazing inability to hit even a single note on tune 💀🎶.

Back at the hotel, Lio is hungry again (of course), so we order a burger through room service 🍔, and eat it while watching Drag Race on TV 👑📺.Read more
Alejandro Quesada 🫰🏼🫰🏼🫰🏼
12/7/25Reply
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Visiting Lio in Vietnam 🇻🇳
Cafe Racer & JFC Prep
December 5, 2025 in Vietnam ⛅ 31 °C
We have breakfast at the hotel. I’m not hungry at all after yesterday’s midnight burger, but Lio eats half of the buffet like a true champion 🍳😅.
We pack and go back to “normal life”, starting with a nice coffee at Khoai, a super cute bar filled with quirky, random decorations ☕🌿.

We randomly start talking about motorbikes, and I mention that I’d love to have a Café Racer, one of those naked-style bikes 😍🏍️. It turns out Lio used to own a Honda 125CG and even travelled the country with it. He suddenly gets the brilliant idea of renting one for the day so we can move around more easily.
On our way to the rental shop, we stop by the place where we bought our clay facial to pick up some more, and somehow end up in a new expat-heavy area that I don’t love, but we still enjoy a beer and a vegan mozzarella sandwich at a table by a little central fountain 🍺🥪.

With our bellies full, we head to the bike shop and rent an old beauty — 125cc, manual gears, the real deal 🤩. I’ve never driven one before, but Lio is more than happy to teach me and show me the basics. I think I learn pretty fast, although he becomes visibly stressed and tense at every intersection 😂.
My freshly acquired skills + Saigon traffic = a perfect recipe for tragedy… that, thankfully, never happens 🙏💀🏍️.

We ride to the riverside to watch the sunset behind the skyline 🌇, pick up some flowers on our way to the market 🌼, and buy groceries for tonight’s dinner (Lio is cooking 🤤) and for tomorrow’s Junior Foodies Club morning class! 🍅🥬👨‍🍳Read more
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Visiting Lio in Vietnam 🇻🇳
JFC & Kiki Ball
December 6, 2025 in Vietnam ⛅ 31 °C
Today is Saturday, which means JFC day! 👨‍🍳✨ We need to run a couple of errands before 1pm, but breakfast first! I ask Lio to pick a place far away so I can drive the motorcycle for longer hehe 🏍️😄.

I get a salted coffee ☕🧂 and Lio gets a Phở, the typical Vietnamese noodle bowl with broth 🍜, which apparently is a breakfast dish here and not lunch or dinner like Europe does.

Before heading to the venue where JFC takes place today, we stop to buy a gas canister for the portable kitchen 🔥 and to pick up my fixed new bag, as the zipper exploded when I overloaded it yesterday and we had to get it repaired 🎒🧵.

We set up for JFC and the kids start to arrive. Today they are preparing quesadillas 🌮. Lio handles the parents, directs the kids, mingles with the waiters, oversees the cooking… He is so in control and I can see he truly loves this, even if it gets a bit tense sometimes 🥹💛.
The kids love him and love their quesadillas. It’s great to see kids this age be so proud of their creations, and it’s great that JFC gives them opportunities they may not have at home 👧👦✨.

Once the class finishes, we clean up and have a well-deserved beer 🍺.
We have a Ball at 5:30, which I’m not entirely sure what it is, but we need to dress up for the occasion 👠💅. We go home, nap for 15 minutes 😴, and get ready. On our way to the metro I get the chance to meet Ewa, Lio’s artist friend 🎨.

We arrive early at the Ball and, because of some problems with the venue, people are not allowed in until 7:30, which delays the whole event ⏳.
Once it starts, we begin to understand how it works: there are categories, and contestants pose, do runways, play with their hands, show their face features, show their outfits, etc… all according to the category ✨💃🕺. Contestants have one chance to present themselves, and then they must battle another contestant so the three judges can decide the winner of each category 👑⚔️. Quite entertaining, to be honest!

By 10pm, and with an early day tomorrow, we head back to Thảo Điền, stopping at Ibiero so Lio can have some dinner (hungry, of course 😅) and I can have one last beer in this city — a city I’ve completely fallen in love with 🩵🏙️.Read more
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Visiting Lio in Vietnam 🇻🇳
Farewell
December 7, 2025 in Vietnam ⛅ 32 °C
There are no photos today, just unbearable sadness. I wake up and dress up, and hug Lio one more time while the taxi awaits to take me to the airport.

And as the cherry on top, here is a beautiful "Alejandro™️ Alphabet" to commemorate the trip.

A for Amore 🩵
B for Banh Mi 🥖
C for Cảm ơn & CrossFit 🙏💪
D for D1 & Dracontomelon 🏙️🥤
E for ”Em oi!” 👋🏼
F for Facial 🧖‍♀️
G for Gia Nghia 🌳
H for Ho Chi Minh City 🇻🇳
J for JFC 👨‍🍳
K for Kiki Ball, Karting, Khoai & Karaoke 🏀🏎️☕🎤
L for Lio 🧑‍🤝‍🧑
M for "Một, hai, ba, vô!", Motorbike & Massage 🏁🏍️💆‍♂️
N for Night Bus, Noodles and "¿No?!" 🚌🍜
O for One hand clap 👏
P for Pasteur Beers & Pork floss 🍺🧂
Q for Quesadilla 🌮
R for Robusta ☕
S for Slug, Saigon & Sauna 🐌🏙️🧖‍♂️
T for Thảo Điền 🌿
V for Vinpearl 81 🏙️
W for Waterpark 💦🎢Read more
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Trip end
December 7, 2025