Local Expert
Adam Hurley
Originally from Newcastle Australia, i have been wondering the streets, markets, beaches and noodle soup stalls of Vietnam for the past 7 years. Much of that time has been working as tour guide in…
Originally from Newcastle Australia, i have been wondering the streets, markets, beaches and noodle soup stalls of Vietnam for the past 7 years. Much of that time has been working as tour guide in Vietnam and also Cambodia and Thailand.
Now married, I live in Vietnam's capital city, Hanoi with my wife and son. My work includes photography, tour guiding and blogging!
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The Vietnam Swans are an Australian Football Team based in Vietnam with squads in both Hanoi and HCMC.
Made up of a real mix of nationalities, it's a great place to meet new people, get fit and play "International Footy" at the highest level!! Amazingly most of the Asian countries have an AFL Team and they all play regularly around South East Asia.
Coming up this month is a huge game, where the Vietnam Swans will take on the Bali Gecko's for bragging rights. The game is due to kick off at 2pm on the fields of RMIT University (District 7, HCMC).
If your in town, paint your face and get along to cheer on the Vietnam Swans. If you want to train, play or just hang out with them, check out the Vietnam Swans Blog for all the juicy info.
Vietnam Swans by 10 points!
For those heading to Vietnam at the beginning of May, remember to book all your travel needs ahead of time!
May 1st is May Day and brings with it a 4 day nation wide holiday. Vietnamese will be packing their bags and tripping around the country.
So book your transport (especially trains) and hotels early. Major travel destinations for Vietnamese are:
- Nha Trang
- Hoi An
- Sapa
- Phu Quoc
Happy and Safe travels!
As a traveler it can be nice to unwind now and again and just chill out with a good book. Books also make a great resource for understanding the history, culture and people of a given country.
When your in Hanoi, search out these stores and grab yourself a great book to read!
- The Gioi Publishing House - 46 Tran Hung Dao Street
- Tien Phong - 175 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street
- Xunhasaba - 32 Hai Ba Trung Street
- Savina - 44 Trang Tien Street
- Thang Long - 53-55 Trang Tien Street
- Viet Phap - 64 Trang Tien Street
Staying fit is important to many people and it can be hard to find places to hit the gym, go for run or play some footy. But Hanoi there are a few options. Here same cool spots to stay fit in Hanoi.
Gyms
- Army Club - 19 Hoang Dieu Street
- Clark Hatch Fitness Centre - 15 Ngo Quyen Street
- Deawoo Hotel - 360 Kim Ma Street
- Hanoi Club - 76 Yen Phu Street
- Tay Ho Club - Dang Thai Mai Street
Also try the bigger hotels, most will have gyms and pools for non-guests.
Running
Hanoi has many parks which are great for running. Most will cost you 1,000 or 2,000VND entrance and many are fenced meaning no motor bikes!
Try around Hoan Kiem Lake, Lenin Park, Ho Tay (West Lake) and Truc Bach Lake.
Australian Rules
The Vietnam Swans are well established in Vietnam and train weekly in Australian Footy. It's a great place to kick the footy, meet great people and enjoy a local beer afterwards. For full details visit vietnamswans.com.
While most are expats, travelers are very welecomed and you don't even need to know how to play. Just have fun!
Now there are no excuses. Get out there and get fit!
National air carrier, Vietnam Airlines covers much of the nation when it comes to flying, but recently a few new routes were announced.
A new service have begun between Hanoi and Vinh. The 45 minute flight was closed down over 10 years ago due to lack of demand. Now with the population growing and business booming, the city of Vinh can be reached in a ATR-72 Aircraft!
Another new service is the Hanoi - Quy Nhon route. Quy Nhon is a cool town located on the coast around 800km north of Saigon. The beaches are clean and the seafood unbelievable. Quy Nhon is growing when it comes to travel, especially as the 5 star Life Resort and others are quickly building resorts along the pristine coast.
For more info on Vietnam Airlines vist www.vietnamairlines.com (English)
Travel Tip - Book domestic flights once you arrive in Vietnam and save big time! A flight from Hanoi to HCMC costs around 80USD o/w booked locally. Bookd in Australia you can pay upwards of 300USD!
Kicking on the 10th Feb and running until the 17th are two art displays. You can find them at the Maison Des Arts, located at 31A Van Mieu Street near the Temple Of Literature.
The first is an art Exhibation by artist, Consuelo Steleywith with works entitled Portraits. Portraits will consist of 18 pieces, painted using water colors on silk.
Also on display will be Bruno Huckel. He will be exhibiting 30 pieces of artwork of lacquer on canvas.
If you still hanging out for more art, then cruise on down to the Viet Art Centre at 42 Yet Kieu Street to see artist Phan Cam Thuong and his painting exhibition featuring "Tweleve Animals"
For further details contact the following places:
Maison Des Art - 31A Van Mieu St. 374 78096
Viet Art Centre -Yet Kieu St. 942 8962