Travel — Travel Ideas– tax –

A rundown of what Vietnam residents actually stay alert to — from why you shouldn't dash suddenly while crossing the street, to cautions about using Grab at the airport, to the foods residents watch out for even more than water or ice (coagulated blood and shrimp paste). This is a hands-on safety guide that goes beyond the usual general precautions.

I stayed in a river-view room at Hotel Majestic Saigon, which opened in 1925. The room itself is honestly nothing special. Even so, the breakfast, the views, and the location made the stay worthwhile. I cover everything from noise and the pool to the difficulty of catching a ride-hailing car — a straightforward account of an actual stay.

Da Nang, with its direct flights from Japan, and Da Lat, the highland resort — both are great cities, but I'm leaving them off this list. A resident who has traveled for work from north to south picks Nha Trang, Quy Nhon, Bao Loc, Buon Ma Thuot, and the Mekong Delta, based on firsthand experience.

A beer costs around ¥100, a kilo of tomatoes around ¥200. Prices in Ho Chi Minh City are genuinely cheap — yet when you look back at the end of the month, your spending hasn't dropped as much as you'd expect. A resident breaks down exactly where the line falls between cheap and expensive, with real 2026 figures.

Phu Quoc, the island resort in southern Vietnam, and Singapore, Southeast Asia's giant hub, are being connected by a direct flight. New carrier Sun PhuQuoc Airways announced it will launch a Phu Quoc-Singapore route on July 25, 2026. One round trip daily, just under two hours each way, alongside Taipei...

Da Lat, a highland retreat sitting at 1,500 meters. Its gateway to the skies, Lien Khuong International Airport, has finished about five months of full renovation and is scheduled to resume operations on August 19, 2026 (the official timetable is pending). It was a large-scale project with an investment topping 1 trillion dong, spanning everything from the runway to technical facilities...

"Ngon," a large restaurant in central Hanoi that recreates markets from Vietnam's three regions inside a French mansion, has been listed by Michelin for four years running. You can taste and compare more than 200 dishes at modest prices. We explain how Japanese travelers can make the most of it.

SON, a home-cooking restaurant that opened in central Saigon. We introduce this new spot, which serves more than 100 Vietnamese home dishes cooked over a wood fire with house-made fermented seasonings, complete with practical details on location, signage, and reservations.

Sa Pa's Fansipan cable car reached a cumulative 10 million passengers on June 20, 2026. We look back on its 10-year journey with verified figures and lay out fares, access, and the best season in a table, considering the current state of northern mountain tourism.

In U.S. Travel + Leisure 2026, Phu Quoc ranked second among Asian islands. Up from third the previous year, it overtook Bali. We explain, from a Japanese traveler's perspective, the reasons for the rise, the growth to 4.77 million visitors, visa exemption, the sights, how to choose between it and Bali, and souvenirs.