Off-work, the joy of travel for Rai is in long walks, soaking in the culture and dining where the locals do.
Although he’s “one those who can be categorised under ‘eats to live’,” he said, “I do enjoy quality food and drink. I’d like to think I know what is good and what is not.”
For affordable accommodation, he recommends Hammock Hotel, where “the rooms are chic and cosy. They have beds – you don’t need to sleep in the hammocks – but what I loved about it was the 24-hour pantry with a free flow of drinks all stocked up in a fridge, beer included.”
His travel tip for discovering the city is to “break your journey up into parts. It’s no point exploring different districts far apart from each other in a short span of time. Plonk yourself somewhere – District 1 is a good start – and walk your way to every nook and cranny you can find. You’ll uncover your own little gem collection of banh mi, pho and egg coffee, as well as art, history and culture.”
Here are his top recommendations for food and drink in Ho Chi Minh City.
