Saigon & Culture
Ho Chi Minh City Layover: Is It Worth Leaving the Airport, and How to Spend the Hours
A Ho Chi Minh City layover is worth leaving the airport for only when the clock allows: under about six hours, stay airside; from…
Journal
The Chạm Spa Journal: Guides to Wellness, Skin and Self-Care
Plain-language articles from Chạm Spa: what happens in a treatment, how to look after your skin in the Saigon heat, what the evidence says and when to see a doctor first.
Saigon & Culture
Jade Emperor Pagoda: Visiting Saigon’s Taoist Temple in Đa Kao
The Jade Emperor Pagoda (Chùa Ngọc Hoàng) is a working Taoist temple at 73 Mai Thị Lựu, on the northern edge of District 1,…
Body & Pain
Stiff Neck From Sleeping Wrong: What to Do Today, and When a Massage Helps
A stiff neck from sleeping is usually a temporary muscle problem that gets better on its own: warm it or cool it, take a…
Skin & Hair
Does Scalp Massage Help Hair Growth? What the Studies Show, and What a Head Spa Does
Does scalp massage help hair growth? The two studies usually cited do not show that it does. The trial gave nine Japanese men with…
Skin & Hair
Vietnam Hair Wash: What Happens at a Saigon Gội Đầu, What It Costs and How to Book
A Vietnam hair wash, or gội đầu, comes in two kinds: a salon wash of 15 to 25 minutes, sitting with your head tipped…
Body & Pain
Massage After a Tattoo: How Long to Wait, and What to Tell the Therapist
Massage after a tattoo is fine as long as nobody touches the new ink: the therapist works around it until it has healed, and…
Skin & Hair
How Often Should You Get a Head Spa? By Scalp, Goal and Budget
How often should you get a head spa? As often as the reason you go comes back: every three to four weeks for relaxation,…
Saigon & Culture
Vietnamese Teachers’ Day (20 November): A Guide for Expat Parents
Vietnamese Teachers' Day falls on 20 November every year, and for parents it usually means three things: flowers, a card or drawing made by…
Body & Pain
What to Do Before a Massage: Food, Sun, Shaving and Getting There in Saigon’s Heat
What to do before a massage comes down to four things: eat lightly with at least an hour's gap, check your skin for sunburn,…
Saigon & Culture
Christmas in Ho Chi Minh City: Lights, Mass and Christmas Eve at the Pink Church
Christmas in Ho Chi Minh City is a working day, not a public holiday, yet the city celebrates it loudly, above all on the…