NEWSPAPERS & MAGAZINES

Vietnam News (5000d) is a daily English-language newspapers. Despite the name, it contains relatively little news about Vietnam. Most of the stories (including the sports section) cover foreign news. If you are really desperate for some news of the outside world, it will do in a pinch. It’s also good for wrapping fish.

         The Saigon Times Daily (3000d) is also daily English-language paper. Published by the same company, the Saigon Times is a weekly magazine heavy on business news, with a few light features.

         One of Vietnam’s best magazine is the monthly Vietnam Economic Times (VET). It provides a strong, well-rounded monthly news summary and its free insert, the Guide, is an excellent source of leisure in-formation. The Guide can be picked up in hotels, bars and restaurants in larger cities.

         You might also look out for the weekly English-language broadsheet Vietnam In-vestment Review (VIR). Its free supplement, Time Out, may be useful for finding out what’s going on in HCMC and Hanoi, but its focus is on the expat scene, which is of little interest to travelers.

         Although the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) has yet to open any tourism offices, in 2002 it launched a commendable monthly English-language travel magazine called Vietnam Discovery. It costs 15,000d an issue, but free copies can usually be found at popular bars, restaurants and hotels in Hanoi and HCMC.

         Imported newspapers and magazines are readily available in HCMC, Hanoi and other large cities. Elsewhere it’s slim pickings.