The Black Book Premium: Vietnam insider guide by Mr Paparazzi

Vietnam insider guide: I’ve Actually Been There

Casual outdoor street dining in a Vietnamese market with plastic stool

Everything inside my Black Book comes with one very important promise:

I’VE ACTUALLY BEEN THERE.

I’ve walked the streets.

I’ve slept in the hotels.

I’ve eaten the food.

I’ve drunk at the bars.

I’ve met the people.

I’ve taken the trains, boats, cars and planes.

I’ve found the hidden gems — and occasionally found the places you should avoid.

Nothing gets into The Black Book because somebody sent me a press release. This is not some AI-generated list of “10 Best Things To Do In Vietnam” scraped from the internet. It is personally experienced, personally tested and personally recommended.

From Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City. From extraordinary street food to serious restaurants. Boutique hotels to luxury stays. Rooftop bars to backstreet discoveries. Culture, nightlife, beaches, adventures, characters, hidden gems — and those wonderful places you stumble across that most tourists simply never find.

Ho Chi Minh City skyline at sunset with Landmark 81

After decades travelling the world as Mr Paparazzi, I’ve learned one thing: the best travel recommendations usually come from somebody who has actually bloody been there. That is the entire philosophy behind The Black Book Premium.

No bullshit. No paid-for opinions disguised as recommendations. No random listings.

Just REAL PLACES. REAL PEOPLE. REAL EXPERIENCES.

And when somewhere is brilliant, I’ll tell you. When somewhere is overrated, I’ll tell you that too.