Vũng Tàu, a beachside town approximately 100km southeast of Hồ Chí Minh City (Vietnam's biggest city), is often left off the itineraries of international travellers and dismissed by expats as a seedy getaway for men wanting to escape the city to get up to no good behind closed doors.  But as Matt and Mel discuss, Vũng Tàu deserves more respect. It's long been loved by the Vietnamese for beach holidays and has arguably one of Vietnam's tastiest foodie scenes, after all, it's regarded as the home of bánh khọt, everybody's favourite little deep-fried snack. It also has a rich history. Vũng Tàu's name has changed multiple times, it once harboured Malay pirates tracking the busy trade routes that ran up and down Vietnam's east coast, the Portuguese popped by for a bit, along with the French, and there's been a sizeable Russian community living here for decades.  And to top it off, the fisherfolk worship whales.  Playlist 00:00 - 01: 55 Intro 01:55 - 08: 03 The basics about Vũng Tàu (getting there, weather, lifestyle & sights) 08:07 - 12:37  A brief history 12:41 - 22:36  Food 22:41 - 26: 58 Cool discoveries (an ocean view cafe, a pool by the beach & a mega Club Sandwich) 27: 02 - 38:48 Whale worshipping & the small fishing village of Phước Hải 38: 53 - End (41:31) For more about the places, addresses & locations Matt visited in this episode, be sure to check out: Website:  https://thebureauasia.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebureauasia Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheBureauGroup Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebureauasia YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH9Y7j-cBFe9rWNHtVCArEg Follow Matt: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/matt.cowan.127/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattcowansaigon YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2beIeu-y4Z33mnKqE5u6cg (coming soon!) Follow Mel:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melaniecasul The Bureau Podcast theme & bumper by Lionel Valdellon at http://acid42.com