Discover Vietnam: A Vietnam Podcast
I’m your host, Niall Mackay. Each week I share my personal stories, my wife and I's and with guests connected to Vietnam — entrepreneurs, artists, locals, Viet Kieu, expats, and voices from across the community, including the LGBTQ+ world.Discover Vietnam: A Vietnam Podcast takes you inside the stories shaping life in one of the world’s most dynamic countries.The conversations are honest and unscripted. Sometimes funny, sometimes challenging — always real. Together, we discover what it means to live, work, and thrive in modern Vietnam.If you’re curious about Vietnam beyond the headlines and guidebooks, this podcast offers the insigh...
I Started a Podcast for Fun. Now I Host a TV Show in Vietnam.
“I started recording a podcast in 2019 with one microphone, which was shit, and it broke after a few months.”
Now I’m hosting a television show on VTV. I still can’t quite believe it.
Join me on the back of a motorbike through Hanoi as I share how Discover Vietnam led to something I never imagined: hosting Vietnam Explained on Vietnam Today.
It started with an invitation to appear as a guest on Eyes on V. That evening, back in Saigon, I said to Adrie, “Imagine one day they asked me to host...
A Vietnamese Childhood in Russia & Life Behind the Scenes at VTV | Lunch Walk #13
“I was actually born in Russia.”
I wasn't expecting that revelation when Trang took me for my first Russian lunch in Vietnam!
From her unusual childhood in Russia to Vietnam's Soviet connections, VTV producer Trang and I explore a side of Vietnamese history I knew very little about.
Over dumplings, cabbage rolls and grilled meat, we chat about Hanoi vs Saigon, why Vietnamese people don't do small talk, and what really happens behind the scenes at Vietnam Explained.
And somehow, we end up discussing Korean beauty standards and the Karda...
Rewind: Daughter Shares Emotional Story Caring For Her Vietnam (American) War Veteran Father | AJ Miller TEASER S4 E3
This is the most emotional episode of Seven Million Bikes and a must listen.
AJ Miller is a Jersey Girl in ‘Nam. She is a fitness trainer, artist, singer and comedian in Saigon. A daughter of a Vietnam (American) War Veteran.
She came to Vietnam exhausted and angry at the world after spending 3 years taking care of her dad through Agent Orange induced Leukemia.
She had his memoirs and wanted to see, hear and feel these memoirs in the country where they were experienced. She has done live readings of her father’s memo...
This $3 Bún Chả Spot Has Been Serving Saigon Since 1994! | Lunch Walks #11
I head just around the corner from Saigon Podcast Studio for one of my most-repeated favorites on this whole series: bún chả Hà Nội. Before I even get to the food, I go down another Google Street View rabbit hole, tracing this block back through the years to see how much has changed — including a brand-new bank building that wasn't even there two years ago, sitting right next to faded Chinese characters marking what I think used to be a Cantonese laundry service. At the table, I finally get the real history from the shop's owner, whose mother s...
Rewind: Born And Fled South African Comedian Comedian & Digital Nomad | Devin Gray S4 E2
Born and fled South African Comedian Devin Gray, one of the top rising stars in comedy. With appearances on Comedy Central, International Festivals and pretty much any local bar with a stool and a microphone Devin is sure to set the pace for a whirlwind of hilarity.
And circuituos is a word! I just didn't say it right.
cir·cu·i·tous
/sərˈkyo͞oədəs/
Learn to pronounce
adjective
(of a route or journey) longer than the most direct way.
"the canal followed a circuitous route"
"Send...
I’ve Been Walking Past This Saigon Lunch for Years | Lunch Walks #10
“Every day I’m walking around this neighbourhood, I’m learning something new.”
What started as a hunt for lunch turned into another deep dive into one of my favourite parts of Saigon.
In this episode of Lunch Walks, I head back to Tôn Thất Đạm, the Old Market street, looking for lunch and end up with a 40,000 VND bowl of bún thịt xào, while uncovering even more of the history hidden in the streets around Saigon Podcast Studio.
Along the way, I stop at a distin...
I Came for Cơm Tấm. I Ended Up Eating This Instead | Lunch Walk #9
“This is why I’m just loving these Lunch Walks. I’m getting obsessed with them now. I’m finding out so much amazing information about this neighborhood.”
What started as a simple lunch walk has turned into something much bigger.
In this episode, I leave Saigon Podcast Studio and head to one of my regular lunch spots in the Nguyễn Thái Bình neighborhood, a place I’ve probably eaten at around 50 times since opening the studio. The original plan was cơm tấm, but as usual in Vietnam, things don’t quite...
This Saigon Family Has Been Serving Duck Since 1938 | Lunch Walks #8
“They’ve been doing it since 1938. It better be good.”
This Lunch Walk starts as a food mission and ends up sending me even further down the rabbit hole of my own neighbourhood.
I’m joined by my friend James Green, who lives nearby, as we walk through the streets around Saigon Podcast Studio in search of bánh mì vịt quay, or roast duck bánh mì. But before we even get to lunch, we uncover a few stories hiding in plain sight.
We talk about how P...
We Don’t Eat Seafood… But We Had to Try This in Quy Nhơn | Lunch Walks #7
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I Came to Da Nang for Mì Quảng. Then I Couldn’t Find It. | Lunch Walks #6
“I love this country. I was about to head back to the mall. I’d given up hope, but I knew this country always pulls through at the very last second.”
This Lunch Walk takes me out of Saigon and onto the streets of Da Nang, where I’m hunting down one of Central Vietnam’s most famous dishes: Mì Quảng.
At least, that was the plan.
I set off looking for a highly rated local spot, only for Google Maps to send me to what appears to be a car lot. Add...
Rewind: Being An Influencer, Starting A Blog, Break Ups and Dating In Saigon | Frances Fraser-Reid S4 E1
Recorded pre-quarantine, pre-lockdown this episode was intended to be the first of Season 3, recorded at Waves studio.
As you may well know, season 3 became the Quarantine Season and I haven't been able to record any more episodes yet for season 4.
So to celebrate one year of Seven Million Bikes I dusted down the file off the shelf and am releasing it for your listening pleasure as a bonus episode to start Season 4.
Look out for new episodes as soon as I am able to!
Frances is a travel blogger with the...
10 Years in Saigon and I’ve Barely Eaten This | Lunch Walks #5
Welcome back to Lunch Walk #5! Starting from Saigon Podcast Studio on Pasteur Street in the Nguyen Thai Binh neighborhood (District 1), we go down a history rabbit hole — a vanished canal, a 150-year-old bridge tied to Gustave Eiffel's company, and the wild engineering behind the Thủ Thiêm Tunnel — before finishing up with a bowl of bún bò at a historic building on Ton That Dam Street.
Key Takeaways:
The lost canal: Pasteur Street (formerly Pellerin) once ran along a canal through the heart of Saigon, filled in decades ago. A look at the shophouse...Rewind: Catching up with JK Hobson | S3 E5
This was recorded via Skype from quarantine, you may have to turn the volume up.
For no other real reason than I haven't spoken to Jay in nearly a month and is one of my favourite people to talk to, I call up JK Hobson to have a chat about the state of the world today, life on the outside and how he is coping with quarantine.
"Send me a message!"
Book your free tour of Saigon Podcast Studio!
Support the show
🎙️ Recorded at Saigon Podcast Studio!
👉...
I Don’t Even Know Why This $2.50 Lunch Tastes So Good | Lunch Walks #4
A sudden five-minute monsoon just poured down before I even got moving today, so this one starts in blue skies and puddles. I'm walking along Hồ Tùng Mậu — once an actual canal until it was filled in back in the 1920s — and finally sharing some proper research I did on this neighborhood I keep saying I love. Along the way I point out a cluster of hundred-year-old shophouses, a hidden alley bar, and buildings I really hope survive the next wave of glass-and-concrete development. I also grab a rare bag of tofu with fermented shrimp paste (tofu nắm) befo...
Rewind: Life on the outside; Lawrence Young | S3 E4
A Saigon resident, Lawrence Young has worked in the finance industry worldwide for 30 years, currently with Holborn Assets and created the non-troll Facebook group Ho Chi Minh Expat Group Saigon. Now at nearly 10,500 members in just 14 months.
He has seen the market go up and down over the years and is confident we will come out of the current crisis stronger but different.
We talk about what life has been like in Saigon and what it's like today after the latest guidance, starting April 1st, from the Prime Minister - 2 metre distancing, only leave for...
I Just Found This Fried Chicken in a Saigon Alley | Lunch Walks #3
Lunch Walks continues, and this time I've got company — Te from Saigon Podcast Studio joins me, since Carrie had to duck out after we wrapped a Vietnam Content Marketing episode together. It's pouring rain in Nguyễn Thái Bình, but we push on anyway to a fried chicken and rice spot I only found a couple of weeks ago, tucked down a back alley I hadn't explored before. Along the way we talk about the neighborhood getting recognized by Time Out as one of the coolest in the world (or Vietnam — details are fuzzy), the nonstop construction that's p...
The Saigon Lunch I Keep Coming Back For | Lunch Walks #2
Back for round two! I'm heading out from the Saigon Podcast Studio again, this time down Thôn Đất Đàm — the market street I'm honestly surprised is still standing given how much prime real estate around here has been redeveloped.
Along the way I point out some old Chinese signage on the buildings, a newly renovated coffee spot that went from empty nightclub to permanently packed in a few months, and a 70-year-old coffee roaster where I stock up on my usual mix. Then it's on to “Bếp Võ” for my go-to order — dry noodles with chicken — before...
I Never Really Liked Phở Until I Found This Place | Lunch Walks #1
"This corner... I love seeing it every day. It kinda sums up Vietnam for me — an amazing juxtaposition of the old and the new."
Welcome to the very first Vietnam Lunch Walks; a new series where I take you along on my actual lunch breaks around the neighborhood I love most in Saigon. This one's been a while coming: it's the first new Discover Vietnam episode in six months, after a stretch of low motivation and a busy year setting up Saigon Podcast Studio.
In this episode, I walk you from the studio on Pasteur St...
Rewind: Overseas Student in Quarantine; Mizuka Yasuda | S3 E3
After realising we were in the same quarantine facility online Mizuka reached out and connected with our WhatsApp group and Adrie on Instagram where they were following each others Stories from opposite buildings.
After chatting for several days online Niall and Adrie finally met Mizuka in person, at a distance, on one of our walks.
Born and raised in Saigon, with her parents still living here, Mizuka made the difficult decision to return to Vietnam from her final year of studies in the U.S. to be with her parents before she was locked out o...
Rewind: Life in Quarantine: Adrie Mackay and Anastasia Sokyrka - S3 E2
Adrie, and roommate Anastasia, discuss what life in quarantine is like with host and fellow quarantee Niall.
Anastasia, originally from the Ukraine, has lived in Saigon for 5 years working in sales for a major hotel chain.
Her company sent her on an ill-fated dream trip to Australia for work on March 15th, 3 days after the pandemic was declared. As a result most of her business meetings went online and were then cancelled leaving her no reason to be in Australia and as borders closed every reason to get back to Vietnam as soon as possible.
Rewind: How We Ended Up In A Vietnamese Government Quarantine Camp | S3 E1
This is a special episode, maybe mini-season, of Seven Million Bikes direct from quarantine in Saigon. This was recorded on a phone recorder and I don't have a laptop for edits so it's a live interview with my wife, Adrie Mackay.
Adrie and I left Vietnam on March 9th for what was meant to be three weddings in three weeks on three continents; going to New Zealand, then the USA then back to Vietnam for the final wedding.
Weighing up the risks of the coronavirus we decided to start out trip, but almost immediately those p...
PodSwap: How To Triple Your Engagement by Posting Your Failures
"Be authentic. If it doesn't feel right inside, don't post it." – Amy Wenham
In this episode, I sat down with Amy Wenham, founder of the Women's Business Network (WBN) in Ho Chi Minh City, to talk about one of my favourite topics—authentic content marketing.
The conversation made me reflect on my own content. We talked about the podcast studio, the countless hours spent setting up lights and cables, and how I'd often forgotten to share the journey behind the finished product. It reminded me that people don't just want...
Can Authenticity Beat AI? | Ep 1 Trailer Vietnam Content Marketing
Can authenticity still cut through in a world overflowing with AI-generated content?
In this trailer for the first episode of Vietnam Content Marketing, I explore the growing gap between polished corporate marketing and the raw, human stories that audiences are actually engaging with.
Featuring a preview of the conversation with Amy Wenham, founder of the Women's Business Network, this episode asks an important question for every marketer and business owner:
As AI makes content easier to create, what makes people actually care?
The full episode drops this...
Rewind: Tell us your hidden gem in Saigon...
In the break between season 2 and 3 here are the answers each guest gave to my questions at the end of each episode.
Thanks for listening!
-------------------
Theme music composed by Lewis Wright.
Main Cover Art designed by Niall Mackay and Le Nguyen.
Episode art designed by Niall Mackay.
"Send me a message!"
Support the show
🎙️ Recorded at Saigon Podcast Studio!
👉 www.saigonpodcaststudio.com
🎙️ Start Your Podcast Today!
👉 Book a FREE Discovery Call with me and let’s bring your idea to li...
Rewind: If you have a week to explore Vietnam, where would you go?
In the break between season 2 and 3 here are the answers each guest gave to my questions at the end of each episode.
Thanks for listening!
-------------------
Theme music composed by Lewis Wright.
Main Cover Art designed by Niall Mackay and Le Nguyen.
Episode art designed by Niall Mackay.
"Send me a message!"
Book a free call with me here if you want to start your own podcast!
Support the show
"Send me a message!"
Support the show
🎙️ Recorded at Saigon Podca...
SPECIAL EPISODE: Why Most People Never Become Who They Could Be
This is an extra special episode of Discover Vietnam!
As you probably know, I run Seven Million Bikes Podcasts and we produce podcasts for clients around the world. We've done over a thousand episodes, helped with millions of downloads, and we've even won some awards.
One of our clients is Laura Colon from Inspired Authority, and I was really, really lucky to be asked by her to be a guest on her show. And so I wanna bring this episode to you with her permission.
Please subscribe to her channel, check them out.
Rewind: What do you do with 24 hours off in Saigon?
In the break between season 2 and 3 here are the answers each guest gave to my questions at the end of each episode.
Thanks for listening!
-------------------
Theme music composed by Lewis Wright.
Main Cover Art designed by Niall Mackay and Le Nguyen.
Episode art designed by Niall Mackay.
"Send me a message!"
Support the show
🎙️ Recorded at Saigon Podcast Studio!
👉 www.saigonpodcaststudio.com
🎙️ Start Your Podcast Today!
👉 Book a FREE Discovery Call with me and let’s bring your idea to...
Rewind: What bike do you drive and how do you deal with Saigon traffic? Season 2 Compilation
The first ever live show of Seven Million Bikes; A Saigon Podcast, recorded live at Soma Art Lounge in D2, HCMC.
I am so sorry, the recording cut out with about 10-15 mins left of the show! I have no idea why. If you are in HCMC look out for the next live show to avoid disappointment.
The panel discussed comedy in the current PC era and post #metoo era. Is comedy being stifled or do comedians need to adapt to stay funny without offending? Or are audiences too sensitive?
The panel consisted...
Rewind: The Live Show - What can you joke about in comedy today? With Uy Nguyen, Jesús López and Angee the Diva
The first ever live show of Seven Million Bikes; A Saigon Podcast, recorded live at Soma Art Lounge in D2, HCMC.
I am so sorry, the recording cut out with about 10-15 mins left of the show! I have no idea why. If you are in HCMC look out for the next live show to avoid disappointment.
The panel discussed comedy in the current PC era and post #metoo era. Is comedy being stifled or do comedians need to adapt to stay funny without offending? Or are audiences too sensitive?
The panel consisted...
Rewind: Esta Ricardo; Part 2 - The DragMother of GenderFunk, VietNams alternative Queer scene | S2 Ep 8
Esta Ricardo is a Drag Queen and GenderFunk performer and Founder/Mother of GenderFunk. He loves exploring Gender through workshops, performance and lots of talking!
Born in Birmingham he then lived in Manchester and London before studying Journalism in London. He then worked for the British Red Cross for 2 years and started performing in the radical arts festival scene in Europe.
He has now lived in Saigon for 3 years.
In part 2 we talk about inclusiveness, not knowing if you're being discriminated in Vietnamese, orgies and changing perceptions of what's right or wrong.
Rewind: Esta Ricardo; Part 1 - The DragMother of GenderFunk, VietNams alternative Queer scene | S2 Ep 8
Esta Ricardo is a Drag Queen and GenderFunk performer and Founder/Mother of GenderFunk. He loves exploring Gender through workshops, performance and lots of talking!
Born in Birmingham he then lived in Manchester and London before studying Journalism in London. He then worked for the British Red Cross for 2 years and started performing in the radical arts festival scene in Europe.
He has now lived in Saigon for 3 years.
We talk about the art of Drag, the Drag scenes in Saigon and Hanoi, sexuality, gender, inclusiveness, white, male privilege and a whole lot m...
Rewind: Discover Vietnam’s Street Food Secrets with Best Ever Food Review Show's Calvin Bui | S2 Ep 7
The most difficult man to nail down for an interview is finally on Seven Million Bikes! Chef and Restaurateur Calvin Bui of El Camino and Dos Amigos Taqueria.
A California native born of parents who escaped the fall out of the Vietnam war, Calvin has lived in Saigon for 10 years now and gone from a Wall Street Banker to owning and running successful restaurants in Saigon. Most notable for his fusion of Korean and Mexican food.
Calvin and I talk about his love of feeding people, Trip Advisor Reviews and the state of the food...
Rewind: Angee the Diva; Part 2 - Comedy, sex and sexuality | S2 Ep 6
Angee the Diva is an American comedian based in Saigon, Vietnam.
She was a 2019 finalist in the Vietnam Comedy Competition and has been a headlining gigs around Vietnam and South East Asia since 2017, as a solo comedian and as half of the comedy duo, “Stand Up for the Queens”. She has headlined solo in Canada and USA, as well. This mother of two, writer, event planner, and boss as bitch will leave you in stitches with her raunchy yet relatable comedic stories!
Videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2w2XCmo...
Rewind: Angee the Diva; Part 1 - Being a Comedian With Kids | S2 Ep 6
Angee the Diva is an American comedian based in Saigon, Vietnam.
She was a 2019 finalist in the Vietnam Comedy Competition and has been a headlining gigs around Vietnam and South East Asia since 2017, as a solo comedian and as half of the comedy duo, “Stand Up for the Queens”. She has headlined solo in Canada and USA, as well. This mother of two, writer, event planner, and boss as bitch will leave you in stitches with her raunchy yet relatable comedic stories!
Videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2w2XCmo...
Rewind: GiangSinh Pham - Vietnamese millennial raised and absorbed in Western & Vietnamese culture | S2 Ep 5
GiangSinh is named due to her birth date of December 24th, being Vietnamese for Christmas, which she still went by until recently.
Her Vietnamese mother and father met in Indonesia where GiangSinh was born and lived there for the first 5 years of her life. After moving back to Saigon she has lived in Nha Trang, Singapore, LA and now back to Saigon again where she feels her heart belongs.
She has worked in Hospitality and FMCG most of her adult life, starting out at the prestigious Six Senses resort.
Currently, she is Head o...
Rewind: Ella Beth - Jazz singer and finalist on The Voice Vietnam | S2 Ep 4
Ella Beth is a sassy jazz singer and more recently comedian hailing from Australia. Since leaving her hometown, singing has taken her all over Australia and Asia and in traveling she’s developed her own brand of on stage performance.
This lead to being the first foreign competitor on The Voice Vietnam - making it all the way to the finals!
We talk about her time in Vietnam which has been a rollercoaster, between different cities, festivals, teaching, dating and of course motorbikes. We cover it all and more in this episode with Ella Beth.
Rewind: Damian Kilroy - Coracle Music Festival Organiser & Cargo Events Promoter | S2 Ep 3
Originally from Manchester, Damian Kilroy has lived in Vietnam for 10 years, 5 of those in Saigon, where most notably, he brought a raft of international artists to Saigon for the first time (Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Mac DeMarco, The Cribs, The Vaccines).
Now in Vung Tau, Damian is the owner of Cask Bar and is working on the 2nd year of Coracle Music Festival which takes place in Ho Tram at the end of November. The Lemonheads, Ca Hoi Hoang, Fleetmac Wood and The King Khan & BBQ Show are among the artists performing.
Listen to this...
Rewind: TW// Intrepid Young Journalist Dives Deep into Sexual Abuse, Development, Culture & Human Rights In Vietnam | S2 E2
TRIGGER WARNING: The subject of this episode is the reporting of sexual abuse in Vietnam. While there is nothing graphic in this episode, if you feel that this would be a trigger or discomforting please feel free to skip this episode.
Sen is a journalist based in Saigon, Vietnam where she covers development, culture, and human rights. She writes for the English publication VnExpress International.
We talk about many of the articles that you can read below, and the reasons why sexual abuse of children happens in Vietnam and how it is dealt with...
Rewind: Discover How Vũ Minh Tú Became Vietnam's Raunchiest Comedian | S2 Ep 1
The first episode of Season 2 is with Saigon Funny People co-founder and resident cat lady, Vu Minh Tu!
Hanoi-born, Saigon-based Tu is a comedy force to be reckoned with. An established performer on the Vietnam circuit, her style can be described as like any stereotypical Asian female: passive aggressive. Tu's hilarious jokes at shows across the region have seen her collect numerous awards including first place in the Roosters Beer Comedy Competition in Saigon, as well as the usual free beers and rounds of applause. Her family doesn't think she is funny, which is why they are...
Rewind: Podcast Crossover, Sexy Meat Talks
This is an extra-special Seven Million Bikes; our first ever crossover episode with fellow Saigon-based podcast, Sexy Meat Talks. A massive thank you to Sexy Meat Talk hosts, Joshua Durkin and Mark Gustafson, for being so open and enthusiastic to this collaboration.
Mark, from the Chicago area in the U.S., is a Brew Master, Pit Master, and enthusiast of all things Meat! In addition, he is co-founder and co-owner of Quan Ut Ut American BBQ and BiaCraft - Artisan Ales.
Josh, is a self-confessed damaged American perpetually creating a guide to living and teaching...
