Admittedly, our love affair with podcasts runs deep. Whether you’re new to the world of podcasts or searching for fresh recommendations, we’ve got you covered with our list of top Vietnamese podcasts to listen to that not only make for easy listening but also impart new knowledge about the country to listeners. From current affairs, pop culture, historical anecdotes and expert insight, some podcasts take just ten to 15 minutes while others go on for hours so you can settle in for the long haul. Regardless of time or genre, our list of must-listen podcasts are a great way to keep your mind occupied while doing chores, making dinner, exercising or working from home.
News
Vietnam Weekly
Twice a month, Ho Chi Minh City-based journalist and Editor-in-Chief of Saigoneer, Michael Tatarski interviews writers, academics, conservationists and more who are working in Vietnam, or focusing on it from abroad. Topics include social issues such as food insecurity and unemployment faced during lockdown to more lighthearted conversations about Vietnamese cooking. Founded in June 2021, the pandemic-born podcast series is fast becoming a beacon of light for Saigon’s English-speaking community during an uncertain time by providing up-to-date, relevant and insightful information about Ho Chi Minh City.
Listen here.
The Bureau Podcast
Think the latest news, gossip, drive-time radio and mates bantering and you’ll have the essence of The Bureau Podcast. Each week, join The Bureau Chef Matt Cowan and co-hosts Melanie Casul and Andrew Tran who have a combined total of over 25 years of lived experience in Ho Chi Minh City as they chat, debate and laugh about what’s new and old. If you’re a foodie, traveler, history buff or just want to know what’s happening in Vietnam and Southeast Asia, join this lovely trio as they introduce you to the most intriguing discoveries under the Saigon sun.
For more information, visit here.
Listen on Spotify.
Business
Nhau You Know: Vietnam’s Food and Drink Podcast
Hosted by Jovel Chan, a food writer and industry speaker based in Ho Chi Minh City, Nhau You Know is Vietnam’s first-and-only F&B industry podcast that speaks about everything you need to know that’s happening in Vietnam’s coming-of-age food and drink industry. From insights and interviews with industry thought leaders to food trends, stories, opinions and helpful resources from some of Vietnam and Southeast Asia’s most prominent food and beverage businesses. Every episode has something to learn from and nhau you know. This podcast is for anyone and everyone who loves food as well as restauranteurs, industry professionals, investors and budding foodpreneurs!
For more information, visit here.
Listen on Spotify.
Overseas Vietnamese
From 1955 to 1975 as Vietnam rebuilt after the Second Indochina Conflict/Vietnam War, some Vietnamese also left as ‘boat people’ or refugees hopeful for better prospects abroad. As a result of this historical exodus, Vietnam has one of the largest diasporas in the world with an estimated 5 million people. With a yearning for cultural pride, sense of identity and nostalgia, overseas Vietnamese or loosely known as ‘Viet Kieus’ turn to podcasts such as the Overseas Vietnamese to help them connect with their roots.
Hosted by Quang Do, a German-born Vietnamese, the podcast not only brings overseas Vietnamese together but also facilitates dialogue, spurs collaborative growth and connects Vietnamese professionals from all nations, trades and industries. On top of serving as a knowledge and networking hub, it also offers tips, insight and resources from Silicon Valley, Google and Forbes 30 under 30 entrepreneurs. The team also regularly hosts events with renowned experts on a wide variety of topics, ranging from entrepreneurship to marketing and healthcare.
Last but not least, it enables a global get-together anchored in keeping Vietnamese culture and heritage alive.
For more information, visit here.
Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcast.
Vietnam Innovators by Vietcetera
Pegged to be one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, Vietnam has experienced unprecedented growth in the past few years and lauded by countries and media giants around the world. Here to broadcast and ‘bring Vietnam to the world and the world to Vietnam’ is Vietcetera, a digital media network platform with an audience of 20 million users.
Well known for its rich and insightful content targeted at Vietnam’s increasingly affluent and discerning Gen-Z and millennial generation, Vietnam Innovators is the media giant’s dual-language (English and Vietnamese) podcast hosted by CEO and Co-founder, Hao Tran, and features weekly interviews with business leaders to discuss the challenges that daunt various industries, businesses along with opportunities that come with them. The list of the casts includes C-levels from multinational corporations operating in different verticals, such as Gojek, Mastercard, McKinsey & Company.
For more information, visit here.
Available in English and Vietnamese.
Listen on Spotify and Youtube.
History
The Vietnamese Boat People
The Vietnamese Boat People podcast features stories of hope, survival and resilience. Between 1975 to 1992, after the fall of South Vietnam, almost two million Vietnamese risked their lives to flee oppression and hardship after the Vietnam War, in one of the largest mass exoduses in modern history.
Escaping by boat, many found freedom in a foreign land, many were captured and brutally punished, and many did not survive the journey. This population of people are known as the ‘Vietnamese Boat People‘ and their stories are now shared worldwide through this 30-minute podcast, which shines light on the lives of these people through a series of heartbreaking and captivating stories about family, about fight for freedom and survival.
For more information, visit here.
Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcast.
The Renovation Generation
While The Renovation Generation is defunct and no longer active, we can’t help but reminisce about the interviews that founders—Eliza Lomas and Fabiola Buchele, Hanoi-based expats— published in 2016. The name pays tribute to its namesake – the 1986 economic reform known as the “Renovation Policy” which played a pivotal role in catalysing economic growth in Vietnam and giving birth to the thriving country we know of today. The podcast features a range of Vietnamese youth, from graphic artists, hardcore metal stars, gallery curators, hip hop artists, poets, to entrepreneurs. An insightful and entertaining series, The Renovation Generation explores how Vietnam’s young and hungry are making their mark in Vietnam’s burgeoning economy.
For more information, visit here.
Listen on Soundcloud and iTune.
Culture and Community
Creators In Saigon
Creators In Saigon podcast offers a unique glimpse of urban cultures in Ho Chi Minh City through the lens of dynamic Saigon trio Dana Drahos, Tue Si Nguyen, and Nicolas Thanh. A pandemic-born podcast that provides weekly casual conversations with creative entrepreneurs and expats on an array of topics that run the gamut from spirituality, self-help, mental wellness to anxiety, fear, heartbreak and pain. Essentially, Creators in Saigon is dedicated to the millennial and Gen-Z generation navigating through the trials, tribulations and uncertainties of adulthood. If you’re eager to cut your teeth into a new industry, embark on a new diet or simple explore a coming-of-age romance – this podcast is for you. Think intimate conversations anchored in real life human experiences and that’s what you’ll get with Creators in Saigon.
Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcast.
A Vietnam Podcast by Seven Million Bikes
Initially called ‘A Saigon Podcast’ in May 2019, newly-branded ‘A Vietnam Podcast’ is founded and hosted by the charming comedian Niall Mackay, who fell in love with this country while traveling across South East Asia with his wife Adrie and decided to create a podcast to help expats and foreigners better navigate and acquaint themselves with their new adopted home through a series of deep-dive conversations with community members living in Vietnam.
Notable names on the podcast include Brooklyn-based Sahra Nguyen, Founder & CEO of Nguyen Coffee Supply, America’s first specialty Vietnamese coffee importer & roaster and Nickie Tran, a Vietnamese-American who worked for a major chip manufacturer in the U.S. before becoming an “accidental chef” that was featured on Netflix.
With over 20,000 downloads and a 7th season debuting in October, this is definitely one of our favourites on the list.
For more information, visit here.
Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcast.
The Vietnamese With Kenneth Nguyen
While being a part of a culture with over 100 million people has its trials and tribulations, it also comes with a rich history, widespread network and pride. Hosted by Kenneth Nguyen, the podcast aims to shine light on what it means to be Vietnamese as well as rising stars and stories of Vietnam and its people. Each episode deep dives into what it means to be Vietnamese – as a local, born and raised, or as a third culture kid, as well as the nuances in-between. From the downright obvious to more subtle cultural assets and customs, view Vietnam’s multi-faceted and complex culture from the lens and stories of its community.
Available in both English and Vietnamese. For more information, visit here.
Listen on Spotify and Google Podcast.
Still looking to enrich your understanding and knowledge of Vietnamese culture? Check out our blog Explore The Culture of Vietnam
