Falling For Saigon

Some cities capture your curiosity. Others steal your heart.

When Dublin-born writer Connla Stokes first arrived in Vietnam, he never imagined he’d stay. But like so many before him, he found himself drawn into the intoxicating pull of Saigon — its relentless energy, its chaotic charm, and the quiet magic that lingers in its alleyways and street-side cafes. What began as an adventure became something deeper: an inexplicable connection to a place that felt like fate.

Fifty years after the war, Ho Chi Minh City is no longer just a city of memory — it’s a city of movement, where old and new collide in dazzling, unpredictable ways. In Falling for Saigon, Stokes shares ten vivid, affectionate essays about life in a metropolis that never seems to catch its breath. From the joy of nhau — those endless feasts of food, drink, and laughter — to the irresistible pull of a well-worn cafe stool on a rainy afternoon, he captures the nostalgia that so many feel for this place, whether they’ve left it behind or are still caught in its embrace.

A love letter to Saigon’s past and present, this book invites you to get lost in its streets, taste its flavours, and — just maybe — fall for it, too.