Hey there, JFC-ers,

February has finally come to an end, meaning I can start dreaming about warmer days and not having to wear gloves indoors. 

This is typically the season when Europeans look towards Spain for a quick getaway to boost their vitamin D and sangria levels. But this year, the mass media seems set on telling us we’re not wanted there. 

I’ve had lots of questions from members and friends about the so-called Spanish “tourist ban” recently, so for anyone who’s fallen foul of those headlines, here’s the low-down: 

Spain is not banning tourists! So what are they doing? Well, local governments in many of the country’s popular tourism areas have brought in rules to prevent new short-term rental properties coming onto the market. As such, hotels will not be affected at all.

For the next few years, homeowners in Malaga won’t be able to turn their vacant apartments into an Airbnb, and only those that are already registered will be available. Meanwhile, some of Barcelona’s existing tourist rental licences are even being revoked. The idea here is to tackle the shortage of affordable housing for locals, and at the same time curb overtourism.

Another rumour we’ve been asked about is the Spanish government needing access to your bank accounts. Thankfully, we can categorically tell you that this is another piece of misconstrued information — they will not ask for your bank details! 

As is the case in many countries, Spanish authorities can ask you to prove that you have sufficient funds to cover your stay. In 2025, that amount is €118/$125 per day. While it is unlikely that you’ll ever need to provide this, be prepared to pull up your banking app on your phone just in case! You can find more detailed information here.

Hopefully that bit of myth-busting puts your minds at ease, because I honestly can’t think of a better way to spend a few days than by indulging in way too many patatas bravas in the spring sunshine.

Happy travels and safe landings,

After my account of the moped chaos in Ho Chi Minh City last week, quite a few of you wrote in to share in my traffic-based trauma. As expected, there are a few other places around the world that would give HCMC a run for its money:

While I personally still enjoyed much of Ho Chi Minh City, not least seeing people living their authentic big-city lives, I can absolutely understand why the intensity could be enough to put you off. 

Adding in Cairo to Avril’s four — Ho Chi Minh, Hanoi, Delhi and Columbo — that takes us to five. What other cities in the world would you include in the Top Ten Most Chaotic Cities? Is there somewhere you would recommend your friends and family to avoid, and why? Or maybe a place you’d still suggest they visit, but only after serious preparation?

Please hit ‘Reply’ and tell us about the most intense and chaotic cities you’ve ever visited!

In the meantime, here are a few places other JFC-ers recommend avoiding in our article on the spots around the globe that members hated and loved.

Oh, and a quick note to the Neapolitans among you (if there are any left): last time we shared this, you were quick to defend your hometown. As a result, we also wrote a grovelling love letter to Naples the following week. 

Dubai

While the scale of the glittering skyscrapers alone is something to behold, our members were less impressed by how fake it feels. Add to that questions about rights, in particular those of the workers who built this megacity, and few seem keen to return.

Paris

Out of all the places on our list, Paris has definitely been voted as the most disappointing city by our members, staff, and pretty much everyone on the internet. It even has its own syndrome! Between dirty streets and tacky tourist traps, lots of people feel like Hollywood glamour has oversold the romance of the City of Light.

Marrakech

Most of us visit for the hustle, bustle, and charm of the old town. But some people feel there’s not much charm left in the souks, where tourists are cornered into paying above the odds for generic goods, and street performers get mean if you pass by without leaving a tip. 

Keep reading…

Well, I had been planning on drip-feeding you all my Vietnam stories over time so as not to overwhelm you, but it seems like ‘tis the season for Vietnam trips, and all of a sudden it’s pretty urgent!  

I’ll start with Hội An itself, since we spent around 5 days there. It’s hard to deny the beauty of the (mostly) pedestrianised streets of the old town, with colourful paper lanterns dangling overhead everywhere you look. You can easily walk around day after day just getting lost in the maze of alleyways, craft shops and restaurants, occasionally emerging alongside the river to gaze at the boats floating by.

But you should also expect a completely tourist-driven town. This place is fully set up to cater to those of us visiting from abroad, and I did hear it compared to Disneyland on more than one occasion (some of those utterances may have been from myself). That said, I would quite happily go back. 

There are countless lantern-making, coffee, cookery, and ceramics workshops you can take part in, but ultimately we didn’t do any. What we did do, however, was visit Unicorn Bowl & Coffee, where the cost of the barista teaching you how to make a traditional Vietnamese coffee is included. 

I opted for the coconut coffee, while Rachel went for the salted coffee. Both were excellent, and I’ve already bought the necessary condensed milk and coconut milk to recreate the magic at home!

We were generally hesitant about eating street food (with the exception of ice cream rolls!), so instead we visited Vy’s Deli at Vy’s Market Restaurant. Think up-market food hall featuring lots of local and national dishes in a comfortable atmosphere. 

Spending a few days in Hội An, you soon notice Ms Vy’s name everywhere — Morning Glory Mother’s Kitchen was the first of her restaurants that we visited, and the food was fantastic! Plus, you get 10% off any of her other restaurants when you bring along your receipt from the last. Bonus!

You’ll also want to try a banh mi or two while you’re in Vietnam. There are a couple of spots in the city that are commonly considered the best, Madam Khanh - The Banh Mi Queen, and Bánh Mì Phượng. We visited the latter, primarily because it was right next to where our hotel shuttle dropped us off, but also because it was one of the spots Anthony Bourdain ate at when he visited. It was a 10/10 from me — my only regret was not going back for another.

One more classic Hội An experience is getting tailor-made clothes. You can hardly move for tailors in that town, so much so that the choice becomes overwhelming. Our hotel gave us a few recommendations, but we ended up choosing one suggested by another guest from our hotel who had already replenished her entire wardrobe!

It’s almost a military operation in Cloth Shop 52 in the Cloth Market, so come prepared and know what you’re looking for. We decided to bring along items we already owned as an example, which made the whole experience much easier. As an idea, we paid around £35/$44 for a pair of trousers and £30/$38 for a dress.

A couple of things worth noting are that prices absolutely are negotiable in the cloth market, and although you can pay by card, it’s worth carrying cash to avoid the 2% fee. Your clothes will be ready within 24 hours, and if you’re as lucky as us, they’ll fit perfectly!

I could go on at length about Hội An itself, but I’ll round off with this: when you’re in need of some downtime and a refreshing beverage, one of the endless 2-4-1 happy hours may seem like a good idea. And they’re not bad, but they can be busy and soulless. Instead, I’d recommend hitting 7 Bridges Hoi An Taproom for a local beer and tasty bar food in their chilled beer garden.

We actually stayed outside the old town in a hotel near An Bang Beach. The area was much less developed, and some of the beach was still undergoing work following storm damage. However, there were still some lovely, quiet spots, plus pleasant cafés and restaurants to spend some time relaxing in. The thing that really sold us on this was that our hotel offered a free shuttle into the old town several times a day, which seems to be pretty commonplace.

We also did a couple of trips from here — one a quick basket boat tour at the Coconut Village, and the other sunrise trip to My Son Sanctuary, followed by a visit to the Marble Mountains.

The basket boat tour was fun, and definitely worth doing, but again, it was like a ride at Disneyland. You’re in one of hundreds of boats floating along that stretch of river at any given time, all while the boat drivers (captains?) sing Gangnam Style at you and each other across the water.

We didn’t really understand why they were singing Gangnam Style at the time, but afterwards, the tour operator explained that it’s one of the songs they find best for keeping the rhythm when they spin the basket boats. Thankfully, the spinning is optional, and you are allowed to simply enjoy the spectacle from afar! 

My favourite tour by far, however, was the trip to My Son Sanctuary, which is up in the hills a couple of hours west of Hội An. We went for the sunrise tour because we’d read it would be beautiful, but as it turned out, there was no sunrise that day, only major downpours. But when you’re in the jungle, surrounded by ancient temples, you kinda don’t care!

The main perk of visiting at the crack of dawn was that we got there way before everyone else. By the time we were done, around 9 am, bus-loads of tour groups were flooding through the gates on their way up to the site. We had practically had the place to ourselves, giving us the chance to explore the different buildings and paths without interruption.

We followed this up with a trip to the Marble Mountains in Da Nang, which honestly, I’d love to have done at sunrise, too! It was absolutely mobbed with folk, which is especially trying when you’re attempting to manoeuvre up and down narrow, uneven staircases. Nonetheless, the views and caves were spectacular, and we were fortunate enough to witness a Buddhist ceremony in action.

Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to venture any further north than that on this trip, however I can share a couple more recommendations from friends we met along the way.

The city of Hue lies a couple of hours north of Da Nang. Formerly the country’s capital city, it was the seat of the Nguyen Dynasty, and has an appropriately fancy, massive citadel to match. Our friends spent a half day exploring the grounds, but they said that history buffs should definitely set aside a whole day!

For some true peace and quiet up north, Øyvind, you might be thinking of heading up into the mountains? We heard a lot of chatter about Sapa, and its jaw-dropping rice terraces and less polluted air! However, it is preeeeeetty touristy there these days as well, so you may want to consider Cao Bang for its waterfalls, mountain views, caves, tombs and more.

Hopefully all my stories and tips have got you excited about your upcoming trips! And if you happen to bump into each other at the 7 Bridges, send me a pic. Happy travels!

All the important (or silly, or strange) travel news from across the web this week.

• The world’s safest cities for women solo travellers have been named! And while the number one spot may not surprise you, there are a few others in the top ten you might not expect.
  
  
• Whether you have a tendency to miss flights or your plans change, sometimes we just don’t make those flights we booked. But did you know that you can get a refund on those taxes in the UK and Europe?
  
  
• Why cooking a sausage on a lava rock probably isn’t as cool as it sounds.
  
  
• And finally, if you’ve been wondering how to spend your spare $1mil, look no further — tickets for Fyre Festival 2 are now on sale! And as a bonus, you’ll probably end up featuring in another smash-hit Netflix documentary when it all goes up in flames… again.