Vietnam’s animal cafes

Last year was the ‘Year of Friendship’ between Japan and Vietnam and it seems that there are some influences from Japan, cropping up in Vietnam.

Vietnam’s greatest export is coffee, which it takes very seriously. There are plenty of cafes to sup your coffee at, but there have been some changes of late. One of these recent influences from Japan is the pet, or animal, café. You have probably heard of the cat cafes / bird cafes / reptile cafes etc, where people who do not have the chance to own their own animal of choice, have the opportunity to pet one temporarily whilst sipping their green tea and chomping on cheese cake.

Not to be out done in Vietnam, there is a whole assortment of alternative cafes opening up in Saigon these days. In fact, they are popping up all over the place.

You might like to try stroking cats with your coffee. The Ailucat Café in Saigon has a around 20 feline friends to choose from as you sup your coffee.

A little more lively than the cats is the Stardogs, dog café in District 7. Not quite as relaxing as a coffee with a cat, but the chance for dog lovers, who don’t have dogs to love dogs.

You might want to enjoy a bit of cold blood with your hot coffee? In which case head to Café Babo in Saigon’s Tan Binh district (formerly in the Phu Nhuan district) to enjoy your coffee with various reptiles – snakes, Lizards the lot.

So, if you thought Japan was the king of alternative cafes, then think again, because Saigon is embracing alternative cafe culture…..I think I’ll go around the corner for a quiet coffee…