A long, thin slither of land hemmed in by mountains and the South China Sea, Vietnam has morphed into one of Asia’s top tourist destinations over the last couple of decades. But what’s a trip to Vietnam really like? You’re about to find out! There’s a Clear Tourist Trail Due to Vietnam’s geography there’s a … Read more
I still remember a time when I had mostly negative feelings towards Vietnam. It was one of the first countries I travelled to and it left me a bit cold compared to the experiences I had in neighbouring countries. That all changed when I spent roughly four months there a while back. I got off … Read more
This post was originally published in December 2017 / updated in August 2019 If you asked me a few years ago to suggest a two week Vietnam itinerary I’d have said skip it altogether and go to Thailand or Laos. My first trip to Vietnam was a let down, but I’ve been a few times … Read more
Seeing a destination on the screen instead of actually going there has several advantages. You won’t be scammed, spend thousands of dollars that could have gone on clothes, coffee and nights out and the language barrier won’t be a problem (unless it’s a foreign film and you hate reading subtitles). There are heaps of movies … Read more
Despite there being some decent things to do in Hanoi, it’s more of a place to pass through than a destination in itself. It’s the gateway to northern Vietnam, which is one of the most beautiful regions of Southeast Asia, and spending one or two days in Hanoi before moving on to greener pastures (and … Read more
Can the $4 Mui Ne sand dunes tour in Vietnam really be any good? At that price I felt it was worth investigating further, so off we headed to a busy stretch of coastline just north of Saigon to see the (not quite) world famous sand dunes near Mui Ne. I can’t really answer the … Read more
Before we get into discussing all the wonderful things to do in Ho Chi Minh City (AKA Saigon), we first need to decide what on earth to call this sprawling city in southern Vietnam. Known to many as Saigon, mostly because of how iconic the city became due to the Vietnam / American War, it … Read more
When I hear the word “mountains” I instantly conjure images of hikers dressed in North Face Gear, lung shredding high altitude climbs and grand, panoramic views of soaring peaks. You won’t find any of that at the Marble Mountains, a small group of limestone hills located between Hoi An and Da Nang. There will be … Read more