2016 was a quieter year of travel for me. I spent close to half of it in Vietnam, working hard on becoming a professional travel blogger and living cheap in Hoi An. I came to love this historic city and its laid-back countryside surrounds. On a few occasions I rented a bike, grabbed a map and … Read more
Most people who travel to northwest Vietnam opt for the comforts and commercialisation of Sapa, while the much better looking Ha Giang Province gets almost entirely overlooked. I guess some people aren’t so fussy when it comes to mountain towns. Not me though. I preferred Ha Giang Province — the scenery is incredible, the locals … Read more
There’s a fine line between confidence and arrogance, a line which I’m in danger of crossing. Is this really the ultimate, best most awesome list of things to do in Hoi An? Well, I did kind of live there for a few months earlier this year and I have visited this historic port city several … Read more
Limestone mountains of all shapes and sizes dot the landscape around Ninh Binh. Even though winter isn’t the best time to visit, due to the rice fields being little more than brown puddles of water, I decided to hop on the back of a motorbike and take a tour around the countryside. The weather was grey … Read more
For me, one of the highlights of travelling in Asia is seeing history embodied in elaborate ancient temples and ruins. Here are some of my favourite temples and ruins in Asia, including Angkor Wat, the erotic temples of Khajuraho and the ancient city of Ayutthaya. Bagan, Myanmar (Burma) Do you watch romantic comedies and think … Read more
“My Son Tour” signs are scattered all over Hoi An, but what are they actually advertising? Thankfully, it isn’t a sightseeing trip around Hoi An with the travel agent’s son. Instead it’s an incredibly cheap tour to My Son (pronounced Me Sun), a collection of ancient Cham ruins 40 km from downtown Hoi An. Should … Read more
Between 1802 and 1945 a succession of emperors ruled over central Vietnam from Hue, a small city on the banks of the Perfume River. Some were dynamic leaders and others were puppets to the French, whose influence grew as the years rolled by. Despite their growing irrelevancy, the Nguyễn emperors continued to pour money and man … Read more
“Paradise Cave is a long way from here” warned the woman in the travel agency. We had enquired about renting bicycles to get there but she was adamant it was a bad idea. We did it anyway, as we don’t know how to ride motorbikes and we didn’t want to shell out for a tour. … Read more