Hanoi to Saigon

Cambodia and Vietnam – recommended reading Several recently published books on Southeast Asia – in this case, Cambodia and Vietnam – that we reckon are shoo-ins on any reading list for the region. (In fact, they’re so good we’d say they’re well worth getting hold of even if you aren’t travelling to Cambodia or Vietnam in the immediate future.) Away…

My Son Strictly speaking, the sprawling complex of ruined temples at My Son is considered to represent the ceremonial and religious centre of the Cham kings, while the actual administrative capital and main population centre lay some 10 kilometres distant at the site of Tra Kieu (Trà Kiệu). (Unlike the Khmer walled capital at Angkor Thom with its spectacular royal…

The Cham civilisation once occupied large parts of what is today Vietnam and in its heyday was one of Southeast Asia;s most powerful polities

Hue (Huế) Hue, or Huế to use the local spelling, has a central location on Vietnam’s coast, close to the mouth of the Perfume River, pretty much halfway between Hanoi in the north and Saigon, (Ho Chi Minh) to the south. The population of the town and suburbs today weighs in at over 1 and 1/4 million, so far fewer…

When’s the best time to visit Hoi An? Our reply to this frequently asked question didn’t require much thought or research and the simple answer to ‘when’s the best time to visit Hoi An is…between 7 and 8 in the morning. (5 to 6 in the afternoon being a  close second.) With a coastal position, just south of Danang and…

See and do in Hanoi There’s lot to see and do in Hanoi and you could spend a lot of time exploring Vietnam’s fascinating capital but the country holds a lot more to see, including no less than 8, UNESCO-listed World Heritage Sites as well as the sights of Danang and Ho Chi Minh City, (still Saigon to many of…

Vietnam World Heritage – Cultural Sites The Vietnam World Heritage List forms a limited, albeit solid, portfolio consisting of five cultural sites, two natural and, with the Trang An Landscape Complex, one mixed cultural and natural listing. Although not exactly an abundance the extensive war damage during the 60s and 70s, a high population density (almost 100 million citizens) accompanied…

Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park Located in north-central Vietnam’s Quang Binh Province, Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park consists of over 1,200 square kilometres of primary and secondary forest set amid a particularly rugged and spectacular stretch of the Annamite Mountains. Happily, the area is now protected by both the Vietnamese government and UNESCO which granted it World Heritage status in…

Trang An One of our favourite Vietnam destinations, the so-called ‘Halong Bay in the paddy-fields’ – Trang An in Ninh Binh Province – lies just a couple of hour’s drive south of the capital Hanoi. It features similar landscapes to World Heritage Halong Bay, albeit on a smaller scale, with dramatic limestone outcrops scattered across a wide area. The difference…

Ninh Binh A few images of some of the dramatic limestone scenery of Vietnam’s UNESCO-listed Trang An in Ninh Binh Province. The spectacular region certainly lives up to its name  – ‘Halong in the paddy-fields’ – but unluckily, the weather was a bit overcast on the day we visited so our photos conspicuously fail to do justice to the landscapes….

Vietnam World Heritage Sites To complete our round-up of Southeast Asian World Heritage Sites, last, but by no means least, here’s a rundown on Vietnam World Heritage Sites as well as a description of some on the entries on UNESCO’s tentative list. Vietnam weighs in with eight sites currently inscribed on the list and whilst you may think that’s not…

Xeo Quit Xeo Quit, or Xeo Quyt, has always been one of our favourite stops on our 3-day Mekong Delta programme; – the dense, lush, impenetrable jungle with monkey shrieks and exotic bird squawks and the swampy, dark waters full of unidentified splashes and ripples just sum up how we’d always imagined the exotic-sounding Mekong Delta to be in the…