Over the past three years, we’ve been fortunate to explore almost every corner of Vietnam. From trips down the Mekong river up to Sapa in the far northwest, it’s been quite a journey. As we prepare to move on to a new adventure in Japan, it’s time to look back at our top ten Vietnam…
The most impressive thing about Yen Tu mountain is the people who go up it. As we made our climb, octogenarians in wrinkled suits and creased leather shoes briskly overtook us. When they saw our three-year-old daughter gamely tackling the ragged stone steps, some stopped and cheered. Which made us wonder quite what kind of…
Phu Quoc is an island making up for lost time. Up until 1975, it housed a massive prison camp. In the same year, a group of Khmer Rouge soldiers landed but were soon seen off by Vietnamese forces – a sign of the long-standing tension about the island’s ownership. It took until 1999 for Cambodia…
With lockdowns over, some of Vietnam’s main tourist destinations are slowly waking up. Foreign tourists may still be thin on the ground, but local travellers are keen to start exploring again. And, with so few travellers around, there are some great deals and upgrades to be found. Here are two we recently checked out. …
As I awoke, the irritating echo of car horns could be heard. Even from 32 floors up, the incessant blasts made their way into my condo. And it was brilliant. For the first time in four months, this was a sign that Ho Chi Minh City was also waking up from one of the world’s…
Yesterday, a box of eggs arrived. In normal circumstances, this would go unnoticed in our household, but there are only a few remaining scraps of normal left around these parts. Admittedly, two of the eggs were smashed and the pork that accompanied them had turned a strange shade of green, but this was, undeniably, still…
It’s Day 84 in the Big Brother (Lockdown) House. My son has watched Paw Patrol for the 16th time today. My daughter is on the floor having a tantrum because she can’t find the blue tiara for her princess. My wife is discussing the highlight of each day – what we’ll have for dinner. Lockdowns…
You won’t find Phu Yen on many bucket lists. Nestled between the signature resorts of Hoi An and Nha Trang, it’s one of Vietnam’s best-kept secrets. The province is a 45-minute flight from Ho Chi Minh City, yet is usually overlooked, even by locals. That’s likely to change soon as resorts are starting to pop…
The coronavirus has spelled disaster for many in the travel industry. But one remote Vietnamese island continues to thrive thanks to an unlikely saviour. Hotels are filled with locals who come to pay tribute to the country’s most-famous female political martyr, Võ Thị Sáu. It’s nearly midnight and, in the heart of the cemetery,…
Walk outside my apartment in central Saigon and it looks like a scene from 28 Days Later. The streets are empty, the shutters are rolled down in the shopping malls and it’s eerily quiet. The only thing missing are a few zombies. A few weeks ago, the same street buzzed with life. Street-side hawkers sold…