On a Walking Tour, Mulling Over the Glorious Past and Odious Present of Tô Lịch River
We began our journey in front of a bank where the street Trần Nhật Duật turned into Chợ Gạo.
Paul Christiansen in Travel
How a Film Turned a Historic H'Mông Homestead in Hà Giang Into a Tourist Attraction
The photos don’t do it justice. That’s what you’ll often hear from people who visit Hà Giang to cruise its famed highway loop.
What to See in a Landlocked Country? How a Detour to Laos Made My Heart Feel Full.
Editor's note: This essay by Alex Tran won 1st place in the Editor's Choice category of Saigoneer's first-ever essay writing competition, "2 Years of Memories," in collaboration with Urbanist Travel. We felt that the author went beyond just chronicling the play-by-play events of a trip, and gave the portrayal of Bolaven Plateau characters, genuine interactions, spirits, and most importantly, poignant human connections.
Đà Lạt to Debut Double-Decker Bus Tours by End of 2022
Following in the wake of popular open-bus tours in some of Vietnam's other metropolises, Đà Lạt will begin the service by the end of the year as part of a pilot program.
All by Myself in Sapa: How I Learnt That Traveling Alone Doesn't Have to Be Lonely
One item on my “bucket list” is a journey to discover an exciting new land on a solo trip. It’s not a simple aspiration so I didn’t think that I would get a chance to accomplish it any time soon, but right on my 19th birthday, Châu, my “big boss” and mentor at Urbanist Travel, surprised me with an unforgettable vacation to Sapa.
Brise-Soleil, Đá Rửa, and Other Modernist Curios to Befriend on a Walk Across Saigon
My non-existent architectural background leaves me unable to do anything beyond expressing a distaste for tacky constructions and a vague idea of what constitutes a well-designed building. I can speak on the tasteful placement of a brise-soleil with as much confidence as a nervous five-year-old cooking beef wellington for an unhinged Gordon Ramsay. I hadn’t even heard of Vietnam’s modernist architecture movement until a few weeks ago, but when I was given the opportunity to take part in Urbanist Travel’s modernist architecture tour, I was intrigued to learn more about the stories behind the remnants of history I drive past in Saigon on a daily basis.
Introducing the '2 Years of Memories' Travel Writing Competition
To celebrate the 2 nd anniversary of Urbanist Travel , we are excited to invite you to participate in Saigoneer ’s first-ever ...
Meet Urbanist Travel, Saigoneer's Sister Company Bringing the World Closer to Vietnam
Loyal readers might know Saigoneer as a home where all things fascinating, whimsical and insightful about Vietnam are celebrated, but not many are aware that for the past years, we have been a tiny bit more than just writers. Two years ago, we officially welcomed our sister company Urbanist Travel into the family.
Mui Ne's Suoi Tien Damaged by Tourist Activities, Illegal Construction
Suoi Tien, a famous natural tourist site in Mui Ne, is losing its appeal due to overcrowding and unauthorized construction work.
Chris Humphrey in Travel
[Photos] Reaping the Rice Harvest in Mu Cang Chai
Each September, the rice fields of Mu Cang Chai turn ripe and as gold as coins, and then the back-breaking work begins.
[Video] A Tilt-Shift Travelogue Showcases Stalinist Architecture, Everyday Nationalism in Pyongyang
Isolated from the rest of the world since 1953, North Korea has since been the center of much curiosity, myths and sensationalist headlines that leave more space for reductionism rather than nuan...
After Month-Long Delay, Vietnam Officially Allows Bamboo Airways to Take Off
Bamboo Airways will become the fifth carrier to hold a Vietnamese aviation license along with Vietnam Airlines, Jetstar Pacific, Vietjet Air and VASCO.
Thi Nguyen in Travel
No Nón Lá, No Problem: A New Saigon Tour Takes the Road Less Traveled
Sitting down for a bowl of phở, sipping a glass of cà phê sữa đá, visiting the Saigon Post Office: these activities are all too common to the tourist experience in Saigon. So much so that it's of...
[Photos] Urbanist Travel Getaways: Pastoral Scenes of Pindaya, Myanmar
Myanmar is no longer the secret of Southeast Asia. With tourist numbers increasing, its dusty country roads, seemingly endless parades of monks and crumbling colonial architecture are now officially a...
Yok Don Ends Elephant Rides. Tourists Can Now Watch Them, but Silently and From a Distance
Putting an end to cruel elephant rides, Yok Don National Park invites visitors to observe the animals in their natural environment going about their daily lives.
Experience: I Was a Tour Guide in North Korea During the Era of Otto Warmbier
In 2017, I worked as a tour guide and social media manager for the same North Korean tour company that brought Otto Warmbier to visit the nation. The period climaxed, tragically, in his death. Back th...
Michael Tatarski in Travel
[Photos] Tokyo's Historic Tsukiji Fish Market After the Morning Rush
Tsukiji Fish Market has been one of Tokyo's most well-known destinations for centuries, famous for its early-morning tuna auctions and frenetic wholesale seafood stalls. Yesterday, however, its inner ...
Ha Long Bay Will Open New Harbor to Welcome Luxury Cruise Ships This Month
Hon Gai International Harbour will allow the world's largest cruise ships to dock in the UNESCO heritage site.
[Photos] Grandma, Barber, Farmer, Friend: Portraits of Everyday Life in Central Vietnam
After Ninh Binh, a beautiful area crossed by spectacular rivers and crowned by mountains, I followed the Ho Chi Minh Road as far as Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park. Photo opportunities there were hard...
Vietnam Starts Ranking Tour Guides to Improve Tourism Quality
In hopes of inspiring tour guides to improve their performance, Vietnam's tourism officials will launch a trial program that grades guides on capability, knowledge and skills.
[Video] Breathing Vietnam: A Visual Diary
When it comes to travel videos about Vietnam, at this point it might seem that we’ve seen everything, from breathtaking drone footage to extreme close-ups of the country’s street food bounty.
[Photos] Portraits From the Jagged Borderlands of Northern Vietnam
The night after I bought my motorbike, I dreamt of aspiring mountains and plunging valleys. At dawn, I stuffed everything I had onto the racks above the bike’s rear wheel and started heading north, le...
[Photos] The Young Man and The Sea: Fishing at Dawn by the Cham Islands
There I was again, squeaky wooden floorboards under my feet, dodging coils of soaked, salty ropes and boxes upon boxes of freshly caught fish. I wasn't going to leave Hoi An until I could join a fishi...
Hong Kong Airline Cathay Paciic Misspells Its Own Name on Airplane
Whoopsies!
VNA to Launch Direct Flights From Da Nang to Osaka Next Month
Beginning on October 26, the route will link Vietnam's fourth largest city with the major Japanese metropolis.
[Video] A Medley of Cathartic Vietnam Moments in 'A Taste of Vietnam'
This video starts with the open sea and a lonely boat; then it quickly segues into throngs of motorbikes chasing after one another on local streets. In the background, ominous, almost sinister music d...
Michael Tatarski in Travel
Urbanist Travel Getaways: Vietnam’s Subterranean Wonders
The dense, untouched forests of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in Quang Binh Province hide some of the world’s greatest underground geological formations. Beneath the park’s stunning limestone mounta...
Seoul's Museum Kimchikan Takes Visitors Deep Into the World of Kimchi
In 1988, in the same year Seoul hosted the Summer Olympics, even though it had nothing to do with sports, kimchi shone on the international stage for the first time.
