Chùa Một Cột in Thailand Reminds Me of the Familiar in an Unfamiliar Land
On my last full day in Khon Kaen, Thailand, I was on a mission to catch the sunset, although the cloudy and gloomy sky didn’t give me much hope. Instead, I randomly stumbled upon a gate with signs written in Vietnamese. Out of curiosity, I decided to walk in, and the farther I walked, the more clearly I spotted a familiar image from afar: a one-pillar pagoda standing right on the edge of the reservoir.
Bạch Nam Hải’s Documentary Photo Series Captures Sapa's 7 Years of Transformation
From the town to the depths of the misty mountains of Sapa, Bạch Nam Hải embarked on a documentary photographic journey, capturing the essence of local life, the intimate connections between people and nature, and the contrast between the natural landscape and rapid urban development fueled by tourism expansion.
Chris Humphrey in Travel
'Living Hanoi' Series by Joseph Gobin Delves Into the Capital's Eccentricities
Is there a photographic format more suitable for capturing Hanoi's abundantly complex and alluring culture than the crystalline clarity of medium format film?
Insights, Polished History Lessons Await in Hanoi's Massive, Brutalist Military Museum
When I pitched a review of Hanoi’s massive new Vietnam Military History Museum to the Saigoneer editorial staff, I expected to find the museum somewhat boring. After all, although I am a historian, I am not really that interested in military stuff, and I’d been to the original location on Điện Biên Phủ Street several times — how could this new museum improve on the old one? What could this new museum say that the old one didn’t? What could I learn here that I haven’t already learned at Saigon’s War Remnants Museum and Hồ Chí Minh Campaign Museum, at Điện Biên Phủ’s war museum, at Hải Phòng’s naval museum, and at the countless other shrines to Vietnamese martial prowess across the country? Quite a lot, it turns out.
Paul Christiansen in Travel
Ruminate on Our Natural Legacies While Surrounded by Cây Sao at Ao Bà Om
I never pass up an opportunity to reflect on chò nâu and its dipterocarp relative, cây sao. The massive trees that gracefu...
Paul Christiansen in Travel
Art, Flowers Bloom at Huế’s Hidden Museum, Lebadang Memory Space
People often think that art is distant and difficult to appreciate, but a garden is different; everyone knows how to admire a flower.
Live Music, Sports, Art and Activities Fill District VUI with Summer Fun
Vietnam’s south-central coast is blessed with warm sunshine, cool waves, and relaxed vibes all year round, creating a perpetual vacation atmosphere. With school breaks and summer holidays, there is no better time to explore the tropical regions at the nexus of forest and sea.
Brian Letwin in Travel
The Quiet Calm of Hiding From the Heat Under Phan Rang's Grapevines
The punishing mid-day sun dictates the pace of life in the corridor between Phan Rang and Cam Ranh, where locals escape to their living rooms or hammocks, and tourists seek the cooling breeze of the beach, seafood restaurants or resort pools. Perhaps one of the most underrated ways to take refuge from the heat is to duck into one of the nearby grape vineyards where winding vines create a natural oasis.
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...
Lee Starnes in Travel
[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.
Da Nang Voted Best Airport in Vietnam, Followed by Noi Bai, Tan Son Nhat
Da Nang International Airport has been crowned the best airport in Vietnam.
