An Ode to Vũng Tàu, Saigon's Unwavering Summer Crush
I recently took a trip to Vũng Tàu after a long summer of cultural research, which had me traveling up and down Vietnam. It had been seven years since I’d been back to the homeland, and 19 since I’d last seen the beaches of Vũng Tàu, when I was only 16. It felt like returning to a high school crush, and it made me think of the words of Trần Thiện Thanh, who once wrote, “Nhớ lúc xa xưa mười sáu trăng tròn…” I won’t say I wasn’t looking for something familiar, poetic, and possibly even as sappy.
Paul Christiansen in Travel
In Hội An’s Pottery Museum, Mini Clay Landmarks Hold Unexpected Memories
When preparing to visit Hội An’s Thanh Hà Pottery Museum, I didn’t anticipate an opportunity to reminisce. I hadn’t been to the museum dedicated to the region’s pottery traditions before, so how could it illicit fond memories?
Kit Humphrey in Travel
The Poetry of Everyday Life in Central Vietnam's Coastal Towns
Traveling south through central Vietnam by train can bring you to the familiar or the obscure: the Disney-fication of Hội An, the peaceful bays of Quy Nhơn, or the thrill of derelict spaces in Huế.
A Tribute to the Incredibly Eye-Catching, Organic Signage of Sa Đéc
Signs are like voices.
Linh Phạm in Travel
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.
Tuyết Nhi in Travel
Visit a 160-Year-Old Chapel Inside Saigon's Historic St. Joseph's Seminary
Hidden within the compound of the Saigon St. Joseph’s Seminary is a historic chapel that has withstood the test of time.
Tà Năng, One of Vietnam’s Most Beautiful Trails and Best-Kept Secrets
Whether we choose to participate or not, most of us are fascinated by Vietnam’s motorbike culture.
Khôi Phạm in Travel
Bask in the Morning Sun in the Green Heart of Huế Along the Hương River
As tourists, it's in our built-in compass to seek out novelties and excitements, if anything, to remind us that our daily humdrum is not everything, and there exists a world out there with multitudes to explore.
After Trump-Kim Summit, North Korea Tours Are Trending Among Vietnamese Tourists
In the past, tours to North Korea were often avoided due to high costs, political conflict, and a lengthy, strict visa procedure.
Khoi Pham in Travel
[Photos] On Photographing the Gentle Romance of a Hueless Hue
Any mention of Hue or Hoi An within a conversation about central Vietnam tends to conjure up images of intensely vibrant colors: crimson paper lanterns dotting the sky; neighborhoods filled with the d...
With New Flight Routes, Can Tho Hopes to Revitalize Underused Airport
The international airport, which is currently operating below 30% capacity, will hopefully see a boost in passengers thanks to six new routes being added to service the city.
Vietnam Expands E-Visa Pilot Program to 35 More Countries, Territories
A pilot program granting tourists 30-day electronic visas has been expanded to include 35 additional nations and territories.
Travel Agency Vietravel Wants to Launch Vietnam's 6th Airline
Is Vietnam’s air travel market big enough to accommodate another air carrier?
Kit Humphrey in Travel
[Photos] Ha Giang: Evocative Portraits From Hoang Su Phi
Nestled amid the textured, corduroy rice terraces of Ha Giang Province lies Hoang Su Phi, a rural district that’s home to an array of ethnic minority communities.
Michael Tatarski in Travel
[Photos] Saigoneer Getaways: Dak Lak and an Abundance of Central Highlands Charm
For many, Tet is a time to reunite with family they haven't seen in months. For those like me without relatives in Vietnam, it's the perfect time to take a break from increasingly stressful city life....
An Exploration of the Saigon Port
Between 1989 and 1997, a massive 201-room floating hotel sat anchored in the Saigon River.
[Video] The Hyperlapse of Saigon That Took 2 Years and Over 200,000 Photos to Make
Living in Saigon can feel like being spun in a centrifuge: swirled amongst an overwhelming amount of sights, sounds, smells and experiences at dizzying speeds.
Kit Humphrey in Travel
[Photos] Exploring the Myriad Cathedrals of Nam Dinh Province
Though they receive more attention, the cathedrals of Hanoi and Saigon pale in comparison to those found in Nam Dinh Province. What’s more, the area not only boasts a surprising array of these magnifi...
[Video] Vietnam's Hectic Energy Set to a Funky Soundtrack
Vietnam is a country that’s always on the move.
How Hemingway Inspired a Cyclist to Scale the Heights of Northern Vietnam
Former Saigon resident Dale Nottingham has conquered Vietnam’s extreme northern highlands by bicycle, climbing 22,587 meters over 1,306 kilometers during an epic 12-day ride that started in Bac Kan Pr...
First Flight of Bamboo Airways Is Once Again Delayed to Next January
Despite being scheduled for a December 29 takeoff, Vietnam's newest airline Bamboo Airways won't leave the tarmac until mid-January.
Vietjet Air Launches Direct Flight Route From Saigon to Osaka
The budget carrier also launched a Hanoi-Osaka route back in November of this year.
Saigoneer Getaways: Off the Beaten Path in Hong Kong's Old-School Side
There was once a time when Saigon and Hong Kong were rivals in the exotic east, both jostling for the cultural title of “Pearl of the Orient”. With British colonialism on one side and French on the ot...
[Photos] Pseudo-Suicide and Evil Spirits at Bali’s Usaba Manggung Celebration
Each year in Bali’s Bugbug Village, Hindus gather to take part in a three-day celebration that includes splashing holy water, atavistic wailing and role-play suicide to ward off evil spirits. &nb...
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.
Kit 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.
