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.
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.
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.
Chris Humphrey in Travel
[Photos] An Urbexer’s Paradise: Inside the Rides of Hanoi’s Abandoned Water Park
Almost everyone has, by now, heard of Hue’s apocalyptic abandoned waterpark – a place so eerie it feels like entering a Jurassic World sequel. Who knew there was another park right here in Hanoi?
Brian Letwin in Travel
[Photos] Urbanist Travel Getaways: Cat Tien National Park
Three hours northeast of Saigon sits a patch of verdant forest among a landscape of neverending rice paddies. Cat Tien National Park is the closest you can get to hike-able, pristine nature from the m...
44 New Caves Discovered Near Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park
On August 6, Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park authorities announced the discovery of 44 new caves, bringing the total number of known caves in the area to 405.
[Video] Sauntering Down Hoi An's Color-Doused, Sun-Soaked Hẻms
Hoi An is something of a paradox. Frequently, people seem to decry its changes from a small, halcyon town into a major tourist destination. But bemoaning its current influx of foreign visitors not onl...
Anatomy of a Teen Magnet: Da Nang's Golden Bridge and the Giant Hands
In the midst of the forest high above Ba Na Hills outside of Da Nang, the Golden Bridge has grabbed visitors’ attention thanks to its striking appearance.
[Photos] In Saigon's Buu Long Pagoda, a Meditative Escape and Pan-Southeast Asian Architecture
It all started with a sparkle on the horizon, a beam of solar brilliance bouncing off a garish metallic surface.
[Photos] A Visit to Binh Thuan's 'Forgotten Land' Where Sand Comes to Life
Forgotten Land, a new sculptured sand park in Binh Thuan Province, may be perfect for tourists who like sand, but aren't a fan of the ocean.
[Photos] The Japanese Village That Replaces the Departed With Creepy Dolls
More than 10,000 towns are facing depopulation in Japan, but in Nagora — a village hidden away in Shikoku Valley — locals are returning in bizarre fashion: as dolls that replace the dead.
Urbanist Travel Getaways: Discovering Serenity in Bhutan – The Other Hermit Kingdom
Only a handful of pilots can manage the treacherous flight into Bhutan’s tiny international airport. As the plane tilts for the final descent, passengers gather by the windows — smartphones recor...
Hoi An Puts Immediate Stop to Proposed Cable Car Project Near Ancient Town
Vietnam’s unhealthy obsession with cable cars needs to stop.
Lee Starnes in Travel
Urbanist Travel Getaways: Exploring the Izakayas of Japan
“I always liked side-paths, little dark back-alleys behind the main road,” Dostoyevsky writes in his 1879 novel, The Brothers Karamazov. “There one finds adventures and surprises, and precious metal i...
Chris Humphrey in Travel
[Photos] Exploring Dala Township on the River Yangon's South Shore
Only a 10-minute ferry ride from central Yangon, Dala is a blur of motorbike horns, trishaw drivers peddling scams and old ships rusting on the riverbank.
[Photos] The Infinite Greenness of Ca Mau Cape Biosphere Reserve From Above
Ca Mau Cape was recognized as a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve in 2009.
[Video] An Aerial Tour of Vietnam Through the Ultra-Definition of 4K
With the rise in popularity and drop in price of drones, gorgeous aerial footage is not hard to come by in recent months.
[Photos] Naypyidaw's Ghostly Central Train Station
Naypyidaw central train station, 11am. A heavy cloud hangs over the entire place. The moment you set foot in the city, it gives you the chills.
Alberto Prieto in Travel
[Photos] Saigoneer Getaways: Ha Giang's Mighty Loop
I’ve spent seven years in Vietnam and traveled from south to north on many occasions, but I have never seen a place as charming as Ha Giang Province.
Chris Humphrey in Travel
Soviet Accommodation, Forest Cabins and a Hobbit House: The Eccentricity of Nha Ben Rung
“It is a rocket center. The Soviets, they stayed there to control the rockets…” These are not exactly the kind of words you expect to hear from a homestay owner in northern Vietnam, especially not whe...
Michael Tatarski in Travel
Saigoneer Getaways: Vietnam's Best 'Secret' Beach Destination
When it comes to tourism in Vietnam, it's hard not to be depressed by the frequent news of ruinous cable cars and mega-resorts, often accompanied by bulldozed natural areas.
Nepal’s Annapurna Circuit: A Beautiful Trek Amidst Change
In through your nose, out through your mouth. You can do this. In through your nose, aaaaand out through your mouth. I keep reminding myself how to breathe.
