Emotional Connection is the Key to Luxury Travel at Banyan Tree Lăng Cô
What does luxury travel mean? The center of countless hospitality conference panels, LinkedIn posts, and marketing pitch decks, this question will elicit different answers depending on who is asked. Exclusivity, indulgent comforts, unique experiences, and dedicated service surely play a part, but a visit to Banyan Tree Lăng Cô, recent recipient of Two Michelin Keys, reveals that no matter one’s definition, true luxury travel requires an emotional connection.
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.
Lee Starnes in Travel
[Photos] Time Stands Still on Sri Lanka's Colonial-Era Trains
The train from Colombo to Ella rolls along Sri Lanka’s undulating hills on a set of uneven tracks. Aging passenger cars, hot and crowded, click-clack past a patchwork of verdant tea plantations and qu...
VNA to Buy 10 New A350 Airbus, Fly Nonstop to LAX
It looks like Vietnam is pushing to make nonstop flights to and from the United States a reality as Vietnam Airlines just signed a deal with Airbus for a fleet of 10 aircraft built especially for long...
Japanese Budget Airline Opens Routes to Tokyo, Osaka and Okinawa
Budget carrier Vanilla Air now flies between Saigon and three Japanese destinations: Tokyo, Okinawa and Osaka.
VietJet Will Fly to Hong Kong in December
Beginning in December, VietJet will offer direct flights between Saigon and Hong Kong.
Ha Long Bay Cave Parties Annoy Locals and Officials
Move over, boat tours: lavish parties are the new “it” travel experience in Ha Long Bay’s secluded caves, despite opposition from locals and conservationists.
[Video] Vietnam’s Beauty Takes Center Stage in This Breathtaking Timelapse
Travel videos are a dime a dozen these days, and Vietnam is especially suited to such productions thanks to its diverse geography. As a result, it is hard to stand out from the YouTube crowd, but we’r...
[Photos] A Black-and-White Glimpse of 1977 Thailand
In a stunning, black-and-white photo collection, one unknown photographer gives viewers a glimpse of Thai life in 1977.
Dana Filek-Gibson in Travel
Experts to Dismantle Hoi An’s Japanese Bridge for Restoration
In an effort to restore Hoi An’s famed 17th-century Japanese Bridge, conservation experts plan to dismantle the structure entirely and perform restoration work on its individual pieces before rebuildi...
[Photos] Check out Vung Tau’s Massive Arms Museum
Next time you’re in Vung Tau, skip the beach and the giant, outstretched arms of Jesus. Instead, swing by the largest private weapons museum in the country.
[Video] A Quick Dose of Thai Travel Inspiration
In an age of GoPros and DSLRs, everyone’s a filmmaker. Many a backpacker has set off on their very own Southeast Asian adventure and come home with a detailed, hour-long opus documenting their travels...
Vietnam Lifts Travel Restrictions on Foreign Visitors to Co To Island
Pack your bags: Quang Ninh province officials recently lifted travel restrictions for foreigners visiting Co To Island.
Lee Starnes in Travel
[Photos] Cool, Calm and Collected: Life in Cau Hai Lagoon
Forty kilometers southeast of Hue, Cau Hai Lagoon is among the largest freshwater lagoons in Southeast Asia. Tucked between the East Sea and the mountains of central Vietnam, its placid waters are hom...
Brian Letwin in Travel
[Photos] Take a Trip Through Taipei’s Tech Wonderland
Though Taiwan is known abroad for its electronics, the most impressive by-product of this robust industry lies in the heart of Taipei.
Vietnam Airlines May Fly Nonstop to USA in 2018
Long layovers between Vietnam and the United States might soon be a thing of the past as Vietnam Airlines recently announced its wishes to begin nonstop flights to the US in 2018.
[Video] A Skateboarding Journey Through Vietnam
When it comes to travel porn on the internet, Vietnam has its fair share of flashy, share-worthy vacation videos.
[Photos] Photographers Capture Firefly Season in Japan
For Saigoneers, the arrival of summer usually equals either raincoat season or swimming pool season. But, for a select group of photographers in Japan, with summer comes fireflies and a chance to capt...
Lee Starnes in Travel
[Photos] Down From the Mountains: Da Lat to Nha Trang by Motorbike
The winding northern route which snakes between Da Lat and Nha Trang is full of pine forests, mountain jungles and coastal plains.
ASEAN Nations Mull Joint Visa to Boost Tourism
Tourists visiting Southeast Asia will be able to move freely among ASEAN member countries if talks over a single visa policy prove fruitful.
Vietnam Renews Visa Waivers for Europeans
In an effort to boost Vietnam’s tourism industry, the government has extended a visa exemption program for citizens from five European countries for another year.
[Video] French Travel Program Showcases Southern Vietnam
In a recently aired episode of French travel show Echappées Belles, Vietnam takes center stage.
