Hanoi's Proposal to Stop Train Service Might Spell the End of 'Train Street'
Hanoi’s infamous train street might be going away if a new municipal plan becomes a reality.
Pete Walls in Travel
At Kon Tum's Đăk Đrinh Lake, Life Slows to a Therapeutic Pace
Đăk Đrinh Lake lies in the northern reaches of Kon Tum, where the hills rise in slow, deliberate waves and the pace of life is set by the land. The Ca Dong ethnic communities remain here, maintaining their language, stilt houses, and routines that have shaped this corner of the highlands for generations.
Paul Christiansen in Saigoneer Getaways
Waterfalls, Langur, Oysters and Abandoned Colonial Villas: A Lăng Cô Getaway
What lies between Đà Nẵng and Huế?
Just 50km From Hanoi, Đường Lâm Village Is a Charming Historical Relic
If one were to strike out west from Hanoi and follow the Red River for some 50 kilometers, there they will find Đường Lâm Village — a quintessence of rural Vietnam.
Paul Christiansen in Saigoneer Getaways
Cát Tiên National Park Is the Perfect Cure for the Festering Wounds of Chronic Urban Life
What’s new? What’s trendy? What haven’t I explored? Such questions often dictate our travel plans, but sometimes, we’d be better off asking the opposite: What’s old? What’s impervious to being in style? Where have I been before and loved?
Mũi Né Among Top 10 Trending Travel Destinations Globally in 2026, Booking Says
Travel site Booking.com dubbed Mũi Né “one of 2026’s trending travel spots,” reflective of the international attention and domestic emphasis the beach city is currently receiving.
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?
Paul Christiansen in Travel
Vignette: On the North-South Train, a Pastiche of the Human Condition
“Heavy with the thick smell of misery and before even leaving the station, the odor of urine would be palpable throughout the car,” writes author Dạ Ngân of the North-South Train in 1989. Back then, a...
Vietnam Officially Extends E-Visa to 90 Days, Allowing Multiple Entries
Beginning August 15, tourist visas will be extended from 30 days to 90 days.
Vietnam Airlines Sells VND14bn Worth of Inflight Bubble Tea Last Year
Gone were the days of brackish peanuts and lukewarm apple juice, today’s flyers can satiate their sugar cravings right in the air.
Paul Christiansen in Travel
Vignette: Letters to Hàn Mặc Tử
Quy Nhơn residents mentioned Hàn Mặc Tử with great pride and reverence whenever I mentioned enjoying reading and writing poems.
Paul Christiansen in Travel
An Awe-Inspiring Bird's-Eye View of Bình Định's Chăm Towers
What if memories were not collections of chemicals and electrical impulses stored in the fleshy recesses of a mind, but physical objects made of brick and stone?
Hội An's Plan to Charge Entrance Fees From Next Month Faces Backlash
Hội An’s upcoming plan to enforce its admission rules for Vietnamese tourists has inspired negative reactions from the general public.
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. ...
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.
Coral, Kingfishers and Dragonflies: Wildlife Travel at Zannier Hotels Bãi San Hô
A surfacing whale spouts water into the sky, the spray scattering like confetti thrown in a parade held to honor the splendors of the natural world.
Beach Camping and Bamboo Rafting in Northern Vietnam's Largest Wetland
An overnight stay in Xuân Thủy National Park, Nam Định Province means potential bug bites, snake encounters and pungent ocean air, but also a rewarding quest into the wild wetlands of northern Vietnam...
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 ...
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...
Introducing the '2 Years of Memories' Travel Writing Competition
To celebrate the 2nd anniversary of Urbanist Travel, we are excited to invite you to participate in Saigoneer’s first-ever writing competition, “2 Years of Memories,” to look back at the most historic...
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 bi...
Recreation, Relaxation and Adventure in Đà Nẵng
Serene nature? Thrilling activities? Cultural insights? World-class cuisine and vibrant nightlife? Everyone has different priorities when going on vacation, and a few special places in Vietnam can acc...
Exploring Đà Nẵng’s Potential for Family-Friendly Vacations
Being surrounded by the laughter of one’s family while enjoying a carefree vacation may be one of life’s greatest pleasures, but it takes some coordination to make everyone involved happy. Thanks to i...
The Punishing, Breathtaking, and Fulfilling 14 Days in Nepal to Reach Everest Base Camp
Our trek to Everest Base Camp from Lukla begins on the first days of summer. Just two weeks into May, throngs of mountain climbers have already congregated here, despite the bitter cold, striving to c...
Officials Announce (Yet Another) Plan to Restore Historic Đà Lạt-Tháp Chàm Railway
The 84-km railway line connecting Đà Lạt and Tháp Chàm (Phan Rang) was built between 1908 and 1932 and abandoned in 1976.
A Merry Morning Over the Fish Markets and Salt Fields of Phan Rang
I live in Đà Lạt, so the most direct route to the coast brings me to Phan Rang, which is where I often go for the beach and seafood.
