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.
Tourists Generate Up to 3 Times More Plastic Waste Than Locals, UNDP Finds
A recent report by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) warns that plastic waste pollution poses increasing pro...
Paul Christiansen in Travel
'Chuyện Của Pao' Turned a Historic H'Mông Home 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.
Paul Christiansen in Travel
From Dark to Dawn, an Early Morning at Hội An's Duy Hải Fish Market
At 3am, Hội An’s streets resemble dog-gnawed pork bones, licked clean of all scent and viscera. No light, no noise, no movement. But that’s the time you must venture out to witness the Duy Hải Fish Market in action.
The Year of the Horse Gallops into The Grand Ho Tram
Inspired by the spirit of the horse, The Grand Ho Tram encourages you to have a year of success, confidence, and new horizons. Traditional Tết performances and activities alongside special feasts and opportunities for revelry will usher in a year of remarkable achievements and memorable moments.
Vietnam Welcomes 21m Tourists in 2025, Highest-Ever Figure in History
Last year marked an impressive year for tourism in Vietnam. A record number of 21.17 million international tourists visite...
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.
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.
New Mộc Châu Bridge Enters Guinness Records as World's Longest Glass Bridge
This dizzying bridge is not for the faint-hearted.
Vietnam Halts Covid-19 Test Requirement for International Travelers From May 15
Were those nose swabs all a dream?
Vọng Cảnh, the Picturesque Hill in Huế That Even Emperors Cherished
The poetic Hương River flows calmly, the fresh air and breeze whisper through the lush pine forest, a coming sunset colors the peaceful natural spectacle. All of this can be experienced during a late-...
New App ConstructionBnB Helps You Explore Vietnam's Beautiful Construction Sites
If you live in Vietnam, chances are you live next to a construction site: hotels, condos, shopping centers, etc. But why see the same old site every day when there are so many different ones out there...
Thanh Hóa Announces Mắm Tôm-Drinking Contest to Lure International Tourists
How much mắm tôm can you chug?
The Charm of Hòn Yến, Where Coral-Watching Doesn't Involve Diving
Every year, from May to August, when the water reaches its lowest levels at Hòn Yến, a “jungle” of vibrant coral reefs and other marine creatures rises to the surface.
Paul Christiansen in Travel
On the Hunt for Colorful Murals in Đà Lạt's Hilly Hẻms
Was color a casualty of COVID-19? Along with the freedom to gather, to attend live concerts and travel, did the pandemic rob us of opportunities to fully appreciate color?
Private Company Wants to Build $1.3bn Launchpad in Phú Quốc for Space Tourism
Conglomerate Thaigroup hopes to build the nation's first spaceship launchpad to facilitate space tourism.
Vietnam Airlines Completes First-Ever Direct Flight to United States
Welcome to the big leagues.
All Aboard the Languorous Train From Hanoi to Saigon
The train connecting Vietnam’s largest cities takes 35 hours. Yet even after the first time I finished the trip, I was already coming up with excuses for why I needed to do it again. For me, the journ...
Khanh Hoa Official Proposes Visa Exemptions for Foreign Tourists
Officials are looking for ways to boost tourism as Vietnam slowly begins to re-open.
5 Localities Aim to Welcome Vaccinated Foreign Tourists From Next Month
Tourism destinations in Vietnam are eager to restart their economies after it appears that the current outbreak is subsiding.
Immerse in a Serene Morning at Ngã Năm Floating Market
Floating markets haven’t completely disappeared from Vietnam’s commercial landscape.
A Lifetime Adrift: Phu Quoc Cruise Ship Crewmen Live and Work On Board
In the days before our lives were disrupted again by the pandemic, I was fortunate enough to visit the remote beauty that is Phu Quoc and its many ivory beaches. On my trip, I also had the opportunity...
A Day in the Life of Madame Xuân, Hoi An's 85-Year-Old Vegetable Vendor
She is not famous but has silently become a part of Hoi An’s cultural beauty for years.
Adrien Jean in Travel
With Summer Comes a Glorious Lotus Harvest Season in Hoi An
The farmers we met in these fields near Hoi An have been working their lotus farms since the end of the 1970s. The area has been a hub of lotus production in the decades since.
Morgan Ommer in Travel
Glimpses of a Tranquil Hanoi From Inside 21 Days of Hotel Quarantine
I landed at Noi Bai Airport on May 28, 2021.
