Thanks for visiting Rusty Compass – an independent guide to Vietnam and Cambodia for people who like to travel with open eyes and minds.
Mark Bowyer - founder
Thanks for visiting Rusty Compass – an independent guide to Vietnam and Cambodia for people who like to travel with open eyes and minds.
Mark Bowyer - founder
Blog
The small businesses of the international travel industry are its heroes. Across the world, most...
Introduction
It took me more than 50 years to visit Tasmania. That was a big mistake. Make sure you don't leave...
Blog
Cemeteries and tombs have been a big part of my travelling life. From my first international...
see and do
The Rocks was the first British convict settlement in Australia and the place where the long...
see and do
If you like cycling, exploring the temples of Angkor by bicycle is a delight. In fact, we reckon...
Journalist Wilfred Burchett is the only Australian to rate a mention in the small museum around Ho... enlarge
Sydney Blog
Sydney Harbour Bridge rose from the depths of the Depression in 1932 and defined Sydney and the harbour for four decades before Sydney Opera House came along and completed the... more
Hanoi Blog
In early 1945, during the final months of World War II, an unlikely collaboration between United States intelligence officers and Ho Chi... more
Hue Blog
In the latest video in our series of travel guides to America in Vietnam, we take a close-up look at the Buddhist Crisis of 1963. The... more
Sydney Blog
An amazing sculpture was added to the lawn outside Sydney's Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) late last year. It's transformed the space... more
Hue Blog
In the second part of our video series of independent travel guides to America in Vietnam, we look at the complicated creation of the... more
Ho Chi Minh City Blog
Military parades and huge celebrations recently marked the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War (aka. the American War) and the... more
Hanoi Blog
Vietnam's big year of anniversaries will shift to Hanoi in September. In the second major celebration of 2025, the 80th anniversary of Ho... more
Sydney Introduction
Australia Introduction
Sydney see and do
Sydney Harbour Bridge is Sydney's first icon. It's been the city's defining emblem since 1932. Since the 1970s it's been joined by Sydney Opera... more
Sydney see and do
The Royal Botanical Gardens, is Sydney's historic, downtown green space. It's 30 hectares of proud parkland with some of Sydney's best views and an... more
Vietnam Introduction
Sydney see and do
Our independent guide to Sydney's Sydney's museums. Sydney's museums are often overlooked by travellers - that's a shame. If you're a cultural... more
Rusty Compass listings are always independent. We list the places we think are worth knowing about. Our Featured Listings allow a small selection of businesses already recommended by us, to pay a fee for a place at the top of our list. That’s it. Featured Listings have no impact on reviews, or on the curation and independence of our lists.
