Rusty Compass - an independent travel guide to Australia, Cambodia and Vietnam
Travel guides
  • Australia
  • Cambodia
  • Laos
  • Vietnam
Australia Travel guides
Cambodia Travel guides
Laos Travel guides
Vietnam Travel guides
         
         
         
         
Travel guides

    Travel guide to
    Australia · Cambodia · Laos · Vietnam

    handpicked · independent

    The Australian who befriended Ho Chi Minh

    Photo feature

    The Australian who befriended Ho Chi Minh

    Journalist Wilfred Burchett is the only Australian to rate a mention in the small museum around Ho... enlarge

    FEATURES

    Nostalgia and Vietnam's travel superpower - VIDEO

    Hue Blog

    Nostalgia and Vietnam's travel superpower - VIDEO

    There’s been a big dose of nostalgia running through my recent videos on Rusty Compass. I’ve loved thinking about Vietnam back in the 90s and its transition to the present. Few... more

    New things in Sydney - travel notes

    Sydney Blog

    New things in Sydney - travel notes

    New openings, improved cycling and walking and ways to get around - there have been many positive developments in Sydney in recent years.... more

    Lessons from decades exploring Vietnam

    Ho Chi Minh City Blog

    Lessons from decades exploring Vietnam

    In our latest video (below), I have a think about 30 years of change in Vietnam and some of the travel lessons and wider lessons from my... more

    A traveller's guide to Vietnam's Buddhist Crisis of 1963

    Ho Chi Minh City Blog

    A traveller's guide to Vietnam's Buddhist Crisis of 1963

    It's more than 60 years since South Vietnam was engulfed in what became known as the Buddhist crisis. It proved a critical point in the... more

    Visiting Saigon's historic rooftop - symbol of the end of the Vietnam War

    Ho Chi Minh City Blog

    Visiting Saigon's historic rooftop - symbol of the end of the Vietnam War

    It may be the most iconic image of the end of the Vietnam War. It was taken on 29 April 1975 by photojournalist Hugh van Es, as US... more

    In Vietnam, tourists are still learning the lessons of the American War

    Ho Chi Minh City Blog

    In Vietnam, tourists are still learning the lessons of the American War

    For three decades, Saigon’s War Remnants Museum has been the essential museum in the city - the one few visitors miss. It tells the... more

    Vietnam loses a storyteller - RIP Nguyen Qui Duc

    Hanoi Blog

    Vietnam loses a storyteller - RIP Nguyen Qui Duc

    Vietnam has lost a storyteller and creative force. Nguyen Qui Duc died in Hanoi on November 22 2023. Monumental upheaval has been such... more

    RECENT REVIEWS

    Powerhouse Museum, MAAS, Sydney

    Sydney see and do

    Powerhouse Museum, MAAS, Sydney

    The Powerhouse Museum at Ultimo is closed for major renewal as at 2025. more

    Hyde Park Barracks

    Sydney see and do

    Hyde Park Barracks

    The 1819 Hyde Park Barracks is one of the oldest convict sites in Australia. Designed by convict architect Francis Greenway and built by convict... more

    Beaches of Sydney

    Sydney see and do

    Beaches of Sydney

    Sydney's beaches are legendary - they're a big feature of the city's summer lifestyle and a magnet for global travellers. Even if you're not a... more

    Museums of Sydney

    Sydney see and do

    Museums of Sydney

    Sydney's museums and galleries are often overlooked by travellers. The city's obsession with the harbour, the beaches and outdoor life means museums... more

    Parramatta history tour

    Sydney see and do

    Parramatta history tour

    Parramatta is Sydney's reluctant history and heritage gem. It's where you'll find many of Australia's oldest and most important historical buildings... more

    Sydney

    Sydney Introduction

    Sydney

    Sydney is one of the world's most recognisable and best-loved cities. Its dazzling harbour setting and natural beauty are matched by a thriving... more