Blog

Travel has changed forever II - the big players

The small businesses of the international travel industry are its heroes. Across the world, most...
Introduction

Tasmania

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 - a travel guide

Cemeteries and tombs have been a big part of my travelling life. From my first international...
see and do

The Rocks, Sydney

The Rocks was the first British convict settlement in Australia and the place where the long...
see and do

Cycling the Angkor Temples

If you like cycling, exploring the temples of Angkor by bicycle is a delight. In fact, we reckon...

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

Ho Chi Minh City Blog

America in Vietnam - a travel guide Part 1

Military parades and huge celebrations recently marked the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War (aka. the American War) and the fall of Saigon (aka. the liberation of... more

Hanoi Blog

Declaration of Independence - Vietnam's other major anniversary of 2025

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 Blog

Singapore's Changi Museum has special lessons for Australians

A visit to Singapore’s museums can open up some unexpected reflection for Australians - especially in times of global upheaval. The Changi... more

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... more

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

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

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

RECENT REVIEWS

Ho Chi Minh City see and do

Pittman Apartments rooftop - The Saigon helicopter evacuation of 1975

The Pittman Apartments rooftop featured in Hugh van Es’s iconic image of the helicopter evacuation of Saigon in April 1975 at the end of the Vietnam... more

Ho Chi Minh City see and do

Museums - the best of Saigon's museums

An independent guide to Saigon's best museums - as well as some of the quirky less-visited places. We list three for those with limited time and... more

Ho Chi Minh City see and do

Cu Chi Tunnels

The Viet Cong tunnel network at Cu Chi, 70kms from Saigon, was an important base in the communist guerilla campaign against US and South Vietnamese... more

Siem Reap see and do

This handpicked list of the best experiences the temples of Angkor and Siem Reap, was updated in April 2024The incredible temples of Angkor will... more

Ho Chi Minh City see and do

Our handpicked list of things to see and do in Ho Chi Minh City from museums, historic sites, to walks, and cool tours, will be your entree to... more

Sydney see and do

Welcome to the Rusty Compass independent guide to the best things to see and do during a stay in Sydney. Our guide to Sydney is skewed towards... more

Travel has changed forever II - the big players

Tasmania

Cemeteries and tombs - a travel guide

The Rocks, Sydney

Cycling the Angkor Temples

FEATURES

RECENT REVIEWS