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    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

    America in Vietnam - a travel guide Part 1

    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

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

    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

    Singapore's Changi Museum has special lessons for Australians

    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

    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... 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

    RECENT REVIEWS

    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

    Museum of Contemporary Art MCA, Sydney

    Sydney see and do

    Museum of Contemporary Art MCA, Sydney

    Sydney's Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) is one of Australia's premier galleries of contemporary art - painting, sculpture, drawing, photography... more

    Art Galleries of Sydney

    Sydney see and do

    Art Galleries of Sydney

    This is our independent travel guide to Sydney's best art galleries. We focus on Australian art from both Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists and... more

    Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney

    Sydney see and do

    Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney

    The Art Gallery of New South Wales is one of Australia’s oldest and most-loved art institutions. Located in a grand neo-classical building in a... more

    Museums of Sydney

    Sydney see and do

    Museums of Sydney

    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

    Pittman Apartments rooftop - The Saigon helicopter evacuation of 1975

    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