Travel guide to Australia · Cambodia · Laos · Vietnam
handpicked · independent
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
Hue Blog
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
Sydney Blog
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
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
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
Ho Chi Minh City Blog
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
Ho Chi Minh City Blog
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
Hanoi Blog
Vietnam has lost a storyteller and creative force. Nguyen Qui Duc died in Hanoi on November 22 2023. Monumental upheaval has been such... more
Vang Vieng Introduction
Vang Vieng began its tourism existence as the convenient stop for travel between the Lao capital Vientiane, and the charming historic capital, Luang... more
Sydney see and do
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
Dien Bien Phu Introduction
Dien Bien Phu may be one of Vietnam's best kept travel secrets - especially for those with an interest in history. There's more than history too.... more
Sydney see and do
Sydney is changing fast. There are loads of new things for travellers to see and experience in the city from museums and galleries to new public... more
Hue see and do
Hue is central to everything in Vietnam's modern history - dynastic history, Buddhism, Catholicism, the coup of 1963 and the bloodiest battle of the... 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.