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    Blog tales from the road

    Vietnam loses a storyteller - RIP Nguyen Qui Duc
    17 Dec 2023

    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.

    TAGS: Vietnam, Hanoi, Nguyen Qui Duc, Tadioto

    Hanoi postcard 2023 - thinking of Nguyen Qui Duc
    12 Nov 2023

    Hanoi postcard 2023 - thinking of Nguyen Qui Duc

    Our old friend, author and artist, Nguyen Qui Duc is gravely ill in Hanoi.

    TAGS: Vietnam, Hanoi

    30 years exploring Vietnam
    13 Sep 2023

    30 years exploring Vietnam

    2023 marks 30 years since I led my first tour through Vietnam. It was August 1993. After decades of war and economic hardship, a long-awaited...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, 30 years

    The bus to Bondi is broken - Sydney's public transport is a shambles
    26 Aug 2023

    The bus to Bondi is broken - Sydney's public transport is a shambles

    The 333 service to Bondi Beach is Sydney's busiest bus route. It's especially popular with international tourists. It’s in dismal shape - as is the...

    TAGS: Australia, Sydney, public transport, buses, bondi, 333 bus

    Sydney has a new King - a visit to historic Government House
    22 May 2023

    Sydney has a new King - a visit to historic Government House

    One of the peculiar things you’ll discover as a visitor to Australia in 2023 is that our head of state isn’t Australian and doesn’t live in...

    TAGS: Australia, Sydney, Government House, history, colonialism

    Travel has changed forever II - the big players
    20 Dec 2022

    Travel has changed forever II - the big players

    The small businesses of the international travel industry are its heroes. Across the world, most of the businesses that survive in tourism are small...

    TAGS: Australia, Sydney, Travel has changed, tech in travel, OTAs, Google, Expedia, Booking Holdings, Airbnb

    Travel has changed forever I - risk and reward
    30 Nov 2022

    Travel has changed forever I - risk and reward

    When borders began to reopen in Australia and South East Asia at the end of February 2022, I found myself very quickly back out on the road. First...

    TAGS: Australia, Sydney, travel, tourism, change,

    Hoi An Postcard 2022 - Vietnam is open
    17 Jun 2022

    Hoi An Postcard 2022 - Vietnam is open

    How is Hoi An, Vietnam's most loved World Heritage travel destination, faring after the reopening of borders in March 2022? Check out the blog and...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Hoi An, Hoi An 2022, tourism, travel, things to do, eating

    Postcard from Hanoi - Vietnam is open
    01 Jun 2022

    Postcard from Hanoi - Vietnam is open

    Finally I was walking the streets of Hanoi again. There were times during the two years of border closures when I wondered whether I'd ever see this...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Hanoi, Hanoi vlog, travel

    Temples of Angkor Cambodia - first international travels since the pandemic
    24 Mar 2022

    Temples of Angkor Cambodia - first international travels since the pandemic

    My first International travels after the pandemic took me to Cambodia and the temples of Angkor. After two years grounded in Australia, I was...

    TAGS: Cambodia, Siem Reap, Temples, Angkor, Siem Reap,

    Travel lessons from two pandemic years in Sydney
    04 Feb 2022

    Travel lessons from two pandemic years in Sydney

    Two pandemic years have wiped out international travel for much of the world. Those of us who have lived a life of travel for decades have been...

    TAGS: Australia, Sydney, travel lessons, slow travel, cultural travel

    Sydney opens up - a post lockdown travel guide to COVID in Sydney
    20 Oct 2021

    Sydney opens up - a post lockdown travel guide to COVID in Sydney

    Sydney has emerged from its four month lockdown and is hoping to reopen to international travellers soon. Australia’s borders are still closed but...

    TAGS: Australia, Sydney, COVID, lockdown, travel

    In lockdown Sydney, heritage destruction gets an exemption - the end of Willow Grove
    03 Sep 2021

    In lockdown Sydney, heritage destruction gets an exemption - the end of Willow Grove

    As the wrecking ball moved in on Willow Grove in Parramatta last week, I was struck by the the similarities between heritage battles in Parramatta...

    TAGS: Australia, Sydney, Willow Grove, Parramatta Powerhouse, heritage, tourism

    Vietnam's COVID crisis deepens
    08 Aug 2021

    Vietnam's COVID crisis deepens

    Some thoughts from Sydney in lockdown on travel, missing Vietnam, and the worsening COVID crisis in South East Asia.

    TAGS: Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, COVID, lockdown, travel

    Unsettled - an unsettling exhibition at Sydney's Australian Museum
    20 Jun 2021

    Unsettled - an unsettling exhibition at Sydney's Australian Museum

    A new exhibition at the Australian Museum in Sydney, curated by First Nations people, represents a shift in the long process of balancing the...

    TAGS: Australia, Sydney, Unsettled exhibition, Australian Museum,

    Cemeteries and tombs - a travel guide
    29 May 2021

    Cemeteries and tombs - a travel guide

    Cemeteries and tombs have been a big part of my travelling life. From my first international travels in the 80s till now, I've made a point of...

    TAGS: Australia, Sydney, Camperdown, Newtown, Cemeteries,

    Choosing Fremantle Western Australia as a place to live and visit
    12 Apr 2021

    Choosing Fremantle Western Australia as a place to live and visit

    A few years ago I was in search of a place to base myself in Australia. I was looking for a lifestyle better suited to my situation, than my...

    TAGS: Australia, Fremantle

    2020 - The COVID year in travel
    20 Jan 2021

    2020 - The COVID year in travel

    How do you make sense of a year like 2020? There were lockdowns, travel was wiped out globally, there was political chaos. I had a few unexpected...

    TAGS: Australia, Sydney

    Parramatta's neglected heritage - the Female Factory
    13 Jan 2021

    Parramatta's neglected heritage - the Female Factory

    Parramatta was at the centre of the development of the British penal colony in New South Wales from its beginnings in 1788. It was also at the heart...

    TAGS: Australia, Sydney

    An unexpected Rusty Compass journey - an aortic dissection
    09 Sep 2020

    An unexpected Rusty Compass journey - an aortic dissection

    2020 has been a crazy year for everyone. For most of us (except Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and other tech titans), it's been a year of challenges -...
    Vietnam and the coronavirus - an unreliable travel guide
    18 Mar 2020

    Vietnam and the coronavirus - an unreliable travel guide

    This is a rolling blog of updates on the coronavirus COVID-19 in Vietnam and how it is impacting travel in the country. As of this update (18...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, coronavirus, update, blog

    My most memorable stay of 2019 - Mu Cang Chai Ecolodge, Vietnam
    21 Jan 2020

    My most memorable stay of 2019 - Mu Cang Chai Ecolodge, Vietnam

    As 2019 ended, I thought about the dozens of places I stayed during my many months on the road. It struck me that my most memorable stay was at a...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Yen Bai, Mu Canh Chai Ecolodge, ecotourism

    Is the tide turning against heritage destruction in Vietnam?
    09 Jul 2019

    Is the tide turning against heritage destruction in Vietnam?

    The past decade has been devastating for Vietnam’s built heritage. Three recent decisions suggest that the tide may be finally turning in favour of...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, heritage, Saigon,

    The other remarkable thing about Pu Luong Vietnam? No piles of plastic
    07 May 2019

    The other remarkable thing about Pu Luong Vietnam? No piles of plastic

    Pu Luong, around four hours south of Hanoi, looks set to become the “next’ destination in Vietnam’s breathtaking mountainous north. And one of the...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Pu Luong, plastic, environment

    One of Vietnam's most historic churches faces demolition
    01 May 2019

    One of Vietnam's most historic churches faces demolition

    Vietnam’s three decades of rapid economic growth have not been so good for the country’s built heritage. The distinctive Bui Chu Cathedral in Nam...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Hanoi, Bui Chu, Nam Dinh, history, church

    Vietnam in the 1990s - Qantas returns to Saigon
    15 Apr 2019

    Vietnam in the 1990s - Qantas returns to Saigon

    In December 1990, I was aboard the first post-war Qantas flight to operate between Australia and Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon). It was a time...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, Qantas, 1990, flights

    Vietnam's first international tourism campaign - from 1991?
    19 Feb 2019

    Vietnam's first international tourism campaign - from 1991?

    I’m gonna hazard a guess that this was the first post-war Vietnam tourism promotion in a Western country. It was 1991 and Vietnam was just opening...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Hue, tourism, marketing,

    The drone - a symbol of heavy-handed self-centred tourism
    21 Nov 2018

    The drone - a symbol of heavy-handed self-centred tourism

    The drone has arrived. These high-impact flying machines are coming to a beautiful place near you. The drone has transitioned from professional...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Hoi An, drones, tourism, overtourism

    A new heritage landmark in Hanoi?
    22 Oct 2018

    A new heritage landmark in Hanoi?

    A grand heritage building is being renovated in Hanoi’s picturesque Ba Dinh District. This is the nicest part of the capital - though few visitors...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Hanoi, heritage, architecture,

    Tips for taking photos in Vietnam - people and ideas of beauty
    08 Oct 2018

    Tips for taking photos in Vietnam - people and ideas of beauty

    Taking photos of the local people you encounter as a traveller is complicated anywhere. In Vietnam, the locals have been remarkably amenable to...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Hanoi, photography, culture,

    A peek inside one of Hanoi's grand colonial villas
    14 Sep 2018

    A peek inside one of Hanoi's grand colonial villas

    A French colonial villa on Hanoi’s Chan Cam St has become one of the most photographed colonial ruins in the city. These days it’s occupied by...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Hanoi, architecture, colonial era, ceramics,

    Angkor has been protected from the worst tourism excesses - someone should be thanked
    17 Aug 2018

    Angkor has been protected from the worst tourism excesses - someone should be thanked

    I spend more time than I would like lamenting the degradation of the places I visit while covering Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia for Rusty Compass....

    TAGS: Cambodia, Siem Reap, tourism, UNESCO,

    Saigon's pavements - yes, they're still getting worse
    06 Aug 2018

    Saigon's pavements - yes, they're still getting worse

    Saigon’s failed campaign to improve its sidewalks has left them more dangerous than ever. It’s a disaster for locals and visitors and the reputation...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, pavements, walking, travel, cities

    Tet in Saigon - a time to think about arrivals and departures
    27 Feb 2018

    Tet in Saigon - a time to think about arrivals and departures

    Saigon has been a city of immigrants from its founding in the 17th century. At Tet, as much of the city headed home to villages and towns across the...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, Saigon, pollution, liveability,

    Introducing a special new tour by Rusty Compass - Vietnam by the Book
    07 Feb 2018

    Introducing a special new tour by Rusty Compass - Vietnam by the Book

    It's more than 25 years since I ran my first tour through Vietnam. After a long break from leading tours, I now head back out on the road each year...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Hanoi, Old Compass Travel, Old Compass Travel Book Club

    Travel tech update - From the Apple iPhone to the Oppo F5
    27 Jan 2018

    Travel tech update - From the Apple iPhone to the Oppo F5

    I’ve switched from one of the most expensive phones on the market - the Apple iPhone - to one of the cheapest -an OPPO F5. And so far, I’m very...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, oppo F5, telephone

    Meeting the man who played Nguyen Van Troi - Robert McNamara’s would be assassin
    03 Jan 2018

    Meeting the man who played Nguyen Van Troi - Robert McNamara’s would be assassin

    On a recent visit to Hanoi, I randomly met the delightful Mr Binh on the street. Now 82 year old, he found fame on the stage in the 60s and 70s...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Hanoi, Mr Binh, Nguyen Van Troi, Robert McNamara,

    2017 - our year of travel in video
    15 Dec 2017

    2017 - our year of travel in video

    Another year exploring Vietnam passes. Here are some video favourites from my travels. Plenty of magical moments have been had. But worries about...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Hanoi, video, Youtube

    Postcard from Hue - in search of Tet 1968
    04 Dec 2017

    Postcard from Hue - in search of Tet 1968

    We travel to Hue in central Vietnam, 50 years after the Tet Offensive, searching for traces of the Battle of Hue - one of the longest and bloodiest...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Hue, Tet Offensive, Battle of Hue, history, Vietnam War

    Visiting Saigon's historic rooftop - symbol of the end of the Vietnam War
    19 Nov 2017

    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 choppers...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, Pittman Apartments, Larry Berman,

    Remembering Kim Sinh in Hanoi
    08 Nov 2017

    Remembering Kim Sinh in Hanoi

    One of the first Rusty Compass YouTube videos I shot way back in 2008, featured Vietnamese virtuoso guitar player Kim Sinh, collaborating with...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Hanoi, Music, kim sinh, guitar,

    Vale Vann Molyvann - giant of Cambodian architecture and symbol of an age of optimism
    02 Oct 2017

    Vale Vann Molyvann - giant of Cambodian architecture and symbol of an age of optimism

    One of the most rewarding things of decades getting to know Cambodia, has been learning of the work of modernist architect Vann Molyvann. Considered...

    TAGS: Cambodia, Phnom Penh, architecture, Vann Molyvann,

    Farewell Jungle Beach - one of Vietnam's original
    12 Sep 2017

    Farewell Jungle Beach - one of Vietnam's original "back to nature" resorts closes

    Jungle Beach Resort north of Nha Trang on Vietnam’s central coast will soon close its flimsy bamboo doors for the last time. We hope this doesn’t...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Nha Trang, Ninh Hoa, resort, development

    Two Hanoi Banh Mi stalls - a tale of travel in the age of Tripadvisor
    05 Sep 2017

    Two Hanoi Banh Mi stalls - a tale of travel in the age of Tripadvisor

    Two banh mi stalls in Hanoi’s Old Quarter tell an interesting story of travel in the age of Tripadvisor.

    TAGS: Vietnam, Hanoi, banh mi, sandwich, Old Quarter, Banh Mi 25, Banh Mi Hang Ca

    The train from Phan Thiet to Saigon
    18 Jul 2017

    The train from Phan Thiet to Saigon

    We travelled by train from Phan Thiet on Vietnam’s southern coast back to Saigon. Was a great ride - highly recommended.

    TAGS: Vietnam, Mui Ne, trains, local life, Phan Thiet

    Saigon travel update 2017 - 3 cool new hotels
    28 Jun 2017

    Saigon travel update 2017 - 3 cool new hotels

    These three new Saigon hotels deserve a look. They all opened over the past year and they’re all doing things a little differently.

    TAGS: Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, boutique, design, hotels

    A most unlikely place - Vietnam's cutest village?
    20 Jun 2017

    A most unlikely place - Vietnam's cutest village?

    It’s an unlikely place to be described as Vietnam’s cutest village, but Quy Hoa, outside of Quy Nhon, is a charmer. It’s home to an amazing...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Quy Nhon, quy hoa, leper colony, history, architecture

    Vietnam’s first international resort was simple and low impact. What happened after that?
    12 Jun 2017

    Vietnam’s first international resort was simple and low impact. What happened after that?

    We revisit Coco Beach Resort in Mui Ne - Vietnam’s first international beach resort - and ask what’s happened to resort development since it opened...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Mui Ne, resorts, tourism development, Phuket, environment

    Talking plastic with Vincent Mourou from Marou chocolate
    01 Jun 2017

    Talking plastic with Vincent Mourou from Marou chocolate

    Last week we began a little initiative to reduce the amount of plastic waste in Vietnam’s hospitality industry - and to help raise public awareness...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, Marou Chocolate, Maison Marou, Plastic waste, Vincent Mourou

    The battle for Saigon’s pavements is over - the motorbikes won
    29 May 2017

    The battle for Saigon’s pavements is over - the motorbikes won

    If Saigon's recent pavement clearing campaign was designed to make the city safe for walking, it's failed. Meanwhile, Hanoi's embracing walking with...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, walking, city planning, traffic

    Environment: Doing something about Vietnam's plastic problem
    22 May 2017

    Environment: Doing something about Vietnam's plastic problem

    Cities and countries around the world are getting serious about reducing the amount of plastic waste they produce. In Vietnam, the tourism industry...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Phu Quoc Island, plastic, pollution, environment

    Meet this adorable Hanoi couple
    17 May 2017

    Meet this adorable Hanoi couple

    Check out this beautiful old Hanoi couple. They’ll warm your heart.

    TAGS: Vietnam, Hanoi, people, Hanoi, adorable couple

    Beautiful ruins: The abandoned Franciscan Mission in Dalat Vietnam
    22 Apr 2017

    Beautiful ruins: The abandoned Franciscan Mission in Dalat Vietnam

    We love a good ruin. This crumbling complex of church buildings, an abandoned Franciscan Mission outside of Dalat, maybe the most stunning we’ve...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Dalat, ruins, Franciscan Mission, architecture

    The rise, fall, and rise and fall, of the Dalat Palace Hotel
    11 Apr 2017

    The rise, fall, and rise and fall, of the Dalat Palace Hotel

    In Vietnam, historic hotels mostly don’t get much love. The Metropole in Hanoi and the La Residence in Hue are exceptions. In the past, you’d have...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Dalat, Dalat Palace Hotel, heritage, renovation

    An unexploded shell on An Bang Beach, Hoi An
    04 Apr 2017

    An unexploded shell on An Bang Beach, Hoi An

    Unexploded ordnance (UXO) still kills in Vietnam. Victims tend to be poor farmers and their family members. I’ve never heard of a tourist being...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Hoi An, An Bang Beach, shell, ordnance, UXO,

    Saigon's pavements still a disaster for tourists and walkers
    23 Mar 2017

    Saigon's pavements still a disaster for tourists and walkers

    Saigon’s campaign to clear sidewalks sounded like a great idea for tourism. Now we’re not so sure.

    TAGS: Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, tourism, pavements, motorbikes, walking

    Kong saved Skull Island - can Vogt-Roberts save Vietnam’s besieged natural treasures?
    20 Mar 2017

    Kong saved Skull Island - can Vogt-Roberts save Vietnam’s besieged natural treasures?

    Jordan Vogt-Roberts, director of the recently released, “Kong: Skull Island” has been made a tourism ambassador for Vietnam. We hope he uses his new...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Halong Bay, Quang Binh, Kong Skull Island,

    Hanoi or Saigon - which of Vietnam's big cities is best for travellers?
    12 Mar 2017

    Hanoi or Saigon - which of Vietnam's big cities is best for travellers?

    A traveller’s guide to making decisions between Vietnam’s two main cities - Hanoi and Saigon aka. Ho Chi Minh City.

    TAGS: Vietnam, Hanoi, travel, things to do,

    A walk along the railway tracks in Hanoi
    27 Feb 2017

    A walk along the railway tracks in Hanoi

    You wouldn’t normally recommend walking along railway tracks  - but we had a surprisingly interesting wander along the northern line in the centre...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Hanoi, trains, local life

    This beautiful Vietnam heritage resort may never see the light of day
    23 Feb 2017

    This beautiful Vietnam heritage resort may never see the light of day

    Vietnam has built thousands of hotels and resorts over the past twenty years. Few have made an effort to capture the essence of traditional...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Ninh Binh, heritage, architecture, Tam Coc

    Exploring the amazing Catholic churches of Ninh Binh and Nam Dinh
    17 Jan 2017

    Exploring the amazing Catholic churches of Ninh Binh and Nam Dinh

    While visitors flock to Ninh Binh in Vietnam’s north to see the remains of the ancient capital of Hoa Lu, and the spectacular caves and karst...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Ninh Binh, churches, Nam Dinh. Bui Chu, Hai Ly, Phat Diem

    Video: Future Saigon - change at Pasteur and Le Loi downtown
    28 Dec 2016

    Video: Future Saigon - change at Pasteur and Le Loi downtown

    The corner of Pasteur and Le Loi streets in the heart of Saigon, reveal a lot about the future shape of the city - good and bad. There are also some...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, architecture, downtown, Saigon Centre,

    2016 - our favourite travel videos
    21 Dec 2016

    2016 - our favourite travel videos

    A little collection of favourite videos from our travels in 2016 - Saigon, Hanoi, Laos and more. Enjoy!

    TAGS: Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, videos,

    The sad tale of Sapa's old market
    06 Dec 2016

    The sad tale of Sapa's old market

    Sapa now has a cable car to Vietnam’s highest mountain, but it's lost its old market. 

    TAGS: Vietnam, Sapa, market, old market, Hmong, Dzao

    Village walks around Sapa, Vietnam
    29 Nov 2016

    Village walks around Sapa, Vietnam

    The countryside around Sapa in Vietnam’s northwest, is glorious. This video captures an afternoon walk we took in Sin Chai village not far from Sapa...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Sapa, Sin Chai, trekking, walking, walks,

    Vietnam's best museum? The Ho Chi Minh Museum, Hanoi
    26 Nov 2016

    Vietnam's best museum? The Ho Chi Minh Museum, Hanoi

    The Ho Chi Minh Museum in Hanoi's Ba Dinh Square is unique in a country with no shortage of museums. It brings together the incredible life of Ho...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Hanoi, museums, Ho Chi Minh,

    Heritage tourism: Is Vietnam finally getting serious about its incredible history?
    22 Nov 2016

    Heritage tourism: Is Vietnam finally getting serious about its incredible history?

    After decades of neglect, there are signs Vietnam may be about to finally get serious about heritage and historical tourism.

    TAGS: Vietnam, Hanoi, heritage, tourism, history

    Scaling Fansipan, Vietnam's highest peak - by cable car
    01 Nov 2016

    Scaling Fansipan, Vietnam's highest peak - by cable car

    A cable car to Vietnam’s highest peak, Mount Fansipan, opened in early 2016. It’s transforming tourism to Sapa, the once sleepy hillstation set...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Sapa, fansipan, cable car,

    Walking the colonial era gems of Hanoi's French Quarter
    20 Oct 2016

    Walking the colonial era gems of Hanoi's French Quarter

    Hanoi's French Quarter is a great place for exploring the city's French colonial architectural heritage. The walking is easy and there's a great...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Hanoi, French Quarter, architecture, Ernest Hebrard,

    Airbnb in Saigon - a colonial era ruin springs to life
    03 Oct 2016

    Airbnb in Saigon - a colonial era ruin springs to life

    Airbnb is taking the travel world by storm. I recently visited a couple of Airbnb apartments in one of Saigon's most interesting colonial era...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, Nguyen Van Hao, architecture, history, Airbnb, hotels

    Ernest Hebrard’s Indochina - a tour of the buildings of the Indochine architect
    25 Sep 2016

    Ernest Hebrard’s Indochina - a tour of the buildings of the Indochine architect

    Indochine architect Ernest Hebrard's work is impossible to miss if you're travelling in Hanoi. He left his mark on Saigon, Phnom Penh and Dalat as...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Hanoi, Ernest Hebrard, architecture, colonialism, Saigon, Phnom Penh

    The streets of Saigon, then and now - the 90's and 2016
    08 Sep 2016

    The streets of Saigon, then and now - the 90's and 2016

    I recently uncovered some more video of Saigon, shot from the back of my Honda Cub 50 in the early 90’s. Back then, Saigon was a city of bicycles...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, architecture, then and now, 1990's, Dong Khoi St, development, history

    Visting a leper colony - Quy Hoa in Quy Nhon, Vietnam
    30 Aug 2016

    Visting a leper colony - Quy Hoa in Quy Nhon, Vietnam

    It’s hard to imagine anywhere less enticing, or less appropriate for tourism, than a leper colony. But Quy Hoa leper colony on Vietnam’s central...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Quy Nhon, Quy Hoa, leper colony, Han Mac Tu

    Cold War relic - the hydrofoil from Saigon to Vung Tau
    08 Aug 2016

    Cold War relic - the hydrofoil from Saigon to Vung Tau

    The old Russian hydrofoils plying the Saigon river to the coastal city of Vung Tau, give an interesting experience of the river, and a fantastic...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Vung Tau, Vung Tau, hydrofoil, Saigon River,

    Avoiding dodgy tourist taxis in Saigon and Hanoi
    04 Aug 2016

    Avoiding dodgy tourist taxis in Saigon and Hanoi

    A little reminder that tourists are targeted by dodgy taxis in Saigon and Hanoi - and the country’s most popular tourist sights seem to be lending...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, taxis, scams,

    Returning to Long Tan and Nui Dat - 50th anniversary
    01 Aug 2016

    Returning to Long Tan and Nui Dat - 50th anniversary

    We return to Nui Dat and Long Tan, 50 years after the establishment of Australia’s Vietnam War base there - and weeks before the 50th anniversary of...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Vung Tau, Nui Dat, Long Tan, Vietnam War, Australia, 1st ATF,

    Two old architectural gems in Hanoi
    20 Jul 2016

    Two old architectural gems in Hanoi

    I managed to get up close with two old French colonial gems in Hanoi at the weekend. They're favourite creations from French architect, Ernest...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Hanoi, Ernest Hebrard, architecture, Indochine architecture,

    Saigon in 2001 - making Graham Greene's
    04 Jul 2016

    Saigon in 2001 - making Graham Greene's "The Quiet American"

    There was plenty of excitement in Saigon in 2001 when Hollywood descended for the film remake of Graham Greene’s classic novel, The Quiet...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, The Quiet American, film, 2001, Phillip Noyce, Graham Greene

    Neil Finn plays Saigon, Australia Day 1998
    28 Jun 2016

    Neil Finn plays Saigon, Australia Day 1998

    In 1998, legendary Kiwi singer songwriter Neil Finn, headed up to Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam with Mark Seymour from Australian rock band Hunters and...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, Saigon, Neil Finn, Australia Day

    Lunch in Cabramatta with Kim and Carl Robinson - Weekly walk 6
    19 Jun 2016

    Lunch in Cabramatta with Kim and Carl Robinson - Weekly walk 6

    We meet old friends Kim and Carl again - this time in the Sydney suburb of Cabramatta. Cabramatta is another Vietnamese enclave in the city with...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, Cabramatta, Sydney, refugees

    Weekly Walk 5 - lunch in Bankstown with Kim and Carl Robinson
    10 Jun 2016

    Weekly Walk 5 - lunch in Bankstown with Kim and Carl Robinson

    In this weekly walk, I head to Bankstown in Sydney’s west for a Vietnamese meal with old friends Kim and Carl Robinson.

    TAGS: Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, Carl Robinson, Bankstown, eating, Go Cong

    Bob Kerrey, the War Remnants Museum and Fulbright University
    06 Jun 2016

    Bob Kerrey, the War Remnants Museum and Fulbright University

    Fulbright University, a new private institution in Ho Chi Minh City affiliated with Harvard's Kennedy School, has appointed former US Senator and...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, Thanh Phong, War Remnants Museum, War Crimes,

    Farewell Cargo Saigon - you'll be missed
    02 Jun 2016

    Farewell Cargo Saigon - you'll be missed

    Last week Saigon bade farewell to Cargo, a live music and event space in a converted shipping warehouse that's played an outsized role in enriching...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, cargo, nightlife, city planning,

    The Nam Ou river journey between Muang Khua and Nong Khiaw to Luang Prabang, Laos
    16 May 2016

    The Nam Ou river journey between Muang Khua and Nong Khiaw to Luang Prabang, Laos

    The slow boat along the Nam Ou River between Muang Khua and Nong Khiaw - is one of Asia’s most spectacular. But things are changing quickly here...

    TAGS: Laos, Luang Prabang, Muang Khua, Nong Khiaw, Nam Ou River, slow boat,

    Presidents, poisoned fish and protests - a travel guide to a big week in Vietnam
    16 May 2016

    Presidents, poisoned fish and protests - a travel guide to a big week in Vietnam

    Barack Obama, protests, mass fish poisonings and National Assembly elections - a travel guide to a big week in Vietnam

    TAGS: Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, fish poisoning, protest, President Obama, elections

    Road trip - Dien Bien Phu Vietnam to Muang Khua Laos
    05 May 2016

    Road trip - Dien Bien Phu Vietnam to Muang Khua Laos

    In this road trip, we travel from Dien Bien Phu in north western Vietnam, to Muang Khua in northern Laos. This was part of a longer journey between...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Dien Bien Phu, Muang Khua, public bus,

    Weeping for Saigon - the destruction of Ba Son Shipyard
    28 Apr 2016

    Weeping for Saigon - the destruction of Ba Son Shipyard

    The demolition of Saigon’s historic Ba Son shipyard, is a new low in the city’s growing catalogue of heritage tragedies.

    TAGS: Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, heritage, Ba Son shipyard, history

    Mournful Hawaiian guitar on Saigon’s streets
    15 Apr 2016

    Mournful Hawaiian guitar on Saigon’s streets

    Last night I stumbled across this guy, Mr Vinh Phuong, playing Hawaiian guitar outside the Rex Hotel in downtown Saigon.

    TAGS: Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, Hawaiian guitar, music, Mr Phuong, Rex Hotel

    Livin' in the '60s - Chu Bar Saigon
    31 Mar 2016

    Livin' in the '60s - Chu Bar Saigon

    Last Friday I took a detour from the usual Saigon Friday routine and returned to the Chu Bar. More than a decade ago I was a regular. It was a great...

    TAGS: Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, music, Chu Bar, rock,

    What happened to Vietnam's ancient ruins?
    23 Mar 2016

    What happened to Vietnam's ancient ruins?

    I’ve long been puzzled by the fact that there are few surviving structural remnants of Vietnam’s 4000 years of history.

    TAGS: Vietnam, Hoi An, Cham, champa, ruins, history

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