Known as the ‘Roof of Indochina’, Mount Fansipan is the highest mountain in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. At 3,143m (10,312ft) it’s a ‘real’ mountain. But Fansipan can be climbed independently, without a guide or porters or any specialist climbing equipment, in one day….. Continue reading
In the misty forests on the slopes of the B’lao mountains, the young Buddhist monk, Thích Nhất Hạnh, came to build a retreat in the late 1950s. Now a world-famous spiritual leader, Thich Nhat Hanh was forced to abandon the retreat in the 1960s, but the site still exists…. Continue reading
Rattling through the night from the capital city, along the Red River Valley, and into the northwest mountains surrounding Lao Cai on the Chinese border, the Fanxipan Express is a romantic rail journey that’s cheap, comfortable & easy to organize…. Continue reading
Some 90 minutes from Saigon, Núi Dinh Mountain is an unexpected swell of high ground rising above flat floodplains. The mountain offers a peaceful retreat into trees & streams on its rocky slopes, upon which perch dozens of temples & pagodas…. Continue reading
The La Nga River and Thac Ba Waterfall offer freshwater bathing, lush jungle, mountain scenery and opportunities for wild camping, all within a few hours’ drive of Saigon. It’s a great inland escape for city-dwellers with their own wheels…. Continue reading
One of my favourite corners of Vietnam, this is my film of riding the Northeast Loop by motorbike… Continue reading
The northeast is a bucolic corner of Vietnam: a garden of rice fields, forests, lakes & rivers ambling through limestone corridors. Meandering back-roads & freshly-sealed highways lead through three provinces: Cao Bang, Lang Son & Bac Kan… Continue reading
In the rugged mountains of northwestern Vietnam, the town of Bắc Hà holds a big, bright and busy market every Sunday. Attracting colourfully dressed ethnic minorities from across the region, the market has become a major magnet for tourists… Continue reading
Ban Gioc Waterfall is one of Vietnam’s most impressive natural sights, yet very few foreign travellers make it here. Located right on the Chinese border in a beautiful pastoral landscape, Ban Gioc is the widest & most scenic waterfall in the country… Continue reading
Connecting two of the most mountainous provinces in Vietnam, this motorbike route straddles the Chinese border, passing through some of the remotest parts of the country… Continue reading
In the winter of 1941, Ho Chi Minh returned to Vietnam for the first time in 30 years. For several weeks he lived in Pac Bo Cave. Right on Vietnam’s northeastern frontier with China, Pac Bo is an important historical site in an enchanting location… Continue reading
Every year, from summer to autumn, the terraced rice fields of Mù Cang Chải, a rural district in northern Vietnam’s Yen Bai Province, put on a luminous show of picturesque harvest colours. I call this spectacular sight ‘The Theatre of Rice’…. Continue reading
A vicarious tour of the region’s best cascades… Continue reading
Dalat is located in Lâm Đồng Province, a mountainous region that boasts lots of waterfalls. I visited them all, in order to compile this list & guide to the waterfalls of Dalat & the surrounding area. Many of the falls are truly spectacular, while some are ruined by tourist development… Continue reading
Watch the sun set over purple mountains cloaked in pine forests stretching into the misty distance, with the smell of wood smoke & coffee blossom scenting the cool highland air, as you camp in the hills north of Dalat… Continue reading
My guide to where to eat & drink in the former French colonial hill station of Dalat, high up in the Annamite Mountains. Continue reading
If you’re looking for a road trip within reach of Saigon that takes you to beaches & mountains, but stays off busy main roads; this is it. Saigon, Mui Ne, & Dalat are all connected by quiet, scenic back-roads: this motorbike guide shows you how to do it. Continue reading
Homestays in Vietnam offer some of the best value accommodation and food that’s available anywhere in the country. The homestays in Bản Hiêu, a village on a mountainside in the stunning landscape of Pù Luông Nature Reserve, are some of the most atmospheric and romantic you could hope to find. Continue reading
Thanh Hóa is a province of limestone pinnacles, rivers and rice paddies. Quiet roads meander through steep valleys cloaked in bamboo forests, and mountain passes twist skyward towards remote Lao border crossings. New highways and upgraded roads have cut travel time between Thanh Hóa Province and Hanoi to within 2 or 3 hours. Continue reading
"I'm Tom. I've lived, travelled and worked in Vietnam since 2005, and I love it here. Vietnam Coracle is my way of making sure you'll love it too...." Read more
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