Wild Camping in Ninh Thuan Province, Vietnam

Wild Camping | Ninh Thuan Province

A rugged region of rocky mountains interlaced with blue rivers & streams falling over giant boulders, Ninh Thuận is wild camping country….

Nui Da Bia Mountain, Climbing Guide, Vietnam

Núi Đá Bia | Mountain Hike

A steep ascent to a giant freestanding boulder at its peak, the hike up Núi Đá Bia Mountain offers mesmerizing views…

My Green Hoodie: A Mongolian Sketch

My Green Hoodie: A Mongolian Sketch

The origin story of a piece of clothing I’ve worn for 20 years…

Camping on Trong Veo Stream, Dalat, Lam Dong, Vietnam

Camping on Trong Veo Stream

Wild camp by a cool, clear, freshwater stream amidst pine-studded hills & a beautiful waterfall near Dalat in the Central Highlands

Châu Đốc: Religious & Spiritual Sites in An Province, Mekong Delta, Vietnam

Chau Doc: Religious & Spiritual Sites in An Giang Province

Exploring the multiple faiths & religions of the Mekong Delta via a selection of places of worship in the western corner of the region…

Vietnam to Cambodia by Boat: Chau Doc to Phnom Penh

Vietnam to Cambodia by Boat

An express boat service from Châu Đốc, in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, across the international border to Phnom Penh, the Cambodian capital…

Thap Co Yen Hoa Tower and Cong Phu Tuong Gate, Nghe An, Vietnam

Yen Hoa Tower & Phu Tuong Gate

Deep in the mountains & jungles of remote north-central Vietnam, lie two mysterious historical sites in a state of romantic decay…

Hang Bua & Tham Om Caves, Nghe An Province, Vietnam

Hang Bua & Tham Om Caves

These intriguing limestone caverns are the site of the earliest known evidence of human activity in Vietnam…

Khe Kem Waterfall, Nghe An Province, Vietnam

Khe Kem Waterfall

Plunging through the thick jungles of Pù Mát National Park & cascading over a vertical rockface, Khe Kèm is an impressive natural sight…

Dam Tre Bay, Con Son Island, Con Dao Archipelago, Vietnam

Dam Tre Bay | Con Son Island

Turquoise water & abundant coral rimmed by forested hills & dramatic cliffs, Đầm Tre is one of Vietnam’s most pristine, remote & utterly magical bays…

Núi Đá Bạc Mountain Trekking Guide, Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam

Núi Đá Bạc Mountain Trek | Phu Quoc Island

Offering stupendous views, this is a fun & rewarding hike to the top of one of the jungle-clad escarpments lining Phu Quoc’s eastern flank…

Camping on Dragon Beach & the Northern Bays, Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam

Camping on Dragon Beach & the Northern Bays | Phu Quoc Island

Sleeping on the sands of the beautiful & deserted northern beaches is a real adventure & an experience that will stay with you for a long time…

Trekking to Đỉnh Tiên Sơn Peak | Phu Quoc Island

Trekking to Đỉnh Tiên Sơn Peak | Phu Quoc Island

Ascending steeply through thick rainforest, a pathway leads to a nest of giant boulders atop Đỉnh Tiên Sơn, from where there are stunning 180-degree views…

Ha Giang, Vietnam: A Picture Book

Ha Giang Province | Picture Book

One of the most visually arresting regions in the nation, Ha Giang is Vietnam’s northern-most province. This gallery features 50 images showcasing the beauty of Ha Giang in order to inspire wanderlust…

Film: A Day in Saigon, Redux

Film: Saigon, My Saigon [Redux]

Revisiting my short film of a day in the life of my local neighbourhood in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), where I’ve tried to capture the rhythm of life over 24 hours in the rainy season

New Year's Camping in the Pine Forests, Dalat, Vietnam

New Year’s Camping in the Pine Forests

To mark the end of 2020 (the ‘Lost Year’), my friends & I went on a wild camping trip in the pine forests of the Central Highlands: an activity that’s possible in Vietnam, even as many countries continue to endure lock-downs & social-distancing

Pirate Islands (Dao Hai Tac), Travel Guide, Vietnam

Pirate Islands (Đảo Hải Tặc) | Travel Guide

Lying in the Gulf of Thailand, just off Vietnam’s southwest coast, Pirate Islands is a rugged archipelago, only recently opened to foreign visitors…

Tam Hai Island, Quang Nam Province, Vietnam

Tam Hai Island: Travel Guide

A small & tranquil island at the mouth of a river, Tam Hai is within easy reach of Hoi An & Danang. This little island is a self-contained, peaceful world, with its own beauty, its own festivals, and its own resort….

Phu Quy Island, travel guide, Vietnam

Phu Quy Island: Travel Guide

A new & exciting destination, Phu Quy Island is but a drop of green land in the vast blue ocean, and has only very recently opened its doors to domestic & foreign travellers. A fascinating place with a real sense of isolation, this is my comprehensive guide to Phu Quy Island….

Hon Son Island, travel guide, Vietnam

Hon Son Island: Travel Guide

Hon Son Island is a gem. It’s a rugged yet green & exceptionally beautiful isle. With jungle-covered mountains rising from the ocean, peaceful fishing hamlets in picturesque bays, and palm-fringed beaches, Hon Son has got it all…

Nam Du Islands, Kien Giang Province, Vietnam

Nam Du Islands: Travel Guide

A glistening archipelago of small tropical islands off the southwestern coast of Vietnam, Nam Du is beautiful & undeveloped. With mesmerizing beaches & bays, a jungle-clad interior, and over 20 outlying islands, Nam Du is a treat…

Climbing Fansipan mountain independently, without a guide, Vietnam

A Guide to Climbing Mount Fansipan Independently

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…..

The beaches of Quy Nhon & Phu Yen, Vietnam

The Beaches of Quy Nhon & Phu Yen: A Guide

The beaches of Phu Yen Province & Quy Nhon have been laying low, but their popularity is on the rise: now is the time to visit this seductive coastal region, full of hidden bays, beaches & coves. This is an extensive guide to Vietnam’s next big beach destination….

Phuong Boi hill & forest, the Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh's retreat, Vietnam

Phương Bối Hill: The Buddhist Monk Thích Nhất Hạnh’s Retreat

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….

Vijaya Cham towers & citadel, Binh Dinh Province, Vietnam

The Cham Towers & Ancient Citadel of Vijaya

Scattered across the plains of Binh Dinh Province, the ruins of the ancient kingdom of Champa are a powerful reminder of the rich history of what is now Vietnam. Visiting the remains of the Cham towers & Vijaya citadel is a rewarding day trip from Quy Nhon….

Exploring life along Saigon's railway line, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Exploring Saigon’s Railway Tracks: A Guide

Lined with intriguing architecture, temples, shrines, pagodas, fruit trees, flowers, cafes, casual dining & other such urban miscellanea, exploring the lanes alongside Saigon’s railway tracks, on foot or on two wheels, is a fascinating experience….

Long Thuy beach village, Phu Yen Province, Vietnam

Long Thủy Beach Village, Phu Yen

More than just a lovely white sand beach & glistening sea; Long Thủy is also a charming network of narrow backstreets, lined with crumbling homes, small temples & cowsheds. Wandering through its tangle of alleyways is like stepping back several generations…

Tet Lunar New Year, 2018, Vietnam

On the Road & Under the Sky: Lunar New Year, 2018

Lunar New Year (Tết) is a time of gathering: of family & friends; of people & parties. But this year, I undertook to spend my Tết holiday in peace & solitude: I took my motorbike, my tent & my guitar & set off for 11 days on the road & under the sky…

Bai Rang Beach, Quy Nhon, Phu Yen, Vietnam

Bãi Rạng Beach, Quy Nhon

A small crescent of toast-gold sand lined with coconut palms & casuarina trees, Bãi Rạng Beach is squeezed between two rocky bluffs, 15km south of Quy Nhon. It’s still a local, working beach & remains undeveloped….

La Nga River & Thac Ba Waterfall

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….

Cam Ranh Bay, Cam Lap Promontory, Vietnam

Cam Ranh Bay: Cam Lap Promontory

Cam Lap Promontory is one of those rare places that’s easily accessible yet largely undeveloped and utterly beautiful. It’s the kind of place you fall in love with, and one that really does deserve the overused epithet of ‘hidden gem’….

My Saigon Video, by Vietnam Coracle

VIDEO: Saigon, My Saigon

My Saigon is not the high-rises or attractions of downtown. My Saigon is the local neighbourhood where I live – the alleyways, the market, and the people who inhabit it. In this film I’ve tried to capture the rhythm of daily life over 24 hours on a rainy season day in the area I live in…

Ban Gioc Waterfall, Cao Bang Province, Vietnam

Ban Gioc Waterfall: A Guide

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…

Pac Bo: Ho Chi Minh's Cave

Ho Chi Minh’s Cave: Hang Pác Bó

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…

Ho Ancient Citadel, Thành Nhà Hồ, Thanh Hóa Province, Vietnam

Ho Citadel

Rising from the rice paddies of north-central Vietnam, the impressive ruins of this 14th century former royal capital were designated a World Heritage site in 2011, yet few foreign travellers pay a visit to Ho Citadel.

Vung Ro Bay and Bai Mon Beach, Phu Yen, Vietnam

Vung Ro Bay & Bai Mon Beach

A gorgeous promontory on the south-central coast yet to be developed & remaining virtually untouched by mass-tourism…

Wild camping in Dalat, Vietnam

Camping in Dalat: A Guide

One of the best travel experiences in Vietnam’s Central Highlands is wild camping under a canopy pine trees in the misty mountains north of Dalat….

Exploring Saigon's alleyways, Vietnam

Walking Saigon’s Alleyways

Between all the busy main roads, Saigon is riddled with narrow alleyways, which are quiet, cool, charming and great for walking. Here are some of my favourite areas in the city for alley walks….

Hon Gom Sandbar, travel guide, Vietnam

Hon Gom Sandbar

Stretching 30km out to sea, like a giant causeway to a sunken castle, Hon Gom Sandbar is a beguiling peninsular on the south-central coast. A road leads along most of its length, offering access to deserted beaches, sheltered coves & isolated fishing hamlets…

Destinations Map

This is a map of all my Travel, Destination & Information Guides. Zoom in, click a marker, then click the link in the description to go directly to the guide.