Backpacker dorms, family homestays, boutique farmstays & luxurious lakeside bungalows: here’s my independent guide to accommodation in & around Phong Nha…. Continue reading
Where to Stay in Phong Nha: A Guide
Category Archives: HOTEL REVIEWS
Vu Linh Homestays, Thac Ba Lake
Vu Linh is a rural commune on the eastern shores of Thac Ba Lake, where several excellent homestays offer atmospheric lodgings & access to the lake & local community…. Continue reading
Panhou Village Ecolodge, Ha Giang
Deep within the folds of steep mountains & plunging valleys, Panhou Village Ecolodge is set in the middle of a remote & seldom-visited part of Ha Giang, Vietnam’s northernmost province…. Continue reading
Auberge de Meo Vac Mountain Lodge, Ha Giang
A timber, tile & rammed-earth structure encircling a stone courtyard surrounded by a stone wall with haunting limestone peaks looming all around, the Auberge de Meo Vac is a remarkably atmospheric place to stay in Vietnam’s northernmost province, Ha Giang…. Continue reading
Elegant Suites Westlake, Hanoi
Comfy, smart & luxurious but unpretentious, Elegant Suites is a great alternative to staying in the cramped streets of Hanoi’s Old Quarter. Located in the well-to-do district of West Lake, it’s a chance to see a different, albeit more affluent, side of the capital. The facilities are fantastic & it’s perfect for families, couples, or business travellers…. Continue reading
Ba Be Lake Homestays
At Ba Be Lake, limestone cliffs meet the placid water at right angles, creating a spectacular backdrop to Vietnam’s largest natural lake. On its southern shores, where the terrain is slightly less vertical, several dozen homestays offer cheap, atmospheric accommodation & excellent home-cooked food…. Continue reading
Hoi An Waterway Resort
Sitting on the palm-studded banks of a narrow channel, Hoi An Waterway Resort boasts river views, superbly designed rooms, a low-key ambience, lush gardens & a good swimming pool. Low rates make Hoi An Waterway excellent value for money…. Continue reading
Villa Hue Hotel
This gem of a hotel is located on a quiet yet central street in Hue, walking distance from the Perfume River & Royal Citadel. Drawing on modern, French colonial & Imperial Vietnamese decor & design, Villa Hue is superb value for money… Continue reading
Aira Boutique Sapa Hotel & Spa
On the edge of Sapa town, Aira Boutique is a brightly-painted, alpine-style lodge affording spectacular vistas across the plunging, mist-filled valley, with the jagged peak of Mount Fansipan casting a long shadow over the scene. Aira is one of Sapa’s best higher-end accommodations… Continue reading
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… Continue reading
Floating Lotus Lake Homestays, Mekong Delta
In the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap, a collection of bamboo & palm-thatch huts on wooden stilts above a sea of lotus flowers, offer a night in a hammock or on a futon under a mosquito net, just a few feet above the frogs, the fish & the flowers… Continue reading
Lasenta Boutique Hotel, Hoi An
A comfortable & aesthetically pleasing synthesis of the exotic & the familiar, the modern & the traditional, and Asian & European elements, Lasenta Boutique Hotel is yet another addition to Hoi An’s list of excellent value, mid-range accommodation… Continue reading
Binh Chau Hot Springs Resort & Spa
Just a couple hours’ drive from Saigon, Binh Chau Hot Springs Resort & Spa has improved it’s facilities and aesthetics in recent years: it’s now a lush, relaxing and satisfying retreat from the city…. Continue reading
Liberty Central Hotel, Nha Trang
Liberty Central Nha Trang is a contemporary, stylish, high-rise hotel just a block from the beach. Featuring elegant, minimalist decor, extraordinary sea views, rooftop bar & its own section of beach, Liberty Central is a solid place to stay in Nha Trang…. Continue reading
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…. Continue reading
The Myst Dong Khoi, Saigon
The Myst is a new, quirky, stylish & elegant boutique hotel in the heart of downtown Saigon. From its enigmatic exterior to its eccentric interiors, The Myst is a bold & unique addition to the high-end hotel scene in Ho Chi Minh City… Continue reading
Leman Cap Resort, Vung Tau
Sitting on the rocks above Vung Tau’s attractive seafront promenade, Leman Cap Resort is an excellent option for expats or mid-range travellers looking to escape Saigon for a couple of nights by the sea… Continue reading
Victoria Nui Sam Mountain Lodge
Built on a rocky escarpment near the summit of a scared mountain, Victoria Nui Sam Lodge offers tasteful, well-appointed rooms with fantastic views over acres of rice fields. It makes a great stopover when travelling through the Mekong Delta… Continue reading
Hotel Nikko, Saigon
Ever since it opened a few years ago, Hotel Nikko has set the standard for modern, sleek, chic, high-end accommodation in Saigon. Its success has spawned many decent imitators in the city, but Nikko still has the edge over its competitors… Continue reading
Silk Path Hotel, Hanoi
Walking distance from Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem Lake, the Silk Path Hotel offers clean, crisp, modern and comfortable rooms in the capital. Stylish yet restrained, Silk Path is a good, solid mid-range hotel for couples or families visiting Hanoi… Continue reading
Cat Tien National Park: Where to Stay
Traditional longhouses, luxury safari tents, bamboo huts, camping under tall trees: accommodation in & around Cat Tien National Park is atmospheric, good value and, more often than not, environmentally & socially responsible… Continue reading
Silverland Jolie Hotel & Spa, Saigon
Pseudo-colonial decor, a very central location, good river views, and a lush rooftop bar and spa make Silverland Jolie a cosy nest in which to base yourself while visiting Saigon… Continue reading
Vinh Hy Bay Resort
Vinh Hy is a gorgeous natural harbour between Phan Rang and Nha Trang. At the centre of the pretty bay and fishing village, there’s an excellent-value place to stay. Vinh Hy Resort is perfect if you’re on a road trip along the coast… Continue reading
The Hotel on the Western Ho Chi Minh Road
The Western Ho Chi Minh Road is one of the most spectacular & isolated routes in Vietnam. For nearly 240km there is no accommodation. But that’s all changed now, with the opening of the first & only hotel on the Western Ho Chi Minh Road… Continue reading
Ocean Dunes Resort, Phan Thiet
On the beach in Phan Thiet City, the Ocean Dunes Resort is excellent value for money. Offering high-end amenities at mid-range prices, the Ocean Dunes is a great option for budget travellers looking for a slice of luxury and, because of its wide greens spaces, for families… Continue reading
Mango Bay Resort, Phu Quoc Island
By now, most travellers & expats know about Mango Bay Resort on Phu Quoc Island. It’s been around for over a decade & withstood the massive changes the island has gone through. But, despite increasing competition, Mango Bay is still the best place to go if you want to live the tropical island fantasy for a few days… Continue reading
The Northern Hotel, Saigon
In the shadow of downtown Saigon’s high-rises, the Northern Hotel sits on a quiet street in the affluent yet quirky enclave known as the Japanese district. A five minute walk from such major landmarks as the Opera House and the Saigon River, the Northern Hotel offers very comfortable, mid-range accommodation… Continue reading
The Grand Ho Tram Resort & Casino
Big, indulgent & exceptionally good quality, The Grand Resort & Casino marks the beginning of the transformation of the quiet & unassuming coastline of Ho Tram, into what is hoped will become Vietnam’s answer to Macau & Las Vegas…. Continue reading
Camping the Ocean Road: Saigon to Nha Trang
Pitch your tent under a coconut palm just metres from the surf & enjoy Vietnam’s south coast sleeping in the open air: This is my guide to camping on the beaches along the Ocean Road from Saigon to Nha Trang…. Continue reading
Edenstar Hotel: Saigon Mid-Range
Centrally located with a rooftop pool and sleek modern rooms, Edenstar is a solid Saigon mid-range hotel. Catering to all types of visitors, Edenstar is on a narrow street, lined with tall trees, and within walking distance of most of Saigon’s major attractions….. Continue reading
Ma Maison Boutique Hotel, Saigon
Hidden deep within a network of alleyways, Ma Maison is a warm, bright boutique hotel in a typical, local Saigon neighbourhood. Decorated in French Provençal fashion and located away from the city centre, Ma Maison plugs travellers straight into genuine local life… Continue reading
The Hanoi Impressive Hotel
In the quiet, shaded alleyways, behind the neo-Gothic façade of St Joseph’s Cathedral, the Hanoi Impressive Hotel is my go-to place to stay when visiting the capital. At around $45 a night, it’s fantastic mid-range value… Continue reading
Thanh Kieu Beach Resort, Phu Quoc Island
The unsung hero of seafront, mid-range accommodation on Long Beach, Thanh Kieu Resort is an exceptionally lush, peaceful, and unassuming place to stay on Phu Quoc Island. It’s been my go-to resort for years… Continue reading
Victoria Beach Resort, Mui Ne
One of the first luxury resorts to grace the sands of Mui Ne, Victoria Resort & Spa is still one of the best places to stay on this popular beach on Vietnam’s southeast coast. With lush tropical gardens & a long stretch of beach, Victoria is far more spacious than its competitors… Continue reading
Local Guest Houses: Nhà Nghỉ
Essential knowledge for the adventurous or budget traveller in Vietnam, ‘nhà nghỉ’ means ‘guest house’ in Vietnamese. However, this form of cheap accommodation often goes unnoticed by foreign travellers & suffers from a bad reputation among local people… Continue reading
Hotel Du Parc, Dalat
The Hotel Du Parc offers excellent value mid-range accommodation in the Central Highlands’ city of Dalat. Housed in a French building from the 1930s, this hotel has colonial ambience with modern amenities at very reasonable prices… Continue reading
Ana Mandara Villas, Dalat
17 beautifully restored French colonial villas on a pine-studded hillside, Ana Mandara Resort & Spa keeps the romance of Dalat alive. Luxury accommodation in the Central Highlands doesn’t get more atmospheric than this… Continue reading
Juliet’s Villa Resort
Surrounded by coffee farms, tea plantations, rice paddies & fruit trees, Juliet’s Villa Resort is a family-run, quiet, secluded & peaceful place to stay near Di Linh, a part of the Central Highlands most travellers overlook…. Continue reading
Ho Tram Beach Boutique Resort
Just a couple of hours southeast of Saigon, Ho Tram Beach Resort is one of Vietnam’s most tasteful & charming coastal retreats. It’s romantic, elegant, refined yet understated, and blends in with the natural surrounds…. Continue reading
Camping in Dalat
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
Homestays in Pu Luong Nature Reserve
Set among sublime landscape just a few hours southwest of Hanoi, the homestays in Pu Luong Nature Reserve are some of the most atmospheric & romantic places to stay anywhere in Vietnam…. Continue reading
