First published July 2017 | Words and photos by Vietnam Coracle

This post was last updated 7 years ago. Please check the comments section for possible updates, or read more on my Updates & Accuracy page.

INTRODUCTION | VIDEOS | MAP | MORE POSTS

The Vietnam Coracle YouTube channel recently reached 100,000 views. Although I know this is a modest milestone by YouTube standards, I’ve decided to celebrate by compiling the following library of the top 5 most-viewed videos and my own top 5 favourite videos on the Vietnam Coracle channel. I make no claims as a video editor (it takes me days just to create a short, non-flashy, non-technical film), but I’ve enjoyed making these little clips over the last few years and, if nothing else, they serve as good animations to accompany some of the guides, articles, and reviews that I’ve written on Vietnam Coracle. The following videos also demonstrate the variety of my content – from road trips to street food to hotel reviews – and the rich diversity of Vietnam as a travel and food destination. Currently, my channel has 393 subscribers and displays 35 videos. Most of these date from at least a couple of years ago: this is because, as my site and traffic have grown, the demand for new written content has been my primary focus. However, I intend to make more short films in the near future, so if you’d like to subscribe to, or browse, the Vietnam Coracle YouTube channel, you can do so HERE.

A library of the most-viewed & my personal favourite videos to celebrate this milestone

VIDEOS: THE 5 MOST–VIEWED & MY 5 FAVOURITES

Below, are two separate video libraries, comprising a total of 10 short films. The first library displays the five most-viewed videos on the Vietnam Coracle channel, in descending order. The second library displays my five personal favourite videos on the Vietnam Coracle channel. Before each of the videos, I’ve included the film title, total view-count, run-time, date created, related link to the associated guide which the video is illustrating, and a brief description to give some context to the film. I’ve also plotted the film locations on my map. All videos are best viewed in HD, if the strength and speed of your internet connection allows it. Click a film from one of the libraries below to watch it:

The 5 Most-viewed Videos:

The Con Dao Islands
Bún Mắm Soup
Ho Tram Beach Boutique Resort
Saigon’s Hidden Cafes
Two Months on a Motorbike

My 5 Favourite Videos:

Saigon to Hanoi: Part 2: The Mountains
Homestays in Pu Luong Nature Reserve
Dalat’s Waterfalls
Hon Gom Sandbar
The Saigon River

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MAP:

Film Locations: RED=most-viewed | BLUE=my favourites

View in a LARGER MAP

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VIDEOS: THE 5 MOST–VIEWED

1. The Con Dao Islands:

Views: 21,836
Run time: 3:44
Date created: 6 May, 2013
Associated guide: The Con Dao Islands: A Guide
Brief note: The runaway leader in terms of number of views, this film showcases one of the most enchanting destinations in Vietnam. Yet, still very few foreign travellers visit this small archipelago, lying in the East Sea off Vietnam’s southeast coast. I remember working fairly obsessively on this video: spending nine straight hours editing it on my beanbag in my home in Saigon. (Nonetheless, see if you can spot the glaring punctuation mistake in the overlay titles.)

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2. Bún Mắm Soup, Saigon:

Views: 7,967
Run time: 1:54
Date created: 4 June, 2013
Associated guide: Bún Mắm: the Mekong in a Bowl
Brief note: A surprise ‘hit’ on my channel, this film focuses on a strange, pungent and delicious noodle soup called bún mắm. Full of ‘goodies’, chunky bits, and greenery, I first tried (and fell for) this soup at the locally-famous soup house featured in the film, which is just around the corner from my old house in Saigon. It’s a simple video but gives a good idea of what an informal Vietnamese eatery is like.

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3. Ho Tram Beach Boutique Resort:

Views: 6,681
Run time: 2:56
Date created: 10 February, 2014
Associated guide: Ho Tram Beach Boutique Resort
Brief note: I’m very pleased that this homage to one of my favourite resorts in Vietnam should be the third most-watched video on my channel. Ho Tram Beach Boutique is a delightful place to stay by the ocean, and it’s within easy reach of Saigon. Leafy, calm, beautifully-landscaped, low-rise and low-impact, I’ve been visiting for many years now, with family and friends. Listen to the celestial sound of the fabulous wind chimes at reception in the intro and outro of this film. The Vietnamese soundtrack is suitably nostalgic and charming for a resort such as this.

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4. Saigon‘s Hidden Cafes:

Views: 5,012
Run time: 2:25
Date created: 26 November, 2013
Associated guide: Saigon’s Hidden Cafes
Brief note: One of Saigon’s greatest strengths is its terrific cafe culture. In particular, the cafes hiding in the city’s nooks and crannies: down dead-end alleyways, deep inside crumbling old apartment complexes, and by the railroad. What makes these cafes even cooler, is that most of them are independently-owned; often run by young Vietnamese entrepreneurs. This film explores some of the locations, decor, and idiosyncrasies of Saigon’s hidden cafes. (Note: the ‘associated guide’ above needs an update – some of the locations of cafes may have changed.)

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5. Two Months on a Motorbike:

Views: 4,811
Run time: 6:08
Date created: 6 November, 2014
Associated guide: Two Months on a Motorbike: A Diary
Brief note: In the autumn of 2014, I embarked on a 9,000km, two-month motorbike road trip across the length and breadth of Vietnam. This was primarily a research trip, which provided me with material for dozens of future guides and articles. It was, of course, enormous fun, and each day I was on the road I filmed little clips of the life and landscape I encountered. When I returned to Saigon, I edited them together to create a short film that tries to capture the magic of life on the road in Vietnam. Sadly, YouTube has recently muted the film, because it contained a track by Led Zeppelin. So I have substituted the original video with my film of the Northeast Loop instead, which gives a similar feel of what motorbiking Vietnam is like. (If you want to watch the original film [now silent] you can do so here.)

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VIDEOS: MY 5 FAVOURITES

1. Saigon to Hanoi: Part 2: The Mountains

Views: 1,808
Run time: 4:19
Date created: 22 August, 2013
Associated guide: Saigon to Hanoi: 5 Suggested Routes
Brief note: When I first arrived in Vietnam, in 2005, I made a great friend, Sam. Sam stayed in Vietnam for nine months until, after an aborted attempt to ride the length of the country on a motorbike, he went back to the U.K. Eight years later, Sam returned to Vietnam to finish what he’d started: together we spent three wonderful weeks riding from Saigon to Hanoi. This video captures the second part of that road trip: the mountains.

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2. Homestays in Pu Luong Nature Reserve:

Views: 4,038
Run time: 2:27
Date created: 28 April, 2013
Associated guide: Homestays in Pu Luong Nature Reserve
Brief note: A couple of hours southwest of Hanoi, Pu Luong is an exceptionally scenic area of lush valleys, jagged limestone peaks, waterfalls, rivers, and bamboo homes clinging to hillsides. A few years ago, homestays started opening in this nature reserve, offering some of the most romantic accommodation you could hope to find. Inevitably, things have changed a bit since then – some of the homestays are now ’boutique eco-resorts’ – but the landscape is as captivating as ever. (Note: the ‘associated guide’ above needs an update – some of the information may have changed.)

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3. Dalat’s Waterfalls:

Views: 2,779
Run time: 2:45
Date created: 2 August, 2014
Associated guide: Dalat’s Waterfalls: A Guide
Brief note: Dalat is the darling of Vietnam’s Central Highlands region. But, these days, Dalat is a big, busy city. To really appreciate the area, it’s necessary to get out of town and visit the multitude of waterfalls that lie within 30 to 90 minutes’ drive of the city centre. While some of these cascades are kitsch tourist-traps, others are an impressive display of the power of nature. I was pleasantly surprised by how much fun it was to explore Dalat’s waterfalls.

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4. Hon Gom Sandbar:

Views: 889
Run time: 2:21
Date created: 4 July, 2013
Associated guide: Hon Gom Sandbar: A Guide
Brief note: There are some places in Vietnam that are certain to be major attractions in the future, but, for now, are almost deserted. Hon Gom Sandbar, on the south-central coast, in one such place. A sandy, rocky, and windswept promontory jutting some 30km out into the East Sea, this area is perfect for beachcombers and independent travellers on two wheels looking to get off the beaten track. A wide, new and entirely empty road leads almost all the way to the tip of the sandbar, revealing long stretches of wild beach and hidden coves.

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5. The Saigon River:

Views: 874
Run time: 3:58
Date created: 29 March, 2016
Associated guide: The Saigon River: A Guide
Brief note: Ever since I first arrived in Saigon, I’ve always enjoyed sitting by the Saigon River: watching its muddy waters sloping past the gleaming new high-rises of downtown, ships passing each other silently on the gentle swell. There’s something hypnotic and even enchanting about the river’s serene and constant progress as it passes through a city that is noisy, fast-paced, and ever-changing. In this film, I’ve tried to capture the serenity and scale of the river, as well as the juxtaposition of this natural body of water with Saigon’s rising skyline.