Hanoi
We stepped off the train in Hanoi at 5am in the morning and were greeted by the chill of a misty platform which was quickly filling up with taxi and tuk-tuk drivers. We had been advised to always go with one of the green and…
Tagged “Vietnam”
The Reunification Express
The Reunification Express (now more commonly referred to as the "North-South Railway" outside of the tourist brochures) runs from Saigon to Hanoi - spanning 1,000 miles of beautiful pastureland, countryside and hilltops. The railway was constructed in the thirties by French colonists, split in 1954…
Night Herons and Elephants of the Forgotten City in Huế
Huế is a town with a rich history and a turbulent past which has dragged it through everything from the feudal dynasty of the Nguyễn Lords in 17th-19th centuries through to the Tet offensive and massacre at Huế by Communist forces in 1968 and the…
The Fabric of Hoi An
Hoi An is a small town, almost half way between Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon and Hanoi on the East coast of Vietnam. Very accessible by train and then bus or taxi from nearby Danang, it provides a compelling antidote to the hectic city life of…
Crossing the Mekong Delta into Vietnam
The 'new' border crossing (newly open to tourists that is) at Ha Tien is basically not much more than a dirt track with a tiny passport control shack and a giant casino (aka the 'Ha Tien Vegas') on the Cambodian side. These gambling establishments can…