We went to Nha Trang on our way through Vietnam to just relax and laze on the beach for a few days, and that is pretty much what we did; however I did take one morning to rent a bicycle and cycle around the city to see what else it has to offer. The [...]
Many centuries ago, the country of Vietnam was largely divided, and Central Vietnam was ruled by the Champa Kingdom, whose religion was actually Hindu. In a hidden valley surrounded by mountains, they built their most holy site - a large temple complex known as My Son. The architecturally brilliant temples were built to worship their [...]
Cars and motorbikes zoomed by me as I tried to navigate my way through a new town in the late afternoon. I left the street of my guesthouse and wandered along the footpath of a busier street, suddenly surrounded by tailor shops with the odd stall selling random items on the footpath. After hastily crossing [...]
The small city of Hue in central Vietnam is the cultural and academic heart of the country. Situated almost in the very centre of Vietnam, Hue was the capital city of the country during the rule of the Nguyen Dynasty which lasted from 1802 until 1945. It is the amazing historical sites from this era [...]
When I travelled to Hue, the old capital of Vietnam, the first thing I did was visit the old Imperial Citadel of the Nguyen Dynasty, which ruled the country between 1802 and 1945. Although the citadel was badly damaged during the Vietnam War, it is still very impressive as it is slowly being restored to [...]
Cat Ba Island is the largest island in Vietnam’s famous Halong Bay. This rugged island is mostly national park, but Cat Ba Town is a great place to base yourself to explore the island, as well as taking a cruise to the more remote parts of Halong Bay as well as the less crowded and [...]
The City of Hue in Central Vietnam is the former capital of the country, built within the reign of the Nguyen Dynasty which lasted from 1802 until 1945. Nguyen Phuc Anh was the first to take control of Vietnam and unify it as one country, beginning the Nguyen Dynasty and proclaiming himself Emperor Gia Long. He [...]
Most of Cat Ba Island in Vietnam is designated as national park, with jungle clad limestone karsts that are home to hundreds of species of flora and fauna, including the rarest primate species in the world: the Golden Headed Langur (Cat Ba Langur). From Cat Ba Town you can take a lot of different tours [...]
During the Vietnam War, Cat Ba Island was used as a kind of safe haven for the North Vietnamese army. Due to the heavy American bombing, a secret bomb proof hospital and safe house for the VC leaders was built inside a cave, high up on one of the many limestone karsts which dominate the [...]
Halong Bay was one of those places that I knew I wanted to visit in Vietnam, but I wasn't sure that I would like it. It is undoubtedly some of the most stunning scenery in the world, however a lot of people describe the area as "tourism gone bad". For this reason we decided to [...]
