Travel Destinations - Vietnam

Sapa: Hmong the Clouds

A knackered bicycle can be good thing, especially if it forces you to make a ten-day stopover in a delightful alpine retreat in the highlands of Northern Vietnam. Transcontinental cyclist Edward Genochio takes a well-earned, if unexpected, rest

"Pssst! Marry wanna?"

Now, she may be a good 60 years my senior, but she's nicely dressed – and I bet she turned a few heads in her day. And anyway, this is the best offer I have had in three months on my bike. The only offer, in fact. [ read more ]

Hoi An: Back to Business

The vintage port of Fai Fo
From trading centre to tourist centre, Hoi An has seen many changes, but preserved its heritage - and its entrepreneurial spirit - along the way. Keith Mundy strolls through the old city

Fai Fo was a bustling port in which Chinese and Japanese merchants traded silk, lacquer and porcelain with Indians and Europeans, worshipped at ornate temples and met at splendid clan houses. The streets were filled with traders from East and West, and Vietnamese in conical hats going about their daily [ read more ]

Mui Ne: Give Me Shelter

Strong winds and high dunes provide the fun in the Vietnamese fishing village of Mui Ne. Richard Restell joined the sand surfers.

A world apart from the madness of Saigon lies Mui Ne. Travelling the 200-kilometre journey down Highway 706, the inhabitants of Vietnam's capital head here to unwind, seeking out its quiet beaches and cool sea breezes. Here the pace of life slows. While there's no complete escape for travellers setting [ read more ]