Things to Do
Why Every Vietnamese City Has the Same Street Names
Hai Ba Trung, Tran Hung Dao, Le Loi, Nguyen Hue. The same dozen names run through every town in Vietnam because they are a history lesson painted on signs. Here is who they were.
War History Sites in Vietnam: A Guide for American Visitors
Where the war is on the ground rather than in a museum, how the sites are framed, and what to expect as an American.
Temples and Pagodas in Vietnam: What You Are Looking At
Buddhist, Taoist, Confucian, Cham and Cao Dai, often in the same town. A short guide to telling them apart.
Hue Imperial City Guide
A walled city inside a walled city, heavily damaged in 1968 and under restoration since. What survives, and how to walk it.
My Son Sanctuary: What to Know Before You Go
Cham temple ruins in a jungle valley, bombed during the war and never fully restored. Go early or late — the middle of the day is the problem.
War Remnants Museum and Cu Chi Tunnels: What to Expect
Two war sites that affect American visitors more than anything else in Vietnam. What each one is, and how to approach them.
Phong Nha Caves: Which Tour Fits Your Trip and Your Budget
Phong Nha has caves you can walk into in an afternoon and one that takes a week and a serious bank balance. Here is how the options sort themselves by time, fitness and money.
Ha Giang Loop: Ride It Yourself, Ride Pillion, or Go by Car
The loop is the best road in Vietnam and the one place the licence question stops being theoretical. Here is what each of the three ways of doing it actually gives you.
National Parks and Treks in Vietnam
Parks and trekking areas covering caves, karst, jungle and highland terraces, and what each one actually asks of you.
The Best Time to Trek in Sapa
The answer is September and October, with March to May a close second. Here is what each part of the year is actually like.
Where to Stay in Sapa
The town is convenient and built up. The valley is what you came for. Where you sleep decides which trip you have.
Sapa Trekking Guide
The routes, the difficulty, the weather that decides it, and how the guiding actually works.
Sapa Homestay vs Day Trek
A day walk shows you the valley. A night in it changes what the trip was about — and who gets paid.