Vietnam Travel guide

The boulevards of Tra Vinh, one of the prettiest towns in the Mekong Delta, are still lined with shady trees, harking back to an earlier era. With more than 140 Khmer pagodas dotting the province, Tra Vinh is a quiet place for exploring the Mekong’s little-touted Cambodian connection. The town itself sees minimal tourist traffic, [...]

As tourism took off in the Mekong Delta, the picturesque little province of Ben Tre was always one ferry beyond the tourist traffic of My Tho and consequently developed at a more languid pace, although the opening of the Rach Mieu Bridge from My Tho funneled more visitors into the area. The town’s sleepy waterfront, [...]

Phoenix Island Until his imprisonment for anti-government activities and the consequent dispersion of his flock, the Coconut Monk (Dao Dua) led a small community on Phoenix Island (Con Phung), a few kilometres from My Tho. The Coconut Monk left his family to pursue a monastic life and for three years he sat on a stone [...]

Gateway to the Mekong Delta, My Tho is the capital of Tien Giang province and an important market town – although for the famous floating markets, you’ll need to continue on to Can Tho. My Tho was founded in the 1680s by Chinese refugees fleeing Taiwan after the fall of the Southern Ming dynasty. The [...]

Join in the throngs amid the bustling commerce of the floating markets on a boat trip from Can Tho. Meander along the canals between My Tho and Ben Tre, then step ashore a lush river island to feast on fresh fish. Kick up red dirt on a motorbike ride to the far-flung corners of Phu [...]

Why Go? The ‘rice bowl’ of Vietnam, the Mekong Delta is a landscape carpeted in a dizzying variety of greens and slashed with mighty waterways. It’s a water world where boats, houses, restaurants and even markets float upon the innumerable rivers, canals and streams that flow through the region like arteries. At times you can [...]

. It was formed from silt washing downstream from the river, so don’t expect any white-sand beaches. A few hopeful resorts have sprung up along the murky 10km shoreline and more are planned, although it’s hard to imagine them appealing to international visitors. Of more interest is the forest. This listed Unesco Biosphere Reserve contains [...]

Officially known as Nam Thien Nhat Tru, most people call this Buddhist temple the One Pillar Pagoda of Thu Duc (Chua Mot Cot Thu Duc; 1/91 Ð Nguyen Du, Thu Duc district). Modelled on Hanoi’s One Pillar Pagoda, the structure is similar but not identical, consisting of a small, one-room temple hall rising on a [...]

The Cao Dai Great Temple at the sect’s Holy See is one of Asia’s most unusual and astonishing structures. Built between 1933 and 1955, the temple is a rococo extravaganza blending the dissonant architectural motifs of a French church, a Chinese temple and an Islamic mosque. Tay Ninh province, northwest of HCMC, is bordered by [...]

If the tenacious spirit of the Vietnamese can be symbolised by a place, then few sites could make a stronger case than Cu Chi tunnels. This district of greater Hochiminh city now has a population of about 350,000, but during the American War it had about 80,000 residents. At first glance there is scant evidence today [...]

1. Soak up the city’s electric energy and admire views of the neon city from a high-altitude perch in one of its rooftop bars 2. Witness the turbulence of conflict in the War Remnants Museum. 3. Feast on an eye-opening selection of local and international cuisine at the city’s standout restaurants and street stalls. 4. [...]

Why Go? Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) is Vietnam at its most dizzying: a high-octane city of commerce and culture that has driven the whole country forward with its pulsating energy. From the finest of hotels to the cheapest of guesthouses, the classiest of restaurants to the tastiest of street stalls, the choicest of boutiques [...]

Kon Tum’s relaxed ambience, river setting and relatively traffic-free streets make it a worthwhile stop for travellers intent on exploring the surrounding hill-tribe villages, of which there are 700 dotting the area. You’ll also find a few intriguing sights in town, and the accommodation options are good. If you’ve the choice, Kon Tum is a [...]

The rather forgettable capital of Gia Lai province, Pleiku is better known as a strategic American and South Vietnamese base during the American War than for any postwar accomplishments. It makes an adequate pit stop, but there’s little to detain a traveller for more than a few hours. Torched by departing South Vietnamese soldiers in [...]