Vietnam Travel guide

Some litter blights the scene, but the 10km-long beach is attractive and makes a quieter alternative to Phan Rang as a base for visiting the Cham ruins. There are new resort hotels are springing up around the bay.  Sleeping & Eating Hotel resorts are scattered along the shoreline. Budget accommodation is concentrated at the north [...]

This really is a tale of two cities: Phan Rang hugging the shoulders of Hwy 1 and Thap Cham straddling Hwy 20 as it starts its long climb to Dalat. Anyone travelling Vietnam from north to south will notice a big change in the vegetation when approaching the joint capitals of Ninh Thuan province. The [...]

Thanh Citadel This citadel dates from the 17th-century Trinh dynasty. It was rebuilt by Prince Nguyen Anh (later Emperor Gia Long) in 1793 during his successful offensive against the Tay Son Rebels. Only a few sections of the walls and gates remain. It’s 11km west of Nha Trang near Dien Khanh town. Ba Ho Falls [...]

Welcome to the beach capital of Vietnam. Loud and proud (say it!) the high-rise, high-energy resort of Nha Trang enjoys a stunning setting: ringed by a necklace of hills, with a sweeping crescent beach, the city’s turquoise bay is dotted with tropical islands. The beachfront has been given a huge makeover in recent years, with [...]

The coastal drive between Tuy Hoa and Nha Trang on Hwy 1 provides tantalising glimpses of a number of remote and beautiful spots, while others are hidden away in the jungle along promontories or on secluded islands. Leave behind the guidebook for a day or two and go exploring. Money-changing facilities and ATMs are thin [...]

Currently being transformed by town planners into a vast, sprawling new city, Tuy Hoa is a somewhat soulless place characterised by the requisite vast plaza and multilaned boulevards. It’s a possible overnight stop to break up a longer journey, especially for cyclists brave enough to tackle Hwy 1, but most visitors are just passing through. [...]

Nguyen Hue, the second-oldest of the three brothers who led the Tay Son Rebellion, crowned himself Emperor Quang Trung in 1788. In 1789, Quang Trung led the campaign that overwhelmingly defeated a Chinese invasion of 200,000 troops near Hanoi. This epic battle is still celebrated as one of the greatest triumphs in Vietnamese history. During [...]

The former Cham capital of Cha Ban (also known as Vijay and Quy Nhon) was located 26km north of Quy Nhon and 5km from Binh Dinh. While of archaeological importance, there’s very little to see for the casual visitor. However, there are several interesting Cham structures dotted around the area. Cha Ban, which served as [...]

 Its seaside appeal and tidy, litter-free streets make it the kind of place that affluent Vietnamese couples choose to retire to, spending their final days watching the ocean and walking the promenade. For foreign visitors its attractions are less obvious, though it’s certainly a good spot to sample some fresh seafood. Its sprawling layout and [...]

The eponymous capital of Quang Ngai province is something of an overgrown village with no obvious attractions, so most visitors only drop by for a spot of grazing at lunchtime. The few travellers who venture here come to pay their respects to the victims of the most famous atrocity of the American War. Perhaps it’s [...]

Why Go? Vietnam has an incredibly curvaceous coastline, and it is in this region that it is at its most alluring with vast tracts of coastline backed by towering sand dunes and cliffs. More and more of the voluptuous beaches along this stretch are being set aside for large tourism projects, but there are still [...]

The elegant Cham towers at Chien Dan (Chien Dan Cham; Hwy 1; admission 12,000d;  8-11.30am & 1-5.30pm Mon-Fri) are located just outside the town of Tam Ky on a wide open field; the only other building nearby is a small museum. Dating from the 11th or 12th century, each kalan faces east. Many of the [...]

Formerly called Simhapura (Lion Citadel), Tra Kieu was the first capital of Champa and remained so from the 4th century to the 8th century. Today nothing remains of the ancient city except the rectangular ramparts. A large number of artefacts, including some of the finest carvings in the Museum of Cham Sculpture in Danang, were found here. [...]

The site of Vietnam’s most extensive Cham remains, My Son (admission 100,000d;  6.30am-4pm) enjoys an enchanting setting in a lush jungle valley, overlooked by Cat’s Tooth Mountain (Hon Quap). The temples are in poor shape – only about 20 structures survive where at least 68 once stood – but the intimate nature of the site, [...]