Author Archives: Stephen

Lang Co, Best Beach in Hue

A good day stop along Route 1A between Hue and Danang/Hoi An, Lang Co Beach is a sweeping expanse of sand good for dipping your toes and taking a rest. The absence of group tours and touts is the main…

Discover Bach Ma National Park

Bach Ma with more than 20, 000 hectares (49, 400 acres) of high mountain trails and sweeping valleys was once a playground for the French, who built villas on these mountaintops to stay cool when on holiday from Hue. You’ll…

Attractions in Far North of Laos

The misty, mountain scenery of the far north conjures up classic Indochina imagery of striking rice terraces, golden, thatched huts and dense, tropical forests, all dissected by a cross-hatching of waterways. Here, life is beautifully interwoven with the ebb and…

Hue Highlights

Hue’s Citadel and Imperial City are the main attractions, but a visit here is usually done in conjunction with half-day trips to outlying temples and the many imperial tombs. You might want to bicycle to the Citadel itself, then along…

The cows in Route 12, Tha Khaek

Guides in Central Provinces of Laos

The central provinces of Laos, sandwiched between the Mekong (and Thailand) to the west and the Annamite Mountains (and Vietnam) to the east, are the least visited in the country, which is a shame as the scenery here is stunning,…

Hue, Imperial City of Vietnam

Hue (pronounced Hway) is culturally and historically significant. It was once Vietnam’s Imperial City and later the country’s capital under the Nguyen dynasty (1802-1945). The Thua Thien Hue region was a political football during hundreds of years of early Vietnamese…

Battambang Visitor Guides

The west of Cambodia is made for the hearty traveler, a place to get off the track if you have the gumption. The far west, areas like the southwestern Cardamom Mountains and the northern border region with Thailand, are virtually…

Visit Central Coast of Vietnam

Many of Vietnam’s most significant historical sites and some of its best beaches are clustered along its central coast. This is the country’s narrowest region; in some places, there’s just over 50km (31 miles) of land between the sea and…

Attractions in Siem Reap Town, Cambodia

Angkor National Museum This new museum beckons visitors from the main road to the temples. It houses an impressive collection of artifacts from Angkor, many of which are on loan from the National Museum and the Conservation d’Angkor, a treasure…

Highlights in Pleiku and Kontum of Vietnam

Most visitors give Pleiku a pass and move on to the quieter town of Kontum, which played its own important part in the Vietnam War and has a number of interesting sights outside of the city. Komtum, and the hills…