The Museum of Fine Arts in Ho Chi Minh City stands as a reflection of Vietnam’s rich artistic heritage, housed in a striking yellow colonial-era mansion at 97A Pho Duc Chinh Street, District 1. Built in 1929, the building exemplifies the distinctive French colonial architectural style that characterized much of Saigon’s early 20th-century development. The three-story structure features classical European design elements blended with Asian…
Japan Town in Saigon, centered around Le Thanh Ton Street in District 1, has a unique blend of Japanes and Vietnamese urban culture. It’s a compact neighborhood, spanning roughly 4-5 blocks. People often miss the area’s narrow alleys between Le Than Ton and Thai Van Lung streets. This area is pretty much deserted during the day time but comes alive at night as an entertainment…
Vinh Hy is just south of Camh Ranh and is characterised by it’s semi-circular harbor. A good place to stay and explore the Camh Lap peninsula or Hang Rai.
The Saigon Opera House, officially known as the Municipal Theatre of Ho Chi Minh City, stands as one of the most elegant colonial landmarks in Vietnam at 7 Lam Son Square, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. Built between 1895 and 1897 under the supervision of French architect Eugène Ferret, the building exemplifies the finest French colonial architecture of the late 19th century. The structure’s…
The Saigon Central Post Office stands as one of Ho Chi Minh City‘s most iconic landmarks at 2 Công xã Paris, District 1. Operating daily from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM, this historic building remains both a functioning post office and a major tourist attraction. Constructed between 1886 and 1891 during French colonial rule, the building was designed by renowned French architect Marie-Alfred Foulhoux, though…
District 1 has a large Japan Town with many restaurants, shops, and bars servicing Japanese clientele. But across the canal from the Zoo in Binh Thanh is a second smaller Japanese area.
Nam Du Island is serviced by ferries from Rach Gia in the southern Mekong. It is a lovely seldom visited island. There are a number of smaller islands that you can visit on daily tour boats. Don’t expect much for infrastructure with no ATM and just a few seafood restaurants.
The ride from the Ha Giang or Hoang Su Phi area will take you past some lovely countryside and parts of Tuyen Quang. A nice alternate route to taking DT279 the entire way is to take DT279 to DT188. On DT188 you will pass the Chiem Hoa Hydropower plant. The dam has created a striking reservoir. Well worth a stop on your way to Ba…
Tu Le is the first rice growing area you reach when going from Hanoi to Mu Cang Chai. It’s a bit closer to Hanoi so you can get there in one day if you leave early. Most of the rice fields here are flatter and they grow a special sticky rice. The rice harvest tends to be a bit earlier here with 15 September being…
When you see images of terraced rice fields in Vietnam, most likely it is an image from Mu Cang Chai. Lots of lovely Hmong homestays to add some local life to your images. The best time to visit is harvest time when the summer rains have ended and the rice is a golden yellow. Mid-September to early October is the typical harvest period but can…