All tagged Vietnam
The Thuy Xuan Incense Village on the outskirts of Hue, Vietnam, is a place where colours, scents, and the laughter of local artisans collide. It’s a dreamy place for photographers where you can observe a living tradition. And if you feel like rolling up your sleeves and trying your hand at making incense sticks, you can do just that and have some unique souvenirs to take home.
The lunar new year is a festive time in many Asian countries. In Vietnam it is known as Tet. One of the traditions of Tet is the giving of sticky rice cakes as gifts, many of which are made by families at home. Joining a family Tet celebration in Vietnam is a unique and memorable experience, but if you can’t do that, savouring Tet cakes - which can be savoury or sweet - is the next best thing.
Japan is synonymous with cherry blossom season but there are many other countries in Asia where cherry blossoms can be viewed, and many places where the usual sakura crowds can be avoided. Planning an Asian spring visit to see cherry blossoms can be rewarding experience for older travellers, but chasing cherry blossoms is never just about ticking off places – it’s an adventure in nature and culture.
Visitors to Danang and Hoi An on the Central Coast of Vietnam are often bombarded with offers from taxi drivers to take them to the My Son Sanctuary, about an hour ‘s drive inland. It’s one of the oldest archeological sites in Southeast Asia, and UNESCO World Heritage-listed, but it’s not large. So is it worth the half day that it takes to visit?
Travelling on Vietnam’s so-called Reunification Express from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City (or vice-versa) is not a luxury experience, but it’s a way to see some stunning scenery and perhaps interact with some locals along the way. It’s a 36 hours’ journey so it’s best to do the trip with stopovers and visit some of Vietnam’s interesting coastal cities along the way.
A guided foodie tour on a Vespa motor scooter is an exhilarating way to explore Saigon at night. It’s a way to enjoy some of the best Vietnamese street foods available in the chaotic old southern capital as well as experiencing the authentic side of Vietnamese life.
Ha Long Bay is one of Vietnam’s most popular destinations. It’s a dreamy landscape of breathtaking grandeur, a maze of jewel-like towering emerald islands, with grottos, caves and champagne-sandy coves engulfed by aquamarine waters. It’s a popular day trip from Hanoi but an overnight stay on a cruise boat is the best way to fully appreciate it.
A relaxing river cruise along some of Cambodia’s and Vietnam’s most iconic waterways provides an opportunity for visitors to enjoy interesting scenery, sample local cuisines, and participate in a range of on-land excursions that provide unique insights into the culture and lifestyles of the people living along these rivers.
Tripadvisor has just published it’s annual top hotel awards for 2023, based on the reviews that travellers leave on its website, and Asian hotels rate highly. Six Asian properties ranked in the prestigious World’s Top 10 Hotels category, and of the Top 25 Hottest New Hotels globally, 12 are in Asia. Here’s a rundown of the Asian winners.
Are you a first-time or infrequent traveller to Asia and wondering which countries are the safest to visit? No country is 100 percent safe, but this guide will tell you which are the safest to start with and what to look out for in those countries. The guide is based both on institutional rankings and the personal experience of a long-time traveller who has visited them all.
Vietnamese property developers are turning Phu Quoc island into a tourist mecca by building replicas of Mediterranean towns, theme parks, resorts, hotels and condominiums, but in the process they are destroying some pristine tropical environments and replacing them with artificial landscapes. The new facilities are impressive, but does the island have much to offer older travellers, and will the lack of eco-tourism destinations turn travellers away?
Asia is home to many superstitions and beliefs, some of which date back centuries. Whilst many Westerners may scoff at the rituals that supposedly bring health, wealth and happiness, millions of people continue to follow traditions to bring luck that have been handed down through generations. We take a look at some of the rituals you’ll likely come across in the coming months.
Booking train, bus and ferry tickets in Asia can be difficult if you are not familiar with the routes and transport operators, but online booking apps and websites can make the task much easier. But with hundreds of such online ticketing platforms vying for your business, how can you tell which are the best ones to use. We take a look at reviews of these sites to determine which are the most reliable.
Asia has many destinations that often exceed our expectations, and when we leave, we lament that we did not spend more time there. Here are seven of those special places that draw travellers back and to which the xyzAsia travel writers believe are worth the time and money to go back in preference to travelling to somewhere new. They are all destinations worth revisiting.
The Thailand tourism authorities have come in for a lot of criticism in recent months for not being able to handle the volume of Thailand Pass applications that were made once destinations were opened to international tourists under their ‘Test & Go’ and ‘Sandbox’ schemes for vaccinated travellers. But now there’s evidence that the backlog has been cleared and travellers are receiving their Thailand Passes within the seven days promised.
Southeast Asia has many colonial hotels with rich and varied histories. There are some that once hosted well known literary figures, stars of stage and screen, and were instrumental in the lives of foreign correspondents whilst covering wars in Southeast Asia. Those travellers who love literature and reminiscences of bygone eras will find these hotels worth a visit.
