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All Aboard the Languorous 35-Hour Train From Hanoi to Saigon

The train connecting Vietnam’s largest cities takes 35 hours. Yet even after the first time I finished the trip, I was already coming up with excuses for why I needed to do it again. For me, the journey is much more than a chance for great views and time to reflect. It’s an exploration of life itself.

Kit Humphrey

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In Thổ Hà Village, Rice Paper Spills Onto the Streets and Wraps Around Daily Life

A few hours after sunrise in the small village of Thổ Hà, Bắc Giang Province, alleyways morph into picturesque tunnels of drying rice paper, while ladies toast crackers over fire in the streets. 

Pete Walls

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Watching the Sunset From Lai Châu's Fansipan, the Roof of Indochina

Conquering Mount Fansipan’s 3,147 meters was once a feat reserved for those willing to take on the potential multi-day hike from Sapa to the summit and back.

Pete Walls

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For the Freshest Fish of the Day, Head to Hội An's Coast Before Sunrise

The alarm goes off at 3am. By 3:30am, scooters laden with empty crates and baskets are already moving through the dark lanes and sandy passages towards Hội An's coast. Long before the old town wakes, the beaches along the shore are coming alive with engines, head torches, waves, and fishermen preparing to return to land. Thankfully, coffee is readily available almost anywhere.

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In Saigon's Bửu Long Pagoda, a Meditative Escape and Pan-Southeast Asian Architecture

It all started with a sparkle on the horizon, a beam of solar brilliance bouncing off a garish metallic surface.

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A Special 'Doraemon' Episode Taking Place in Vietnam Will Be Released in May

After decades of watching Doraemon and his close friend groups adventure to all sorts of strange lands from the deepest trenches on Earth to fantastical planets, fans of the beloved cat robot in Vietnam will finally see our country in the cartoon series.

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ACV Proposes Moving 90% of Saigon's Overseas Flights to Long Thành

The Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) has proposed plans to transfer flight operations in Hồ Chí Minh City from Tân Sơ...

Back Travel

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With New Flight Routes, Can Tho Hopes to Revitalize Underused Airport

The international airport, which is currently operating below 30% capacity, will hopefully see a boost in passengers thanks to six new routes being added to service the city.

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Vietnam Expands E-Visa Pilot Program to 35 More Countries, Territories

A pilot program granting tourists 30-day electronic visas has been expanded to include 35 additional nations and territories.

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Travel Agency Vietravel Wants to Launch Vietnam's 6th Airline

Is Vietnam’s air travel market big enough to accommodate another air carrier?

Kit Humphrey

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[Photos] Ha Giang: Evocative Portraits From Hoang Su Phi

Nestled amid the textured, corduroy rice terraces of Ha Giang Province lies Hoang Su Phi, a rural district that’s home to an array of ethnic minority communities.

Michael Tatarski

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[Photos] Saigoneer Getaways: Dak Lak and an Abundance of Central Highlands Charm

For many, Tet is a time to reunite with family they haven't seen in months. For those like me without relatives in Vietnam, it's the perfect time to take a break from increasingly stressful city life....

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An Exploration of the Saigon Port

Between 1989 and 1997, a massive 201-room floating hotel sat anchored in the Saigon River.

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[Video] The Hyperlapse of Saigon That Took 2 Years and Over 200,000 Photos to Make

Living in Saigon can feel like being spun in a centrifuge: swirled amongst an overwhelming amount of sights, sounds, smells and experiences at dizzying speeds.

Kit Humphrey

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[Photos] Exploring the Myriad Cathedrals of Nam Dinh Province

Though they receive more attention, the cathedrals of Hanoi and Saigon pale in comparison to those found in Nam Dinh Province. What’s more, the area not only boasts a surprising array of these magnifi...

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[Video] Vietnam's Hectic Energy Set to a Funky Soundtrack

Vietnam is a country that’s always on the move.

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How Hemingway Inspired a Cyclist to Scale the Heights of Northern Vietnam

Former Saigon resident Dale Nottingham has conquered Vietnam’s extreme northern highlands by bicycle, climbing 22,587 meters over 1,306 kilometers during an epic 12-day ride that started in Bac Kan Pr...

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First Flight of Bamboo Airways Is Once Again Delayed to Next January

Despite being scheduled for a December 29 takeoff, Vietnam's newest airline Bamboo Airways won't leave the tarmac until mid-January.

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Vietjet Air Launches Direct Flight Route From Saigon to Osaka

The budget carrier also launched a Hanoi-Osaka route back in November of this year.

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Saigoneer Getaways: Off the Beaten Path in Hong Kong's Old-School Side

There was once a time when Saigon and Hong Kong were rivals in the exotic east, both jostling for the cultural title of “Pearl of the Orient”. With British colonialism on one side and French on the ot...

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[Photos] Pseudo-Suicide and Evil Spirits at Bali’s Usaba Manggung Celebration

Each year in Bali’s Bugbug Village, Hindus gather to take part in a three-day celebration that includes splashing holy water, atavistic wailing and role-play suicide to ward off evil spirits. &nb...

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Mui Ne's Suoi Tien Damaged by Tourist Activities, Illegal Construction

Suoi Tien, a famous natural tourist site in Mui Ne, is losing its appeal due to overcrowding and unauthorized construction work.

Kit Humphrey

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[Photos] Reaping the Rice Harvest in Mu Cang Chai

Each September, the rice fields of Mu Cang Chai turn ripe and as gold as coins, and then the back-breaking work begins.

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[Video] A Tilt-Shift Travelogue Showcases Stalinist Architecture, Everyday Nationalism in Pyongyang

Isolated from the rest of the world since 1953, North Korea has since been the center of much curiosity, myths and sensationalist headlines that leave more space for reductionism rather than nuan...

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After Month-Long Delay, Vietnam Officially Allows Bamboo Airways to Take Off

Bamboo Airways will become the fifth carrier to hold a Vietnamese aviation license along with Vietnam Airlines, Jetstar Pacific, Vietjet Air and VASCO.

Thi Nguyen

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No Nón Lá, No Problem: A New Saigon Tour Takes the Road Less Traveled

Sitting down for a bowl of phở, sipping a glass of cà phê sữa đá, visiting the Saigon Post Office: these activities are all too common to the tourist experience in Saigon. So much so that it's of...

Lee Starnes

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[Photos] Urbanist Travel Getaways: Pastoral Scenes of Pindaya, Myanmar

Myanmar is no longer the secret of Southeast Asia. With tourist numbers increasing, its dusty country roads, seemingly endless parades of monks and crumbling colonial architecture are now officially a...