Lamphun is the capital of Lamphun province in northern Thailand. Lamphun province is next to Chiang Mai province, and their eponymously-titled capitals are only 19 km apart. Despite Lamphun’s proximity to Chiang Mai, I had somehow spent years of my life in Chiang Mai but had never visited Lamphun. It was time for me to […]
About James Clark
Riding the remnants of the Philippines South Main Line
The Philippine National Railways (PNR) South Main Line originally traversed South Luzon from Manila to Legazpi. The line was approximately 500 km in length, but the system has been reduced to two fragmented sections. The current lines are used as commuter services and are not useful for tourism. If you are a train enthusiast who […]
Nanning to Hong Kong by train
My review of the Nanning to Hong Kong high-speed railway service. Nanning is the capital of Guangxi region in southern China. The region is next to the Vietnam border, and its proximity to Hanoi makes it a useful hub if you are overlanding to other points in China. There are direct services from Nanning to […]
Notes on Nam Dinh – A chilled-out version of old Hanoi
Nam Dinh is a city in Ninh Binh province in the Red River Delta region of Vietnam. I visited Nam Dinh in October 2025 as part of a rail trip where I was stopping at lesser-visited cities. This was a research trip for my website, Rail Vietnam. I was on my way from Vinh to […]
Hanoi to Nanning by train
A review of the overnight sleeper train service from Hanoi (Vietnam) to Nanning (China). The Hanoi to Nanning train is the only international service from Vietnam, and one of the few international train services in Southeast Asia. There is also a Hanoi to Beijing train that is a continuation of the Nanning service. For this […]
Hotel Review: Vienna 3 Best Hotel Guangxi Nanning Station
Review of the Vienna 3 Best Hotel Guangxi Nanning Station, a budget hotel conveniently located near Nanning Station. Hotel Name: Vienna 3 Best Hotel Guangxi Nanning Station. Address: No.10 Youai Nan Road, Xixiangtang, Nanning, China. I stayed at the Vienna 3 Best Hotel Guangxi Nanning Station in Nanning, China. I booked online at the rate […]
Notes on Vinh
The oddly modern Vinh Station, the old apartments from the German Democratic Republic, remnants of the Nghe An Ancient Citadel, Vinh Market and the famous foam coffee, Ho Chi Minh, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, and future Vinh on the high-speed railway. Vinh is the capital city of Nghe An province in the North Central Coast […]
Phnom Penh Airport Express Bus – Techo International Airport to the city centre
The Phnom Penh Airport Express Bus connects the city centre to Techo International Airport. Here are the bus details, including the route and ticketing information. Airport Express Bus route and stops The Airport Express Bus has limited stops between the airport and city centre. [Map of Phnom Penh Airport Express Bus.] The route map of […]
Chiang Mai burning season: News and information about air pollution in Northern Thailand
Chiang Mai burning season refers to the time of year when the air in Northern Thailand is filled with haze from forest fires and the burning of crop waste. Even though this is a problem across Northern Thailand, Chiang Mai has become the focus of the pollution crisis. The city has made international headlines for […]
Notes on Dong Ha – Living with the legacy of life by the DMZ
Dong Ha is a city in Quang Tri Province in the North Central Coast region of Vietnam. It was the capital of Quang Tri until Quang Tri was merged with Quang Binh Province in July 2025. Quang Binh lost its name in the merger, but Dong Hoi (the capital of Quang Binh) became the capital […]
