Visiting the Gia Lam Train Factory by special train service from Hanoi Station to Gia Lam Station during the Hanoi Creative Design Festival 2023. Gia Lam Train Factory is the former factory of the Gia Lam Train Company in Hanoi. The factory has since moved, and the site in Gia Lam District remains undeveloped. The […]
Bangkok Mass Transit System – A guide to the BTS / MRT / ARL / SRT urban railways
The Bangkok Mass Transit System began with the launch of two BTS Skytrain lines in 1999. There are now 10 lines operating, with more lines planned and under construction. The urban rail transit system of Bangkok is comprised of a mixture of railway systems operated by three different companies. There is no singular brand like […]
Hanoi Train Street Guide: Where to visit the open sections
Hanoi Train Street is where the railway passes through narrow alleys lined with houses on either side of the track. Houses in the alleys set up cafes to allow people to watch the trains pass by. This infrastructure anomaly of seeing a train pass through a populated urban area became a big tourist attraction. The […]
Train 7 Bangkok to Chiang Mai: The day train through historic Thailand
Train 7 is a Special Express service from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. This is the fastest train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, and the only day train between the two cities. Special Express No. 7 departs Bangkok at 09:05 and arrives at Chiang Mai at 19:30. Here is what to expect on Train 7 and […]
Notes on Vang Vieng: Trains and tubing in Laos
Vang Vieng became famous for being a big backpacker town, with people drawn to its karst topography and the river that runs through the landscape. I visited in 2010, and at its peak it was like a Wild West town for backpacker hedonism. The town was best known for tubing down the river and stopping […]
Where to stay in Ho Chi Minh City: the best areas for visitors in Saigon
This guide on where to stay in Ho Chi Minh City lists the best areas for visitors . This includes all accommodation types, from budget guesthouses to iconic five-star hotels. Ho Chi Minh City has a population of over 9 million people and is made up of 21 districts and 1 sub-city. There are thousands […]
Train SE22 from Saigon to Danang
Train SE22 is the Vietnam Railways service that operates from Saigon to Danang. Here is what to expect on this overnight service. There are usually 4 trains a day from Saigon to Hanoi that offer different times for arriving in Danang. There is also a train that only operates on the Saigon to Danang section. […]
Defunct airports of Southeast Asia
A list of closed airports in Southeast Asia, and which airports you can still visit. Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport opened on 16 October 2023, replacing Siem Reap International Airport. This airport closure got me thinking about other airports in Southeast Asia that have closed and been replaced. This is a list of airport that have […]
Notes on Boten: The border station of the Laos-China Railway
Boten is a town in Laos on the China–Laos border and the most northern stop on the Laos-China Railway, which was what brought me there. Boten is a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) that features in the news for all the wrong reasons. I have been keeping track of Boten news and construction projects at Future […]
Notes on Muang Xai: A stop on the Laos-China Railway
Muang Xai is the capital city of Oudomxai Province in Northern Laos. The city is one of the main stops of the Laos-China Railway, which was what brought me there. Muang Xai isn’t a touristy city, but I wanted to see what it was like and if the railway could change its fortunes. I also […]
