Vung Tau is a coastal city in the Southeast region of Vietnam, in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province. While Vung Tau is technically not the closest beach to Saigon, it’s the most accessible nicest beach to Saigon. Thus it is regarded as “the beach of Saigon”. [A Saigonesque skyline is growing on the Back Beach road […]
Notes on Con Dao – From prison island to pilgrimage paradise
Con Dao is a group of islands off the coast of Vietnam, about 230 km southeast of Ho Chi Minh City. There are 16 islands, with the largest (Con Son) being home to the main town, port, and airport. [Hon Troc – one of the islands of the Con Dao island group.] Con Dao is […]
Notes on Soc Trang – Big Buddhas and superb soups deep in the Delta
Soc Trang is the capital of Soc Trang Province in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam. It’s not a big tourist destination, but it has some wonderful Khmer temples in and around the city. Soc Trang is the closest mainland port to Con Dao, so this is a faster trip than the boat from Vung […]
Notes on Bac Lieu – Most people don’t go here
Bac Lieu is the capital of Bac Lieu Province in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam. Judging by the lack of travel information online and the small choice of hotels on the booking sites, it’s fair to say that it doesn’t receive many visitors. I was in Bac Lieu partly because it was on the […]
Notes on Ca Mau – the most southerly provincial capital in Vietnam
Ca Mau is the capital of Ca Mau Province in the Mekong Delta Region of Vietnam. Ca Mau is the southernmost city of mainland Vietnam, and this geographical fact was enough to make me curious about the place. I’ve often looked at it on the map and I wanted to see this place that’s not […]
Notes on Ha Tien – An unexpectedly agreeable port and border town
Ha Tien is a coastal city in the far Southwestern corner of Vietnam, next to the Cambodian border. Located in Kien Giang Province in the Mekong Delta Region, Ha Tien is one of the two ferry ports that serve the island of Phu Quoc (the other port being Rach Gia). Port cities are not usually […]
Notes on Long Xuyen – a provincial capital in the Mekong Delta
Long Xuyen is the capital city of An Giang Province, in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam. I had been through Long Xuyen before but I had never stopped there, so continuing my quest to visit the provincial capitals of Vietnam I scheduled a visit. As a tourist it’s not somewhere you would specifically travel […]
Hotel Review: Thuy Van Hotel Vung Tau – Vietnam
Hotel Name: Thuy Van Hotel Vung Tau Address: 32 Tran Quy Cap Street, Thang Tam, Vung Tau, Vietnam. I stayed at Thuy Van Hotel Vung Tau in Vung Tau, Vietnam. I booked online at the rate of 14.96 USD per night, and I booked it for its location in the Back Beach area of Vung […]
Notes on Sa Dec – An overlooked city in the Mekong Delta
Sa Dec doesn’t rate highly on Mekong Delta itineraries, which is understandable if you’re pressed for time. But I think that Sa Dec is one of the underrated destinations of the Delta region. The city has old colonial buildings, lots of temples, and pleasant tree-lined streets. Part of Sa Dec’s problem is that it’s not […]
Hotel Review: Red Hotel, Con Dao – Vietnam
Hotel Name: Red Hotel Address: 7B Nguyen An Ninh, Con Dao, Vietnam. I stayed at Red Hotel in Con Dao, Vietnam. I booked online at the rate of 384,750 VND ($16.69 USD) per night, and I booked it for its price and location in Con Dao. The town of Con Son is the main town […]
