Complex of Hué Monuments

Complex of Hué Monuments - UNESCO World Heritage Site, Vietnam

From the World Heritage inscription for the Complex of Hué Monuments: The Complex of Hue Monuments is located in and around Hue City in Thua Thien-Hue Province in the geographical center of Vietnam and with easy access to the sea. Established as the capital of unified Vietnam in 1802 CE, Hue was not only the …

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Hoi An Ancient Town

Hoi An Ancient Town

From the World Heritage inscription for Hoi An Ancient Town: Hoi An Ancient town is located in Viet Nam’s central Quang Nam Province, on the north bank near the mouth of the Thu Bon River. The inscribed property comprises 30 ha and it has a buffer zone of 280 ha. It is an exceptionally well-preserved …

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My Son Sanctuary

My Son Sanctuary - UNESCO World Heritage Site, Vietnam

From the World Heritage inscription for My Son Sanctuary: During the 4th to 13th centuries there was a unique culture on the coast of contemporary Vietnam, owing its spiritual origins to the Hinduism of India. This is graphically illustrated by the remains of a series of impressive tower-temples in a dramatic site that was the …

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Ha Long Bay

Ha Long Bay - UNESCO World Heritage Site, Vietnam

From the World Heritage inscription for Ha Long Bay: Ha Long Bay, located in the Gulf of Tonkin, within Quang Ninh Province, in the northeast of Vietnam, is165 km from the capital of Ha Noi. Covering an area of 43,400 ha and including over 1600 islands and islets, most of which are uninhabited and unaffected …

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Is Mai Chau the New Sapa in Vietnam?

Is Mai Chau the New Sapa in Vietnam?

Most travelers interested in traveling around Southeast Asia have heard of Sapa, Vietnam—an area showcased by incredible photos of lush green rice fields terraced on the side of mountains, and colorful local ethnic minority women and men working the rice fields. Sapa has long been on the popular traveler’s route from Hanoi in the north …

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First Thoughts on the Socialist Republic of Vietnam

I made it to Saigon with little trouble (FYI, I’m going to call it Saigon, as most of the locals still do. It is my belief that at some point, it will revert back from Ho Chi Min City just like Lenningrad changed back to St. Petersburg). We took about a half hour to cross …

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So, I got a new computer

The laptop I’ve had with me since the start of my trip is in pretty rough shape. It is dented, the batteries (both) are pretty much shot and can’t carry a charge, the track pad doesn’t work anymore, and there are large openings in the case. I also think ants live inside of it. In …

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Still in Saigon

I’m still in Saigon. I said I wasn’t going to leave until I have all my Cambodia photos processed and I plan on sticking by that. I wasn’t aware of just how many photos I had taken between Angkor, Preah Vihear, Tonle Sap and Phnom Penh. I still have 500 left to process. Taking photos …

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Nha Trang

Last night I arrived in Nha Trang via the 5 hour bus from Mui Ne. Nha Trang is a good sized city of about 300,000 people. It calls itself the premier seaside resort in Vietnam. THe primary attraction here seems to be the beach and some of the nearby islands, which to be honest, really …

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