Vietnam Travel Blog

If you've never been to Hanoi's Old Quarter, it's easy to underestimate it. You picture old shophouses, a few motorbikes, maybe a quick photo outside a temple, and then you move on. That assumption tends to last about the length of your first block. Hanoi's Old Quarter turns out louder, busier and more physically demanding than most visitors plan for, mostly because the streets were built for foot and cart traffic centuries before cars or crowds of this size existed. According to Vietnam's official tourism authority, the walking street around the Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake draws an average of about 20,000 visitors on a typical weekend day, and Hoan Kiem District, which contains the Old Quarter, logged 2.2 million overnight international visitors in 2024 alone, up 48.5% on the year before. Add to that the fact that most people around you, other visitors, first-timers like you, are also figuring it out as they go, and a few things are worth knowing before you're in the middle of i

Vietnam’s architectural heritage reflects centuries of cultural influences, from traditional Vietnamese craftsmanship to French colonial elegance and the architectural transformations of the 20th century. The blending of these elements has created unique buildings that continue to tell stories of the past. For travelers visiting Vietnam, staying in a historic hotel offers more than just accommodation. It is a chance to experience the atmosphere of another era. Built mainly during the Indochina period, these hotels often occupy prime locations in city centers and preserve the architectural and artistic values of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. While newer hotels may offer more modern designs and facilities, historic hotels possess a charm that cannot be replicated. Their vintage furnishings, old photographs, and classic interiors may remind guests of a different time, yet they carry the memories and stories of generations who passed through their doors. In this article,

June is the first month in this series where the weather genuinely works against you rather than just shaping your plans around it. Daytime heat regularly pushes past 33°C, the air sits thick with humidity, and afternoon storms are a real, daily possibility rather than an occasional inconvenience. None of that is a reason to skip June. It's a reason to know exactly what you're trading for it: the last real week of golden rice, the peak of the lotus season, and a landscape doing two of its best tricks at once. The rain itself is less disruptive than the word "rainy season" suggests. What actually happens most afternoons is a sharp, loud downpour that clears within an hour or two, not a grey day that swallows your plans. The heat is the harder problem, and it's the one worth building your schedule around.

Hoi An has no airport or train station. Compare flying, direct sleeper buses, and the train via Da Nang, with 2026 prices, times, and transfer tips.

Getting from Hanoi to Da Nang? Compare flights, the overnight train, sleeper buses, and private cars, with 2026 prices, times, and which to pick.

No direct road links Sapa and Cao Bang. Compare the routes via Hanoi and via Ha Giang, with 2026 prices, travel times, and which to pick.