The Vietnam journal is where the planning starts: the route, the month, the bay, the food. Read here, then move to the things-to-do and tours pages when you are ready.
Articles
Vietnam travel guide
The practical foundation: the three climates, the e-visa, the trains and flights, money, food safety, and the top-to-bottom route in 14 and 21 days.
- Start here
- Seasons by region
- 8,000 words
- Updated 2026
South-East Asia travel guide
Vietnam against Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Bali: the two monsoons, the costs, the visas and the routes that combine them.
- Regional context
- Vietnam + Cambodia
- Costs in AUD
- Health honestly
Asia food guide
The Vietnamese section: pho at dawn, bun cha, banh mi, cao lau, and how the plastic-stool culture actually works.
- Three regional cuisines
- Street-food safety
- The coffee
- What to order
Asia itineraries
Vietnam top to bottom in 14 days with night-counts, Vietnam and Cambodia in 16, and the Indochina loop in 21.
- Night-counts
- Fly between regions
- The centre-and-one-city version
- Add Angkor
Why a Vietnam journal
Vietnam is the country Australians move to second, after Thailand or Bali, and the one where the questions before booking are most specific: north to south or the reverse, Halong or Lan Ha, whether Hue is worth a night, which coast in which month, whether the train is romantic or a mistake, and what a fortnight costs on plastic stools. The journal answers those in plain English and at length, then sends you to the things to do page to choose and the tours page to book. The Vietnam-specific articles are being written now; the four above are the Asia-level guides with the Vietnam sections, and they are the foundation.
What we are writing next
Vietnam north to south in 21 days · Halong Bay vs Lan Ha Bay · Hanoi in three days · Hoi An for families · Is Hue worth it · Vietnam vs Thailand for a first trip · The Reunification Express, honestly · Sapa and Ha Giang · The Mekong Delta overnight · What two weeks in Vietnam costs · Vietnamese food for people who are not sure about fish sauce · Phu Quoc vs Con Dao · Vietnam with older parents.
Where this leads
Blog attracts, things to do informs, tours convert — in that order.