All guides

The guides on this site are organised around the practical questions that come up when planning a Ho Chi Minh City and south Vietnam trip rather than around a generic list of attractions. Neighbourhood guides cover the character and practicalities of areas like District 1 and Cholon, including where each fits for accommodation versus sightseeing. Activity-focused guides go deeper into specific interests: how to choose between the Ben Duoc and Ben Dinh sections of the Cu Chi tunnels, what a Mekong Delta cruise actually includes depending on which province it visits, and how a Cao Dai Holy See visit in Tay Ninh differs depending on the time of day and the ceremony schedule.

Transport guides explain the practical mechanics of getting around, from how to reach the Mekong Delta, Tay Ninh and the coast from Ho Chi Minh City, to the choice between a day trip and an overnight stay for Can Tho, and how flights to Con Dao fit into a broader itinerary. Regional guides address each of the six main areas directly: Ho Chi Minh City itself, the Cu Chi tunnels and Tay Ninh, the Mekong Delta's separate provinces, the coast and islands around Can Gio, Vung Tau and Con Dao, Mui Ne and Binh Thuan, and Cat Tien National Park, since these routes require different amounts of travel and different seasonal timing.

Practical guides deal with the realities of visiting Vietnam as a tourist, including how to time a trip around the dry and wet seasons, without ever overstating conditions that can vary year to year. Together, these guides are meant to answer the questions a traveller has before booking anything, rather than simply describing what a destination looks like.