A special, free edition of my monthly Patreon membership post…

How to avoid overcrowded tourist hotspots in Vietnam & find alternative destinations off the beaten path…

Why the travel industry is wrong about the low season for travel in Vietnam…

A short film of my local neighbourhood to celebrate the 50th anniversary of reunification…

How the universe began, according to Vietnamese legend…

During Lunar New Year, I retreat into the mountains, valleys & streams that lie inland from the busy, festive & noisy coastal towns…

Reviewing an interesting year for me personally and for this website, and for travel in Vietnam more generally…

Marking 25 years since I first visited Vietnam when I was just 16 years old…

I answer readers’ questions to celebrate 12 years of Vietnam Coracle…

On the eve of the Year of the Dragon, Vietnam prepares to welcome another year of growing prosperity, opportunity & modernity…

The origin story of a piece of clothing I’ve worn for 20 years…

After nearly 9 years, I’m leaving my neighbourhood in Saigon’s Binh Thanh District, where I have many memories of many people, places & experiences…

I reflect on a significant year, focusing on post-pandemic travel and life in Vietnam…

Travellers often neglect their fitness. I practice exercise routines, methods & activities that are suitable for travel & help to maintain my fitness while on the road…

Over the years, I’ve written ‘odes’ in praise of aspects of Vietnam: from natural phenomena to types of food to specific places & personalities…

For the new Lonely Planet ‘Experience Vietnam’ book, I explore the joys, history & practicality of motorbiking Vietnam…

To celebrate its 10th anniversary, I’ve written an account of my website’s conception and development and an evaluation of its ‘success’.

Vietnam Coracle has a new logo. Read the story behind the logo’s creation & design…

A national comfort food, a convenience, an indulgence & in some cases a necessity, instant noodles are a staple of the Vietnamese diet. During the pandemic, however, national consumption rose by 30%…

Temples of the forest, banyan trees are great, natural edifices rich in cultural, spiritual & folkloric symbolism. A bridge between the human, natural & spirit worlds, banyan trees are found all over Vietnam…

Throughout human history, the sea has been both dangerous and generous: a cause of destruction and death, but also a source of food, fun, wealth and beauty…

Sometimes referred to simply as ‘The General’, Võ Nguyên Giáp is a giant of Vietnamese history. Following his death, in 2013, millions have made the pilgrimage to his tomb in Central Vietnam, myself included…

A long-form personal narrative & travelogue describing my experiences during the ‘fourth wave’, Vietnam’s worst outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic…

Monsoon downpours & tropical storms are the quintessential expression of the tropics, representing the exotic & the mysterious. For me, the monsoon embodies the excitement & romance of living far from home….

Anthony Bourdain felt a special attachment to Vietnam. Over the course of his TV career, he filmed multiple episodes in the country. I’ve pulled together & reviewed all 8 of his Vietnam shows…

A series of long-form interviews with people in Vietnam focusing on their experiences & opinions of the pandemic, and how their lives have changed as a result of Covid-19

Part travelogue, part personal narrative, part analysis of Vietnam’s containment of Covid-19, this is a long-form account of the pandemic….

A written interview featuring long-form, detailed answers to questions ranging from the evolution of Vietnam Coracle to its purpose and function, and the nature of travel writing in the Internet age…

A categorized reading list for Vietnam, including personal reviews of over 50 books about Vietnam…

My friend, Taz, was quarantined for 17 days in Vietnam as part of the government’s strategy to contain COVID-19. After her release, I interviewed Taz about her experiences at the quarantine facility, just outside Ho Chi Minh City….

Over the course of a week, I sat & wrote for half an hour on five separate occasions at five random locations in Saigon, and described the scenes as they appeared to me, in the hope of capturing something of the spirit of the city….

In the misty forests on the slopes of the B’lao mountains, the young Buddhist monk, Thích Nhất Hạnh, came to build a retreat in the late 1950s. Now a world-famous spiritual leader, Thich Nhat Hanh was forced to abandon the retreat in the 1960s, but the site still exists….

Vietnam is an extraordinarily beautiful country, but thousands of scenic areas across the nation are increasingly ruined by trash. A major catalyst for litter in beauty spots are picnickers, who neglect to clean up after themselves….

Dawn is the best time of day in Vietnam. Yet most travellers and expats never experience it. Wake up before sunrise and you’ll witness exquisite skies and the ‘roots’ of Vietnamese daily life. Rising early should be on everyone’s list of things to do in Vietnam….