In the heart of Buon Ma Thuot Town stands the Khai Doan Pagoda that boasts a unique feature: a design that is a combination of the Central Highlands long house and palaces of the Hue Royal Court. In 1951, Doan Huy Hoang Thi Cuc, the mother of Bao Dai, the last king of the Nguyen [...]

The town of Dien Bien Phu itself is mostly a mix of ethnic Viet Kinh (the majority ethnic group of the country) and White Thai, with other minorities inhabiting the outlying areas. But it is better known as the wellspring of Vietnam’s storied rise to global prominence in the mid-twentieth century. The long,wide valley that [...]

The Ben Hai River traverses the northern reaches of Quang Tri province, marking Vietnam’s 17th parallel, which was used as the demarcation line between North and South Vietnam in 1954. The demarcation was intended as a temporary line between the north and south until the elections, to be held in 1956 would reunify the country. [...]

The Rockpile The Rockpile is a high, isolated mount that was an important lookout point by the Americans during the war. It’s a quick stop along the road to the Khe Sanh Marine base — not much to see, looks like any other mountain, though there are still signs of the intense defoliation wrought on [...]

Yok Don National Park Yok Don National Park covers 115,545 hectares, and boasts being the largest, protected, dry deciduous forest in Vietnam, hosting an abundance of wildlife, including the endangered black-shanked duoc langur, according to the official literature. It has numerous trails that make for good day trips and overnight camping trips, but it’s only [...]