History & heritage — Travel Ideas– tax –

I stayed in a river-view room at Hotel Majestic Saigon, which opened in 1925. The room itself is honestly nothing special. Even so, the breakfast, the views, and the location made the stay worthwhile. I cover everything from noise and the pool to the difficulty of catching a ride-hailing car — a straightforward account of an actual stay.

Three Vietnamese sites were selected among TripAdvisor's popular Asian spots (War Remnants Museum 5th, Hoi An 8th, Cu Chi Tunnels 19th). We list the admission fees, hours, and access for the three, and examine a standard route for Japanese travelers.

An ArchDaily feature picks 10 Vietnamese cafés that revived small traditional buildings. From a 1950s modernist villa and a French colonial villa to a wooden building in Hue and a prewar townhouse in Quy Nhon, we sum up where the meeting of architectural revival and café culture stands now.

Lonely Planet picks Da Nang 2nd on the "Top 9 Asian summer destinations." In the "9 destinations to go in Asia in summer" published on May 1, 2026 by the world-famous travel guide "Lonely Planet," the central Vietnamese city of Da Nang ranked 2nd. The magazine described Da Nang as...

Hue province drew 610,000 people (+73.7%) over the April 29-May 3 holiday, with tourism revenue of 5.1 billion yen. A thorough guide to the Hue Festival's shift to a four-season format, the free nighttime opening of the royal palace, and the imperial-cuisine space from April 24 to May 2.

Ninh Binh Province drew 5.4 million tourists in January–February 2026, up 9.9% year on year. We explain the three major spots—the World Heritage Trang An, Tam Coc, and Mua Cave—the effect of Pullman's opening, and a Hanoi-based two-day, one-night model plan, complete with a price table.

On Hung Kings' Commemoration Day today, April 25, visiting the "other Hung Kings' temple" in Saigon. Hung Kings' Commemoration Day, which falls on the 10th day of the 3rd lunar month each year, is a national holiday honoring the 18 generations of the Hung dynasty, the founders of Vietnam. In 2026 it falls on April 25. Many Vietnamese in Phu Tho Province...

It has been decided that freight trains will disappear from Hanoi's "Railway Coffee Street," which has drawn travelers from around the world. On February 27, 2026, Vietnam's Ministry of Construction formally agreed to fully abolish freight trains on the line running through central Hanoi. Passenger trains will also be significantly cut, with the Hanoi–Hai Phong section...

The UNESCO World Heritage "Hue Imperial Citadel," the pride of the ancient central Vietnamese town of Hue, will open free at night for four days on April 25–28, 2026. The "Mystical Imperial Palace" program woven from 3D projection mapping, cannon effects, and torch lighting...

Hoi An has been included at No. 51 in Time Out's 2026 edition of "The 51 Most Beautiful Places in the World." Ha Giang was also selected from Vietnam at No. 17. However, Time Out itself describes this list as "completely subjective and not exhaustive." Rather than treating the rankings as absolute, use them as a...