Rescuers search for survivors after tourist boat capsizes killing dozens in Vietnam
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The Advertiser
3 days ago
- The Advertiser
Top picks and insider tips: six experts on travelling in Asia like a pro
The Golden Triangle. Picture: Getty Images Updated July 25 2025 - 1:06pm, first published 12:00pm FAVOURITE PLACE: The name of Beijing's Summer Palace is a bit misleading. After two hours of walking, I've seen parks, temples, even a waterfront merchant street - but nothing that looks like a palace. That won't come until the end of the visit when I eventually reach the opulent wooden halls decorated with porcelain folding screens and dragon statues. Subscribe now for unlimited access. or signup to continue reading All articles from our website The digital version of Today's Paper All other in your area Ten kilometres away, the Forbidden City feels like ... well, a city. Here, the Summer Palace feels like a whole country! Needing a full day to explore properly, the historic imperial complex has 3000 buildings that reflect centuries of evolving culture - just one of them, the Long Corridor, has 14,000 paintings of Chinese folklore. But the highlight is getting between the buildings, through the sculpted landscape of hills, lakes and gardens inspired by feng shui, Confucianism, and the best of China's countryside. A dumpling feast in Taiwan. Picture: Getty Images ON THE WISH LIST: Among countless reasons I regret not yet visiting Taiwan, one has really been eating at me ... the dumplings. Boiled, fried, steamed, filled with soup - there are so many types and I one day plan to devour them all until I look like a dumpling myself. Of course I won't ignore the hiking and the beaches or the museums and the festivals, which also offer a taste of this small but dynamic country. TOP TIP FOR TRAVELLING IN ASIA: As I hang on white-knuckled to the back of the motorbike, the young Vietnamese woman weaving us through Saigon's traffic points out restaurants. I'd prefer she keep her hands on the bike (and, anyway, my eyes are clenched shut from fear). But each time we stop on this street food tour, it's all worthwhile, as I taste delectables I might otherwise never have known to order. Taking a food tour introduces you to dishes, venues and customs you can use to enhance your whole stay - so I suggest doing one as soon as you arrive in a new Asian city. FAVOURITE PLACE: Hong Kong, you've changed. Or maybe I have. Either way, it's now impossible for me to resist your charms. Whether stopping over on the way to Europe or the US, or choosing it as a standalone destination, Hong Kong offers everything on a platter: great shopping, nature and beaches on the city's doorstep, incredible festivals, the most delicious food - including, my favourite, glistening, succulent roast goose - and eye-opening cultural moments. On a recent stopover, I booked a ticket to the Tea House Theatre Experience at the architecturally extravagant Xiqu Centre. This introduction to Cantonese opera includes song and performance, guided by a moderator who briefly explains the history of the artform. Plus, it comes with dim sum and tea to sup on during the performance. It's this mix of the traditional and contemporary that ensures you can't ever be bored in Hong Kong. Cardamom National Park. Picture: Getty Images ON THE WISH LIST: In Cambodia, near the border of Thailand, is the Cardamom Mountains, south-east Asia's largest tract of tropical rainforest. It's not easy to get there and most of the accommodation is in tented ecolodges, but it's a haven for wildlife. Research camera traps in 2023 recorded 108 different species of animals, 23 of them vulnerable, including Asian elephants, sun bears, clouded leopards, pileated gibbons and Sunda pangolins. Most of them are almost impossible to see, but I'm willing to take my chances trekking in the jungle. TOP TIP: Don't try to pack too much into your Asian trip. It's often hot and humid, which can sap your energy, so get up early, drink heaps of water and take it easy. In the afternoon have a break - go for a swim, read a book, take a nap - then pick up your explorations again in the late afternoon. It's the perfect excuse to try out slow travel. FAVOURITE PLACE: Whether I'm following a well-trodden pilgrimage route that connects thousand-year-old temples or wandering through dense beech forest with a bell strapped to my pack to warn off any nearby bears, I'm always pleasantly surprised by how easy it is to explore the wild landscapes beyond Japan's cities. But hiking in Japan doesn't have to mean roughing it. Walking the Michinoku Trail - in the Tohoku region of Honshu Island - earlier this year, I followed a dramatic coastline where sharp fingers of rock emerged from the frothing sea, before feasting on a dinner of local seafood and lying back in a steaming onsen to recharge for another day on the trail. Along the Michinoku Trail in the Tohoku region of Honshu Island. Picture: Getty Images ON THE WISH LIST: In an age when almost everywhere feels instantly accessible, the idea of a "lost world" seems quaintly outdated. And yet that's exactly what the Maliau Basin is. Known only to the local Murut people until 1947, this crater-like amphitheatre deep in Malaysian Borneo remains largely unexplored. Steep circular walls protect the self-contained ecosystem from the surrounding rainforest, allowing some 2000 species of animals and plants to live largely undisturbed. And because the only way to explore the basin is by trekking between remote jungle camps, the natural beauty is being preserved for future generations to enjoy. TOP TIP: Always carry cash. I can go weeks without touching a physical banknote when I'm at home, but cash is still king in many parts of Asia. From waiting in line for a counter seat at a Tokyo ramen shop to stopping at a roadside stall for a fortifying Vietnamese iced coffee, I've lost count of the times locals have had to use sign language to explain that they don't accept cards. Now I avoid disappointment and always carry a few notes with me. FAVOURITE PLACE: When I lived in Chiang Mai, I'd often run out of reasons (but not excuses) to visit the spa. Nails done, hair done, eyebrows done, facials and massages up to date. The glorious quality, availability and affordability of pampering services in Thailand is like a dream. In more than 40 visits to the Land of Smiles, I reckon I've enjoyed thousands of Thai massages and still, I crave more. Now, whenever I get the time to return to Thailand, I'm lured south to the beautiful islands. There's a wellness retreat on Koh Samui, Absolute Sanctuary, that's just the tonic for world-weary souls and knotted shoulders. A spa treatment at Koh Samui's Absolute Sanctuary. ON THE WISH LIST: What's your favourite animal? Do you like bananas? Are you 35? Once the shyness disappears, the two young sisters from Hanoi have many questions for me. I am sitting opposite the pint-sized, pink-clad Vietnamese duo on a train bound for Hue. For them, it's an opportunity to practise their English-language skills. For me, the random, endearing conversation is the sort of thing I love about rail travel. Soon I'll be boarding a different kind of train, the luxury Vietage experience, an upscale journey through central Vietnam from Da Nang to Quy Nhon. Next on my bucket list: the overnight Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City Reunification Express train trip. With more than 30 hours from start to finish, I'll have plenty of time to take questions. On a train in Vietnam. Picture: Getty Images TOP TIP: I paid $2.35 for my dinner in Hoi An, a steaming, brothy bowl of Cao Lau noodles with sliced pork, crunchy rinds and aromatic greens. The oceanfront Phuket hotel I've booked for next week costs $64 per night. And the flight to take me from Vietnam to Thailand was barely three figures. South-east Asia is an absolute bargain for travellers, the best value-for-money destination I've found. My advice is to stay as long as you possibly can. Save up holiday leave, ask a friend to collect your mail, book an open-ended ticket if you can. One week is never enough in this part of the world. FAVOURITE PLACE: I've seen so many first-timers fall in love with Ipoh, Malaysia, an oft-overlooked former tin boomtown surrounded by limestone hills in Perak, about halfway between Kuala Lumpur and Penang. Until you've feasted your way through Ipoh's elegantly dilapidated shophouses and colonial buildings, from Nyonya to Indian, Chinese to Malay and a vast spectrum of flavours in between, you've only nibbled at the edges of Malaysian cuisine. Cheerfully hipster resistant, the town seems set in a friendlier, gentler age, and you can slow down and fall into step with locals gathering from dawn to dusk in generations-old street food joints for satay, dim sum, curry and more. Here you'll also find Malaysia's oldest watering hole, the 94-year-old Sinhalese Bar, with its saloon doors, pink walls and venerable octogenarian owner, Alfred. I've never met a pub so rich in personality and pedigree - just like Ipoh itself. Two Black bears at a rescued centre in Laos. Picture: Shutterstock ON THE WISH LIST: Australian-founded Free the Bears has rescued more than a thousand sun and moon bears in Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos from unthinkable suffering on bear bile farms. I've always admired this charity's amazing work and hope one day to see it in action on a Bear Care Tour at their Kat Tang Si Bear Rescue Centre, Laos. It's set amid tropical rainforest at the foot of the spectacular Kuang Si falls about 30 kilometres south of Luang Prabang. In this beautiful setting you can meet and feed these gentle, intelligent creatures and see them enjoying their new-found freedom with their Laotian carers. Tour fees contribute to the bears' welfare, so your travel becomes a force for good, helping compassion conquer cruelty. TOP TIP: Don't be afraid of street food! If it smells good, it almost certainly is. Look out for vendors favoured by locals and learn the local phrase for "is it fresh?" A good cook will reply vehemently that yes of course it is - and then prove it. FAVOURITE PLACE: In Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, I try to support the traditional samlor pedicab drivers when possible - including catching one to the Anantara hotel's riverside Bodhi Terrace restaurant. The building was originally a 19th-century British consulate, complete with a four-elephant stable. The Ping River murmurs past as you settle in beneath a huge banyan tree to enjoy the best heart-starter breakfast in the north, eggs Lanna Benedict spiced with green chilli nam prik noom. Aloi maak (that's Thai for delicious). Later, cross the Iron Bridge to the river's quieter side, explore its shoreline and visit Wat Ket Karam, where the eccentric temple museum might be open or not. Traditional samlor drivers in Chiang Mai. Picture: John Borthwick ON THE WISH LIST: To travel the Mekong south from the Thai border at Sop Ruak (the Golden Triangle) to the Mekong Delta, in Vietnam, would complete some unfinished business on south-east Asia's longest river. I've done the almost 5000-kilometre-long Mekong in parts from Kunming in Yunnan, China, by river ferry, longtail speedboat, cargo shuttle and cruise vessel, but not as far as the South China Sea. Why do it? Simply because it's there. Worse reason: because it's being dammed and double-damned to oblivion. About 740 dams exist or are under construction on its mainstream and tributaries in China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. Go with the flow while it still does. Giant buddha on the Golden Triangle. Picture: Shutterstock TOP TIP: Or, allow me several ... first, be sure to match exactly the full name on your passport with the one on air tickets and visa applications. A wrong word or letter can end in Do Not Pass Go. Then, cash matters: Asia is far from being online all the time everywhere. Even in high-tech Japan, especially rural areas, carry enough local currency for major expenses, plus 100-yen coins. Similarly in lower-tech Cambodia, Laos and elsewhere. Don't assume that your phone is a payment option. Finally, motorcycle misery: ride one, prang it, get injured and your travel insurance covers nothing unless you hold a full Australian rider licence and have indicated that on your policy application. Crowdfunding is not a strategy. PS, never leave your passport as a deposit or "guarantee".
West Australian
5 days ago
- West Australian
Cave dining in Vietnam and a show that deep-dives into culture
Vietnam has a new theatrical show and a fine dining experience in a 150-million-year-old cave. Featuring very local northern Vietnamese cuisine, and accompanied by a 2.5-hour show, the setting is the Dragon Pearl Cave, about 30 minutes' drive from Ha Long City. The cave is one of the biggest in the Bai Tu Long area of Vietnam's Cam Pha district, extending for 4000sqm. It is actually 45m above sea level. And the dinner-and-show seems a natural progression for Dragon Pearl, which is one of a complex of five caves in Vung Duc, as locals call it 'a theatre inside a mountain' because of its two chambers, which have many stalagmites and stalactites. + There is a 45-minute cultural show called 'The Quest for the Dragon Pearl'. created by director Le Thanh Phong. A spokesperson for the Dragon Pearl team explains: 'With stalagmites setting the stage, the show's performers harness music, dance, acrobatics, music, dramatic lighting effects, compelling costumes, puppetry and props to bring Vietnamese folklore to life. The legend of the sacred Dragon Pearl makes for an epic journey of power, peace and the unity of heaven and Earth.' + There is then Vietnamese fine dining by candlelight. Head Chef Nguyen Gia Thien's set menu takes diners on a culinary pilgrimage of the local Quang Ninh Province. Appetisers include pomelo and giant river prawn salad, grilled Van Don oysters with scallop sauce and hand-pounded Co To squid cakes. Main courses include crispy roasted Tien Yen chicken, grilled sea bass in wild dzong leaves, lobster with Tien Vua imperial sauce and Gat Gu rolls and braised Khau Nhuc pork. Then there is Golden Dragon Pearl dessert and Yen Tu golden flower tea. The launch of the cave dining spectacle is a significant step for for Quang Ninh tourism, says Nguyen Hong Nhat, general director of APC Corporation, which is not only behind the spectacular event but the boutique cruise line Ambassador Cruise. 'The Quest for the Dragon Pearl diversifies Quang Ninh's tourism, offering more for travellers to discover beyond famed Ha Long Bay and repositioning our province as a leading cultural and experiential destination,' he says. 'This ancient cave is a new cultural landmark that, through storytelling, natural wonder, and refined hospitality, promotes sustainable, heritage tourism and creates lasting economic and cultural impact for Quang Ninh.' The event costs $85 (1,450,000 Vietnamese dong).
SBS Australia
20-07-2025
- SBS Australia
Deadly tour boat survivor in Vietnam describes his escape
A man who survived the capsizing of a tour boat in Ha Long Bay has described his escape from the overturned vessel. At least 35 people were killed in the accident and a search is continuing for four who are still missing, according to Vietnamese state media. Authorities said earlier reports of 38 dead and five missing were incorrect. The Wonder Sea embarked early Saturday afternoon (local time) for a three-hour excursion in Ha Long Bay, a popular tourist destination, carrying 46 passengers and three crew. But a storm quickly covered the sky, bringing high winds and pouring rain, survivor Dang Anh Tuan told The Associated Press. Rescue workers saved 11 people, some of whom had clung to the capsized boat's hull for hours. Source: AP / QDND Tuan said the passengers asked for the boat to turn back to shore, but the crew reassured them they were almost at their destination and kept the boat moving forward. "It rained for about 15 minutes, and then the boat started to shake vigorously, tables and chairs were jostled around and seconds later the boat overturned," the 36-year-old fire extinguisher salesman said. "Water gushed in and I lost all orientation. "I tried to breathe. But more water came in. I took a deep breath, got rid of my life vest and dove down. "I saw a streak of light and followed it to swim out, escaping the boat, and then I climbed on the overturned boat to look for help," he said. Tuan and three others survived by clinging to the capsized boat and its propellers, waiting another two hours until the rain stopped and rescuers arrived. Ha Long Bay in Vietnam attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year. Source: PA / Nguyen Van Hai-Barbier Jean Pierre The Wonder Sea boat was later seen being towed to a shipyard for investigation, with most of its windows shattered, and damage to its roof and handrails. Police and other officials were seen working on the boat. Rescue workers recovered 11 survivors, but one later died in hospital due to his injuries, VNExpress newspaper said. The boat turned upside down because of strong winds, the newspaper said. A 14-year-old boy was rescued after four hours trapped in the overturned hull. The newspaper said most of the passengers were tourists from Hanoi, including about 20 children. Tuan was a holiday with 11 university friends, only three of whom survived. Tuan has only minor cuts, but one of his friends suffered multiple head injuries and the other's tendons were cut by broken glass as he escaped the boat through a window. The other nine members of the group were killed, including one who was travelling with his wife and three-year-old son. The wife and child were also drowned. A tropical storm is also moving toward the area. A national weather forecast said Storm Wipha was expected to hit Vietnam's northern region next week, including Ha Long Bay's coast.
