Planning a first trip to Vietnam means sorting out visas, cash vs. card, common scams, and how many days to budget per city — details that are easy to get wrong from abroad. These guides cover full destination overviews, sample itineraries, and safety tips, written for travelers coming from the US, Canada, or Australia. Coverage currently spans Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang.
Three days in Phuket is enough to settle into one beach area, see the island’s main cultural sights, and fit in a single day trip — four to five days lets you add a second island trip or just slow down. This itinerary assumes you are based in Kata, Karon, or Patong (see our Where…
Phuket is Thailand’s largest island and its most developed beach destination: a mix of big, lively beach towns like Patong, calmer family-friendly beaches like Kata and Karon, Old Phuket Town’s Sino-Portuguese architecture, and easy boat access to the Phi Phi Islands. Most first-time visitors need 4 to 5 days to settle into one beach area…
Three days is the sweet spot for a first visit to Chiang Mai: enough time to cover the Old City’s temples, a day in the mountains, and a cooking class or market evening, without feeling rushed. This itinerary assumes you arrive the night before Day 1 and spreads the city’s best-known stops across three full…
Chiang Mai is northern Thailand’s cultural capital: a walkable old city ringed by a 700-year-old moat, hundreds of Buddhist temples, a growing digital-nomad cafe scene in Nimman, and mountain day trips like Doi Suthep and Doi Inthanon within an hour’s drive. Most first-time visitors need 3 to 4 days to see the highlights without rushing,…
Three days is the practical minimum for a first visit to Bangkok: enough time for the major temples, one market day, and an evening or two to eat and see the city after dark. Two days works if you are only passing through on your way to the islands, and a fourth day is worth…
A first-timer planning guide to Bangkok covering top sights, neighborhoods, getting around, and how many days to budget for Thailand capital.
Thailand cut its visa-free stay from 60 to 30 days and added a mandatory Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) on September 15, 2026. Here is exactly what US, Canadian, and Australian travelers need to know.
A first-timer planning guide to Thailand covering the 2026 visa rule change, when to go, how to get around, and how to choose between Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Krabi, and Koh Samui.
Vietnam requires no mandatory vaccinations for most travelers arriving directly from the US, Canada, or Australia, but health authorities recommend several routine and travel-specific vaccines before you go. The tap water isn’t safe to drink, mosquito-borne illness (dengue everywhere, and malaria in some rural areas) is a real consideration outside the main tourist circuit, and…
Tet, or Vietnamese Lunar New Year, is the country’s biggest holiday of the year, a multi-day national celebration when much of Vietnam shuts down so people can travel home and celebrate with family. In 2027, the first day of Tet falls on February 6. Some family-run restaurants, small shops, and local services close for several…
