by Daryle Rico | Jun 1, 2026 | Culture, Food, Vietnam
While planning my first trip to Southeast Asia back in 2024, I asked my Vietnamese friend Kieu if she had any advice for me before I boarded the plane. She gave me two priceless nuggets of wisdom. First: carry pristine $100 bills. Apparently, wrinkled American money...
by Daryle Rico | May 28, 2026 | Favorite Tours, Vietnam
It was the penultimate day of my Vietnam adventure when I found myself in Ninh Binh Province, about two hours south of Hanoi, standing at the base of Hang Mua Cave. Or more accurately: the base of approximately 500 reasons to question every life choice that had led me...
by Daryle Rico | May 24, 2026 | Culture, Vietnam
Asking me to name my favorite city in Asia is a bit like asking a mother to choose her favorite child. Impossible. That said, if you cornered me and demanded a Top Five at passport-point, Hoi An would absolutely make the list. Located along the central coast of...
by Daryle Rico | May 21, 2026 | Favorite Tours, Vietnam
High above the coastal city of Vung Tau, Vietnam — arms stretched wide over the emerald waters of the South China Sea — stands one of Southeast Asia’s most striking landmarks: the Christ the King statue at Tao Phung Park. And let me tell you something right up front:...
by Daryle Rico | May 5, 2026 | Favorite Tours, History, Vietnam
As a child of the 60s, I grew up watching the Vietnam War unfold from the living room. Nightly news. Grainy footage. Numbers scrolling across the screen that somehow tried to measure something immeasurable. I remember the protests. The division. The questions that...
by Daryle Rico | Apr 29, 2026 | Favorite Tours, Vietnam
Over the years, I’ve been fortunate enough to stand before some of the world’s great wonders—places that make you pause, look around, and quietly admit, “Alright… that’s pretty spectacular.” Think Crater Lake, the Eiffel Tower, the Colosseum, and the Grand Canyon. And...
