Sika deer are national treasures in Nara, an ancient Japanese capital whose grand Buddhist temples and Shinto shrine are the highlights of a visit.
Author Archives: John Gottberg Anderson
59. Stepping Back: Pre-pandemic Kyoto
A stroll through the tranquil lanes of Japan’s imperial city reveals beautiful gardens, marvelous temples and a people in love with their heritage.
58. Finding Nature in a Highlands City
Surveying the urban parks of Buôn Ma Thuột, center of Dak Lak province in Vietnam’s Central Highlands region.
57. Vietnam’s Central Coast
There’s a lot to consider when planning an overland trip from Nha Trang to Ninh Binh: beaches, history, scenery, the world’s biggest cave … and beaches!
56. Exploring Vietnam’s Far North
Thoughts on planning a trip from Hanoi to the mountain resort town of Sapa, as well as the Perfume Pagoda and lovely Ninh Binh.
55. On Reopening the Border
With Vietnam preparing to reopen its international gateways, the author begins making plans to get back on the road.
54. Stepping Back: Malay Memories
A 1976 excursion through the Malay Peninsula introduced the author to the smell of opium, the Ten Courts of Hell, and a coven of frightening ghosts.
53. My Year in Photos: Fifteen Favorites
A selection of the author’s photos, each of them a memory from a year of Travels in Vietnam.
52. On Dating (Chapter Three): Enlightenment?
Comments from an expert on intercultural communication shed new light on the author’s relationship dilemma.
51. On Dating (Chapter Two): Now, It’s Personal
What is love, in the Vietnamese context? A successful relationship must be seen as a social contract, practical rather than romantic.
Travels in Vietnam 