Businesses You Can Run On the Go

Buon Ma Thuot is the capital city of Dak Lak Province in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. While Da Lat is the best-known city in the Central Highlands, Buon Ma Thuot is the largest city and is closer to the geographical centre of the Central Highlands region. I have been to Da Lat many times, mainly because it’s more convenient to get to from Ho Chi Minh City. On my recent trip to Da Lat, I got the bus to Buon Ma Thuot, saving me a longer bus trip (or flying) from HCMC. These are my notes on Buon Ma Thuot from my visit in March 2025. Buon Ma Thuot city notes Buon Ma Thuot is also spelled as Ban Me Thuot, and Ban Me is also used as its name. BMT is also an acceptable ab…

This guide on where to stay in Hat Yai lists interesting and best-rated hotels in the best area to stay for visitors. Hat Yai is the largest city in southern Thailand, near the Malaysian border. This inland city is overlooked by foreign visitors who visit the south for the islands, but it’s worth a stop if you are passing through. Most international visitors are from Malaysia who descend on the city en masse on the weekend and holiday periods, so you will have more competition for hotel rooms if you are visiting then. What I like about Hat Yai is that the train station is in the city centre, so you can walk from the station to your hotel. The station is known as Hat Y…

Introducing my latest travel website, Rail Vietnam. This guide covers every train line in Vietnam, station information, and how to buy tickets. About Rail Vietnam I write about train travel in Vietnam here at Nomadic Notes, but I figured it would be better to have a dedicated site to post more detailed information. A Vietnam rail site is the ideal subject for a niche site. It’s a topic I am very familiar with, and it is a small niche that won’t require too much time once it is set up. I also found a great domain (railvietnam.com) that is easy to brand. The official website is not the most user-friendly experience, and there are many Vietnamese travel agent websites th…

Luang Prabang is one of the most charming cities in Southeast Asia and a highlight for any visit to Laos. Calling it a city seems a bit of a stretch as it feels more like a big country town. And within the UNESCO World Heritage protected zone, some parts feel like it hasn’t changed for a hundred years. This Where To Stay guides shows the best areas to stay in Luang Prabang for visitors. Where to stay in Luang Prabang guide Map of Luang Prabang hotels Best areas to stay in Luang Prabang Old Town (The historic UNESCO World Heritage area) Mekong Riverfront (Mekong views with in proximity to old town) Nam Khan Riverfront (Smaller riverfront are…

This guide on where to stay in Phan Thiet lists the best beach areas on the Mui Ne/Phan Thiet resort coast. Phan Thiet is a coastal city in the South Central Coast region of Vietnam. It’s a popular beach area due to its proximity to Ho Chi Minh City. Phan Thiet is also referred to as Mui Ne, and the two names are used interchangeably. Phan Thiet isn’t the best beach resort area in Vietnam, but its a good option for an easy beach getaway from Saigon if you don’t want to fly. There is a train from Saigon to Phan Thiet that takes 4 hours, and it’s timed perfectly for short trips. The main tourist beach faces south, and the coastal breeze that blows from east to west has m…

This guide on where to stay in Langkawi lists the best beach areas on the island. This includes all accommodation types, from hostels and guesthouse to luxury five-star hotels and resorts. Langkawi is an island group comprised of 99 islands, with the main island forming the bulk of the landmass. Langkawi is the third-largest island in Malaysia (not counting Borneo), and it has been designated as a UNESCO Global Geopark. The main attractions of Langkawi are the beaches, boat excursions to the islands, and the natural interior. Hotels in Langkawi are on the main island, though the island is too big to explore without transport. Choosing where to stay will depend on what …

There is no direct train service from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, so this guide shows how to make the journey by three different trains. Getting the train from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur used to be a straightforward affair. The train would leave Tanjong Pagar railway station (near downtown Singapore), clear immigration for both countries at Woodlands, and then continue on the same train to Kuala Lumpur. I did this journey in 2009 and it was a great way to travel overland. In 2011 the service from Tanjong Pagar was discontinued and the train service then began at Woodlands, near the Singapore-Malaysia border. The railway corridor from Tanjong Pagar to Woodlands has since b…

Getting the train from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore involves three separate train journeys. Here are the trains to book and how to buy the tickets. There used to be a direct train service from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore, but that service was discontinued in 2011. The rail corridor in Singapore has been turned into a walking path and nature reserve, so this service is not returning. It’s still possible to get the train from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore, but it requires booking three separate train tickets. This is because the rail line is being upgraded to a double-tracked electric service between Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru. Half of the project is completed, so the journey …

Bao Loc is a city in Lam Dong Province in the Central Highlands region of Vietnam. Bao Loc is the closest highland city to Ho Chi Minh City, and the construction of a new expressway has made it more accessible. I was reading about some recent tourism developments in Bao Loc, which are being built to cash in on weekenders from Ho Chi Minh City. There are frequent local buses from the popular tourist city of Da Lat, so I got the bus to Bao Loc to see what is happening. [Local bus from Da Lat to Bao Loc.] I thought it would be a short ride as Bao Loc is in the same province as Da Lat. It ended up taking 3 hours, not including the time it took driving around Da Lat to p…

The most convenient areas to stay in Kuala Lumpur for visitors, and the pick of the best hotels. Kuala Lumpur is the biggest city in Malaysia and a major air hub for travel in Southeast Asia. If you are travelling in the region the chances are you are going to pass through here at some point. While it’s nowhere near as big as Bangkok, it’s a spread-out city that can be hard to navigate at first. This Where To Stay guide is to help find the best areas in Kuala Lumpur. I have narrowed down the best areas to stay in if you are visiting for the first time. These areas are centrally-located with public transport, and have access to the most popular sites in KL. Where to st…

A guide for where to stay in Jakarta – finding the best areas that are close to transport, entertainment, and major tourist sites. Jakarta is the biggest city in Southeast Asia, and finding a place to stay here can be an overwhelming experience when confronted with the map of the city. Despite its size and unruly streets, finding where to stay in Jakarta is manageable if you stick to a defined area that is most useful for first-time visitors. This is the point of the Nomadic Notes Where To Stay guides. This is not to say that the other hotels outside this area aren’t worth staying in, and I have stayed in such places myself on my previous visits to Jakarta. But for th…

Sri Racha is a city on the Bay of Bangkok in Chonburi province. The city is in between Bang Saen (the closest beach to Bangkok) and Pattaya, and it is part of the Pattaya-Chonburi Metropolitan Area. Most people would be familiar with Sriracha for the sauce, though the most famous Sriracha sauce brand is made by a Vietnamese immigrant in America and not from Thailand. This name is so famous that it messes with search results when looking for anything to do with the city of Sri Racha. I was interested to visit Sri Racha as it’s known as the Little Osaka of Thailand. Sri Racha got this title as it’s an industrial hub that includes Japanese car manufacturers. Japanese work…

This guide is to help find the best areas to stay in Dubai for first-time visitors. Dubai has grown to become one of the most visited cities in the world. Even if you’re not planning on visiting, you might end up here on the way to somewhere else thanks to the extensive Emirates network. Dubai is a geographically enormous city, so choosing what area to stay in is just as important as what hotel to stay in. To give you an idea of how big Dubai is, here is Manhattan in New York overlaid on Dubai. [Size of Manhattan compared to Dubai (via size-explorer.com.] This Where To Stay guide is to help find the best areas to stay in Dubai for first-time visitors. This is base…

Where to stay in Macau – a guide to the best areas to stay in, and the best-rated hotels and casinos. Macau (or Macao in English) is a former colonial trading port of Portugal on the Pearl River estuary in Southern China. Macau was returned back to China in 1999, and it’s governed as a Special Administrative Region of China (like Hong Kong). While it’s much smaller than its counterpart across the river, Macau has made a name for itself as the casino capital of China. The appeal of Macau is that it still has a well-preserved old city that is distinctly Portuguese. Macau is a popular day trip from Hong Kong, with regular ferries making the trip in one hour. There is also …

The best areas to stay in Chiang Mai for visitors. This guides also includes where to stay for longer stays if you are a digital nomad. Chiang Mai is a surprisingly international city for an inland provincial capital. Part of its charm is the Old City, which is surrounded by a moat and fortress wall. Chiang Mai is considered as the cultural capital of Thailand, and the city is filled with beautiful Buddhist temples (wats). This Where To Stay guide lists where to stay in Chiang Mai for first-timers, and where to stay if you plan to stay longer as a digital nomad. Where to stay in Chiang Mai guide Map of Chiang Mai hotels Best areas to stay in Chiang Mai Old City (Hist…

On the railway to China, the hidden ancient citadel, and visiting the Koreatown and Chinatown in this booming manufacturing hub of Northern Vietnam. Bac Ninh is the capital city of Bac Ninh province, neighbouring Hanoi. Bac Ninh province is part of the Hanoi Metropolitan Area, and on the drive to Bac Ninh it’s hard to tell where Hanoi ends and Bac Ninh begins. At least there is still some farmland in between that stops Hanoi fully merging into Bac Ninh. Bac Ninh is an industrial powerhouse of Vietnam, so it’s not exactly high on the list of places to visit for leisure travellers. Apart from the fact that I am making my way through the list of provincial capitals in Viet…

The best areas to stay in Quy Nhon, including the city beach, Phuong Mai Peninsula, and beaches to the south of the city centre. Quy Nhon is a city in the South Central Coast region of Vietnam. The city has similarities to Da Nang and Nha Trang in that it has a municipal beach in the city centre. Unlike Da Nang and Nha Trang, it has yet to be discovered by international mass tourism. There are some occasional international news articles that proclaim that Quy Nhon is Vietnam’s next big beach destination, but you still have time to get here before it goes mainstream. Quy Nhon is an unusual city in that it has covers a large area with distinct geographical features. […

The Old City (Kota Lama), Surabaya Chinatown, and Jalan Tunjungan (one of the coolest streets in Indonesia). Surabaya is a port city in the northeastern corner of Java island. The city is the capital of East Java province and the second-largest city in Indonesia. I visited Surabaya in May 2024 as part of my rail trip across Java. This was my second trip to Surabaya, and I happened to be there while the city was undergoing a renovation of its old city streets. This old town renaissance might finally put Surabaya of the map of great city getaways in Southeast Asia. On this trip I visited the Old City (Kota Lama), Surabaya Chinatown, and Jalan Tunjungan (one of the coole…

How to get the public bus from Da Nang to Hoi An. Da Nang and Hoi An are about 27 km apart, but getting the public bus isn’t as straightforward as you would expect. There used to be a public bus between Da Nang and Hoi An (Bus 1) but that was cancelled during the pandemic. [The old Bus Number 1 (Da Nang to Hoi An).] After a few years with no service, there is now a proper direct bus service operated by FUTA . This bus is a useful way to travel between Da Nang and Hoi An without resorting to getting a Grab taxi, though the service could use some slight improvements. Bus LK-02: Da Nang to Hoi An Bus details Bus LK-02 operates from BX Trung Tam (the bus station in …

How Da Nang has overtaken Chiang Mai and Canggu to become the digital nomad capital of Southeast Asia. Da Nang is a city on the central coast of Vietnam. The city is between the coast and the mountains, with a river running through the middle. There is also a bay where the main port is, separated from the tourist coast by a spectacular peninsula. Its geographic variety is ridiculous. [The ridiculous geographical variety of Danang (view the map).] As a frequent visitor to Da Nang over the last decade, I have been observing the city grow in stature as an important regional hub and tourism destination. I remarked on my visit in 2017 that Da Nang was a city on the rise. …

Bandung is the capital city of West Java province in Indonesia, and about 150 km southeast of Jakarta. I was in Bandung after riding the Jakarta Bandung High-Speed Railway. The new train (known as Whoosh) is the fastest train in Southeast Asia, with a top speed of 350 km/h. I’ve been to Bandung before, but it’s good to revisit a place to see how its changed, and to see how you have changed as a traveller. These are notes from my visit in April 2024. Whoosh (the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway) [Whoosh at Padalarang (Bandung).] The train from Jakarta to Bandung takes 30 minutes, though you lose time going from Central Jakarta to the high-speed station. The good …

The best areas to stay in Da Lat, including a guide to the most iconic French colonial-era hotels. Da Lat is a former French colonial hill station in the Central Highlands region of Vietnam. The city is 1500 metres above sea level, and its cool climate and mountain scenery makes it a popular getaway from the heat of Saigon. Da Lat is often promoted in travel guides as an idyllic French town in the hills, but the reality is that it’s a bustling provincial capital with the traffic of a typical Vietnamese city. Looking on the map, it’s not obvious where the city centre is. The city is built on in a hilly area, and the streets a jumble of roads that follow the contours o…

April 30 is Reunification Day in Vietnam, and 2025 marked the 50th anniversary of the end of the war. Ho Chi Minh City held a grand military parade to mark the historic anniversary. The day is known in Vietnam as the liberation of southern Vietnam and national reunification. For overseas Vietnamese who escaped it is known as the fall of Saigon and Black April. My social media newsfeed was filled with the perspective of Vietnamese from both sides on this day. This article covers what it was like in Ho Chi Minh City in lead-up to the day and on April 30. Propaganda posters The previous big parade was for the 40th anniversary in 2015. The city was covered with propagand…

Bengkulu is the capital of Bengkulu province on the west coast of Sumatra Island. The city was a British outpost for nearly two centuries, though the colonial remnants are not as well preserved as the famous Straits cities. I visited Bengkulu after going from Palambang to Lubuk Linggau by train. Instead of backtracking on the same line, I got a shared taxi from Lubuk Linggau over the mountains to Bengkulu. These are the main sites of Bengkulu. Fort Marlborough Fort Marlborough is the main attraction of Bengkulu. The fort is surprisingly well preserved considering how little remains from this era in the rest of the city. The fort is the second largest of the East India …

A guide for the original bamboo railway in Battambang and the new bamboo tourist train in Banon. The bamboo railway in Battambang is a lightweight trolley (known as a norry) that was originally used to transport goods and passengers along the old railway. This makeshift trolley railway served a functional purpose when there was no rail service. The railway became a popular tourist attraction, and trolley rides were set up specifically for tourists. I visited the railway in 2016 after hearing that the bamboo railway would be closed down once the line was rehabilitated. I wrote a review of the bamboo railway before the line was rebuilt, which explains some of the history …