Nestled in the eastern highlands of Bali, in the quiet village of Ababi at the foot of Mount Agung, Tirta Gangga is a royal water palace steeped in beauty and spiritual reverence. Commissioned by the last Raja of Karangasem in 1946, this sacred estate pays homage to Balinese Hindu devotion. Its name, meaning “blessed water from the Ganges,” reflects its role as both a royal retreat and a site for spiritual purification and ceremonial bathing.

Bảo Lạc Town, near Vietnam’s northern border with China, hides a blood-soaked past beneath its calm surface. For centuries, this rugged land was home to fiercely independent Tày, Nùng, Hmong, and Dao tribes who lived and died resisting Vietnamese and Chinese domination. Imperial forces repeatedly tried to crush their autonomy, but the mountains ran red as rebellion flared again and again.

Standing proudly at 1175 metres above sea level, on the peak of Mount Lempuyang, this ancient temple complex is among Bali’s oldest and most revered, believed to predate most Hindu temples on the island. Although there is some confusion about the site’s exact age, the establishment of temples here stretches back at least a millennium.

Across Bali, Bedogol refers to the guardian statues that flank the entrances of temples and family compounds, the silent watchers carved in stone. Positioned in pairs on either side of a gateway, they serve as spiritual protectors, anchoring the threshold between the ordinary world and sacred ground.

Puri Langon is a privately owned royal compound located in central Ubud. It is the personal residence of Tjokorda Ngurah Suyadnya, better known as Cok Wah, a respected figure in the Ubud royal family. Though it remains a functioning private home, Puri Langon is open to the public free of charge, offering rare access to a lived-in royal space that continues to serve spiritual and cultural functions within the community.

A living, breathing time capsule, Hà Nội Old Quarter is a tapestry woven from centuries of colonial exploitation, Confucian rituals, dynastic collapses and wartime destruction. Despite relentless modernisation and gentrification, the Old Quarter remains defiantly alive. It preserves not just Hà Nội’s heritage but the very essence of Vietnam’s ability to adapt and endure.

Batara Kala, in Balinese mythology, is the monstrous deity of time, destruction and the underworld. He's a god born not from light but from the uncontrolled lust of the supreme god Shiva (Siwa). In one chilling version of his origin, Batara Kala is conceived during a moment of cosmic imbalance, when Shiva’s spilled seed, filled with uncontrollable rage and passion, falls to earth and takes form.

Tucked high in the Hoàng Liên Son Mountains of northwestern Vietnam, Sapa’s history predates the modern tourism boom by centuries. Archaeological discoveries suggest that humans have inhabited this rugged region for thousands of years. Stone tools, ceramic fragments and burial items uncovered in the Muong Hoa Valley point to a Neolithic culture that once thrived along the riverbanks. These finds, some dating back 3000 years, are among the earliest signs of life in Vietnam’s m

In the architectural language of Balinese temples, Bhoma statues are not merely decorative but play a protective and symbolic role. Bhoma is derived from the ancient Sanskrit word bhūma, meaning “Earth” and is considered a guardian spirit linked to fertility, the forest and subterranean realms. Usually mounted above temple gates or embedded within sacred water features, these fierce, leaf entwined figures serve as guardians of spiritual boundaries,

Born from the legend of Resi Markandeya’s vision of angelic dancers over the Ayung River, Taman Dedari blends myth and appetite in equal measure. Here, guests savour Balinese flavours in a riverside setting guarded by monumental stone Dedari, the celestial maidens of old.

In the heart of Batuan village stands one of Bali’s oldest and most spiritually charged temples: Pura Puseh Desa Batuan. Founded in 1020 AD, it’s recorded in Balinese historical texts that stretch back over a millennium. Its structure is not only physically resilient but symbolically rooted in something far older, believed to have been built atop a megalithic worship site once used for ancestral rites.

Long before it became a quiet suburb near Kuta, Tuban was a vital coastal hub within the ancient Kingdom of Badung, linking Bali to the wider archipelago through maritime trade. Its name, drawn from the sound of retreating waves, reflects a deeper spiritual rhythm, one that still echoes through Balinese belief in the cycles of life, death and rebirth.

Keramas Beach, located on Bali’s less developed eastern coastline in Gianyar, is known for its striking black volcanic sand and powerful surf breaks. Unlike the bustling beaches of Kuta or Seminyak, Keramas maintains a more secluded atmosphere, drawing a niche crowd of surfers rather than general tourists.

Nestled in Hanoi’s bustling Old Quarter, Hoàn Kiếm Lake offers a serene escape from the city's chaos. This natural freshwater lake, stretching 700 metres across 12 hectares, has been a cultural and historical anchor for centuries, its origins possibly predating Hanoi itself by over a thousand years.

Nestled high in the Dong Van Karst Plateau of Ha Giang Province, Đồng Văn Ancient Town carries within its narrow stone-paved streets a haunting blend of history, war and legend. This remote outpost near the Chinese border has long served as a cultural and military crossroads. The town itself is over a century old, with well-preserved architecture reflecting a fusion of Vietnamese, Chinese and French colonial influences.

Moana Café is one of Sapa’s most visually striking and unconventional destinations, located just a short walk from the town centre. Perched on a gentle hillside overlooking the Hoàng Liên Sơn mountain range, the café offers more than just coffee, it’s a curated outdoor experience designed to immerse visitors in panoramic views and imaginative, art-inspired spaces. This makes it especially popular among local tourists and Instagram-savvy travellers.

Known for its striking stone architecture and deeply rooted cultural traditions, Khuổi Ky’s origins trace back over 400 years and was established by the ancient Tay ethnic tribe, after 2,000 years of hardship and migration from the southern regions of China and Cambodia. The Tay people, one of Vietnam’s oldest and most culturally rich ethnic groups, are believed to have journeyed across generations, seeking fertile land and spiritual sanctuary.

Often bound in heavy fog, Cổng Trời Ô Quy Hồ or Heavens Gate, is a lesser known temple complex and viewpoint, situated atop the Ô Quy Hồ Pass, one of Vietnam's most majestic mountain passes. Located approximately 18 km's from Sapa town, this pass connects the provinces of Lào Cai and Lai Châu. Perched at an elevation of 2035 metres, it offers visitors panoramic vistas of the Hoàng Liên Sơn mountain range, including glimpses of Fansipan, the highest peak in Indochina. 

Perched 3143 metres above sea level, Fansipan towers over the stunning Hoàng Liên Son mountain range & national park in northern Vietnam. Often called the “Roof of Indochina,” it is the highest point in the country and the broader Indochinese Peninsula. Yet its significance transcends far beyond altitude. Among the swirling clouds and ancient forest paths, Fansipan is a mountain shrouded in ancestral reverence, layered with wartime memories and wrapped in folklore.

Bạch Mã Temple, the oldest temple in Hanoi’s Old Quarter, traces its origins back to the year 1010, during the reign of Emperor Lý Thái Tổ. It is one of four sacred temples in the city, constructed to stand as a spiritual guardian for the eastern side of ancient Thang Long (modern-day Hanoi) and was carefully chosen according to the principles of geomancy and the cardinal points.