Pioneer Diaries

September 9, 2026

Peter makes the case for pockets over paraphernalia — what to look for, what to avoid, and how he flies with everything close at hand.

September 18, 2026

Two overnight sleeper trains through Vietnam — Saigon to Hoi An, then Hue into Hanoi — and everything Peter saw between falling asleep and waking somewhere else.

July 29, 2026

Peter's word-picture snapshots from four weeks on the road in Vietnam. Bridges, buffaloes, scooters and the small scenes that stayed with him.

July 29, 2026

Peter's quick and dirty survival guide to transiting international airport terminals — from booking overnight hotels to surviving security and stress.

July 29, 2026

Independence celebrations in Hanoi, foot-rowed boats at Tam Coc, a 500-step climb up Mua Cave, and a fine-dining cruise around Halong Bay - plus the answer to last week's cliffhanger.

May 12, 2026

Egg coffee on Train Street, a sobering tour of Hoa Lo Prison, a 95p bar bill, and the question of whether to try cooked dog - Arthur's first dispatch from Hanoi.