Nomadic Notes

Lopburi is the capital city of Lopburi Province in Central Thailand. Lopburi is littered with historic ruins, and the city made global headlines when it was overrun by monkeys. The city is on the Northern Line that connects Bangkok and Chiang Mai. A new train station was built outside the city in 2025, so I figured it was time for a revisit. These are my notes from my visit in December 2025.

Lamphun is the capital of Lamphun province in northern Thailand. Lamphun province is next to Chiang Mai province, and their eponymously-titled capitals are only 19 km apart. Despite Lamphun’s proximity to Chiang Mai, I had somehow spent years of my life in Chiang Mai but had never visited Lamphun. It was time for me to visit Chiang Mai’s charming little neighbour. These are the notes of my trip to Lamphun in December 2025.

The Philippine National Railways (PNR) South Main Line originally traversed South Luzon from Manila to Legazpi. The line was approximately 500 km in length, but the system has been reduced to two fragmented sections. The current lines are used as commuter services and are not useful for tourism. If you are a train enthusiast who wants to take the train in the Philippines, then here is how to ride the remnants of the PNR South Main Line. PNR South Main Line map This is the official PNR route map.

My review of the Nanning to Hong Kong high-speed railway service. Nanning is the capital of Guangxi region in southern China. The region is next to the Vietnam border, and its proximity to Hanoi makes it a useful hub if you are overlanding to other points in China. There are direct services from Nanning to major cities in China, including Hong Kong. Here is what to expect on the high-speed train from Nanning to Hong Kong.

Nam Dinh is a city in Ninh Binh province in the Red River Delta region of Vietnam. I visited Nam Dinh in October 2025 as part of a rail trip where I was stopping at lesser-visited cities. This was a research trip for my website, Rail Vietnam. I was on my way from Vinh to Hanoi, and I stopped at Nam Dinh mainly because I was intrigued by why the line takes such a dramatic detour on the North-South line.

A review of the overnight sleeper train service from Hanoi (Vietnam) to Nanning (China). The Hanoi to Nanning train is the only international service from Vietnam, and one of the few international train services in Southeast Asia. There is also a Hanoi to Beijing train that is a continuation of the Nanning service. For this article I am reviewing the Hanoi to Nanning section, which includes details on the border crossing.

The oddly modern Vinh Station, the old apartments from the German Democratic Republic, remnants of the Nghe An Ancient Citadel, Vinh Market and the famous foam coffee, Ho Chi Minh, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, and future Vinh on the high-speed railway. Vinh is the capital city of Nghe An province in the North Central Coast region of Vietnam. It’s about halfway between Ninh Binh and Phong Nha, and not many visitors stop in between. That alone was enough reason for me to visit.

The Phnom Penh Airport Express Bus connects the city centre to Techo International Airport. Here are the bus details, including the route and ticketing information. Airport Express Bus route and stops The Airport Express Bus has limited stops between the airport and city centre. [Map of Phnom Penh Airport Express Bus.] The route map of the Airport Express Bus. [Airport Express Bus route map.] The Airport Express Bus on the city map gives a better idea of how far the airport is.

Dong Ha is a city in Quang Tri Province in the North Central Coast region of Vietnam. It was the capital of Quang Tri until Quang Tri was merged with Quang Binh Province in July 2025. Quang Binh lost its name in the merger, but Dong Hoi (the capital of Quang Binh) became the capital of the newly-merged province. Dong Ha is not a touristy town, though you might pass through here if you are doing a DMZ tour.

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.