Travel recommendations get repeated over and over for just a dozen places in Vietnam. These are amazing places, but... Do you wonder what lies beyond them? Do they represent a little or a lot of Vietnam's diversity? What are those popular locations really like? Are the brochures honest? Were they written in New York, Sydney or Hong Kong?

Vietnam is my second home, and my book relates what I know.

It's based on my travel. Learned from listening to local people about their lives, the area, their beliefs and their history: in 60 of Vietnam's 63 provinces, cycling and walking about 8,000 km, on a motorbike and in buses for almost 12,000 km, crisscrossing the nation as happy as a dog with two tails. It's my pleasure to give you my travel advice and insights to the land where Heaven touches Earth.

This is your 'Goldilocks' guide: it fits in your pocket or bag, and has the right amount of easy-to-read information and the right type of information. No sponsored content, no endless lists of places paying to be recommended, no bizarre opinions. And definitely not written to a standard formula by a journalist in New York.

You get everything to get you there and for getting around. Lots of explanations of what you can see and do across the regions and cities. There's culture, history and photos too, and some surprises. Books are expensive, but a good guidebook like this can save you time and money. It might save you from wasting a day in a C-grade attraction, or staying in the wrong city.

Thank you for considering my guide and please enjoy your time in Vietnam.