The Quiet American still captivates history-minded travellers in Vietnam
The Quiet American 1966 cover © Mark Bowyer One of the many rewards of our recent Vietnam by the Book tour, was rereading Graham Greene’s The Quiet American. Graham Greene’s The Quiet American is one of three books I used to create our Vietnam by the Book, 16 day tour. So I was very pleased […]
Vale Nguyen Qui Duc
Nguyen Qui Duc at Tadioto© Mark Bowyer On 22 November we lost a dear friend. Author and artist Nguyen Qui Duc died in Hanoi from complications from cancer. Author, artist and advocate for creative people, Nguyen Qui Duc, was one of the truly special people I’ve had the good fortune to encounter over the decades […]
Sydney’s beautiful day – a walk for history, justice and a better Australia
Hung King Temple, Saigon © Mark Bowyer Many placards read – “History is calling.” Sunday 17 September 2023 was a special day in Sydney. We took to the streets with tens of thousands of others in support of the October 14 referendum to recognise our First Peoples and enshrine an Indigenous Voice to Parliament in […]
Saigon in 1993 – Old Compass Travel’s backstory
Notre Dame, Saigon in the 1990s © Mark Bowyer 2023 is a big anniversary year for me – and I guess Old Compass Travel. It’s thirty years since I kicked off my travel career in Ho Chi Minh City. 30 years ago, was the start of a life-changing experience. It’s when I made the […]
The Fatal Shore – Australia by the Book, our new history tour coming in 2024
Sydney’s World Heritage Hyde Park Barracks © Mark Bowyer We’re putting the finishing touches on our first long Australian tour, The Fatal Shore – Australia by the Book. In 1988, I left Australia for the first time. It was the bicentenary of British colonisation. Sydney threw a huge party. I flew out in June for […]
Dien Bien Phu – Vietnam by the Book destination focus
Military junk from the Battle of Dien Bien Phu © Mark Bowyer Vietnam’s far north – the region that borders China to the north and Laos to the west – is an extraordinary part of the country that, even now, sees surprisingly few travellers. It’s a unique element in our Vietnam by the Book small […]
Sydney’s South Head – history from the Manly Ferry
The famed ferry across Sydney Harbour to Manly provides great views of historic South Head, a place that remembers colonisation, dispossession and the maritime tragedy of the wreck of the Dunbar.
A fresh look for new times at Old Compass Travel
Tangled up in Hanoi © Mark Bowyer Back in 2016, we opened The Old Compass Cafe in Ho Chi Minh City. We wanted to have a welcoming home for Rusty Compass, our independent travel guides. The cafe quickly became a place where we connected with like-minded Saigon locals and travellers. Soon after opening, we began […]