A Taste of Vietnam
My first trip to Vietnam was 21 years ago. It was the first stop on my world travels. I spent almost three weeks travelling overland from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) by minibus and coach, stopping at Hue, Hoi An, Nha Trang and Mui Ne beach. It blew my mind and I promised to go back and explore in more depth on future travels.
I returned some 15 years later hosting a group of VIP journalists on a trip to Ho Chi Minh City, and then on a luxury river cruise sailing along the Mekong River across the border into Cambodia.
On this second trip we were accompanied by Australian-Vietnamese Celebrity Chef Luke Nguyen who showed us the secrets of the city, culture and cuisine from a local’s perspective.
From cooking classes to inner city districts, roof top bars and coffee shops to late night street food hangouts, we were incredibly lucky to have first-hand access to what local life is really like and to develop a deeper appreciation of the culture.
There are plenty of must-see sights on a holiday to Vietnam but if you're planning a trip then here are my favourite five experiences that will set your holiday apart:
1. Barter in the markets. There are plenty of opportunities to have a haggle with the locals and one of my favourite souvenirs are nón lá – the iconic cone-shaped Vietnamese leaf hats.
2. Crawl through the tunnels at Cu Chi and gain a real appreciation for how they were used by the Viet Cong during the war.
3. Eat Pho for breakfast. Live like a local and swap your western brekkie for a bowl of Vietnamese soul food.
4. Take a cooking class and learn how to make popular street food dishes such as rice paper rolls, Banh Mi and Banh Xeo.
5. Finally, you have to try Durian aka the smelly fruit. The fruit world’s equivalent to marmite, you’ll either love it or loathe it, but I urge you to give it a go and make up your own mind!
For expert advice and help planning your future journey to Vietnam call me on 01962 690006 or email zoe.palmer@travelcounsellors.com.
