Phong Nha is an absolute jewel of Vietnam. If you thought Sapa and Halong Bay were the ultimate must see places for natural beauty, think again. Phong Nha, more correctly Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park is a stunner. If all you want from Vietnam is natural beauty and the unspoilt Vietnamese rural landscape, that's fine. However, Phong Nha doesn't just have that. Phong Nha … [Read more...]
Living in Hoi An
Everything on living in Hoi An after almost 6 months here.This post started out in 2017 as a bit of a whinge about how dull it was sitting still for a couple of months but in our second month, after starting this post in the wee small hours, we went out for breakfast and a bike ride and I found myself falling under a car. Being alive and content in an ultra-charming … [Read more...]
Hoi An Photo Tour With Pieter of Hoi An Photo Walks ( Now Photo Voyager )
One of the best things I did during our 6 months in Hoi An Vietnam, was find a morning for myself to take a Hoi An photo tour with Pieter. Pieter runs Hoi An Photo Walks - Now renamed Photo Voyager - and we already knew him socially through our running in Hoi An, he is behind Hoi An Hash House Harriers. I tagged along for a morning of photography in Hoi An Old Town. … [Read more...]
Hoi An With Kids
Hoi An is a magical little town on the coast in central Vietnam and we enjoyed 6 months there with our kids. Famous for its UNESCO listed Old Town, tailors' shops and monthly full moon lantern festival, it also has long sandy beaches and 5 star resorts. It attracts family holiday makers in large numbers. They visibly out-number backpackers these days and a lot of families with … [Read more...]
Kumquat Festival Hoi An & Tet
The kumquats and flowers of Tet were just one of the highlights and interesting happenings during our 6 months living in Hoi An. Tet is a huge festival, Lunar New Year, and it was a privilege to be in Vietnam at this special time. Kumquats play a starring roll in the Tet festivities and Hoi An started getting in the mood for New Year around the time of The Kumquat … [Read more...]
Banh Xeo, Eating and Cooking Vietnam’s Crispy Pancakes
The menu just said banh xeo, Vietnamese pancakes. We ordered them innocent and unexpecting with no idea what would be delivered to our table. We were in Hoi An, a city in central Vietnam famous for good food so we figured, as we had 3 months to spend in Vietnam, that we should try every item on the menu. Our first banh xeo had us hooked and at least one of our family has eaten … [Read more...]
What to Eat in Hoi An And Where
Hoi An is famous as a food lovers' destination with many local specialities to eat. The Vietnamese food here is superb but there are also some great Western, Asian and Western / Asian fusion restaurants to try. What to eat in Hoi An, after trying ( almost) every dish and every restaurant over 5 months. Every day we've eaten out at restaurants, street stalls, hotels and cafes at … [Read more...]
Almanity Hotel Hoi An, a Review
We only stayed one night, but the Almanity Hotel was a place to fall in love with. We know Hoi An well now after 2 months living on the edge of the historic Old Town and we know that standards in Vietnam are superb at the Almanity Hotel's level but still this medium sized luxury resort hotel had that little extra something that made it stand out. The location is great, the food … [Read more...]
Sunrise Premium Resort Hoi An Vietnam Luxury Hotel Review
If you're looking for an incredible place to stay near the UNESCO listed Hoi An Old Town yet with views of the East Vietnam Sea and the Cham Island Biosphere Reserves , the Sunrise Premium Resort and Spa Hoi An could be the resort hotel for you. It's a fantastic resort with luxury appointments, incredible dining and staff who simply can't do enough to make your stay a … [Read more...]
Vietnam Travel Blog and Guide
Vietnam is one of our favourite countries, packed with history, stunning landscapes, cultural highlights and amazing food. It's one of the most exciting destinations in South East Asia.We visited back in 1999 for the first time and recently we headed back there to create this Vietnam Travel Blog section for you. We had the luxury of time and 2 x 3 month visas to really get to … [Read more...]
Hoi An Pottery Village
The Hoi An Pottery Village is a stand-alone attraction just outside town but within easy reach by push bike, scooter or taxi. The villagers have been traditionally involved in pottery for centuries and the craft continues today. The Thanh Ha village has been turned into a tourist attraction but in a very nice, low-key, way. There's absolutely nothing shouting "tourist trap" … [Read more...]
Cu Chi Tunnels Tour & Cao Dai Temple Saigon
Our big, number 1 thing to do in Saigon Vietnam is the Cu Chi Tunnels tour and Cao Dai temple visit as a 1 day tour from Ho Chi Minh City. We did this tour as young backpackers, now, as family travellers, we wanted to show our kids. It was a stand out day from our first RTW and we knew the kids would get a lot from it, I wasn't going to let them fire an AK47 at the Cu Chi … [Read more...]