Once the royal
seat of the emperors and the capital of Vietnam, chefs turned out 50 course
meals day after day for the emperors.
Due to this, of the almost 3000 dishes Vietnam produces, about 2/3 of
them originated in Hue, and many of them never left. This creates a foody paradise just waiting to
be explored. Below, I’ve rounded up my
10 must try foods in Hue.
Vietnamese food varies
a lot from region to region, but nowhere has more of a distinctive cuisine and
unique dishes as Hue.Hue: The Imperial City
Grandiose
structures, royal palaces, tombs of emperors, and delicious local specialties
are just a few things Hue has to offer.
Hue is a popular stop on people’s tour of Vietnam and rightfully
so. The Imperial City that dominates the
northern banks of the Perfume River and the many tombs that dot the area around
town are all part of Hue’s UNESCO Heritage Site.
7 Best Apps for Travel in Vietnam
With
just a few apps on your smartphone, traveling is easier than ever. Unlimited amount of information can be found
and actions like booking a hotel, calling a taxi, and translating a phrase can
be done in minutes. Whether you are
exploring the city or off the beaten path, these 7 apps will help you
experience Vietnam with ease and get the most out of your travels.
Top 7 Things to Do in Hoi An
Hoi An
has become a favorite destination for tourists to Vietnam; many of them making
it a must see stop on their trip north or south. The Ancient Town is packed with sights to see,
old world architecture, and delicious food.
The canary yellow painted buildings with ropes of silk lanterns swooping
across the tree covered roads, and all located along a slow-moving river make
it an ideal location for a tourist getaway.
Not to mention that it is often touted as the ‘tailor capitol’ of
Vietnam.
Discovering Southern Vietnam
After
one month in Vietnam we had, for the most part, finished exploring the northern
part of the country and were moving on.
My cousin and her boyfriend (who she has since married) were going to be
arriving in Ho Chi Minh City in two days and we had promised to meet them
there. So, we jumped on a train in Ninh
Binh and made the 32-hour train ride all the way down to Ho Chi Minh City.
Elephants of Yok Don
Yok Don
National Park makes history by releasing its elephants and creating the first elephant
conscious tours in Vietnam. They have
created an eco-tourism initiative that replaces chains and cruel rides with
observation and learning.
5 Reasons to Visit Nha Trung (And Everything Else You Need to Know)
Nha Trang isn’t your typical
seaside town. Combining high-rise
resorts and a laid-back backpacker scene, this city caters to absolutely
everyone. Nha Trang has a beautiful
turquoise bay wrapped in a crescent shaped beach of white sand and palm trees,
backed by a cosmopolitan city and a ring of mountains. No matter where you stay you are never more
than a 15-minute walk from the beach. Whether
you are into visiting historic temples and learning about the local culture or
having a relaxing day on the beach sipping cocktails, want to explore the local
markets or looking for a relaxing wellness retreat to get away from noise and
stress, Nha Trang has a bit of everything.
Mui Ne
If
your looking for a break from the chaos of Ho Chi Minh City, think about Mui Ne. Located just a five-hour drive from the big
city, Mui Ne is a world away. Mui Ne is
a favorite destination for many Saigonese and Russian travelers looking to get
out into nature or enjoy the beach. Mui
Ne is home to some breathtaking landscapes and unique scenery you won’t find
anywhere else in Vietnam. Apart from
that, it has an abundance of delicious, fresh, and cheap seafood.
Phu Quoc
Phu
Quoc is considered the top beach destination in Vietnam and it is no wonder why. Wrapped in white sandy beaches, you can
easily find a spot to take in the sun and views. The popular spots, like Long Beach lined with
beach bars and Sao Beach with its resorts, see most of the islands tourists,
but one can easily get away from it all by exploring outside of these two
areas.
Mekong Delta
A trip to
Vietnam would not be complete without a trip to the Mekong Delta. This iconic
Vietnamese destination is well known for its famous for its floating markets,
stilted wooden houses on the river’s edge, and seemingly endless rice paddies. The countless rivers and streams criss-cross
the landscape like arteries; where their muddy brown waters carry fruit-laden
boats to nearby floating markets and provide nourishment to bountiful rice
paddies.
Living an Unconventional Life
When I turned 15 and boarded my
first flight out of the country, everyone told me to “travel while I’m young
because once I settle down, I won’t be able to.” Here I am, 10 years and 34 countries later
and still I hear the same words time and time again. I think there are two reasons for this:
Cu Chi Tunnels: A Travel Guide
If you
are in Ho Chi Minh City and looking for a day trip, then look no further than
the Cu Chi Tunnels. They are one of Ho Chi Minh City’s most
iconic attractions and well worth the visit.
Coupled with a visit to the War Remnant Museum and you’ll be well on
your way to a memorable history lesson about the Vietnam War.
Ho Chi Minh City: A Travel Guide
Ho Chi
Minh City is a mixture of old and new. Elegant
buildings of French Colonialism sit between high rises and hotels. With a booming economy and a growing middle class,
the people of this city are eating artisanal foods and sipping craft beer. Tourist may come to visit the articles of the
past, but the city is moving forward, and fast.
Unrivaled Destinations: My Tour of Northern Vietnam
Northern
Vietnam has been one of my favorite areas to visit during my travels throughout
Southeast Asia. The mountainous terrain
makes for some of the most stunning scenery you will ever witness and creates
truly remarkable outdoors experiences. On
top of this, the food is simply amazing in northern Vietnam. Though many of the dishes are similar to
other parts of the country, their style of cooking sets them far part. All of this added to the fact that the people
are genuinely friendly, remarkable, and helpful, makes this area of Vietnam
extremely traveler friendly and, for those willing to step onto the road less
traveled, creates a genuine Vietnamese experience.
Ninh Binh: The Gem of Vietnam
Ninh Binh is a town which lies
to the southeast of Hanoi and is a lesser-known gem of Northern Vietnam. It is commonly referred to as ‘Halong Bay on
Land’ for its similar landscape, but is far less touristy and untouched. Ninh Binh is surrounded by hundreds of
limestone mountains topped by dense greenery that tower from the ground, scattered
with serpentine rivers flowing through and around them, while lush green rice
fields shoot up from their muddy banks.
If the scenery itself is not enough for you, the area is dotted with
some of the best pagodas and temples in the area and one of Vietnam’s ancient
capital cities.
Perfume Pagoda
The
Perfume Pagoda is located 60 kilometers southwest of Hanoi where the karst
limestone mountains jut out of the rice fields below. The Perfume Pagoda is a very revered and sacred
site featuring a maze of Buddhist pagodas built into the limestone cliffs of the
mountain. It is northern Vietnam’s most famous
pilgrimage site and one of Hanoi’s most visited tourist day trips.
History is More Than the Textbooks
My
least favorite class in school was history.
Every day, I would do the bare minimum I needed to get an “A” which often meant glazing over a chapter of my textbook
and paying close attention to the bolded terms and their definitions so that I
would pass the inevitable “pop quiz” the following morning. The school year wasn’t long enough to really
dive into a topic and since I wasn’t really passionate about history, I didn’t
spend any of my spare time trying to actually process the information that I
had committed to memory.
Sapa
Sapa is a small town located in
the heart of northwestern Vietnam.
Located above a deep valley flanked by cascading rice terraces and
surrounded by high mountains, Sapa is a sight to be seen. Though heavy mists often roll through the
mountains, the vibrant colors of its rice fields, temples, and people shine through
in a vibrant display.
Ba Be: A Mixed Story
Continuing
on tour of Northern Vietnam, we decided to head across to Ba Be. The trip was long and had us on two different
buses, a motorcycle with all of our bags, and a boat, but we finally made
it. Not knowing we exactly what we wanted to
do in Ba Be, we settled down, got a beer and some great food, and looked at the
brochure that our guest house had provided us with. Ba Be National Park is supposed to be the
‘outdoors capital’ of Northern Vietnam, but we weren’t really feeling the whole
hiking/biking thing after having hiked for two full days and a full day of
traveling.
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