One year later and over a span of 8 months, I am finally finished blogging about Asia. My 5 week trip was filled with family, new adventures with The Hubby and of course, a lot of food. I’ve loved writing each post, re-living the memories and capturing my memories on paper (digitally). Travelling the world has always been a passion for me and I can’t wait to keep documenting and sharing my experiences.

We spent the last day of our trip exploring Bangkok and enjoying the street food. We had landed the afternoon before and enjoyed dinner at Nahm, ranked #37 on the list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants. Located inside the Como Metropolitan hotel, the restaurant was modern and elegant. Tables were well spaced out providing privacy, perfect for a romantic evening. Although the dining area was dimly lit, a light over each table illuminated the food. Vases filled with large bouquets of fresh flowers decorated the room. Nahm was a completely different experience from Cuisine Wat Damnak, which also felt elegant but secluded and far more relaxed.

Our server was friendly and soft spoken. The Hubby and I decided to order the set menu, which meant choosing one dish from each section of the menu, which also meant a lot of questions for our patient server. Service was impeccable, I don’t think there was even a second when my water glass was less than half empty, this was key considering how spicy our meal turned out to be. In fact when The Maitre D’ stopped by to check on us, I was literally crying from how spicy a dish was. I gushed about how amazing our meal was as the tears kept flowing. He chuckled politely and chatted with use for a few minutes.

Ordering the set menu included a selection of canapes and then we could choose one dish per person from each section of the menu. It felt like the stream of dishes were endless and we were pleasantly full. Some of the dishes, especially the Hot and Sour soup (tears inducing) were deadly spicy. Dinner began 4 canapes featuring seasonal ingredients and strong Thai flavours like basil and lime. One canape had a slice of pineapple that was just ripe, wonderfully sweet and tart. Another was savoury fried pork with bean sprouts served on a delicate fried egg tortilla, a miniature Banh Xeo.

The next 4 courses were served together family style and included two relishes, two curries, two mains and two soups. We shared every dish except the soups, where I ordered the Hot and Sour Mushroom soup while The Hubby choose a coconut milk based one. In hindsight his choice was the smarter one, having a creamy dish to eat in between fiery bites of the curries and relishes. I was blown away by how fragrant each dish, with plenty of fresh herbs and spices. The relishes were sweet and savoury without being overpowering. I only wish I had a higher tolerance for spice. I think that would have made the meal even more enjoyable. As is, The Hubby and I couldn’t finish some of the dishes with our burning lips, tongues, mouths, everythings.

Dessert was a rice pudding with pandan and coconut pancakes like we had in laos. The rice pudding was phenomenal and a tasty salve for my burnt taste buds. Overall, dinner at Nahm was refined with a wide array of dishes and service was exquisite. I do wish the dishes were either more accessible or that we had ordered milder ones.

In June 2015, The Hubby and I traveled for 5 weeks through 8 different countries, exploring historic sites, taking in breathtaking views, and indulging in delicious local cuisines. So delicious and indulgent, that I gained a pound per country, souvenirs that I still carry with me today. The last stop on our journey was 36 packed hours in Bangkok. Landing in the afternoon, I had booked dinner at Nahm our first night. We then had 24 solid hours to tour the city before flying out early the next morning.

To help streamline our time, we booked a private tour guide for the day and joined a food tour that night. I had first read about Bangkok Food Tours on the Tiny Urban Kitchen blog and their Yaowarat Street Food Tour (Chinatown) fit our itinerary perfectly. I also contemplated the Midnight Tour by Tuk Tuk, but was worried about catching our morning flight the next day. If I had more time in Bangkok, I would have definitely tried the full day Floating Market tour. Before deciding to book a tour, I had researched where to go and thought about exploring the city ourselves. However, I was worried about time, finding hidden vendors and possible language barriers. There was also just so many things I wanted to try. By choosing to go with a tour, we were trusting local experts to make our lives easier and we had a great time.

Our tour ran from 6pm-9:30pm and cost ~ $50/person with 7 stops. The tour would take us through Yaowarat, Chinatown, home to many of Bangkok’s famous street foods. Although there was a set itinerary, ours changed right off the bat to accommodate a restaurant closure. I don’t have the names of all spots we hit, but each was unique and tasty. Since Bangkok was the last stop of our South East Asia adventure, we had become familiar with certain ingredients (like pandan and durian) and weren’t as wowed as some of our tour mates. Also, perhaps because we were in Chinatown, many of the flavours were already familiar.

Here are the stops we made that night:
Canton House – Thai style dim sum featuring pandan noodle dumplings and pandan leave siu mai.
Kan Kee Nam Toua Thong – Famous tea stand serving sweet chrysanthemum tea and an incredibly bitter herbal drink. The herbal tea is popular in the summer as it’s “cool” and help balance out the “hot” in a person. I had one sip, but could not handle any more. The Hubby has had experience with Eastern herbal medicine and had a few more sips than me. I much prefered the floral chrysanthemum tea.
Noodle Stall – Stir fried noodles with chicken and Yu Choy. A simple dish but amazing, especially the gravy. Standing on a stool over a hot wok, the owner fries up noodles to order. This is the only dish the shop sold and it was the only one needed.
Dragon’s Beard Stall – Along the way to our next stop, we walked by a sand making fresh Dragon’s beard candy. A few of our tour mates were fascinated by the long strands of candy and our guide picked up a pack for everyone to taste.
L&R Seafood – This was a famous seafood food shop that has spawned many competitors in the neighbourhood (like R&L Seafood). We tried a curry shrimp, stir fried water spinach and scallops. The seafood tasted sweet, fresh and was seasoned with strong flavours. I would’ve loved to try more dishes.
Black Pepper Soup Stall – Rolled rice noodles in a peppery pork broth and topped with roast pork. I really enjoyed the strong, spicy broth and the chewy texture of the noodles.
Tong Yong – The last two stops were both sweet ones, starting first with a bowl of tong yuan, glutinous rice balls. Filled with black sesame or peanut and served in a sweet ginger broth, tong yuan is one of my favourite Asian desserts.
Tipparot Ice Cream – (Not Pictured) The evening ended with scoops of rich, creamy, durian ice cream

Continuing our Asian street food adventures, on our first night in Luang Prabang The Hubby and I headed straight to the night market for dinner. We would visit again pretty much every night either to shop at the handicraft market, grab a fresh juice or beer and sometimes more food. The food section of the market was located on a side street past aisles of tents with souvenirs ranging from tea, to chopsticks to “Beerlao” t-shirts. Vendors grilled up fish and meats in the tight alleyway. On our first night, we walked the whole alley to get a sense of the offerings. We squeezed past food stalls jammed next to each other and communal tables filled with backpackers.

For many of the vendors, it was hard to tell when one ended and the next began. Charcoal grills were often shared and there were few seats to sit and eat. Most vendors sold iced beer, which was perfect with a grilled fish.

In general, I noticed 3 main types of vendors:
1. Grilled Meats – Ranging from fish to pork belly to sausages, the meat was often pre-cooked and finished up on the grill when ordered. I prefered the pork options (pork belly and sausage) to the fish. For the large fish, the meat was overcooked and for the smaller fish, there were a ton of bones.
2. Buffet Style – A selection of pre-cooked dishes were set up, including vegetables, fried rice, noodles and tofu. Priced by the plate ($5-$7/plate), diners piled their plates high with whatever they wanted for the low price. All of the contents was then warmed up in a hot wok. This was definitely the option with the best value and I liked the many vegetable dishes, but everything does get combined in the wok and our guide warned us that many vendors will sell the dishes over multiple nights until it sells out.
3. Hot Pot Noodles – Priced based on the number of ingredients chosen, we were given a basket to pick fresh vegetables, a choice of noodle and tofu/soy based products to be hot-potted in a broth. I really liked this type of stall, the ingredients were fresh and thoroughly cooked. Also, depending on the time of night, the broth used for boiling the vegetables grew in flavour and depth (just like hot pot!). This did mean that the bowls could get very spicy.

Apart from these types of vendors, there were also fresh fried dumplings, BBQ pork and sandwich stalls. To satisfy my sweet tooth, I also visited the crepe stalls and fresh fruit juice stands nightly. Compared to other night markets we visited during our Asian trip, the one in Luang Prabang was smaller and cozier, but with their own distinct foods.

One morning, our guide also took us through the morning market in town where farmers brought fresh fish and butchered livestock from that morning to sell. All the parts of an animal were displayed from cuts of meat to every innard, which was sold by weight. My favourite discovery at the morning market was kanom krok, coconut pudding, made fresh street side. A thin batter was poured into heated round molds, once the pudding began to firm up, two halves were flipped together to create a pudding sandwich. The texture was gooey but solid (aka like pudding), and the flavour was a creamy coconut. Despite how hot the snack was, right from the pan, and the glaring sun, I wolved these down quickly. Later in Bangkok, we were served kanom krok as part of dessert at Nahm, while more elegantly presented, I much prefered the ones I had from the street vendor.

After our traditional meal at Tamarind, I was curious to see the French influence on Lao cuisine in action. L’Elephant was one of the best reviewed restaurants in Luang Prabang and offered separate French and Lao dinner menus. Again, our hotel concierge helped us make a reservation in the afternoon for the same night. The restaurant was also only a few blocks away.

Atmosphere: When we arrived at the restaurant, the sun was still up and we chose a table outside under an awning to enjoy the last rays of light. At this point, we had gotten used to the absence of real A/C outside of our villa. The restaurant was elegant and tropical with high ceilings and comfortable wicker armchairs. Perhaps because we were visiting during low season, the restaurant was only half full. Guests were seated spaced out and we enjoyed a peaceful dinner at a leisurely pace. This was pretty much a perfect mood for vacation.

Service: Ordering in English was simple and straight-forward. We were welcomed with amuse-bouches and our server took wonderful care of us. Empty plates were promptly cleared and dishes arrived just as we were ready for them.

Food: To start, we tried from the Lao Menu, lemongrass meatballs. They had a crispy outer shell and were juicy inside. I liked how the lemongrass flavour was fragrant without overwhelming. Our other starter was a steamed fresh water fish. While tasty, this was the least memorable dish of the night.

For our Entrees, we ordered fried frog legs from the French Menu and a buffalo steak with fries from the Lao menu. Frog legs are one of my favourite white meats, and these were perfect, juicy and plump. Fried with plenty of aromatics, the meat was well seasoned and had lots of flavour. With one delicious buffalo experience under our belt, The Hubby and I was confident in our steak order. Served with a pat of compound butter, the marinated steak was tender and seasoned simply with salt and pepper. I may have found a new favourite type of game meat.

If you’re in Luang Prabang, I would recommend dinner at L’Elephant or one of their sister restaurants for a nice sit down meal.

After Cambodia, the next stop on my South East Asia adventure was the city Luang Prabang in Laos, a UNESCO world heritage site since 1995. The small city was filled with shimmering, golden Buddhist temples and home to many Buddhist monks. We climbed Mount Phosi to watch the sunset over the village and spent an afternoon swimming at the stunning Kuang Sii Waterfalls.

With temperatures easily reaching over 35 degrees in the afternoon, our tour guide planned our days to end at 2pm and pick up again at 5pm, avoiding the sun’s peak. Both The Hubby and I appreciated the mid-day break and usually retreated back to our air conditioned hotel room for a well deserved nap before heading out to explore the city during the much cooler evening hours.

Tourism in Laos is still a fairly young industry, with the country only opening up to tourists in 1989. The country is still recovering today from their turbulent history. Today, only 55,000 locals live in the area of Luang Prabang and many still in mountain villages. Of all the cities we visited, Laos felt the most peaceful and hadn’t yet been invaded by a deluge of tourist buses.

For dinner on our first night, we asked our hotel for a recommendation of local cuisine and was directed to Tamarind, just a short walk away. Really, everything in Luang Prabang was a short walk away from our centrally located hotel (Villa Santi Hotel http://villasantihotel.com/). Our concierge was able to make a reservation for us at the popular restaurant, which is often filled to capacity. Tables were available outside on the patio or inside where ceiling fans cooled the air. We opted for inside. The dining room was clean, furnished with sturdy wood furniture and decorated with photos of local ingredients and landscapes. We had no issues conversing with our server in English and asked lots of questions. Since this was our first meal in Laos, we didn’t really have an idea of what to order and relied heavily on our server’s’ recommendations.

We started with an order of Make Your Own Miang wraps, that came with fresh lettuce, noodles, nuts, garlic, lemongrass and sauces. All of the aromatics were super fragrant. One sauce was sweet and savoury while the other packed seriously heat. Each bite was refreshing and light with the raw ingredients. Although my tongue was burning, I kept building in spoonfuls of the addictive spicy dip in my wraps.

Our other small dish was the Luang Prabang Tasting Platter that was served with sticky rice. The platter came with 4 dishes, which were Khai Pene (dried river vegetable snacks), Jeow Bong (spicy sweet chilli paste with buffalo skin), Orlarm (stew with chicken, eggplant, chilli wood and local vegetables), Sai Oua (pork sausage) and Soop Pak (steamed local vegetables with sesame seeds and herbs). This was a great option to taste a variety of flavours.

I could not get enough of sticky rice in Laos. The steamed grains of rice were chewy but firm and had the perfect texture to soak up sauces. Generally, sticky rice is eaten with one’s hands and, being sticky, it was easy to pick up a ball without losing any grains. This quickly became my favourite part of every meal and I could easily eat a bowl by myself.

My favourite dish was the Barbecued Marinated Buffalo, Ping Sin Kwai. The meat was incredibly tender, savoury with a touch of acidity, well seasoned and had a hint of gaminess. This is a dish I would love to see imported to Toronto.

Dinner ended on a more adventurous note with a bowl of Aromatic Pork stew, which included cured fermented fish sauce (padaek). I didn’t find the dish fishy and couldn’t pinpoint the sauce itself, but I’m a big fan of fish (skin and all) and am not the best judge. By this point of the meal, I was full and we could have skipped this dish if not for my curiousity.

While I chose order a la carte (after our experience in Bali), Tamarind does offer a variety of set dinners and runs Cooking Classes during the day.

Of all the places I visited during my Southeast Asia trip, Siem Reap stole my heart. Exploring the Angkor temple ruins was truly an unforgettable experience and one outside of my comfort zone. Personally, I prefer concrete jungles to green ones and often don’t take the time to enjoy nature. Siem Reap though, was breathtaking. Despite blazing sun and the possibility of poisonous snakes, each temple we visited wowed me with their architecture and engineering. I also enjoyed learning about the Khmer empire and seeing the shift from Hinduism to Buddhism in the temples.

The Hubby and I spent 2 and a half days temple hopping in Angkor Archaeological Park with our certified guide and private driver. Other transport options include by tuk-tuk or bicycle. I would highly recommend hiring a guide from the Cambodia Tourist Guide Association. Licenses guides had a uniform and have spent time training with UNESCO and the Ministry of Tourism. Our guide was friendly, soft spoken and very knowledgeable. I won’t go into the history of the Khmer empire because it’s not my specialty. I did find skimming through the Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khmer_Empire) page helpful before visiting each country to get a sense of the history and culture.

Tips

• – Bring plenty of water, a hat and if necessary a UV umbrella. Many of the temple sites were cleared of trees and the sun can be intense.
• – For some temples (including the upper level of Angkor Wat), visitors need to have covered shoulders and knees. For us, I had a white, light knit cardigan and we bought two pairs of the pants being sold at any street vendor. This was a good cheap, easy solution as we hadn’t packed any long pants for the trip.
• – Take your time and make a list, there are literally hundreds of temples to see in the 400m2 park.
• – Go early, the park opens at sunrise and to avoid the tour buses of tourists, try to visit the more popular parks in the morning and aim to be back at your hotel by 2pm to rest and avoid the hottest hours of the day.
• – Hire a guide, they’re well trained and I learned so much about Khmer history. At only ~ $20 USD/day, our guide added so much to our time in Siem Reap.
• – Be respectful. Some of the temples are still active and in use by Buddhist monks.
• – Don’t wander off, stick to the path unless your guide tells you it’s ok. Some more remote temples have only recently been cleared of landmines.

These are the temples we visited:
Rolous Temples – Made up of 3 structures, Preah Ko, Bakong and Lolei. Built in the late 9th century
Banteay Srei – Built in the 10th Century, dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva.
Angkor Thom City – Capital city of the Khmer empire, 4 elaborate entrances into the city from each cardinal direction.
Bayon Temple – Built the late 12th or early 13th century, most well-known for the many depictions of smiling Buddha of all sizes. Located inside Angkor Thom
Angkor Wat – Siem Reap’s most well-known temple, the largest religious monument in the world and almost entirely intact/restored. Built in the 12th century.
Ta Prohm – Built the late 12th or early 13th century. Trees have grown back over the temple and around the stone bricks. This was the temple featured in the Tomb Raider movies with Angelina Jolie.
Beng Mealea Temple – Still much restoration work to be completed, much of the temple is still collapsed. Fewer tourists visit this temple and it was very scenic and calm.

Needless to say, my love of eating out can be taxing financially, especially when it comes to fine dining. While planning my trip to South East Asia my main focus was delicious, cheap street food and local cuisine, but then I started wondering about “finer” restaurants. This led me to discovering Cuisine Wat Damnak. Located in Siem Reap, Cambodia, Cuisine Wat Damnak was listed at #50 on San Pellegrino’s list of Asia’s Top Restaurants and offered a 6 course set menu for only $28 USD ($35 CAD). This was an amazing value. Another key selling point for me was that the restaurant focused on traditional Cambodian flavours and ingredients, and sourced locally. Exactly what I look for in every meal when travelling.

Atmosphere: The restaurant was located in a beautiful, open two storey house, far from the neon lights of Pub Street in Siem Reap. Tables were available outside in the garden, upstairs decorated with influences from traditional Cambodian houses, or inside on the more modern first floor with air conditioning. The Hubby and I opted for a table inside. The dining room was refined yet relaxed and comfortable with diners spaced out for privacy. Conversations were soft spoken and I could feel the excitement at each table as courses was served.

Service: We arrived after a 10 minute TukTuk ride from our hotel and was greeted by the hostess, Chef Riviere’s partner Carole Salmon. All of the servers were local Cambodian residents, who took wonderful care of us throughout dinner. Wine and water glasses were tended to, crumbs cleared and each dish served with a detailed explanation. At the end of our meal, Chef Rivière came by the table to serve a selection of local fruits. He described each fruit in detail and chatted with us about our meal, a wonderful personal touch.

Food: Chef Joannès Rivière was born in a small town in France and has been living in Cambodia since 2003. After working as the executive chef for one of Siem Reap’s most acclaimed hotels, Chef Riviere opened Cuisine Wat Damnak with his partner in 2011. The couple both speak fluent Khmer and the restaurant reflected their passion and appreciation of Cambodian cuisine and culture. Featuring a tasting menu that changes bi-weekly and only locally sourced or foraged produce, Cuisine Wat Damnak combined the best of local flavours and French cooking techniques.

The night we visited, there were two tasting menus available with 5 or 6 courses. One featured more seafood while the other land animals. I chose the seafood-centric 6 course menu, while The Hubby chose the other. What blew me away with each course was how rich and aromatic the flavours were. Just the hint of lime used was more fragrant than a bag of limes I can find at the grocery store. Each dish was also balanced with aspects to sweetness and acidity.

Our tasting menus consisted of:
1. Amuse-bouche of a refreshing cucumber salad
2. Prawn and tiger eggplant salad with herbs, prahok and peanut emulsion
3. Angkor stout braised beef roll
4. Caramelized palm sugar and star anise slow cooked pork, crispy shank, lotus root, stem and seeds
5. Pan fried Sanday fish, pumpkin and coconut tree heart stew, moringa, toasted rice and coconut puree
6. Honey cured Bantey Srey cantaloupe with tapioca pearls, lemon basil sorbet and Phnom Kulen vanilla meringue

1. Amuse-bouche of a refreshing cucumber salad
2. Pomelo and wild ginger leaves salad, candied pomelo skin pickled chicken
3. Rice wine steamed Mekong langoustine with Kurata pepper, Makassar fruit salsa
4. Blue crab clear curry with Chhlang fish, water lily stem and pounded feroniella
5. Stir fried boneless frog legs with wild mushrooms, homemade oyster sauce and holy basil
6. Cambodian cinnamon and darks chocolate light ganache, caramelized cashew nuts and puffed rice

Both menus had stronger and weaker dishes. I loved my pomelo salad, The Hubby’s Beef rolls, my Langoustine, his Slow Cooked Pork and my Frog Legs. We both really enjoyed my wonderfully chocolaty dessert with the crispy, airy puffed rice.

If visiting Siem Reap, I’d highly recommend making dinner reservations at Cuisine Wat Damnak for a world class dining experience at an amazing price. Later on during our trip, we also had dinner at Nahm in Bangkok (#22 World’s Best Restaurant) for double the price and frankly, I enjoyed our meal at Cuisine Wat Damnak more.

Of all the cities I visited in South East Asia, Siem Reap in Cambodia was my favourite. We spent our days exploring ruined temples of the Khmer empire, some hidden in jungles and others restored to their former glory. At night, we wandered around Pub Street, munching on street food, souvenir shopping at Old Market and getting foot massages.

Siem Reap was a small and compact town. Our hotel was located halfway between “downtown” and the Angkor Archaeological Park. To get around, our primary mode of transportation was hiring Tuk-Tuks. Most of the drivers were friendly and understood some English. We always ended up where we wanted to go and only ran into one pushy driver who inflated his price. There shouldn’t be any surcharges based on time of day.

Pub Street, was a lively area filled with spas, restaurants and bars, and clearly meant for tourists. I liked visiting before sunset to snack on street food and wander around before settling at a restaurant for dinner. Two street food stalls I really enjoyed was one selling fried glutinous rice patties filled with chives and another making fried pearl noodles.

For dinner, I was drawn to the table top BBQ at Easy Speaking Restaurant, right along Pub Street next to bars and clubs. We sat at a table outside to people watch and met a very friendly street (hopefully clean) cat. To be honest, the restaurant was kind of a tourist trap, but that’s the atmosphere we were looking for that night. English menus were available, beers were cheap, ($0.50 – $1.00/glass) and the nightclub next door provided a lively background. Service and food though ranged from meh to not good. We had to be aggressive in getting a server’s attention. An older couple next to us sat for a solid 30 minutes before anyone even came by to take their order.

We tried the set bbq that included vegetables and 5 meats. At this point in our trip, I was trying to get as many vegetables into my diet as possible. The meats included chicken, frog, crocodile, snake and kangaroo. I’d tried all the animals except Kangaroo before, which was lean and mild in flavour. Our server set up the grill and we were left to cook the rest ourselves, similar to Korean BBQs.

Dinner was interesting, fun and included cats (by the end of our meal, our table had attracted 3 cats who napped under our table, patiently waiting for scraps). Not amazing in terms of taste but perfect for a touristy night out in Siem Reap.

On our way home, The Hubby and I were also fascinated by the colony of bats that lived in tall trees, basically in the middle of town. Our tour guide explained the bats have always lived there and were a part of the scenery. He seemed quite perplexed by how long we spent taking photos of them and staring.

Our last stop in Vietnam was Ho Chi Minh City, previously named Saigon, former capital, and the country’s most populated metropolitan area. The first day was spent learning about the city’s rich and turbulent history, while the second took us to the lush tropical forests along the Mekong River. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from Vietnam and our time there was eye-opening and enlightning. Hanoi vs Ho Chi Minh reminded me of how I felt about Shanghai vs Beijing. One, felt more culturally vibrant and young, while the other more proper and bureaucratic.

Day 1

The day began with a trip to the Cu Chi tunnels, just outside of Ho Chi Minh City. These tunnels played a vital part during the Vietnam war for guerrilla fighters against US soldiers. The tunnel network was built with multiple levels and at times went deep into the Earth. Viet Cong soldiers lived in the tunnels during the day and at times would be forced to stay underground for days during heavy bombing above. Today, part of the Cu Chi tunnel network has been preserved and turned into a war memorial park. Walking through the forest, our guide showed us perfectly camouflaged entrances, where tourists were invited to enter and explore the tunnels themselves. I would not recommend going in for anyone even slightly claustrophobic. The tunnels were dark and cramped. We only went through a short distance (5-10 meters), that was well-maintained and it was a daunting experience. In the forest, we also saw craters left by bombing and the many traps Viet Cong soldiers would set up using salvaged scraps and metal.

Lunch was at a Vietnamese restaurant and included spring rolls, a couple of meat dishes, fried rice and a braised tofu. Our guide brought us to the restaurant, which clearly catered to tourists with English menu and Western utensils. Seasoning leaned towards sweet sauces and there was no spice. Portions were filling and I did enjoy the flavours, but I would have also been happy with more local fare. In fact, on our way out, we noticed street stalls serving up bowls of pho and I almost convinced The Hubby to have “second lunch”. Almost, but not quite.

We spent the afternoon visiting the War Remnants Museum, Reunification Palace, Notre Dame and Post Office. To be honest, I found the perspective provided by the War Remnants Museum interesting but biased. Many of the exhibits emphasized the brutality of the Vietnam war, which was a harsh reality to stomach. Growing up in North America, with an Chinese cultural background, I left feeling conflicted but with a desire to learn more. Notre Dame and the Post Office were lovely examples of French architecture that remains today.

From our hotel, The Hubby and I found our way to the Ben Thanh Market to enjoy a dinner of fire grilled shrimp and cold beer. The outdoor market was half shopping, half food and exactly the kind of street food I love. Menus were available in English and servers peeled the shrimp for you. Tables were filled with locals and tourists alike enjoying a wide assortment of stir fries and grilled seafood. On our way home, we grabbed a bag of mangosteen, the biggest and ripest we had during our trip. Our hotel actually specified that mangosteen were not permitted in rooms, so we ate a couple at the market and the rest during our walk back.

Day 2

Day 2 was more tropical as we headed to the Mekong delta for a boat tour along the river and into the jungles. We visited rural villages and sipped tea with fresh honey. We rose a hand-rowed sampan from one islet to another to sample fresh tropical fruits like pineapple, jackfruit and dragonfruit. I admit with the fruit, I was worried about cleanliness but couldn’t politely decline. I was ok, The Hubby had some stomach pains that night.

On our way to lunch via boat, it poured. Wind combined with our velocity and lack of cover meant I was soaked through by the time we arrived at the restaurant. The warm weather allowed us to partially dry as we ate. The main entree of our meal was a whole grilled fish, made into rice paper wraps at the table. Rounding out the meal were crispy, thin, pita chips and banh xeo.

After lunch, we visited a village that made coconut candy by hand and the thunderstorms continued. The day ended early and The Hubby and I returned to Ben Thanh night market to pick up souvenirs and enjoy one more meal of fresh grilled seafood.

Overall, I enjoyed Day 1’s activities more, but I’m a city girl and the rain on day 2 dampened the experience of walking through tropical forests.

Vietnam was a beautiful country that’s still a burgeoning tourist destination for North Americans. Most of the tourists we met were from Australia or Europe. I really enjoyed the food in Hanoi, the stunning cruise through Halong Bay was unforgettable and the history of Ho Chi Minh humbling.

No visit to Vietnam would be complete without a cruise along Halong Bay’s calm, crystal clear, turquoise waters. Featuring thousands of limestone isles, the two days we spent floating through the bay was unforgettable. Our room on the ship had a large double bed and a sitting area in front of floor to ceiling windows. We could take in the stunning view at any time.

We arrived on the boat around noon and was greeted by a lunch buffet of fresh Vietnamese fare. All food during the cruise was included, however drinks were not. The lunch spread had plump shrimp, rice paper rolls, satay skewers, curry and fried rice. I was happy with both the selection and fresh ingredients. That afternoon, we ventured out onto the water to visit the floating fishing village and spent time swimming and kayaking in the water, which was surprisingly warm. At the floating village, we boarded paddle boats that were operated by the villagers and only by women. On the water, without any shade, the sun was roasting.

Before dinner, a hands on cooking class was held on the top-deck, where most guests had gathered to watch the sunset. For dinner, we were treated to a multi course meal starting with spring rolls and oysters. One of the after dinner activities was squid fishing, which The Hubby was excited about. Compared to our experience in Hong Kong though, that evening was much more leisurely. Instead of looking for squid, I was distracted by the giant jellyfish.

The water in Halong Bay was so calm, we barely noticed the current. Even The Hubby, who easily gets motion sickness felt fine. Our second cruise day started with a hot bowl of pho and a bahn mi sandwich before exploring Halong Bay’s caves. The crew of Pelican Cruise were professional and friendly. They did announce drink specials at the bar throughout the night, but I didn’t feel any pressure to spend more.

I loved every minute of our time in Halong Bay and the photos speak for themselves.