Central Vietnam

Hoi An

Day 1

• Tailor; got some cheap tailored clothes tho apparently we still got a bit ripped off (it was a fun experience!)
• lunch was cao lau a pork noodle dish specific to Hoi’An which is supposed to use water from a single well in the town!
• Walking tour for the history of the old town which was really interesting.

Day 2

• for breakfast we had My Quang noodles another local dish, the turmeric fish was 🔥
• chilled on Ao Bang Beach and got a decent smash burger for lunch from bikini bottom
• Bahn mi Phuong - Anthony bourdain’s favourite banh mi; was good & cheap but we had better in Ho Chi Minh
• Bar street, Wanderlust had an amazing cover band

Day 3

• got a scooter out to the Marble mountains; this was a bit too touristy but meant to be nicer if you go early
• Had a massive dinner of pork lemon grass skewers, banh xeo etc.. wrapped in rice paper and salad/herbs + bun thit nuong (pork peanut noodles) all for around £4

Day 4

• Coconut boats & cooking class, we made:
  • papaya salad
  • tomato fish stew
  • banh xeo
  • fried spring rolls

Recipes tbc… Also learned how to shoot flames as tall as me from a frying pan 🔥

Da Nang

Short stop in Da Nang for Têt (Vietnamese lunar new year)

Saw some very scary looking giant sea bugs when looking around a fish market (made me (Nina) wretch)

On tet eve we went out for drinks and saw the fireworks next to the dragon bridge

The next day took a scooter to see the giant lady Buddha & monkeys on Son Tra peninsula

Phong Nha

Fun couple of days inland in Vietnam’s biggest cave system!

• Phong Nha cave tour - kayaked for 2km and then did a p challenging hike in the cave to see some huge rock formations
• Botanical gardens hike
• Scootering on Ho Chi Minh trail
• Paradise cave - another very impressive and massive cave
• Had a few beers each evening admiring the beautiful river