On the tourist routes of central Việt Nam, Hội An ancient town offers a change of pace from the normal hustle and bustle of cities. The small town boasts mossy old churches, temples and wooden houses dotted along small lanes shadowed with green and flowery climbing vines. While many visitors stroll the ancient town, enjoy local cuisine and purchase souvenirs, they may miss out ...

One of the things we love to do whilst travelling is interacting with local people, hearing their stories and getting to know their way of life. Sometimes though it can feel hard to break down the barriers of culture, language and suspicion that can prevent us from really getting below the surface of a country or region. Taking a Hoi An Tour was the perfect way to gain access to people and stories...

Cao lau is a regional Vietnamese dish made with noodles, pork, and local greens, that is found only in the town of Hoi An, in the Quang Nam Province of central Vietnam. Its unique taste and texture is achieved by using water from an undisclosed ancient Cham well, just outside of the town. This story is promulgated in a popular guide book and has become something of an urban legend. It is likely th...

My Quang (Quang Noodles) The noodles are made from rice. The proteins are usually shrimp, pork, chicken, or even fish and beef. The broth is made by simmering the meat in water or bone broth. Extras include hard-boiled egg, crushed peanuts, fresh vegetables. Similar to rice noodle and chicken or pork soup (Hu tieu), My Quang is a variety of Pho (rice noodle soup), because the noodles are made fr...

Hoi An attracts millions of visitors every year to its centuries-old relics, nights that are magically lit up by hand-made lanterns, and gentle activities like cruising on the Hoai River that flows through it. This old town in the central province of Quang Nam is also known for its people's honesty and hospitality. But Hoi An's attractiveness also lies in its vast cuisine with foods that are ch...

The graceful curve of an aging Japanese bridge is nothing short of pure art. Form, function, spiritual significance - people report feelings of peace just from crossing or hanging around the Zen-inspired bridges. Even Monet felt moved to create a masterpiece based upon the Japanese bridge. Without question, the most famous Japanese bridge in Vietnam - if not all of Southeast Asia - is found in ...

In this post, I will discuss the Vietnam War from various perspectives. I will also be showing pictures where battles have taken place. As I mentioned in the first post about Vietnam, please do not read this post, if you feel this will cause any type of ill feeling. Mark and I, as well as the kids, learned a great deal during this tour; I hope all of our readers learn something as well... We ha...