Overview
A culinary journey through Vietnam, experiencing a variety of delicacies from
the freshest seafood in Halong Bay to the best street snacks in Hanoi.
A culinary journey through Vietnam that reveals a deceptive simplicity to a
cuisine renowned for its fresh, natural ingredients, aromatic appeal and
delicate balance of flavours. From savouring the freshest seafood in Halong
Bay, sitting with the locals while sampling the best of street snacks in Hoi
An, cycling through the herb gardens of Tra Que village, joining a family for
a night spent on the Mekong Delta, to trying your hand at mastering a variety
of regional dishes, this trip ensures that you make the most of this food
lovers paradise. Each day is packed with culinary-based experiences that are
best rewarded with a bia-hoi (local fresh beer) and a perch on the
street-side bars to absorb the fascinating culture of this gastronomical
land.
Highlights
* Sunrise walk around lake in Hanoi to join the locals for Tai Chi and a Pho
breakfast
* For a memorable coffee experience, taste the locally loved ‘egg coffee’
* Multiple cooking classes to master each local cuisine including a final
dinner and class with a renowned Vietnamese chef!
* Guided market visits to learn about and taste local fresh ingredients
* Visit one of Hanoi’s tea houses for a tea ceremony
* Candlelit seafood dinner while cruising the spectacular Halong Bay
* Journey by bicycle to vast herb gardens
* Overnight stay with a local family in the fruit orchards of the Mekong
Delta
Itinerary
Day 1
Depart London
Depart London
Day 2
Arrive Hanoi
The day is free to recover from the flight or stroll amongst broad tree-lined
avenues dating from the French period. There is a faded colonial charm where
baguettes and good coffee are sold from doorways of grand buildings of a past
era. There will be a welcome briefing this evening with your leader followed
by an optional group dinner at a local restaurant and perhaps taste a Pho
cocktail!
**Lenid Hotel or similar*
*
Day 3
Sunrise walk around Hoan Kiem; lakeside breakfast. Market visit and evening
cooking class
Today is a jam-packed day of culinary-based activities. We start our day with
a sunrise walk around the Hoam Kiem lake in the middle of Hanoi. Well join
the throngs of locals as they come together for a daily morning activity
this could be laughing yoga, Tai Chi or street aerobics and all are welcome
to participate in this communal gathering before we sit for a quick bowl of
breakfast Pho, a steaming noodle soup that is the standard breakfast fare.
After breakfast well walk to nearby Dong Xuan market to learn about local
fruits and vegetables and to have the opportunity to touch and taste many of
the staple ingredients we will come across throughout our trip. This
afternoon we pay a visit to the Thuong Tra teahouse where we partake in a
traditional tea ceremony. Late afternoon well transfer to the KOTO (Know
One, Teach One) cooking school, a training school for disadvantaged youths.
The KOTO chef will teach us how to prepare spring rolls, a variety of seafood
dishes and even dessert. We will of course end the perfect gastronomical day
by enjoying our self-made feast!
This evening we will also visit a local cafe to taste the popular Vietnamese
‘egg coffee’ which is served throughout cafes in Hanoi and Saigon and is a
much loved and very unique coffee experience!
*Lenid Hotel or similar*
Day 4
To Halong Bay; overnight on boat with candlelight seafood dinner on top deck
We make an early start for the approximate 4 hour journey to Halong Bay. This
is one of the most stunningly beautiful sights in South East Asia with
roughly 3,000 limestone peaks rising directly from the clear emerald sea. We
cruise amongst this amazing karst scenery and enjoy a seafood dinner on board
by candlelight. Halong Bay is rich in seafood and offers dishes ranging from
horseshoe crab to grilled squid and fresh lobster, dependent on the catch of
the day that morning. We overnight on board in twin share cabins with
en-suite facilities.
*Overnight Boat*
Day 5
Return to Hanoi; fly to Hoi An, an atmospheric town of Chinese temples and
crumbling colonial architecture
We continue to cruise around Halong Bay this morning before returning to
port. We then drive back to Hanoi pausing for lunch before heading straight
to the airport for a flight to Da Nang. We then transfer (approx. 1 hour) to
Hoi An, our resting place for the next three nights. A charming small town,
Hoi An largely escaped the destruction of successive wars and its backstreets
with traditional architecture are a delight to explore on foot as many are
off-bounds to cars and motorbikes.
*Le Pavillon Hoi An Boutique Hotel or similar*
Day 6
Walking tour of Hoi An; Banh Vac (white rose dumpling) experience with lunch
included
This morning will include a walking tour of Hoi An, the original European
trading port in Vietnam dating back to the mid-16th century. It is now a
living museum, with attractive wooden merchant’s houses and pagoda-style
temples with Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and European architectural
influences.
We will stop at the well-known White Rose restaurant for lunch and to
experience the local Banh Vac (white rose dumpling), a Hoi An specialty! No
visit to Hoi An is complete without tasting these delicious dumplings that
are loved by locals and visitors alike.
This afternoon is free, one popular option is to jump on a bike for a ride
through the countryside past local markets, schools and villages before
continuing on to Cua Dai beach (5 km). Hoi An is also a marvellous place to
wander around and enjoy the thriving riverside market and great silk, clothes
shopping.
*Le Pavillon Hoi An Boutique Hotel or similar*
Day 7
Leisurely cycle ride to Tra Que herb village; cooking class
Today is a real hands-on day. We set off early by bicycle to the Tra Que
Village, famed for its avenues of herbs, so fragrant you can smell them
before you see them. Well visit lots of small producers to learn about the
process of making the local specialities; a Cao Lau noodle maker and a bean
sprout growers home as well as the local market. En-route we will cycle by
water buffaloes and an abundance of bird life, two wheels being the optimum
way to appreciate the rolling paddy-field countryside. We will visit the
market restaurant to watch some live cooking demonstrations before partaking
in another cooking class, this time learning all about Central Vietnamese
cuisine. This afternoon is at leisure with time to further explore Hoi An.
Alternative transport options are available for those who would rather not
cycle, there will be a small extra cost, please speak to your leader. Cycling
distance approx 12km on flat terrain.
*Le Pavillon Hoi An Boutique Hotel or similar*
Day 8
Fly to Saigon; city tour. Optional dinner in a converted colonial villa
We drive to Da Nang and then fly to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), an exciting
and absorbing city where scooters pack the streets and temples stand
defiantly alongside modern developments. Devastated by the Vietnam War, it is
now a bustling free market city where anything goes. We include a visit to
the Ben Thanh Market, Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral and War
Remnants Museum. The Museum has an interesting photographic record of the
Vietnam/American War. Please be aware that some images at the museum are very
graphic.
After the city tour we will visit Ben Thanh market; the most central of all
the markets the surrounding streets compromise one of the citys liveliest
areas. Everything thats commonly worn, used or eaten by the residents of
HCMC is piled high here; from scorpions in alcohol and flashy jewellery to
hardware and piles of spices and fruit and vegetables. The wet market
at the back is for the brave only; expect to see clutches of live frogs tied
together by the legs, heaps of pigs ears and snouts and baskets wedged full
of chickens.
*Huong Sen Hotel or similar*
Day 9
Mekong Delta boat ride; overnight in homestay guesthouse, dinner with the
family
In the morning we drive to Vinh Long in the Mekong Delta, known as the ‘rice
bowl’ of Vietnam. This region produces most of Vietnam’s fruit, sugar cane
and coconuts. We take a boat trip on the mighty Mekong River to Cai Be. En
route we pass many orchards and friendly locals also travelling by boat. We
stop to see some small cottage industries such as rice paper and coconut
candy, getting a chance to sample the local produce along the way.
The evening is tranquil as we have dinner on an island and enjoy some ‘Delta’
hospitality. We spend the night sleeping at a simple guesthouse built in the
style of a local house. Bedding, a mosquito net and a small towel are
provided.
*Homestay Guesthouse*
Day 10
Return to Saigon; afternoon cookery class and dinner with a renowned
Vietnamese chef
An early start today as we head to the floating market of Cai Be. Recently,
Cai Be floating market is becoming less crowded and smaller as fruit trading
is mostly now done by trucks due to the bridge being built. However, this is
still a great opportunity to see a local market and the trade being conducted
traditionally on a smaller scale.The market is set to the backdrop of miles
of paddy fields punctuated mostly by agricultural holdings although there is
a huge Catholic cathedral on the riverside that is worth a visit.
We journey back to Saigon and then in the afternoon will transfer 1 hour to
the town of Thu Dau Mout for our final cookery class with Dang Phuong Nguyen,
a renowned local chef! Here we have the chance to cook in an open kitchen in
a fruit garden where Dang Phuong will show us around the garden sampling
seasonal fruits and where we can hand pick vegetables, herbs and chicken eggs
for the cooking class. After our cooking class, we shall enjoy all the dishes
we have prepared as our group final dinner before returning to Saigon.
*Huong Sen Hotel or similar*
Day 11
Depart Saigon
For those on group flights these depart late in the evening so there will be
a full free day at leisure to continue exploring the frenetic city of Ho Chi
Minh. There will be some optional acitivies for those who would like to
partake; you may wish to admire the view from the Bitexco Financial Tower,
the tallest building in Vietnam or visit the famous Cu Chi tunnels. Used by
the Viet Cong during the war the network covers 3 levels and approximately
240km of tunnels. Traditionally these were very narrow but some areas have
been widened to allow tourists to explore the system. Claustrophobes may
prefer to stay outside in the sunshine!
Day 12
Arrive London
Arrive London
