Tag: culture
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Last look at Vietnam in Ninh Binh
I thought that I had seen the most beautiful place in Vietnam when we visited Bai Tu Long Bay. That is, until I saw Ninh Binh. On our final full day in Vietnam, we went on a day trip to this province in the Red River Delta of North Vietnam. Ninh Binh is known as…
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Cruising Bai Tu Long Bay on Dragon Legend
We are back in Hanoi for the last couple days of our trip, having returned from our overnight cruise to Bai Tu Long Bay. What a beautiful place that was! Choosing a Halong Bay cruise While preparing for this trip, I knew that a visit to the Halong Bay area was mandatory. The bay has…
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History lessons and food of Hanoi
We enjoyed a nice couple days in Hanoi prior to our departure for Bai Tu Long Bay. Our hotel was located in the Old Quarter, a lovely walkable area with lots to see and eat – and that we did! Searching for more banh mi We took our final domestic flight of the trip, transporting…
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A day at cooking school in Hoi An
For our final day in Hoi An, we signed up for a cooking class with Coconut Fragrance, a home cooking school run by a young woman named Huynh and her chef husband Tuan. There are numerous options for cooking classes in town, but I was very happy with our selection and would wholeheartedly recommend it…
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Countryside cycling and a windy beach in Hoi An
Our second day in Hoi An was a lot of fun. We spent the morning on a countryside bicycle tour and the afternoon doing some more exploring, including a visit to the beach. Cycling on Cam Kim Island We joined a half day cycle tour with Hoi An Cycling and coincidentally were accompanied by a…
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Eating up and exploring Hoi An
We said our final farewell to south Vietnam yesterday morning. Although we have had absolutely amazing authentic Vietnamese food through our short time here so far, Mr. Chuckles suggested that we punctuate this with a breakfast at McDonald’s. Therefore, our last meal in Ho Chi Minh City took place at the Golden Arches. We actually…
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Discovering the Mekong Delta
We capped off our time in Ho Chi Minh City on a day trip to the Mekong Delta. This is the region in southwestern Vietnam where the Mekong River empties into the sea via a network of distributaries. On our tour with Urban Adventures, we travelled to My Tho, a former naval base turned port…
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The streets and food of Ho Chi Minh City
Xin chao from Vietnam! After a short and uneventful flight via Cambodia Angkor Air, Mr. Chuckles and I have arrived safely in Ho Chi Minh City. Or is it Saigon? Originally known as Saigon, this southern Vietnamese city was renamed in 1975 after the Vietnam War and the communist party from the north took over…
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Chasing waterfalls and watching the circus in Siem Reap
We had a wonderful final day in Cambodia, with a daytime tour to the holy mountain Phnom Kulen and an evening at the Phare Circus back in town. Both excursions came highly recommended and we were not disappointed. A day at Phnom Kulen Phnom Kulen, which literally translates to ‘Mountain of the Lychees’ (named for…
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Glimpses of local living around Siem Reap
Our penultimate day in Siem Reap was spent getting a glimpse of everyday life in Cambodia. We opted to skip out on more temple tours and instead mixed up our itinerary with a traditional Khmer cooking class in the morning, and a floating village tour near Tonle Sap in the afternoon. Cooking at Lily’s Secret…
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