Vietnam & Cambodia Real Food Adventure

Xin chao! Welcome to Vietnam. Your adventure begins in the country’s capital – Hanoi. If you arrive early, maybe grab a delicious Vietnamese coffee (typically served with condensed milk or, for the more adventurous, egg)! Meet your group and leader for a welcome meeting at 5 pm, then head out for your first introduction to Vietnam’s lively culinary scene. Your leader will take you on a street food tour around the streets, as the sun goes down and the city comes alive at night. Maybe try bun cha (a grilled pork and noodle dish loved in Hanoi) or lau (Vietnamese hot pot). Thinking of arriving a few days early to explore the majestic Northern Vietnam? Then check out our Ninh Binh Mini Adventure (TVAN) -for an off-the-beaten path discovery of Pu Long and Ninh Binh. Or you can try our Hiking In Sapa (TVAG) - for a big doze of dramatic mountain landscapes, crisp fresh air and colorful hilltribes.

This morning, hit the road for the spectacular UNESCO World Heritage site of Ha Long Bay. The harbour, with approximately 2000 limestone islands rising from the turquoise waters of Bac Bo Gulf, spans an area of about 1500 square km and is dotted with beaches and grottos. When you arrive, you’ll set sail on the emerald-green waters, gliding between limestone karsts to take in the incredible scenery from the best outlook of them all – the water! Then, you’ll explore Surprise Cave, one of the most striking caves in the bay. In the afternoon, you’ll return to your boat and enjoy a delicious feast prepared by an onboard chef. Tonight’s stay is something special as you’ll be sleeping on the traditional boat, letting the water lull you to sleep and really taking in the beauty of the surrounding bay.

If you’re an early riser, you might like to wake up for sunrise this morning, watching the bay come alive. Perhaps organise an optional kayak experience to see the limestone karsts from a new perspective. Tonight, you’ll head back to Hanoi and board an overnight train bound for Hue. Perhaps grab some snacks today for the train, then settle in and play some cards with your group or watch the scenery pass you by from the window.

Arrive in Hue this morning – Vietnam’s former royal capital - and enjoy a local breakfast of bun bo hue (a spiced beef noodle soup). The food here is influenced by its imperial heritage (small dishes and a focus on aesthetic presentation) and Buddhism, reflected in the many vegetarian restaurants. After leaving your luggage at your hotel, embark on a tour of the city’s imperial monuments from the back of a motorbike. Stop past Thien Mu Pagoda – an active Buddhist monastery since 1601, where you'll see a car that belonged to Thich Quang Duc, the worldly famous self-immolating monk of the 1963 protests. After some time exploring, it's time to eat! You’ll enjoy a plant-based Buddhist meal specially prepared by a chef and descendant of the royal family, in the garden of their family home. After, visit the royal tomb of Emperor Tu Duc and enjoy some free time this evening. You may like to ask your leader for the best place to try imperial street specialties for dinner tonight like banh hue (rice flour cakes stuffed with shrimp, pork and spices).

This morning you’ll go to a local coffee house where three generations of Hue locals are living together. Admire the traditional house and gardens before meeting your host, Mr Khoa. Learn about his passion for coffee with a demonstration of how to make Hue’s traditional salt coffee, from the bean roasting process to the secret ingredients. Maybe even have a go at making it yourself! After, visit the Imperial Citadel and Forbidden Purple City before heading south by bus through coastal rice paddies and the mountainous Hai Van Pass to Hoi An. This beautifully restored city retains the feel of centuries past and tonight, you’ll head to the Old Centre – a UNESCO World Heritage site full of colourful streets, heritage buildings and specialty shops. Try Cao Lau (a local noodle dish) with your group tonight, then head out among the lanterns for a nighttime orientation walk with your leader.

Today, you’ll really get to know Hoi An – first, your leader will take you on a walk around the Ancient Town. Then, you’ll discover Reaching Out Tea House – a non-government organisation that supports the local deaf and mute community by providing employment and vocational training. While here, you’ll sip delicious teas in total silence – a tranquil experience you won’t soon forget. After a little time to relax, you’ll get ready for a cooking class with a local chef this afternoon. You’ll be escorted to a local market to shop for fresh ingredients, then you’ll go through a culinary journey with hands-on demonstrations. Your local chef will even share the stories behind the yin and yang elements, unveiling the secret of home-cooked Vietnamese meals.

Enjoy a free day in Hoi An to explore at your own pace. Maybe relax at the hotel pool or go for a bike ride in the nearby rice fields. You can stroll around Hoi An’s Old Centre for some last minute shopping – you'll have your hotel room for the whole day, before driving to Danang along the coast. Maybe visit the beach for a while before boarding an overnight train bound for Nha Trang.

Arrive in Nha Trang this morning at around 10 am, then have some breakfast. After checking into your hotel, maybe stroll around the city, visit the Po Nagar Cham Towers or head to the Tran Phu Bridge for scenic views of the city and coastline. This afternoon, you’ll meet back up with your group for a seafood dinner – a local speciality in Nha Trang.

Leave Nha Trang this morning and drive on to Ho Chi Minh City, once known as Saigon. Stop for lunch along the way, then when you arrive, take a walking tour to get a feel for the city's fascinating blend of old and new, East and West. You’ll notice a strong French influence here, which means excellent coffee and baguettes! Stop past the General Post Office, then take a guided walk around one of Vietnam’s most pulsing markets – Ben Thanh. This is the perfect place to pick up any last-minute snacks, cooking utensils, ingredients or presents for friends and family. Try the world famous crispy pork belly Bahn mi, then visit the War Remnants Museum to learn about the city’s sobering past.

After breakfast this morning, kiss Ho Chi Minh City goodbye and make your way to the Mekong Delta. The delta is known as ‘Vietnam’s rice bowl’ for its abundance of rice paddies, fruit and flower orchards. When you arrive, you’ll hit the water and cruise up this mighty river, stopping at tropical fruit gardens and local cottage industries to sample honey, coconut candy and fruit, right at the source. Enjoy being paddled slowly along the quieter backwaters in a sampan – one of the most common forms of transport in these parts. Continue to your homestay for this evening. Meet your hosts and take some time to wander the garden, relax or lend a hand with dinner preparations. Enjoy a southern Vietnamese feast on the wide veranda overlooking the garden as the sun goes down.

Enjoy the freshest fruit of the Mekong Delta for breakfast, then head to Cai Be for a hands-on cooking class with a local chef. Enjoy the tranquil setting and the spice garden as you learn some contemporary twists on traditional Vietnamese dishes with your passionate chef. Sit down and enjoy the delicious feast you've prepared over lunch and then enjoy a free afternoon to continue your explorations. Tonight, you might like to get together with your group and toast to a great trip over a farewell dinner.

Wave goodbye to Vietnam today as you catch an unescorted flight to Phnom Penh, Cambodia's lively capital city, where you'll be met at the airport by a local representative and transferred to your hotel. If you arrive early, why not go for a stroll and discover the city’s French architecture or check out the National Museum and its fascinating collection of Khmer craftsmanship. This evening, there will be a second group meeting to meet your new group and local leader. After that, you’ll kick off the Cambodian part of your food adventure with a welcome dinner at a local restaurant. The Cambodian cooking pot combines an eclectic mix of local and international influences and has a flavour all of its own. Later, maybe go for a drink or stroll along the famous Sisowath Quay.

Phnom Penh remains a living relic of the country’s past struggles and successes. Today you’ll visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S21) and the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek, which tell the story of the tragic legacy of the Khmer Rouge. In the afternoon, maybe visit the Royal Palace. The private quarters of the Royal Palace are home to King Sihamoni and are closed to the public, but you can visit the Silver Pagoda that lies in the palace complex – the most sacred temple in the country. In the evening, hop on a tuk-tuk and enjoy a foodie tour of some of the tastiest local food for dinner in Phnom Penh - the beef skewer and the fried pork ribs are our favourite!

Today, take a private transfer to Kampot – one of Cambodia's most attractive old towns. Famous for its pepper, Kampot supplied most French restaurants with this vital spice for many years during colonial rule. Today, the region is more renowned for its plantations of durian – a spiky, pungent fruit that you’ll either love or hate (try it and see for yourself). When you arrive, head to Kep Beach for lunch – the nearby Kep markets serve fresh crab cooked to perfection – and eat on the pier overlooking the ocean. After lunch, check into your hotel and in the afternoon, follow your leader on an orientation walk in the city. Stroll along the riverside and admire the French architecture, learning about its history from your leader. Then, maybe have a cup of coffee in the riverside restaurants and admire the view of Bokor Mountain Range. A traditional massage is also highly recommended here, from social enterprise Seeing Hands – the best way to support a local charity, is in loose cotton pyjamas, put in the capable hands of one of the blind masseurs or masseuses. In a country with no social security, the training and support provided by the centres allow blind Cambodians to support themselves.

This morning you’ll have breakfast at Epic Café – a social enterprise that provides employment for local people living with disabilities. After, visit the salt fields that stretch across much of Kampot’s coastline. After learning a bit about the salt production here, onto the Kampot Pepper Project. Grown in Cambodia for centuries, Kampot pepper is considered the world’s finest. Today, pepper is also seen as an important symbol of Cambodian regeneration. Learn from the best here about the use of pepper in a cooking class at the plantation and try some some pepper ice cream as your desert. The afternoon is all yours in this idyllic town.