Vietnam
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- Moni & Alex
Some tipps and recommendations for Vietnam... -
- Moni & Alex
Cong Cà Phê
Vietnamese really like their coffee and you will find plenty of coffee shops on every corner serving traditional (very strong) Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk (hot or iced). The Cong Ca Phe is a popular and cozy chain in Hanoi which is additionally offering a coconut milk icecream smoothies with coffee. Sounds weird? The mix is surprisingly delicious
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- Moni & Ale
Street Food Hanoi
Probably the best way to try authentic Vietnamese food is out in the streets. Hanoi is full of little food stalls everywhere in the Old Quarter. We cannot give any addresses here, just keep your eyes open for a busy place with many locals and you will be rewarded with delicious "pho bo" (beef noodle soup), "bun cha" (bbq pork with rice vermicelli), "banh mi" (baguette with grilled pork) and table barbecue or hotpots. Be prepared to sit on kids-size plastic chairs and tables though which is not always comfy ;). -
- Moni & Alex
Cat Ba Langur Hostel
A family-run hostel in Cat Ba Town (not at the beach) in a side street of the center. The rooms are very spacious, the owners very friendly and helpful and all this for a very reasonable price. Upon arrival you get a free welcome beer and the family organizes "family dinners" where you can eat traditional Vietnamese food with them and other guests. The quality of the food was very good and it is a nice experience to have a lively international dinner. -
- Moni & Alex
Lan Ha Bay
Instead of going to Ha Long Bay, you might want to consider going to Lan Ha Bay, its little sister in the south, just off Cat Ba Island. It is much less touristic (500 boats a day in Ha Long versus around 50 boats in Lan Ha Bay. This means you have many spots and lagoons for yourself and the landscape is equally beautiful.
We went in a 2D/1N cruise with Cat Ba Ventures and were super happy!! -
- Moni & Alex
Bamboo Cafe Phong Nha
A cery chilled café in the little village of Phong Nha with excellent food for more than reasonable prices and very attentive and friendly staff. Absolutely recommendable for a relaxed afternoon/dinner/... :) -
- Moni & Alex
Hoi An
Even though super touristic, this ancient port town has a lot of charm! The old center is just beautiful, at night all the illuminated lanterns create a special atmosphere and most of all: there are so many nice cafés, bars, restaurants,... and so much good food to try! We could propably stay here 2 weeks just hopping from one food stall to the next restaurant onto the market to try all specialities around.
Apart from this, you have the beach nearby to relax for a day or two and while within Hoi An everything is reachable by bike the area around is best explored by motorbike. We simply LOVE Hoi An! -
- Moni & Alex
Green Bamboo Cooking School
Cooking courses run by lovely Mrs Van are really amazing. The groups are kept small (12 people max), everybody in the group decides for one dish he/she wants to prepare and at the end everybody tries every dish. In the morning you go to the market to buy all ingredients fresh and everything is home-made: from squeezing your own coconut milk to preparing dips and sauces, all is fresh and delicious!
An amazing day with a full stomach of excellent Vietnamese cuisine. -
- Moni & Alex
Nu Eatery Hoi An
If you cross the Japanese bridge and walk into a little side street you will find this cozy eatery with absolutely stunning food. The menu is quite short (3 starters, 4 salads, 3 soups, 4 mains and 4 desserts), but the quality of the dishes is excellent.
We had the steamed buns with pork belly as a starter and ordered some more after the main as they were so good. The banh mi as a main was going in the direction of a burger, but tasted excellent, especially the pork! For dessert there is homemade ice cream (coffee, lemongrass, chili), all delicious just as the banana cream pie!
Seriously, eat a light lunch and go there to treat yourself for dinner. For the quality you get, the prices are absolutely reasonable. -
- Moni & Alex
Little House Homestay Hoi An
Honestly, this homestay is a gem within the thousands of accomodation you find in Hoi An. It is a bit outside the old town in a rather quiet area. The location is perfect as you are halfway between town and the beach, everything reachable within 10min by bike. The bikes are free of charge at the homestay and we had breakfast included. The choice for breakfast was very good and there was always fresh fruits from the market for fresh fruit juices. The rooms were nicely furnished, we had our private bathroom and it was super clean. The owner of the house was a real pearl, she was so nice and warm-hearted. She did really like us a lot, we always got extra fruits or tea or ice tea and on day she even prepared Cao Lau, the local noodle speciality, for us. Just like that without any charge because she wanted us to try. And for the first time since we left home our laundry smelled realy nice :). Absolutely reccomendable if you ever go there.
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