2023 is just around the corner! If you’re starting to plan your travels for next year, why not include some truly amazing experiences in Southeast Asia?  Here is our selected list of the TOP 10 EXPERIENCES for 2023! 10- Join a local exercise class: If working out is part of your daily routine, then why not continue on holiday? Rather than hitting the gym there are plenty of free local exercise classes that happen throughout Asia, usually in local parks or public squares. Our favorite is the ‘laughing Tai Chi’ in Hanoi, which is, as the name implies, a Tai…

Vespa Adventures is THE original scooter tour company in Asia and although there are many copy-cats on the market, we are still the best! With 15+ years of experience under our belt, we know what it takes to deliver “The Ride of Your Life”. Since day one, our goal has been to run the highest-quality scooter tours in Asia. Combining our passion for Vespas and our extensive destination knowledge, we have achieved this target and we take pride in knowing that every one of our guests has a truly local, truly unique experience. We know there are lots of tour…

Seeing the sunrise at Angkor Wat is a ‘must’! The world’s largest religious monument is incredible at any time of day but watching the temple slowly emerge from the dark as the sun’s first rays appear is really special.  I had visited Angkor Wat before at sunrise on a previous trip. It was really amazing but there were so many people! So when I returned to Siem Reap this year with my partner, I booked Vespa Adventures’ Our Angkor Sunrise tour. I wanted my partner to experience the sunrise at Angkor but not in the normal way- and I also…

SONGKRAN FESTIVAL HISTORY AND RITUALS On 13TH of April every year, Songkran Festival is celebrated all around Thailand. This day marks the start of a new Buddhist year and celebrated are stretched until the 16th of April. It is one of the largest festivals in Thailand and attracts a large number of tourists from around the globe. The Songkran celebration is rich with symbolic traditions. Mornings begin with merit-making, visiting local temples and offering food to the Buddhist monks is commonly practised. Another major part of the Songkran festival is throwing water. The Thai people believe that water is spiritually…

Every visitor to Chiang Mai wants to try new tasty local dishes on vacation. Vespa adventure aims at introducing guests with local culture, food, and people, on our exciting and unique tours. Thai dishes are adored all around the world for their taste and presentation. Thai cooking rejects simplicity and is about “the juggling of disparate elements to create a harmonious finish”. Northern Thailand where Vespa Adventures operate; is cold and surrounded by mountains has a unique set of cuisine to offer. In addition, the ancient culture of Northern Thailand plays its role in deriving quality and scrumptious dishes. While…

  Chiang Mai is one of the most popular destinations in Thailand. Located in the north of the country, it is famous for its historical temples, picturesque mountains, cool weather and scenic views. The vibrant city is filled with interesting sites as well as a lots of great restaurants, cafes and bars while in the outskirts of the city you will find stunning landscapes and traditional villages. Below are the top 10 reasons to visit Chiang Mai! 10. Cool and Pleasant Weather Surrounded by mountains and with less urban development, Chiang Mai’s climate is much more pleasant than that of…

10 Unbeatable Reasons to visit Hoi An For Enthusiastic travelers in Asia and Indochina there is a place that is constantly on the list of "best of the best": Hoi An. It is a favorite port city of Southeast Asia. It conquers all comers. So why visit Hoi An? Here we have listed 10 unbeatable reasons. Check out! 1. The Old Town In the 16th and 19th centuries, Hoi An was a busy trading port. Nowadays, this historic quarter is a mysterious, enchanting streetscape mix of Japanese, Vietnamese and Chinese architecture, with later European influences. The streets in Hoi An…

Is it rainy season? Dry season? Do we just stay in the south or visit the north? All important, yet tricky questions when deciding on the best time to travel to Hanoi. Personally speaking, September is the most perfect time of year to visit Hanoi for a number of reasons.  Firstly, the sweltering Summer heat has subsided and the cooler Autumn weather makes for pleasant days exploring the city without the need of multiple showers. No one likes a stinky tourist! Next, students in Vietnam have just returned for the new year so there’s a general buzz about the city with…

It was June 1999 when I first arrived in a dusty and sleepy little town of Siem Reap with my backpack on my back and my mum flying into meet me to explore the temples of Angkor.   It was a very different place back then. Nearly all the roads were broken, there were very few fancy hotels or restaurants. There were not even any tuk tuks! So I negotiated with a moto-taxi driver to rent his Honda Dream and off we went -me driving and my mum nervously hanging on for dear life. Its 20 years ago now, but I…

by Sissy Mallard I had only been in Saigon for 5 days when my mom called to tell me my Daddy had been taken to the Emergency Room and then admitted to the hospital. Talk about a wake up call, that news hit me like a ton of bricks but what could I do from halfway around the world?! While I wanted to go straight to the airport and catch the next flight home, and after crying for about 30 minutes, I caught my breath, said some prayers both for my Daddy and me to be strong, then I went…

by Sissy Mallard After riding through quiet villages that seem surreal and transport you back in time, walking through the fresh market that lights all of your senses on fire and zooming over the red clay trails out to boats that will take us to Lake Tonle Sap, you are keenly aware of how amazingly different this part of Cambodia will be. Our group is large but we move along with ease as our drivers expertly navigate the way, dropping us off then picking us up at just the right spots. After a stroll through the always-exciting booths of the…

by Sissy Mallard The history of craft beer in Vietnam is a short one. The industry is very new, only a couple of years old and that’s the best part, we are on a drinking adventure in unchartered territory! The drive and commitment that these passionate pioneers have is unmatched as they are constantly experimenting and developing new flavors and brews. There are IPA’s, stouts, pale ales, ciders and porters – it’s difficult to choose a favorite and you probably shouldn’t because next month there will be a new batch of tastiness that will be sure to please your thirsty…

by Gerard Claramunt It’s important to know that TET or the Lunar New Year is the most important holiday of the year in Vietnam. All people return to their hometowns for big celebrations with their families. One of the oldest traditions surrounding TET is a live Kumquat tree and every family must have one. In the northern part of the country, there is a new trend that allows more families to join in with this rich tradition-it’s a bonsai kumquat tree that is perfect for people who live in small apartments. I met a master gardener named Mr. Manh, he…

by Neil Fraser Rice plays such an essential part of Vietnamese cuisine, that we often hear this phrase: “ăn cơm chưa”. This literally means “have you had rice yet?”  however this is used to ask if you are hungry such is the importance of rice in the locals diet. Vietnam is consistently in the top 5 producers & exporters of rice in the world & this resilient crop is grown across Vietnam. In the south & the Mekong Delta, with the favourable weather conditions the growers can expect 3 crops annually. The number of annual crops decreases as we head…

by Sally Writes Consumers in Vietnam have become ever more savvy in recent years, wanting to know more about the food they eat in restaurants and the foods they buy from street sellers and markets. The same goes for vacationers, too. The number of farmer groups in Vietnam that grow safe and organic vegetables is growing steadily, as are the appetites of travelers who are hungry to explore the possibilities of Vietnamese cuisines as safely as possible.  Vietnamese urban consumers and travelers are becoming more monied, health savvy and internet aware. Their busier lives mean that they don't always have time…

by holydayfactors.com Have you already started preparing for your next holiday? If you have not decided the place till now, find it right here, in this article. Plan for your next trip to enchanting Cambodia and ensure you can enjoy every bit of it nothing but with sheer pleasure. It will be quite fascinating for you to know that planning for a trip to Cambodia is not that difficult as it seems to be. It is a small country and therefore, it is not that difficult to make a proper plan around it. The best part is despite being small…

By John Watson It's a small and simple story.  But it is something that happens almost everyday, and shows the true wonder of Cambodia, I think. Now, normally, we take our time and space here to share interesting historical facts, adventures, and some of the many other highlights of enjoying the Ride of Your Life on a Vespa. But this month I would like to tell you a small personal story. Don't worry! The second part of last month’s story will follow, but this one reminded me of why I love Cambodia, the Khmer people and living here for over…

in collaboration with Dagiac Famed for its karst towers, sunken mountains, viridian hills and flowing rice terraces, Northern Vietnam is a place like no other. With many areas vastly unchanged by modern tourism, the northern country is a welcome escape from the bedlam of the more populous southern cities. Whether you are looking to escape to the countryside or explore the urban jungle, Northern Vietnam has plenty to offer. HANOI - SAPA - HA LONG - NINH BINH Beautiful pagodas are just one of the many things to appreciate in Hanoi The capital city of Vietnam is a fascinating place…

By Summer & Kayli www.getbusyexploring.com June 29th, 2017  What a day exploring the world’s largest temple. Alas, our long awaited adventure around The Magical Angkor Wat had come. And what better way to transport us to each temple than on the back of Vespas. We started our day by meeting our group at the Independence Royal Gardens outside the same Spirit House we were at the night before. After our brief meet and greet and a quick banana snack to start our day off, we then jumped on the Vespas and made a pit stop at the ticket office to get our temple tickets and have…

By Sally Writes Two things that Vietnam has in great supply are Vespas and great coffee. In fact, there are now around 35 million Vespas on the streets of Vietnam. And when it comes to coffee, the country is the second largest coffee producer in the world. Both have become a huge part of the culture and economy here. There's nothing much better than taking a break during a ride and finding a local friendly café to enjoy a delicious coffee while watching the world go by. But have you thought about switching your coffee to cold brew? It’s become…

by Craig Bowman Cities going through a transition period, such as Phnom Penh, often are faced with dilemmas in regards to the changes in property and landscape. Going from a city with very few buildings above 5 stories to one with many city high rises and urban planning, Phnom Penh has had to make room for these many investments. One such case happened to Boeung Kak Lake. It was originally the site of Phnom Penh’s largest and most beautiful lake. Estimates say the population around or near the lake is about 4,250 families, or 20,000 residents living on stilted houses…

by Craig Bowman Our tour guide just told us we are headed to our last stop of the night. We have been to several places and according to my watch, it is near the end of the tour, but it just seems time has gone by so quick. Our last stop already? Our group gets on our Vespa’s and leave Independence Monument after a brief history lesson and picture opt. We cruise for a quick bit and stop on the side of the street. At this time, although it is a big sized street, it is rather dead and a…

By Summer & Kayli www.getbusyexploring.com The restaurant we were at was one of the oldest Bun Cha in the country and in Hanoi. Bun Cha is one of the most famous dishes in Vietnam and we got to eat it in one of oldest locations. This restaurant opened up back in 1966 with just the first floor serving people. They now own all 5 stories and are constantly bustling with happy customers. And we now know why! The food was amazing! We jumped off our Vespas into a crowded restaurant and climbed 3 stories to our reserved table amongst some…

It's no secret that the motor scooter rules as the king of the road in Cambodia and Vietnam. These two wheeled road warriors display utter fearlessness at intersections and total mastery of the streets. Vespa Adventures offers a selection of tours that allows visitors the unique opportunity to participate in this choreographed chaos. Before your heart skips a beat, (that will come later), you sit behind competent drivers that take on the task of negotiating your way through the heart and soul of the city. This is the real deal, off the beaten path experience. Forget the touts of tourist…

by Cassidy Armbruster We headed out very early in the morning. After stopping for some traditional Vietnamese coffee, making our way to a local market and admiring the old Chinese architecture along the street, we took a small wooden boat across the Perfume River. Our drivers met us at the other side of the river with the Vespa’s, and took us on the most scenic and vibrant drive through tall mountains and green rice paddies. We eventually made it to a small village along the water, and wove through quiet streets with smiling kids climbing trees until we arrived at…