by Sissy Mallard For the UNESCO Heritage Town of Hoi An, it’s all about the lanterns, from the cute floating ones to the impressive hanging ones, there isn’t a night when you can’t experience the colorful beauty of these little gifts to the gods that hopefully bring us fortune and love. While the biggest and best lantern festival of the year happens in February on the first full moon of the year after Tet, on the 14th day of each lunar month Hoi An comes alive as locals and tourists celebrate by lighting candles and floating lanterns down the Thu…

by Sissy Mallard Healthy, fresh food is the key to a satisfying, productive life and what I found at Mr. Anh’s farm certainly fills the bill with colorful fields that are overflowing with many different varieties of vegetable and fruit crops. Along with lush green and golden tan rice paddies as far as the eye can see, vegetables and fruits such as eggplant, corn, okra, morning glory, beans, water spinach, winter melon, bitter melon and red amaranth are thriving in the bright hot Hoi An sun. After tasting this bounty and experiencing this place for myself, I understand why the…

By Gerard Claramunt Big statement, I know, but this delicious local dish has definitely the potential to be a signature dish in Hanoi in a near future. I’m backing my opinion for our food knowledge in Hanoi and the trendy that we are seeing here and, apparently, some media like CNN agrees on that as they featured Pho Cuon as one of the top dishes in Vietnam. In our Ha Noi After Dark tour, we bring our guests to a full of local people area. In there the whole street have restaurants that are selling the same thing: Pho Cuon.…

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…

Written by Gerard Claramunt Hanoi and surroundings have been developing in Red River Delta – the biggest river in the north of Vietnam plays an important role in the history of inhabiting and developing of the country. Most of the rivers connect with the Red River before going to the sea, it makes the Red River becomes the main waterway to bring products from mountain provinces to the plains areas and return. Vietnam used to be a poor agricultural country, and the Red River is the main water source for the cultivating. If you would like to experience the daily life…

by Cassidy Armbruster   Yes, red lights are somewhat optional. Yes, the traffic is always buzzing. Yes, the sidewalks are constantly flooded with people. And don't worry, you will get better at crossing the street. Ho Chi Minh City is a place of organized chaos, but its chaotic nonetheless. You may need a relaxing breath of fresh air every now and again, and I've got just the options for you: 1) Taste Vietnamese Coffee in a quiet Cafe Iv'e tried a new cafe just about everyday, and each day I'm surprised to find the new cafe more relaxing than the last.…

    by Cassidy Armbruster You don’t want anything to get in the way of your exploring Hoi An, especially not the radiant sun and steaming hot temperatures. Here are a few delicious drinks that can make your day under the sun a little cooler: 1.) Sugar Cane Juice Passing a sugar cane stand on a hot sunny day in Hoi An is a frequent delight.  There’s even a stand outside of Cafe Zoom where a small cup is sold for just 5,000 Vietnamese dong. The refreshing afternoon drink is extracted from sugar cane stalk, and it surprisingly offers several…

  Hue is one of the most impressive places in Vietnam! Situated in the center of the country, it is flanked by mountains and centered around the beautiful Perfume River.  Full of rich history, incredible architecture and quite possibly the country’s best food, it is worth staying a few days to explore all that Hue has to offer! Here are our top 6 reasons to visit Hue. 1. The History The history of this area is fascinating. Walk through the Imperial City and imagine a day in the life of the King of Vietnam, see the remnants from centuries of…

by Cassidy Armbruster   Truthfully, they are laughing with me and at me.  Phi, my guide from the Hoi An tour, and I were making our way on a Vespa through the scenic countryside when we passed a group of women and children outside of their home poking a long bamboo stick with some sort of hook to pull at the mango stems so they would fall gracefully into the bed sheet. As we passed the group, Phi explained the process of mango picking, and without much though I said, “I want to try.” “You want to try?” Phi asked…

 by Cassidy Armbruster Vietnam’s countryside is filled with rice fields, and the cities with rice dishes.  Rice fuels people’s stomachs as well as the economy. Vietnam is the second largest exporter of rice in the entire world, and is the seventh biggest consumer of rice according to the International Rice Research Institute. On an average summer day, the sun is beaming and the temperature feels as though it's continuously rising, making conditions extremely harsh for these rice farmers that cover their bodies head to toe to avoid the sunlight.  Just outside of the Phan family temple, a rice farmer was…

by Cassidy Armbruster Don’t be deterred by the term fish sauce.  Nor should you be deterred by the process that, from the pictures, looks somewhat unappetizing.  Vietnamese fish sauce is my absolute favourite, whether it’s used as a dipping sauce for spring rolls or just used as a flavourful ingredient in cooking delicious Vietnamese cuisine.  If you’re traveling in Vietnam, you’ll soon learn this is a staple ingredient. Vietnamese fish sauce is extremely flavorful with a slightly salty, almost bitter taste.  The sauce is cooked with a mixture of fermented anchovies, sardines, water, and salt.  There are three different types of…

by Cassidy Armbruster   Morning glory may be cheap in price, but it’s rich in Vietnamese food culture.  This vegetable that was once considered protein for the poor is served with most Vietnamese rice and noodle dishes.  The moist vegetable is often sautéed in garlic to give a flavorful salty taste.  It’s a Vietnamese must try, but also an inevitable try if you plan on eating local Vietnamese dishes during your visit. Morning glory is a semiaquatic plant that grows in water or damp soil and is from the same family as water spinach.  The vegetable takes little to no…

by Cassidy Armbruster Bring closed toed shoes and your balance if you are interested in taking the off beaten path to visit a company that builds large-scale handmade fishing boats. No, you won’t climb the boats in construction. You may, however, get to climb a wobbly wooden plank up to a fully constructed boat if there’s one docked during your visit. There are several superstitions in Vietnamese boat culture that especially restricts women from climbing or sitting on boats in construction. It is understood that should a woman sit on a boat before it is completely built, the boat will…

by Cassidy Armbruster Meet Hoi; a man as wise as he is friendly. At 80 years old, Hoi is the full time keeper of his family’s ornate and colorful temple, or ancestral house. The Phan family temple has thrived for 15 generations, and Hoi is of the 13th.  Hoi spoke fluidly and without sadness when he told Phi, my awesome tour guide and translator, that when he passes away, this duty will be taken on by the next generation, that being his younger brother.  Hoi explained that this 200-hundred-year old temple comes alive every year on the 10th of February…

When travelling in any country, it's good to come prepared. Here's a great infographic from Buffalo Tours that explains some key points so that you can fully enjoy your time here. These travel tips for Vietnam are the perfect place to start planning your trip!     Can you believe the population of Vietnam is 90.5 million? This country may appear small at first glance, but it's actually larger than you may think. It's a little bit smaller than California but has over twice the population. Within this population, there are 53 ethnic minorities, which you can see from the infographic.…

You’re coming to Vietnam – you’ve read about the street food, you’ve heard about the street food, but will you try it? You may be on your way here, telling yourself “Of course I’ll try it!”. But to be honest, it can be a little daunting as there’s not likely to be a menu in English and it is more unlikely that the staff will speak great English. That’s why our Vespa Adventures tours are a great way to introduce yourself to the local cuisine with our expert guides. Here are 7 great reasons why you should eat street food…

As a foreigner working and living in Vietnam, I get invited to a lot of weddings. Vietnamese weddings are huge, and people invite just about everyone they know. However, I recently got invited to an engagement ceremony. This was unusual to me, since back home typically a friend will call and say "I got engaged!", but in Vietnam the call to say "I'm getting engaged!". It's a planned ceremony, and much more intimate than weddings. My friend, Trinh, is actually a tour guide here at Vespa Adventures in Hoi An, Central Vietnam. I asked her about her love story, and…

  Mung bean cookies are delicious little snacks that you can find only in Hoi An. Each cookie has an intricate oriental pattern pressed into it. They're sweet and a little bit salty, and a great snack. These cookies are more difficult to make than you may think because the process has many steps.  How mung bean cookies are made: First, the mung beans are soaked in water for at least 2 hours in order to remove the shell. After this step, the beans are boiled for 1 hour and then mashed up with a mixture of sugar and salt.…

    Planning on coming to Hoi An but don't know how to get here? It’s pretty much inevitable that you will have to pitstop in Da Nang, one of Vietnam’s most up and coming cities. It’s where the Hoi An’s closest train station and airport are. Here are some ways to get to Hoi An, along with our top recommendation. By Plane If you’re travelling from Saigon or Hanoi, the quickest way is to fly into Da Nang. Flights take about 1 hour, and range from $50-$100 USD. After you arrive in Da Nang, you can take a car,…

  The Nomadic Boys are big foodies. Stefan & Sebastien have been travelling & eating their way around Asia since 2014, so they've tried a massive variety of cuisines, delicacies, and experienced many cultures (they even have great recipes!). So obviously we were thrilled to have them on our Streets & Eats of Hoi An tour to see what they had to say about our foodie adventure. These guys were ready to hit the streets on our vintage Vespas for an evening packed of delicious Vietnamese dishes. "Our favourite part of Vietnam for local food was around the centre of…

  Take a second and think of a bed. Any bed. Your bed. You’re probably thinking of a sumptuous, thick, comfortable mattress, right? Well, in Vietnam, things are a little different. Your typical mattress here is a thin handmade sleeping mat made out of dried reeds and laid either on the floor or on a raised platform. This helps keep the ‘sleeper’ cool in the tropical heat and ‘beds’ can be quickly assembled and therefore put away to make more cooler space indoors during the day. Take our ‘Countryside & Islands Explorer’ into the beautiful Hoi An countryside and see…

Meet Thanh. He builds an astonishing 300 meter bamboo bridge every year in Hoi An, Central Vietnam. This bridge must be well maintained and rebuilt yearly due to the large amount of flooding that occurs during the rainy season in Hoi An- around October through December. Since this river can be dangerous to cross by boat or ferry, the government allows Thanh to build this bridge to give people a safe crossing in the countryside. Him and his family live right next to this bridge, and charge a small fee for people to cross.  Want to see this bridge for…

The Noodles of Quảng Nam If you're in Hoi An, you have to try Mì Quảng. This delicious noodle dish is famous in the Quảng Nam Province (hence the name Mì Quảng, or "Quang noodles"). You can find it in other cities such as Saigon, but if you're coming to Central Vietnam we suggest you hold out on trying Mì Quảng til you get here. It's a popular breakfast dish, but you can also find Mì Quảng for lunch before 1:00pm. One bowl of this deliciousness typically costs around 15,000-20,000VND (about $1 USD!).    Meet My. My runs a classic Vietnamese red tabled street food vending spot…

We were recently featured on CNNGo! We are so proud to have been chosen to show CNN's travel team around Ho Chi Minh City. Our tour guide, Dieu (pronounced like "You"), led the camera crew around the bustling streets of Saigon-on our restored vintage Vespas of course- showing off some of our favorite local spots that tourists don't get to typically see.  CNNGo - Vespa Adventures in Vietnam Interested in what you see in CNN's video? Check out our Insider's Saigon tour to experience Saigon like a local and witness the bird club and coffee culture!    

The humble rice cracker graces many a low plastic table in Vietnam, and is quite the accompaniment to many dishes across the country for the cuisine embraces textures, of which ‘crunchy’ plays a big part. The Vietnamese equivalent of the famous Indian poppadum is an incredibly popular snack across the country, and each region has it’s own version and Hoi An is no exception. We pay a visit Mrs Linh and her family on one of our day tours of Hoi An, where we can all have a go at making the perfect rice cracker – it’s trickier than it…