Two Amazing Weeks in Vietnam

June 12, 2016

Two Week Itinerary, Vietnam - Two Feet, One World

When people ask me to name my favourite country that I’ve visited, sometimes I hesitate, overwhelmed by the choices. Spain, for its beaches and delicious food? Italy, for its fabulous history? Norway, for its stunning natural beauty? More often however, the answer tumbles straight out – Vietnam. It combines all of these factors and that, coupled with the fact that it was one of the first countries I explored as an adult, means it will always hold a very special place in my heart. I’ve mentioned before my pinch me moment in Ho Chi Minh City, and my memorable night aboard a train to Sapa. But this time I wanted to not only outline my two week itinerary, which saw me head from north to south, but also try to evoke a little of what placed Vietnam at the top of my list.

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Travel Throwback Thursday: Ha Long Bay

August 15, 2014

Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

I’m off to sail in Greece in just over a week (cue excitement!) and so my thoughts have turned to the last time I spent more than a few hours on a boat. Ha Long Bay in the north of Vietnam is a breath-taking combination of limestone islands and turquoise waters, with caves, temples, and friendly local monkey populations. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site and I took a boat cruise there during my two weeks in Vietnam in 2010. The misty conditions only added to the stunning vistas, with the limestone karsts rising through the haze as our junk (traditional boat) motored around the Bay.

Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

There is debate about how many boats should be allowed to visit this beautiful area as demand to see it only increases. I hope that it stays protected, as it was an incredible experience to spend a couple of days there. We explored caves, kayaked into “secret” bays, and climbed some of the islands for these amazing views. If you’re visiting Vietnam, find a responsible tour operator and experience it for yourself!

Have you taken any kind of boat cruise? What was it like?

Memorable Meals from my Travels

March 25, 2014

Food is a huge part of my travel experience – I love how it can offer such great insight into the culture of a destination. I’m definitely a bit of a food snob when I travel – you’d have to drag me kicking and screaming into a McDonalds, and I will often research the specialties of a place to make sure I can try as much as possible.

This month’s Travel Tuesday themed post is all about Food, so I’m sharing some of my most memorable meals from my travels.

5. Octopus and Other Delicacies in Lisbon

I’ve written at some length about my love for pasteis de nata, the Portuguese custard tarts that I could quite realistically eat at any hour of the day or night. While in Lisbon last year I also tried all sorts of seafood, as I generally love it, but don’t eat it much in London. However, there was one dish that almost defeated me – the whole octopus I ate in a trattoria near the centre of town. I ordered it thinking that it would likely be served as a salad, or maybe sliced up with the ever-present frites… but no. It was a whole octopus.

Octopus, Lisbon, Portugal

I did my best, and even quite enjoyed the tender tentacles, but getting any further was all a little bit much for me. A case of being confronted with exactly what you’re eating!

4. Wild Boar Tagliatelle in Rome

During my trip to Italy in June I ate many delicious pizzas, pasta, salads and of course gelato. But one meal was so good I’m still dreaming about it, and may have to try to recreate it soon. I was craving some meat so decided to order wild boar tagliatelle in a red wine sauce. It sounds simple, and the ingredients may have been, but it was mindblowingly tasty – so much so that I only very grudgingly gave Kate and Gin a taste! I hadn’t tried boar before, but this was tender and delicious, flavoured with herbs and the perfect red wine sauce. Mmmmm….

Tagliatelle, Rome, Italy

3. Seafood in the Cook Islands

As I’ve already mentioned, I’m a big fan of seafood, and some of the best I’ve had has been in the Cook Islands. This small island group in the Pacific is just over three hours flight from New Zealand, and as my Dad worked up there a lot during my childhood, I was lucky to visit quite a few times. One of my enduring food memories is of a family friend preparing fresh Ika Mata (marinated fish) from fish he had just caught, coconuts he had just cracked, and limes he had just squeezed – so good. On a more recent visit to Rarotonga, the largest of the Cook Islands, I had this incredible seafood platter which featured some Ika Mata that tasted just as delicious as I remembered!

Seafood platter, Rarotonga, Cook Islands

2. ALL THE FOOD in Vietnam

I adore South-East Asian food. Thai, Indonesian, Malaysian… and the more authentic, the better. But my two trips to Vietnam have cemented a love for it in my heart – the pho, the cao lau, the summer rolls, the banh xeo… the list goes on. I consider it a crime against myself that I haven’t yet managed to take a cooking class there yet – guess I’ll just have to go back!

Food from Vietnam

1. Easter Lunch in Tuscany

Back to Italy for my all-time most memorable meal, which sadly does not live on in photographs. The biggest trip my family went on when I was younger was an amazing four-week holiday through England, Wales and Tuscany. After spending two weeks sightseeing and visiting various family members in the UK my parents, younger brother Tom, younger sister Zoe and me headed to a villa in Tuscany. We flew in on Easter Friday, and landed quite late, so dinner that night was a scratch meal of Easter Eggs gifted by our cousins and some two-minute noodles. The next day very little was open and we scavenged as best we could with the help of our hosts. However, they reassured us that they would book us in for an Easter lunch that would make up for everything – and they were true to their word.

We turned up at a local restaurant, not really sure to expect. We were ushered to our own table, surrounded by large Italian families – we were just about the only tourists there. In the blink of an eye the parade of food began. It followed the traditional appetisers, pasta, pizza, meats and desserts formula, but there must have been five or six dishes at each stage – and if you couldn’t manage more than a taste, one of the chefs would come out to enquire what was wrong with it! At no time was there anything wrong – much of the food was simple but so so delicious. The entire meal took over four hours and we loved every minute of it – soaking up the raucous banter of the families, the sublime food, and the incredible atmosphere of the place. Definitely one to remember for the rest of my life!

What are your most memorable meals from your travels?

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My ‘Pinch Me’ Moment in Ho Chi Minh City

March 1, 2014

The rickety motorbike zoomed in and out of the Saigon traffic, cutting through impossible gaps between trucks and tuk tuks. As I clung to the stranger in front of me, he grinned over his shoulder and revved a little faster. Horns blared out as we sped through a packed roundabout, and before I knew it we had reached our destination, the bustling Huynh Thuc Khang street market.

I clambered off the motorbike, avoiding the burning hot loose exhaust pipe, and all at once it struck me how far I’d come in just two weeks. It seemed such a short time since I’d been peering out into a foreign land from my sleeper train bed, anticipating the travels and sights ahead with a mixture of nerves and naive excitement. As the vendors’ shouts and spicy smells of their wares reached me, I was struck with a wave of amazement that I was here, in Ho Chi Minh City, and a feeling of just how lucky I was.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Travel is an adventure, an experience, a steep learning curve. It can startle you with an unexpected sight or a sense of dislocation from the familiar. Whether they come from reaching the top of a mountain or are stumbled upon on a nondescript street corner, these moments of feeling like you’re dreaming are ones to treasure.