Hanoi Street Food Tours

Continuing my exploration of street food tours in Hanoi, I booked onto an afternoon tour with Hanoi Street Food Tours, run by Mark Lowerson, of Sticky Rice fame, and Van Cong Tu, the “Vietnamese God“. Bring on three hours of snacking heaven.

It started with a steaming parcel of loveliness

We started our tour in Day Duy Tu Street in Old Quarter at a street stall serving nem cua be: large, square, deep-fried spring roll parcels filled with crab, mushrooms and glass noodles, chopped into quarters and served with a side of bun noodles, fresh herbs and a dipping sauce. While we ate, Mark talked me through the ingredients and the different herbs and we chatted about Hanoi and street food in general. He is clearly very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about food and I was already highly engaged and raring to go.

Vietnam Sapa Travel Guide

Vietnam Sapa Travel Guide - Choice views of Fansipan are the prime commodity on sale in Lao Cai's signature destination, Sapa, a hill station high in the mountains which is a vestige of the French colonial era. 

Before the French came, Sapa was home to several ethnic minorities, and now that the French are gone — they're still there. Dzao, Red H'mong, and particularly Black H'mong have adapted to the tourist trade with considerable zeal, and their notoriously aggressive sales techniques should probably be attributed to how poor the region is, and how hard it is to eke out any kind of a living.

Ha Long Bay Travel Guide

Halong Bay Travel Guide - A cruise on Ha Long Bay or the Bay of the Descending Dragon for many represents the pinnacle of their experience in Vietnam. easily one of the most popular destinations in the country, UNESCO World Heritage-listed Ha Long Bay is both mystical and magnificent, an incredible feat of nature that almost never fails to impress.

Yes, it really is that good. Last time we counted, UNESCO had picked out 830 World Heritage sites around the world, chosen for their cultural and historical importance, and also for their geological uniqueness. Ha Long Bay offers a little of all three.