Our journey to Hue from nearby city Danang in Central Vietnam had us go through a mandatory discomfort in a small, cramped bus (and being puked on by a seat mate) before finding peace in another old city that lives in the present.

By the time we arrived in Hue, it was nighttime but we drowned our worries of dealing with overbooked dormitels by eating heaps of rice and beef.

We didn’t have to worry, really. Hue City Hostel (40 Chu Van An Street) had more than enough space for two weary travelers. The hotel staff was friendly and accommodating; their chic dorm room (with paintings and red/white wall decals) was unbelievably cheap for its kind.

That’s how we ended up sleeping until ...

Nhiều du khách nói rằng họ muốn có thêm những kinh nghiệm của những người bản xứ nơi họ đến - nhưng họ muốn đi xa đến đâu với những kinh nghiệm của người bản địa? Một trong những điều dân bản địa Sài Gòn thường làm là lái xe máy - vậy bạn có muốn trèo lên xe máy để đi lại như người bản địa ở đó không? 

Đa phần cho rằng đơn giản chỉ cần băng qua đường ở TP HCM đã là một trò Frogger mạo hiểm thực rồi - một điều ước chết người. Việt Nam nổi tiếng với những dòng xe máy hỗn mang và băng qua đường thôi cũng là một thách thức đáng ...

A person can eat so very well in the Vietnamese city of Hue. Located in the center of the long, narrow country, between the Perfume River and the East Sea, it served as the country’s capital until 1945, and is still known as the Imperial City. Hue was also the site of some of the most destructive and mind-changing battles of the Vietnam War (known locally as the American War). With such a rich history, the city claims several distinctive dishes — from small and delicate creations originally created to please the appetites of Nguyen feudal lords, emperors (and their hundreds of wives) — to lusty, fiery street-level soups and sausages with complex, explosive and satisfying flavors. Here are the ...

There is a well worn tourist trail in Vietnam, and yes, the Vietnamese can be quite aggressive when it come to tourism and selling you things, but once you step out of those tourist districts – you can find a very different experience. Sure – you will still stick out and probably still pay higher prices due to the color of your skin – but you won’t be catered or pandered to.

If you take some time, the Imperial City of Hue fits in that class of tourist city that with a little digging you can find a more local experience.

Due to its history ranging from the ancient Nguyen Dynasty to the infamous war battles – it’s a main ...

There were three ‘rules’ to this Saigon street food tour:

We recommend that you don’t drink too much water as it will fill you up too fast.

You should pace yourself.

Know that you don’t have to eat everything given to you.

This is exactly what you want to hear when you take a food tour! These were the three pieces of advice our guides from Back of the Bike Tours in Saigon gave to us before we started out evening street market food tour. These 3 instructions pretty much set the stage for a Ho Chi Minh City streetfood feast – and the need for elastic waistbands.

Duy and Huong picked us up at our hotel on their motorbikes and were full ...