Vietnam 2016
Definitely an eye opener…
I left for Vietnam in early April the hottest month of the year in that part of the world, and HOT it was.
We took off from London Heathrow in the afternoon on a brand new 787 Dreamliner (Vietnam Airlines — a $450 flight). Upgraded to a premium economy sit this was rather an enjoyable flight all the way to Ho Chi Minh City.
We didn’t spend too much time in the capital. We had a compulsory massage and some street food on one of the busiest streets in Ho Chi Minh Pham Ngu Lao.
Before going to Saigon, I knew relatively little about Vietnamese food. It turned out to be one of the most memorable food trips I’ve had in a long time. Along with pho, easily the most exported Vietnamese speciality is banh mi, sometimes the term can be used to refer to any type of the beautiful Vietnamese personal baguette sandwich.
Next stop was Hội An a city on Vietnam’s central coast known for its well-preserved Ancient Town, cut through with canals. The former port city’s melting-pot history is reflected in its architecture, a mix of eras and styles from wooden Chinese shophouses and temples to colourful French colonial buildings, ornate Vietnamese tube houses and the iconic Japanese Covered Bridge with its pagoda.
