“Cơm Việt” – a different taste!

If you have ever tried “Cơm Việt” (Vietnamese plain boiled rice), you will find the difference from the boiled rice in other countries! 

In an ordinary meal of Vietnamese people, together with a variety of different dishes, Com or plain boiled rice is an indespensable one, the most popular food at the main meals of the day (lunch and dinner).

Different cooking method makes “Cơm Việt” different!

In Vietnam travel, Com is made from different kinds of rice, typically fragrant rice is used, such as Tam Thom and Nang Huong. The main ingredients of Vietnamese plain boiled rice are commonly as follows:

- 1 cup of rice.

- 2 cups of boiling water.

- 1 teaspoonful of salt.

So, how can you make the boiled rice really delicious? If you have chance to see how Vietnamese people make a good pot of boiled rice, you will notice that its process is not so difficult. Firstly, pick the rice over, taking out all the bits of brown husk; fill the outside of the double boiler with hot water, ans put in the rice, salt and water, and cook forty minutes, but do not stir it. Then take off the cover from the boiler, and very gently, without stirring, turn over the rice with a fork; put the disk in the oven without the cover, and let it stand and dry for ten minutes. Then turn it from the boiler into a hot dish, and cover.

Other rice–made foods...

Beside the above-mentioned recipe of “Cơm Việt”, the Vietnamese people created many other rice-made foods, such as: rice ball, fried rice, rice gruel, steamed glutinous rice. Among them, making a rice ball (“Cơm nắm” in Vietnamese) is so interesting! “Cơm nắm” is a Vietnamese rice dish pressed into cylinder or sphere shape, which is sold in small alleys in Hanoi Vietnam by vendors. This dish is very familiar with Vietnamese people. “Cơm nắm” has become a cheap but delicious rustic gift. When being fed up with nutritious food like vermicelli or “phở”, people often look for a frugal dish like “Cơm nắm” served with roasted sesame and ground nut.

o you think it is easy to make a rice ball? A lot of people may say “Yes”, and you can obey the following simple process to make perfect a rice ball. To begin with, you boil the rice in a rice cooker. Please bear in mind that you have to make rice balls while the rice is hot or else it will not stick together. Next, you wet your hands and put a pinch of salt on your palms. Then, you put rice on your hand and wad up the rice and shape like cylinder or sphere. “Cơm nắm” is served with not o­nly sesame but also other things, such as stewed fish, simmered pork or salted shredded meat. However, salted roasted sesame (and ground nut) is still the first choice. The dish is so delicious that you surely would like to taste more than once... The rice is white clear, soft and used to be wrapped in a green banana leaf, which is so attractive. However, its cover is replaced with a plastic bag or paper. The salted sesame is roasted light brown and grated, which has an appealing fragrance. “Cơm nắm” is cut into slices and served with this sesame or/and ground nut. The sweetness of rice combining with the buttery taste of sesame is so unique that can not be found anywhere in the world.

Being in Vietnam, you are strongly recommended to give you the chance for enjoying “Cơm Việt” with dishes of pork, fish, shrimp and vegetable cooked in oil, as well as vegetables, pickles, etc. Have good appetite!

See more: Tips for visiting Sapa Vietnam in this winter

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Nhatrang special cuisine

Another local specialty is bun ca, a simple noodle soup with rice vermicelli, fish broth and fish paste meatballs. Tired of local food? You can find every kind of international food imaginable, and a lot of Russian fare.

It’s easy to get around Nha Trang (again, options!). You can rent a bicycle or motorbike. Walking around the downtown core is doable as the city is flat, major streets have footpaths and there is a beautiful promenade along the beach – though any form of exercise can be very uncomfortable in the midday heat (which is why you find most locals napping during this time). Xe om (motorbike taxis) hang out in every corner. Taxis are also plentiful. You can go by meter but most locals we spoke to recommended agreeing on a fixed fare upfront or risk being driven around in circles. Or if you’re not in a rush, cyclos (three-wheel bicycle taxis) are a classic, fun way to tour the city in the evening.

Our favourite is the cheap, air-conditioned city bus that costs only 7,000 VND per ride. There are six routes in total but bus #4 (Hon Xen – Vinpearl) is the most helpful to visitors as it runs north-south straight through the tourist centre and it gets you to within walking distance of the major sights Vinpearl, Cho Dam market, Po Nagar Cham Towers, Chong Rocks and the excellent oceanview seafood restaurants just south of the rocks. Read more about the bus in our transport section.

The pay-by-weight fresh seafood is a must try in Nha Trang, as are some of the delicious local eats found outside of the tourist bubble. Nha Trang is famous for its nem nuong Ninh Hoa, grilled pork meatballs that you make into wraps with fresh lettuce, herbs, rice paper and sweet-spicy peanut dipping sauce. Another local specialty is bun ca, a simple noodle soup with rice vermicelli, fish broth and fish paste meatballs. Tired of local food? You can find every kind of international food imaginable, and a lot of Russian fare.

The elephant in the room is Nha Trang’s reputation for attracting a lopsided amount of Russian tourists. Russia-based Pegas Touristik has a near monopoly on the Russian market and they have built an empire bringing in tourists by the plane full. According to Thanh Nien News, in 2013 there were 730 charter flights carrying Russian travellers and Pegas was responsible for 720 of them. Another one of their mega-resorts is currently under construction just north of Cam Ranh airport. Many of these visitors are on all-inclusive packaged tours and they don’t stray from the behemoth hotels specifically catering to them. But many do — wander around the tourist centre, look at the signs and menus, and you may wonder if you really are in Vietnam travel. There are also a number of independent travellers from Russia, there to have a fun, safe time just like everyone else.

If lying on a beach and eating fresh seafood gets too boring, again, there are plenty of options for sightseeing around Nha Trang, though some are better than others. Ask any Vietnamese outside of Nha Trang what you should do in the city and they will enthusiastically declare “Vinpearl Land!” Located on Hon Tre Island, Vinpearl Land is the Disneyland of Vietnam. Get there via the world’s longest oversea cable car (3,320 metres) — the ride over is included in the general admission. Look to the cable car towers lit up at night and you’ll notice they are mini Eiffel Towers. There are rides of the up and down or round and round variety, as well as an aquarium, waterpark with slides, beach with watercrafts, shows and a massive resort. It’s quite well run and a rubbish-free place to have fun and stretch your legs without having to worry about being hit by a motorbike. One local told us the whole Vinpearl operation had more than 2,000 employees, and we believe him.

See more: Tips for visiting Sapa Vietnam in this winter

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Nhatrang nightlife

With nightlife comes those who prey on unguarded and inebriated tourists. Crimes range from petty theft like pickpocketing and bag snatching to more serious and physical threats from men, women or men dressed as women.

If you wanna travel to Nhatrang but don’t know anythings about Vietnam travel, you can look at in this topic.
Nightlife
Nha Trang has a reputation for nightlife, though it is surprisingly limited as most bars and clubs popular with tourists are compactly found within the tourist centre and people tend to end up at the same few places that are opened past midnight, including Sailing Club Nha Trang mentioned above. The bars feel alike, with cheap booze luring backpackers, and a quick walk around will reveal which bar has the happening vibe du jour. And you never know who or what you’ll come across, as Nha Trang attracts a diverse mix of people, from scruffy budget travellers to those dressed to the nines.

With nightlife comes those who prey on unguarded and inebriated tourists. Crimes range from petty theft like pickpocketing and bag snatching to more serious and physical threats from men, women or men dressed as women. If a bar looks dodgy, it probably is. Most of the following advice is just common sense: don’t carry valuables or large amounts of cash, secure your wallet, watch your drink, don’t wear expensive jewellery or watches, avoid being alone on the beach at night and don’t expect to find your wallet after you’ve passed out drunk.

Opened in 2015, Skylight: 360 Sky Deck and Rooftop Beach Club gives guests a 360-degree view of the city and the bay from the 43rd floor of the Best Western Premier Havana. The view is impressive and unparalleled. Access to the Sky Deck costs 100,000 VND and that includes a welcome drink. A rooftop beach night club is set to open in 2015.

Never trust a bar that poses a question to entice you away from your better judgement. Why Not Bar? openly declares its questionable existence but at least you know what you are getting yourself into: cheap bucket drinks with cheap alcohol, shady staff, pickpockets and a lively mob – this joint is always jam-packed by the time the sun goes down, which is why we’ve included it. Online reviews of this place are delightful: “I can give you a thousand reasons why not!” “Awful complete dump” and “Why not close this place down?” It is what it is. Be warned.

Booze Cruise Sports Bar & Grill has a flatscreen just about everywhere you turn so patrons can catch the game. As the name suggests, this isn’t the most refined place or a place you’d take the kids, but the crowd is just loud and obnoxious, not wild. There’s mediocre pub grub, some live music nights and yes, plenty of booze: draught beer, drinking games, buckets and happy hour.

Ana Beach House: Tran Phu Blvd at Evason Ana Mandara; T: (058) 2244 809; open daily 08:00-22:30.
Booze Cruise Sports Bar &Grill: 110 Nguyen Thien Thuat; T: 905 719 519; open daily 06:00-03:00.
Da Fernando: 96 Nguyen Thien Thuat St, south of Biet Thu St; T: (058) 352 8034; open daily 10:30-22:30.
Ganesh: 82 Nguyen Thien Thuat St; T: (058) 352 6776; open daily 11:00-22:00.
Goc Ha Noi: 142 Bach Dang, at To Hien Thanh; T: (058) 3511 522; 06:00-22:00.
Lac Canh Restaurant: 44 Nguyen Binh Kiem St; T: (058) 821 391; open daily 09:30-21:30.
La Casserole: Bien Thu 36; T: (0125) 771 7173; open Mon-Sat 10:00-15:00 &17:00-23:00.
Lang Chai Hai San Dai Duong: 10 Pham Van Dong St; T: 0903 582 876.
Lanterns: 34/6 Nguyen Thien Thuat St; T: (058) 2471 674; open 07:00-22:30.
Louisiane Brewhouse and Restaurant: Lot 29, Tran Phu; T: (058) 3521 948; open 07:00-01:00.
Nem Dang Van Quyen: 16A Lan Ong, west of Michelia Hotel;
Ngoc Tien: 59 Le Thanh Phuong, south of Yersin St; T: (058) 381 0482; open 10:00-22:00.
Nha Hang Chay Thien Y: 79 Yersin St, east of Ba Trieu; T: (058) 3813285
Pita GR Restaurant: 7G4 Hung Vuong St, between Biet Thu and Tran Quang Khai St; T: (0162) 770 6852; open daily 11:00-22:00; khv-since@yandex.ru.
Quan Nem Ninh Hoa: 39 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, west of Nguyen Thien Thuat; T: 0906 400 500, (058) 352 3446
Sailing Club Nha Trang: 72-74 Tran Phu St, southern end of downtown core; T: (058) 352 4628;; open daily 07:00-02:00.
Skylight: 360 Sky Deck and Rooftop Beach Club: 38 Tran Phu Blvd at Best Western Premier Havana Nha; open daily 16:30-23:00;
Why Not Bar: 24 Tran Quang Khai St; T: (058) 3522 652; open until 04:00.

See more: Tips for visiting Sapa Vietnam in this winter

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Where to eat in Nhatrang, Vietnam Part IIII

The enticing tapas are reasonably priced, with a selection of four costing 150,000 VND. After bites of warm oyster, octopus a la plancha and deep-fried scampi, choose from seafood and grilled meat mains, starting from 220,000 VND. More economical is the pizza (150,000 VND), and gluten0free dough is available.

Nhatrang location about over hundred kilometers away from Hanoi Vietnam.

International food
When it comes to restaurants in Nha Trang serving international food, you are spoiled for choice, and if you want to try Russian food without having to actually venture to Russia, this might just be the place to do it; you will have no trouble finding Russian restaurants and there’s even a “Small Armenia” eatery. We admit, we don’t know much about Russian fare, but these joints seem to be extremely popular. For non-Russian or Vietnamese food, check out these excellent eats.

For your Indian food fix, head to Ganesh. You may recognise the name since there are six other locations in Vietnam travel, but we’d rank this joint as one of their best. The restaurant is simple and clean, with lively music and side-by-side portraits of Ho Chi Minh and Gandhi. The menu features north and south Indian dishes, every sort of flatbread imaginable, real paneer and generous portion sizes ideal for sharing. The amazing naan is the size of a flying saucer and meat dishes like chicken tikka masala (108,000 VND) come loaded with boneless chicken. Appetisers start at 40,000 VND, vegetable mains range from 80,000 to 90,000 VND. There’s an air-conditioned room upstairs or sweat it out on the ground level.

If you are craving meat and potatoes, head to La Casserole, a small Swiss restaurant with a menu of favourite Swiss dishes done well – get your sausage, schnitzel and schweinsfilet. Mains hover around 140,000 VND and you won’t go home hungry. We can’t imagine who would want to eat a bucket of hot cheese in Nha Trang weather but if you do, authentic Swiss cheese fondue is available and it looks and smells divine (440,000 VND for two people). The proprietor, who hails from Luzern, is welcoming, friendly and attentive.

With just six tables on a second floor terrace overlooking Hung Vuong Street, cosy Greek eatery Pita GR Restaurant is fantastic value. Grab a souvlaki (Athens-style, with french fries stuffed in the pita wrap) for only 50,000 VND. Mains like mousakas, kalamakia and large Greek salad topped with a brick of feta start at 90,000 VND. This was one of the few places where service staff asked us how our food was, and the free dessert was a most welcome touch. Not surprising, Pita GR is busy and bustling, so expect to wait for a table.

If the black and white photos of classic Italian movie stars doesn’t lure you in, the sights of happy diners chowing down on enormous thin-crust pizza probably will. Da Fernando is Nha Trang’s go-to Italian eatery and it doesn’t disappoint with its pizza, house-made pasta, ravioli, gnocchi and risotto, all hovering between 135,000 to 155,000 VND. The central location and small dining area means Da Fernando is crowded so unfortunately you may feel rushed – it’s rather disconcerting when the owner keeps pointing at your table to waiting guests as you eat your meal. It’s too bad because the food is worthy of lingering over Italian style, with many courses.

Beachside
Opened in 2015, Ana Beach House is Evason Ana Mandara Resort’s stylish, classy beachfront restaurant with a simple menu of seafood, Mediterranean and Vietnamese dishes. The design and decor is worthy of the beautiful beachside setting which you can enjoy curled up on a hanging sun bed or while digging your toes into the sand. The enticing tapas are reasonably priced, with a selection of four costing 150,000 VND. After bites of warm oyster, octopus a la plancha and deep-fried scampi, choose from seafood and grilled meat mains, starting from 220,000 VND. More economical is the pizza (150,000 VND), and gluten0free dough is available.

Relaxed beach hangout by day, chic lounge by night: Sailing Club Nha Trang is a classy beachfront restaurant-lounge that maintains a relaxed, casual vibe with a breezy open terrace that abuts the sand. Clusters of low tables and chairs, bed loungers, beanbags on the beach and candlelight create an intimate setting. The place is gorgeous at night, especially when the full moon is rising over the ocean. Food here is not for those on a tight budget but for your money you do get elegantly presented meals, hearty portions and posh ingredients. A main, like braised lamb shank or oven roasted sea bass, will set you back 250,000 to 350,000 VND. Giant salads cost 185,000 VND, while fancy wraps are 145,000 VND. It also has a full Indian menu and select Vietnamese dishes. Some nights they do a beach bonfire. Things rev up and get more raucous after 21:00 when the place begins to morph into a club and the dance floor becomes packed – this is one of the few places in Nha Trang allowed to remain open late. Located near the southern end of the downtown core.

Just south is Louisiane Brewhouse with five beers on tap (a Pilsner, crystal ale, witbier, dark lager and red ale) which you can order in five sizes, including a five-litre beer tower. Enjoying a pint beachside is pleasant if you can ignore the Rick Astley on loop and the hopeless service. Waiters put in orders via walkie-talkie but trying to flag someone down is a challenge; go for the beer, skip the mediocre food. There’s live music some nights and daily beer happy hours (yes, plural). In the daytime, you can use their central swimming pool for free and hang out on sun loungers available to rent for 40,000 VND.

See more: Tips for visiting Sapa Vietnam in this winter

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Vietnam travel guide: Getting to Vietnam

Note that some routings require an overnight stay in another city such as Bangkok, Taipei, Hong Kong or Seoul, and often a hotel room will be included in your fare – ask the airline and shop around since travel agents’ policies on this vary. Even when an overnight stay is not required, going to Vietnam can be a great excuse for a stopover: most airlines will allow you one free stopover in either direction.

The number of direct flights to Vietnam’s three main international airports – Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi Vietnam and Da Nang, in order of importance – have increased steadily in recent years. However, the majority of visitors take the cheaper option of an indirect flight routed through Bangkok, Singapore or Hong Kong; a stay in one of these cities can be factored into your schedule, often at no extra cost. You may well save even more by taking a bargain–basement flight to Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur or Singapore, and a separate ticket through one of the region’s low–cost carriers, such as Jetstar, Tiger Airways and Air Asia, for the Vietnam leg.

Airlines that fly in and out of both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City normally sell you an open-jaw ticket, which allows you to fly into one city and out of the other, leaving you to travel up or down the country under your own steam.

Airfares always depend on the season, with the highest generally being July to August, during the Christmas and New Year holidays and around Tet, the Vietnamese New Year; fares drop during the “shoulder” season – September to mid-December – and you’ll get the best prices during the low season, January to June.

You can often cut costs by going through a specialist flight agent – either a consolidator, who buys up blocks of tickets from the airlines and sells them at a discount, or a discount agent, who in addition to dealing with discounted flights may also offer special student and youth fares and a range of other travel-related services such as travel insurance, rail passes, car rentals, tours and the like.

Combining Vietnam travel with other Southeast Asian countries is becoming increasingly popular – and a lot cheaper and easier – thanks to some good-value regional air deals. Jetstar (w jetstar.com), for example, flies from Singapore to Ho Chi Minh City (from $50 one-way), while Tiger Airways (w tigerairways.com) flies from Singapore to Hanoi (from $70 one-way) and Ho Chi Minh City (from $50 one-way). Air Asia (w airasia.com) offers daily services from Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur to both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, with fares starting at $50 one-way to Ho Chi Minh City, and a little more to Hanoi. As with all discount airlines, prices depend on availability, so the earlier you book the better, though you may also find last-minute promotional fares, seat giveaways and so forth at less busy times of the year.

From the UK and Ireland

There are as yet no non-stop flights to Vietnam from the UK or Ireland (believed to be starting with Vietnam Airlines in December 2011). Instead, most people fly with a Southeast Asian carrier such as Singapore Airlines (w singaporeair.com), Thai Airways (w thaiairways.com), Malaysia Airlines (w malaysiaairlines.com) or Cathay Pacific (w cathaypacific.com) from London via the airline’s home city. In recent years the big Middle Eastern airlines, Qatar (w qatarairways.com) and Emirates (w emirates.com), have also offered very competitive prices. Scheduled low-season fares from London start at around £450, rising to £600 or more at peak periods.

A good place to look for the best deals is the travel sections of the weekend newspapers and in regional listings magazines. Students and under-26s can often get discounts through specialist agents such as STA (w sta.com) or USIT in Ireland (w usit.ie). Whoever you buy your ticket through, check that the agency belongs to the travel industry bodies ABTA or IATA, so that you’ll be covered if the agent goes bust before you get your ticket.

From the US and Canada

In 2004 United Airlines (w united.com) became the first American carrier to resume direct flights to Vietnam since 1975. The airline operates a daily service from San Francisco to Ho Chi Minh City via Hong Kong; standard return fares start at around $1100. As yet, no other American or Canadian carriers offer direct services, which means you’ll either have to get a flight to San Francisco or catch one of the many flights to a regional hub, such as Bangkok, Singapore or Hong Kong, and continue on from there. Scheduled flights start at around $1400 from New York, $1200 from Los Angeles, CAN$2000 from Vancouver and CAN$2500 from Toronto.

Note that some routings require an overnight stay in another city such as Bangkok, Taipei, Hong Kong or Seoul, and often a hotel room will be included in your fare – ask the airline and shop around since travel agents’ policies on this vary. Even when an overnight stay is not required, going to Vietnam can be a great excuse for a stopover: most airlines will allow you one free stopover in either direction.

From Australia and New Zealand

A reasonable range of flights connects Australia and New Zealand with Vietnam, with Qantas (w qantas.com), Vietnam Airlines (w vietnamairlines.com) and Jetstar offering direct services from Australia. The alternative is to fly to another Asian gateway, such as Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore or Hong Kong, and then either get connecting flights or travel overland to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City.

By far the cheapest flight from Australia is the daily Jetstar service to Ho Chi Minh City from Sydney (AUS$390 one-way) via Darwin (AUS$250 one-way). Both Vietnam Airlines and Qantas operate direct flights to Ho Chi Minh City from Melbourne and Sydney; low-season scheduled fares start at around AUS$1100 with Vietnam Airlines, with Qantas often a little cheaper. If you want to stop off on the way, there are good deals to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City with Malaysia Airlines via Kuala Lumpur, Singapore Airlines via Singapore, and Thai Airways via Bangkok, all costing around AUS$1100 to AUS$1500. Cheaper still are the fares offered by Tiger Airways, a discount airline operating daily flights between Perth and Singapore: one-way fares sometimes dip below AUS$200. From Singapore you can get an onward flight to Hanoi (from around AUS$100 one-way) or Ho Chi Minh City (from around AUS$55 one-way).

From New Zealand, low-season fares with Malaysia Airlines, Thai, Qantas and Singapore Airlines are all around NZ$1500 to NZ$2200, with a change of plane in the carrier’s home airport.

From neighbouring countries

It’s increasingly popular to enter Vietnam overland from China, Laos or Cambodia, an option that means you can see more of the region than you would if you simply jetted in. However, it must be said that regional air connections are becoming better and better – you can fly from many cities in Southern China, from Phnom Penh or Siem Reap with Cambodia Angkor Air (bookable through codeshare partner Vietnam Airlines), or from Vientiane with Vietnam Airlines or Lao Airlines (w laoairlines.com).

From China there are three overland possibilities. The Beijing–Hanoi train enters Vietnam at Dong Dang, north of Lang Son, where there’s also a road crossing known as Huu Nghi Quan. The border is also open to foot traffic at Lao Cai in the northwest and Mong Cai in the far northeast.

From Laos, six border crossings are currently open to foreigners: Lao Bao, the easiest and most popular, some 80km west of Dong Ha; Cau Treo and Nam Can, to the north and northwest of Vinh; Na Meo, northwest of Thanh Hoa; Bo Y, northwest of Kon Tum; and Tay Trang, just west of Dien Bien Phu. While it’s perfectly possible – and cheaper – to use local buses to and from the borders, international bus services also run from Savannakhet and Vientiane to Hanoi, Dong Ha, Vinh, Da Nang and other destinations in Vietnam: these direct services are recommended, as regular reports of extortion continue to come in from those crossing independently.

From Cambodia you can travel by air-conditioned bus ($9–14) from Phnom Penh straight through to Ho Chi Minh City, via the Moc Bai crossing. Cheaper operators charge half these prices, but use old buses and usually get you to switch at the border. Many tour companies in Phnom Penh will be able to organize boat-plus-bus services, which are a fun way to cross the border. There are two crossings in the Mekong Delta area – Vinh Xuong and Tinh Bien, which are respectively 30km north and 25km west of Chau Doc. There are also border crossings at Xa Xia, on the coast west of the delta, which is useful if you are coming from Kep or Sihanoukville on the Cambodian coast; and at Le Thanh in the central highlands, making it possible to go from Banlung in northeast Cambodia straight through to Pleiku.

As long as you have a valid visa, crossing these borders is generally not a problem, though you may still find the odd Vietnamese immigration official who tries to charge a “processing fee”, typically one dollar. Most border gates are open from around 7am to 5pm and may close for an hour over lunch.

Organized tours

If you want to cover a lot of ground in a short time in Vietnam or have a specific interest, an organized tour might be worth considering. Specialist tour operators offer packages that typically include flights, accommodation, day excursions and internal travel by plane, train or road. These are expensive compared to what you’d pay if you arranged everything independently, but the more intrepid tours often feature activities that would be difficult to set up yourself. There’s a wide variety of all-inclusive packages available, as well as organized tours that cover everything from hill-tribe visits to trekking and biking. Tours range in length from a few days to several weeks, and you can choose to explore Vietnam only, or combine a tour with Laos and Cambodia.

Alternatively, you can make arrangements through local tour operators in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and other tourist centres either before you arrive or on the ground; they’ll arrange your entire trip or just the first few days to get you started. Fixing it up before you arrive saves time, though all local operators will also arrange an itinerary for you on the spot.

Prices will be generally cheaper with a local operator and they should have more in-depth local knowledge. However, you’ll need to check carefully that they’re financially sound, reliable and can deliver what they promise – never deal with a company that demands cash upfront or refuses to accept payment by credit card, and get references if you can. Also check carefully before booking to make sure you know exactly what’s included in the price.

We’ve listed some of the bigger and better-established agents outside Vietnam; all have a solid reputation for organizing small-group and customized tours. However, there also exist a fair number of excellent Vietnam-based operators; most are based in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.

Specialist tour operators abroad

Multinational

Abercrombie & Kent UK t 0845 618 2200, US t 1 800 554 7016, Australia t 1300 851 800; w abercrombiekent.co.uk, w abercrombiekent.com, w abercrombiekent.com.au. Luxury tour specialist; trips featuring Vietnam come as part of a greater trip through Indochina.
Intrepid Travel UK t 020 3147 7777, Australia t 1300 364 512, New Zealand t 0800 600 610; w intrepidtravel.com. Affordable small-group trips, usually focusing on low-impact, cross-cultural contact. Tours can cover bits of Vietnam, the whole country or wider Indochina.
Peregrine Adventures UK t 0845 004 0673, Australia t 1300 854 444; w peregrineadventures.com. Good local knowledge for an outfit that goes everywhere. Most tours are small-group and adventure-based, often with a focus on trekking, cycling or even food.
World Expeditions UK t 020 8545 9030, US & Canada t 1 800 567 2216, Australia t 1300 720 000, New Zealand t 0800 350 354; w worldexpeditions.com. Adventure company with a wide variety of programmes, including cycle tours and kayaking in Ha Long Bay. Also offers community project trips, where participants help renovate a local school, for example, and arrange charity challenges.

Australia & NZ

Active Travel Australia t 02 9264 1231, w activetravel.com.au. Renowned outfit with a wide range of culture and adventure tours, plus customized itineraries.
Griswalds Vietnamese Vacations Australia t 02 9430 6426, w vietnamvacations.com.au. Long-running Vietnam specialists offering small-group, tailor-made itineraries.

US & Canada

Artisans of Leisure t 1 800 214 8144, w artisansofleisure.com. Luxury private and individually tailored tours, which often include cooking classes and spa therapy sessions.
Asian Pacific Adventures t 1 800 825 1680, w asianpacificadventures.com. Regional specialists offering tailor-made and small-group tours, including trekking and hill-tribe markets.
Backroads t 1 800 462 2848, w backroads.com. Cycling, hiking and multi-sport tours, with the emphasis on going at your own pace.
Global Exchange t 415 255 7296, w globalexchange.org. A not-for-profit human rights organization that leads educational tours of Vietnam.
Journeys International t 1 800 255 8735, w journeys.travel. Prestigious, award-winning operator focusing on eco-tourism and small-group trips.
VeloAsia t 1 888 681 0808, w veloasia.com. Indochina specialist with a range of organized and tailor-made cycling adventure tours. Their famed Highlights of Vietnam tour connects Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, and lasts twelve days.

UK & Ireland

Exodus UK t 0845 287 7690, w exodus.co.uk. Adventure-tour operator taking small groups on specialist programmes that take in trekking, biking, kayaking and cultural trips.
Imaginative Traveller UK t 0845 287 7053, w imaginative-traveller.com. Affordable, small-group adventure tours from a responsible travel operator. The nine-day “Northern Vietnam Escape” tour is particularly popular.
Regent Holidays UK t 0845 277 3317, w regent-holidays.co.uk. Any operators that can organize good tours to North Korea will surely find Vietnam a piece of cake. Good-value, tailor-made tours available, as well as off-the-shelf itineraries a twelve-day “Highlights of Vietnam” trip.
responsibletravel.com UK t 01273 600030, w responsibletravel.com. UK-based online travel agent listing pre-screened holidays from responsible tourism operators.

Airlines, agents and operators

Many airlines and discount travel websites offer you the chance to book your tickets online, cutting out the costs of agents and middlemen. The websites listed below offer good deals and useful price comparisons.
Online booking

w expedia.co.uk (in UK)
w expedia.com (in US) 
w expedia.ca (in Canada)
w lastminute.com (in UK)
w opodo.co.uk (in UK)
w orbitz.com (in US)
w travelocity.co.uk (in UK)
w travelocity.com (in US)
w travelocity.ca (in Canada)
w travelocity.co.nz (in New Zealand)
w zuji.com.au (in Australia)

Flight agents and tour operators
ebookers UK t 020 3320 3320, Republic of Ireland t 01 431 1311; w ebookers.com, w ebookers.ie. Low fares on an extensive selection of scheduled flights and package deals.
North South Travel UK t 01245 608291, w northsouthtravel.co.uk. Friendly, competitive travel agency, offering discounted fares worldwide. Profits are used to support projects in the developing world, especially the promotion of sustainable tourism.
STA Travel UK t 0800 819 9339, US t 1 800 781 4040, Australia t 134 782, New Zealand t 0800 474 400, South Africa t 0861 781 781; w statravel.com. Worldwide specialists in independent travel; also student IDs, travel insurance, car rental, rail passes and more. Good discounts for students and under-26s.
Trailfinders UK t 0845 054 6060, Republic of Ireland t 01 677 7888; w trailfinders.com, w trailfinders.ie. One of the best informed and most efficient agents for independent travellers.

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Where to eat in Nhatrang, Vietnam Part III

Seafood is priced by weight. Eye the display of creatures in buckets and on ice, point at what you want and ask the price per kilogram. With the price confirmed, indicate how much you want, watch them weigh it and write it on your bill. 

Nha Trang is famed for its seafood (hai san). For a great experience, head to the seafood restaurants just north of the Tran Phu bridge, on Thap Ba Road and on Pham Van Dong (the road along the ocean). These joints are well worth the 10-minute drive from downtown. Supplied by local fishing villages, you’ll find an assortment of flopping sea creatures ranging from familiar to alien: giant prawns, squid, urchins, angry looking crabs and clams of all shapes and sizes. We’d recommend the restaurants along the ocean road – they are extremely popular with large tourist groups and it can sometimes feel like a feeding frenzy, but the ocean breeze coupled with the killer view of the entire bay makes up for it.

In particular, Long Chai Hai San Dai Duong has an awesome al fresco terrace with a great selection of fresh seafood. This restaurant is packed by 18:00 and the prices are a bit higher, but we were thoroughly impressed with our plates and judging by the happy finger licking going on around us, we’d say it’s worth it. Take a xe om or taxi, or until 19:00, you can take the white and blue city bus #4 (Hon Xen – Vinpearl), for 7,000 VND per ride. From the downtown core, catch the bus headed north along Nguyen Thien Thuat. After the bridge, the bus will pass Ponagar Tower, head east along Thap Ba Road before travelling along the coast where the restaurants are. There’s a stop close to Long Chai Hai San Dai Duong.

Seafood is priced by weight. Eye the display of creatures in buckets and on ice, point at what you want and ask the price per kilogram. With the price confirmed, indicate how much you want, watch them weigh it and write it on your bill. Then the most important decision: how you want it cooked. You can usually choose steamed, barbecued, fried or hot pot. A plate of steamed squid, plus four giant prawns fried with shallots – enough for one person – plus Saigon beer to wash it all down cost us a reasonable 360,000 VND.

Another local Nha Trang must-try is bo nuong at Lac Canh, grill-it-yourself barbecue at 44D Nguyen Binh Khiem, located in the north end of the downtown core, just south of the bridges. Grill well marinated beef at the table over a coal brazier. It’s a smoky, hot, crowded, lively and memorable experience. Don’t wear anything you care about. There are other meats and seafood available but this place is famed for the beef. Open from 09:00 until 21:30.

Life in Vietnam wouldn’t be life without pho (pronounced feu) and it, along with other types of noodle soups, are easily found in the mornings in Nha Trang. If you want to indulge in a 35,000 VND bowl of fragrant and flavourful beef pho (pho bo) for lunch, head to Goc Ha Noi (meaning “Hanoi Vietnam Corner”) at the corner of 142 Bach Dang and To Hien Thanh Street. This cute eatery also serves large family-style dishes, large bowls of soup and stir-fry to be shared and eaten with rice. Dishes range from 60,000 to 110,000 VND. Look for the charming leafy patio in front.

Given the bay’s bounty of fresh fish, it’s no surprise that bun ca is a Nha Trang specialty. It’s a simple noodle soup with rice vermicelli, fish broth and fish filet and/or fish paste meatballs. Try it on Bach Dang Street or at the central Xom Moi market in the morning. Also keep your eyes peeled for banh canh cha ca, a soup with thick noodles and slices of fish cake.

Vietnam travel can be hard on vegetarians (chay) as many classic Vietnamese dishes and street food usually has some sort of meat, seafood or fish sauce. But herbivores on a budget will love Nha Hang Chay Thien Y, a local joint at 79 Yersin Street where you can try versions of classic Vietnamese eats like lemongrass grilled “pork” and “beef” wrapped in lo lot leaves, with mock meat made of soy and bean curd. The flavours are good and we didn’t miss the meat. No English is spoken here so do your best ordering from the menu or pick and choose from the display, which has trays of bamboo shoots, a wide variety of veg and pickles. We loaded up a plate that came with rice and a bowl of soup for only 25,000 VND.

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where to eat in Nhatrang, Vietnam Part II

Another local Nha Trang must-try is bo nuong at Lac Canh, grill-it-yourself barbecue at 44D Nguyen Binh Khiem, located in the north end of the downtown core, just south of the bridges. Grill well marinated beef at the table over a coal brazier. 

If you wanna travel to Nhatrang but don’t know anythings about Vietnam travel, you can look at in this topic.

Nha Trang is famed for its seafood (hai san). For a great experience, head to the seafood restaurants just north of the Tran Phu bridge, on Thap Ba Road and on Pham Van Dong (the road along the ocean). These joints are well worth the 10-minute drive from downtown. Supplied by local fishing villages, you’ll find an assortment of flopping sea creatures ranging from familiar to alien: giant prawns, squid, urchins, angry looking crabs and clams of all shapes and sizes. We’d recommend the restaurants along the ocean road – they are extremely popular with large tourist groups and it can sometimes feel like a feeding frenzy, but the ocean breeze coupled with the killer view of the entire bay makes up for it.

Nha Trang is famed for its seafood (hai san)

In particular, Long Chai Hai San Dai Duong has an awesome al fresco terrace with a great selection of fresh seafood. This restaurant is packed by 18:00 and the prices are a bit higher, but we were thoroughly impressed with our plates and judging by the happy finger licking going on around us, we’d say it’s worth it. Take a xe om or taxi, or until 19:00, you can take the white and blue city bus #4 (Hon Xen – Vinpearl), for 7,000 VND per ride. From the downtown core, catch the bus headed north along Nguyen Thien Thuat. After the bridge, the bus will pass Ponagar Tower, head east along Thap Ba Road before travelling along the coast where the restaurants are. There’s a stop close to Long Chai Hai San Dai Duong.

Seafood is priced by weight. Eye the display of creatures in buckets and on ice, point at what you want and ask the price per kilogram. With the price confirmed, indicate how much you want, watch them weigh it and write it on your bill. Then the most important decision: how you want it cooked. You can usually choose steamed, barbecued, fried or hot pot. A plate of steamed squid, plus four giant prawns fried with shallots – enough for one person – plus Saigon beer to wash it all down cost us a reasonable 360,000 VND.

Another local Nha Trang must-try is bo nuong at Lac Canh, grill-it-yourself barbecue at 44D Nguyen Binh Khiem, located in the north end of the downtown core, just south of the bridges. Grill well marinated beef at the table over a coal brazier. It’s a smoky, hot, crowded, lively and memorable experience. Don’t wear anything you care about. There are other meats and seafood available but this place is famed for the beef. Open from 09:00 until 21:30.

Life in Vietnam wouldn’t be life without pho (pronounced feu) and it, along with other types of noodle soups, are easily found in the mornings in Nha Trang. If you want to indulge in a 35,000 VND bowl of fragrant and flavourful beef pho (pho bo) for lunch, head to Goc Ha Noi (meaning “Hanoi Vietnam Corner”) at the corner of 142 Bach Dang and To Hien Thanh Street. This cute eatery also serves large family-style dishes, large bowls of soup and stir-fry to be shared and eaten with rice. Dishes range from 60,000 to 110,000 VND. Look for the charming leafy patio in front.

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Place to eat in Nhatrang, Vietnam

You can also get nem nuong at Ngoc Tien at 59 Le Thanh Phuong, a block south of Yersin Street, and at Nem Dang Van Quyen at 16A Lan Ong Street, a few blocks west of Michelia Hotel and the ocean. 

To try real street food you’ll have to get out of the tourist centre. There are some great eats within walking distance, or a short scoot by xe om.

Thit bo nuong la lot is a popular late afternoon street in many place, ex: Hanoi Vietnam, Saigon...but it's processed dilicious in Nhatrang, Vietnam . Beef is wrapped in lo lot leaves and grilled, with the leaves imparting a herbal flavour to the meat while holding in all the juices. You can try it on Bach Dang Street, at the corner with Mac Dinh Chi, for 4,000 VND apiece. Good luck sitting on the miniature plastic stools. Here you can also get another tasty snack, banh trang nuong, grilled rice paper topped with ingredients like quail egg, green onions and minced mushrooms for a crunchy, smokey, savoury treat — only 7,000 VND each.

Nem nuong Ninh Hoa is a feast-with-friends, eat-with-fingers type of dining experience. Nem nuong is found throughout Vietnam travel but this particular style originated in Ninh Hoa district and is now famous in Nha Trang. Your table will be filled with platters of grilled pork meat balls, lettuce leaves, rice paper, fresh herbs, chillies, rice vermicelli and garlic. You make your own wrap and dunk the roll into the sweet-spicy fish sauce. There are two large restaurants on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, west of Nguyen Thien Thuat. Look for the signs Quan Nem Ninh Hoa Nha Trang. A set works out to be around 40,000 VND per person.

You can also get nem nuong at Ngoc Tien at 59 Le Thanh Phuong, a block south of Yersin Street, and at Nem Dang Van Quyen at 16A Lan Ong Street, a few blocks west of Michelia Hotel and the ocean. Nem Dang Van Quyen does a delicious bun thit nuong, a filling noodle salad that’s the perfect cheap lunch on a sweltering day. Cold rice vermicelli noodles are topped with grilled lemongrass pork, fresh herbs, peanuts, shredded lettuce and a sweet, salty dressing — a bowl is only 40,000 VND. The joint occupies two spots across the road from each other.

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Nhatrang's speacial foods

A special noodle soup dish that I have not eaten before in Australia. The soup was full of wonderful and new flavour, the yellow noodles (either rice or egg, I couldn't quite tell) was just right, fresh herbs and greens and a variety of meats and other things inside.

Another specialty dish in Nha Trang that blew us away is the Nem Nuong (Special Grilled Minced Pork). We went to a restaurant called Dang Van Quyen, which specialises in Nem Nuong. The freshly grilled pork is served with a piece of crispy rice paper roll, a piece of sour mango, a variety of fresh herbs and greens, all wrapped in rice paper roll and dipping into a secret homemade sauce.

Mmmmmmmm....yummmmmo...definitely one of the best Vietnamese dishes I've had. Great combination of textures and flavours...this dish has it all!

One other special dish in Nha Trang, or more particular to the central coast of Vietnam travel, is Mi Quang. A special noodle soup dish that I have not eaten before in Australia. The soup was full of wonderful and new flavour, the yellow noodles (either rice or egg, I couldn't quite tell) was just right, fresh herbs and greens and a variety of meats and other things inside.

A truly unique and delicious meal, one I will remember and miss, along with all the other dishes I had above.

And to think, this was only the beginning of my food adventures in Nha Trang. We spent many days and nights scouring the streets of Nha Trang in search of many wondering and delicious foods from the street Vendors, mainly in search of of the sweet homemade desserts which are cooked right on the spot for you, it can't get better then that.

This is a sugar cane drink served in a small plastic bag and a straw....

Of course we wouldn't have a clue of where to go and what to eat if it wasn't for the help of my boyfriends cousin, Tinh, who skipped school many days to take us around to find the most delicious things to eat and drink, and to see Nha Trang through the eyes of a local, which is truly beautiful. Thanks Tinh!

Oh and there was Vietnamese coffee too, how could I forget, I'm not a big coffee drinker but I know that if you are, you are in coffee paradise : )

It came too soon, but it was time to leave Nha Trang. It was sad to leave but it was time for us head south of Vietnam, to a small town called Soc Trang, my home town. Where my food adventures will continue.

Good Bye Nha Trang, you will be missed....

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Vietnam events: Giong Festival

With the hope for abundant harvests and happier lives, Soc Son’s Giong Festival is celebrated during 3 days from the 6th to the 8th of the first lunar month with ceremonies ranking from ‘khai quang’ (‘bathing’ the Saint’s statue) to processions and incense offerings.

Giong Festival is annually celebrated in spring time at several parts of Hanoi Vietnam in order to commemorate Saint Giong, one of the four immortals of Vietnam travel. He is a great hero in Vietnam's mythology, with his splendid merit in defending the country against foreign enemies.

According to cultural experts, the festivals held in Phu Dong Temple (where Saint Giong was born) and Soc Temple (where he ascended to heaven) are the most meaningful and notable, which have been recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage of mankind.

This cultural event is unique in that it is completely preserved and continuously passed on through generations despite fluctuations of time. Depending on destinations, the festival takes place in different occasions in the year.

The Giong Festival at Soc Temple

Time: 6th-8th day of 1st lunar month

Purpose: commemorate Saint Giong, hope for abundant harvests and happy lives

Activities:

Ceremonies: cleaning Saint Giong’s statue, processions, incense offerings

Entertaining activities: playing folk games, enjoying traditional singings

Located on Soc Son District, Phu Linh Commune is the place where Saint Giong took the last rest before he ascended to heaven. With the hope for abundant harvests and happier lives, Soc Son’s Giong Festival is celebrated during 3 days from the 6th to the 8th of the first lunar month with ceremonies ranking from ‘khai quang’ (‘bathing’ the Saint’s statue) to processions and incense offerings.

Before the festival actually starts, a special ritual is conducted on the 5th in which villagers invite Saint Giong to come back with full of well prepared oblations. On the 6th at midnight, Saint Giong’s statue is cleaned in the presence of villagers as well as pilgrims. The main festive day is on the 7th day, the day when Saint Giong sanctified, in which processions of bamboo flowers to Soc temple are offered and reproduction of slaying the invaders’ general is performed.

In addition, the festival provides its goers a chance to immerse themselves in abundance of entertaining activities, including gleeful folk games and traditional singing performances.

The Giong Festival at Phu Dong Temple

Time: 8th-9th day of 4th lunar month

Purpose: commemorate Saint Giong, express patriotism

Activities:

Ceremonies: plays resembling Saint Giong’s battle

Entertaining activities: folk games

Phu Dong’s Giong Festival is on the 8th and 9th day of the fourth lunar month, and it plays an important role enhancing patriotism among the country. Its rituals represent the Saint’s feats in the battle against An army, for example: riding a white horse into battle and organizing a sophisticated flag dance to symbolize the battle itself.

Phu Dong’s Giong Festival might be regarded a huge folk theater with hundreds of roles, following a standardized script. From props, costumes, to chapters and characters—each of them contains profound meaning. In the festival, there are 28 girls (from 9 to 13 years old) playing the generals of An invaders. In the dance, the character 令on the red flag indicates that military commands should be strictly followed. The dance’s movements, along with the sound of drums and gongs, express the changes of the battle. After the festival, a sign of raining is seen as Saint Giong’s benediction for an abundant harvest.

Apart from ritual activities, there are also a wide range of folk games, which effectively draw local residents and visitors to the festival.

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Nhatrang's seafood

Steamed Swimmer Crabs served with fresh herbs and salt/pepper/lemon/chilli dressing. Mmmmmm the crabs are so fresh you can taste the sea water in the crab meat.

If you wanna travel to Nhatrang but don’t know anythings about Vietnam travel, you can look at in this topic.

If you go to Nhatrang Vietnam, you should took us to eat at a fresh seafood restaurant along the beaches of Nha Trang called, Bo Ke. We had many different dishes to share amongst 8 people:

From top left:
A cured fish salad (Goi Ca) which you wrap in rice paper rolls with fresh herbs and a special dipping sauce

Steamed Swimmer Crabs served with fresh herbs and salt/pepper/lemon/chilli dressing. Mmmmmm the crabs are so fresh you can taste the sea water in the crab meat.

Grilled Shellfish of some kind (never ate this one before so don't really know...it was ok, a little chewy)

And last but not least, Grilled Scallop served with spring onion oil (Mo Hanh). Who would have thought that something so simple can be so delicious, I will definitely be trying to make this myself some day : ) it is absolutely delicious.

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