Destination: Vietnam

Its all about the long weekends this month!

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 | By lozza | Views [354]

April in Vietnam is the BEST. This week I have 5 days off.. Its just wonderful. Sat-Thurs. Last week it was a long weekend having fri-sun off. Even though that weekend was wasted, not this one! Macs & i went on a drive yesterday, tried to get ... Read more >

Hoi An 9-11th April - Favourite Place Yet

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 | By ashbyrne | Views [501]

Oh my god, this is such a pretty town and I would definately stayed longer if i had the time on my visa. Although spent enough money there as it was so probably a good thing I only had a few days. Girls you would love this place, seriously you can get ... Read more >

Tags: hoi an

Hue - 6-9th April

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 | By ashbyrne | Views [524]

Hi guys, gotten a bit behind with the blog but heres the one for the few days in Hue   Hue is a pretty city, a lot quieter than Hanoi which is a nice thing. Arrived at 7pm in the evening and hopped in a taxi to the backpackers hostel which ... Read more >

Tags: citadel, hue

hot! hot! hot!!!!

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 | By lozza | Views [351]

I just need some loose clothes cos it is hooooot in hanoi at the moment. Then it rains, then its hot.. Its gona rain soon, and it needs to- so humid.. Adn it doesn't help with the construction workers killing the power every now and again and we're left ... Read more >

Ha Noi Old cofee - bitter outside and sweet inside

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 | By minhhuyennguyen | Views [1042]

It’s now a quarter past six pm. I am sitting in a Hanoi old coffee house, listening to a strange jogtrot piece of traditional music. Alone. It’s weird, because I am not fond of traditional music. I am not fond doing anything alone either, ... Read more >

Tags: coffee, hanoi

Photos: Hoi An

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 | By helen_sc | Photo Gallery

Understanding a Culture through Food - Hanoi Old Coffee

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 | By minhhuyennguyen | Views [581] | Scholarship Entry

It’s now a quarter past six pm. I am sitting in a Hanoi old coffee house, listening to a strange jogtrot piece of traditional music. Alone. Notwithstanding this, I love that. Today, I call for a hot cup, because an autumn night is mislaying in the middle ... Read more >

Tags: Travel Writing Scholarship 2013

Understanding a Culture through Food - Hanoi's curious cuisine

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 | By alechaps83 | Views [426] | Scholarship Entry

My American friend and I had decided to try snake. We had spent an absorbing day exploring the bustling streets of Hanoi’s old town trying as many of the local delicacies as possible. We savoured the rich, smooth taste of weasel coffee, even after we ... Read more >

Tags: Travel Writing Scholarship 2013

Understanding a Culture through Food - The missing ingredient

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 | By toughcookietraveller | Views [208] | Scholarship Entry

Long before I could see the markets, the briny stink of fish led me to the chaotic grid of motorcycles and bright, tented stands. Without a doubt, Chau Doc boasted one of the most formidable markets in Vietnam, but time was running out on my visa, and ... Read more >

Tags: Travel Writing Scholarship 2013

A Local Encounter that Changed my Perspective - The Power of Body Language

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 | By oktooch | Views [257] | Scholarship Entry

I was complaining to some officer at Halong City harbor about the ticket I couldn’t use to see Halong Bay. I found the fact that it’s impossible to see Halong Bay without joining a Tour organized by local people. But I have already bought a ticket and ... Read more >

Tags: Travel Writing Scholarship 2013

A Local Encounter that Changed my Perspective - Ong Ôi

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 | By rice_footpath | Views [232] | Scholarship Entry

I can still hear the crumpling of these same old pants. The room-sized house kept on emitting a smell of freshly-made concrete, alongside an hint of old fish sauce. The stooped grandma was stitching by the door, as a sentinel ready to warn the lame ... Read more >

Tags: Travel Writing Scholarship 2013

A Local Encounter that Changed my Perspective

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 | By meganjane03 | Views [186] | Scholarship Entry

'We don’t cry when our parents pass away. Tears are all about regret. Regret for not spending enough time with them. Regret for not telling them how much you love them. We make every second count: we spend all our time with our families and we constantly ... Read more >

Tags: Travel Writing Scholarship 2013

A Local Encounter that Changed my Perspective - The Initiation

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 | By karendg | Views [285] | Scholarship Entry

The young boy hung back at first. He was some way down the carriage and there was much between us. Assorted limbs, limp with sleep, littered the aisle. Sagging facecloths swung from hooks on the wall like ripe fruit. Cigarette smoke coiled and curled ... Read more >

Tags: Travel Writing Scholarship 2013

Understanding a Culture through Food - "No MSG!"

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 | By deemay | Views [268] | Scholarship Entry

“This was the first dish I made for my mother-in-law on my first day of marriage”, Ms Moon, our Vietnamese cooking instructor says with a warm yet playful smile. She clasps her hands together in front of her pastel green apron, starting her sentence, ... Read more >

Tags: Travel Writing Scholarship 2013

A Local Encounter that Changed my Perspective - Rattled By The Hills

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 | By jenmarysmith | Views [146] | Scholarship Entry

Feeling the wind rattle my rain-jacket, I pulled up my helmet visor and shut my eyes. Every so often, I needed that glorious rush of nature against my eyelids- to hide from the history that lived and breathed in Vietnam’s emerald-grey hills. The wind-... Read more >

Tags: Travel Writing Scholarship 2013