A glance at Vietnamese food in Ho Chi Minh City - Saigon

"Ho Chi Minh City is a fantastic destination for the independent traveller! An explosion on the senses with the flavours of the Pho, the wafting smells of fried squid and the symphony of thousands of motorbikes!" said saigonhotel-link.

Enjoying specifically tropical climate with just two seasons - rainy and dry, and with its tourist attractions such as the Notre Dame Cathedral, the City Zoo, the War Museum, and many shopping malls, Saigon is surely a wonderful must-come-to-enjoy destination.

This city, also, is a place where Vietnamese foods varying from the northern to the final southern pole of Vietnam gather. As the biggest commercial center, and the most hustling and bustling city of Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City has been warmly welcoming people from all other provinces coming to set their own business. And, on the way, those people brought along their local culture and especially, their local specialties with their own recipes. They then opened many restaurants, food stalls, or small booths in markets to introduce and serve their local foods - this is why a variety of Vietnamese foods can be easily found in just one place. To pamper southern customers' tastes, these providers adjusted their cooking recipes, which created a more abundant character of Vietnamese eating and drinking.

Check out Saigon Restaurants for more information!

Bún Bò Huế – spicy noodle soup

Speaking of Vietnamese noodle soups, Bun Bo Hue– a specialty formerly originating in Hue – central Vietnam, must not be out of its list. It may be called spicy beef noodle soup (as Wikipedia) in English. The mix of Beef bones, fermented shrimp paste, lemongrass, grilled chopped shrimp, and dried chilies creates a wonderful harmonious flavor recalled in mind anytime mentioning about Hue.

For those touring Hue this is a must-eat that cannot be missed! Bun Bo is now served in restaurants around this royal city.

Nowadays in Ho Chi Minh City, Bun Bo Hue is also served in many restaurants from top-end in luxurious malls to budget in the alley. A dish that can be eaten anything during a day – for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even super! If you are wandering even along a street or an alley, you may meet some Bun Bo restaurants.

There is a special point that Hue food is different because of the fusion of dishes designed by poverty-stricken peasants and the sumptous opulence of the Imperial Court (Source: http://www.hue-hotel.com).

A trip to Phu Quoc – an unforgettable memory

Listening to my friends saying about their trip to Phu Quoc last month, I really got jealous of them and this dreamy place is going to be my must-come destination this year.

But, at this time, let’s have a look at some of Phu Quoc magnificent landscapes through the photos below.

Suoi Tranh – Work-of-art Fall

White-sand beach:

Crystal-clear water:

Here is my friends’ photo in Phu Quoc:

You can see how exciting the trip is through more of their photos on their private blog.

A brief introduction: Covering 1,320 square kilometres, and with a population of about 70,000 people, Phu Quoc is the largest southern island in Vietnam. Phu Quoc beaches boast a dreamy world in which you can really rest on white sands, enjoy sunbathing or soak your feet down into the crystal-clear warm sea water.

For more information, visit http://www.hotels-phuquoc.com/

A trip to Vientiane!

Set on a bend in the Mekong River, Laos' capital city Vientiane is by Southeast Asian standards a rather laid back town. It is replete with aging French colonial buildings, Chinese shophouses and Buddhist temples.

A little outside the city centre is the country's most important national monument, the Pha That Luang, which symbolizes both Lao sovereignty as well as its Buddhist foundation, and is the site of the full moon temple festival in November.

As Laos' biggest city, Vientiane has the widest selection of restaurants, busiest nightlife as well as its best shopping. See the Vientiane City Guide and pages for more detailed information and to book accommodation in Vientiane.

Source: http://www.laos-hotel-link.com/laos-guide

A strange dream!

There is a saying that dreaming is a way by which people express their wishes inside their mind. This might be right to me because I had a dream surfing on the canoe, boating to a wild island, and last, but not least, taking a lot of photos of flora and fauna last night.

I, although, did enjoy a trip to Nha Trang last July but it seemed to be not fully exciting. All I need is a backpacking trip with my closed friends. We are all looking forward to October when my friend's class and mine, too, come to end and we can enjoy a few days off. At that time we will be able to make our dream of backpacking that has been heating our heart since last year.

My dear buddies, hope you (and I) are doing everything well so that we can have a really relaxing vacation next month!