Travelfish correspondent Caroline Mills

After years of camping in her back garden in the New Forest, Caroline Mills’ parents went wild and jetted her off to Morocco where her dream of becoming a traveling belly dancer was born. Somewhat wizened to the limitations involved in such a job at age 6, she sat on the idea until her 30’s when she took her dog-eared passport around Euorpe, S.E Asia and India. Finally settling in Hoi An where she traded in her belly dancing ambition (it never worked out) for the role of writer and associate editor of Live Hoi An magazine, where she passes on her passion for food, fashion and culture to the discerning traveler. A high/low end traveler, Caroline has developed an insatiable taste for exploring and become adept at hunting out new and memorable places to go. She is a treasure trove of tips and information, delivering honest, personal reviews and tales of misadventure along the way.
Website:

Posts by Caroline Mills:

• Hoi An street food: Bun bo Hue

  First published: 16 May 2013
  

  Bun bo: it’s the pho lovers Marmite, a rich combination of spicy, sour, salty and sweet flavours with a predominant lemongrass hit. Pho in comparison is the soother, an altogether sweeter, more delicate dish in its pure form, with flavour enhancers (in Central Vietnam at least), bowls of sweet chilli paste, hoisin sauce, lime and herbs … read the full post

• Review: The Moon Restaurant, Hoi An

  First published: 10 May 2013
  

  Moon Restaurant’s location, a few minutes’ walk outside Hoi An’s old town and river would for a regular restaurant be the kiss of death. What saves Moon is its stunning faded colonial magnificence — and the fact that it sits directly opposite one of the most visited attractions in Hoi An: Yaly Couture, one of … read the full post

• Tourist etiquette in Hoi An

  First published: 08 May 2013
  

  Getting to grips with the right or wrong way to go about things in any country is always a minefield of ever-changing goal posts. In Vietnam, luckily the people are largely very forgiving of our faux pas and a little bit of common sense and humility goes a long way in bridging the gap between … read the full post

• Hoi An night eats: Quan Tu Sang

  First published: 02 May 2013
  

  For late night street eats in Hoi An, Tran Cao Van Road is where it’s at. Although you will find other options on the outskirts of town, the stalls that line the street here are properly geared up for serving the late-night crowd, doing a roaring trade of both takeaway (meal in a bag) and … read the full post

• Review: Son Tra Resort, Hoi An

  First published: 01 May 2013
  

  At first glance the topsy turvy two-storey villas of Son Tra Resort outside Da Nang evoke suggestions of a rather odd gated development. The giant villas just look uncomfortable in their surroundings — it’s almost as if the architect was misinformed of the setting and given a massive budget along with the instructions to ‘go … read the full post

• Luong Duong springs, Da Nang

  First published: 25 Apr 2013
  

  One of the lesser known natural wonders around Da Nang and an easy road trip from Hoi An is Luong Duong Springs, also known as Turtle Springs, a jungle-clad, natural waterfall surrounded by emerald spring pools. For nature lovers and families, Luong Duong Springs is worthy of a visit if you were to incorporate it … read the full post

• Hoi An street food: Bo sot vang

  First published: 23 Apr 2013
  

  For every country that has tried their hand at occupying Vietnam, for all the incredible architecture left behind, the real remaining influence is of the culinary kind (save for the Americans, who left only Coca Cola). For Hoi An with its cao lau, white rose, mi quang and com ga, the predominant influence is of … read the full post

• Review: White Sail Cafe, Hoi An

  First published: 18 Apr 2013
  

  Sitting under a tangle of evergreen climbers, directly opposite a huge banyan tree on the busy street food area of Tran Cao Van Street  — take a left at the Tech Com bank on the corner of Tran Hung Dao — you’ll find Hoi An’s pretty White Sail Seafood Restaurant, serving up consistently good Vietnamese … read the full post

• Review: Hoa Su Villa Resort, Hoi An

  First published: 16 Apr 2013
  

  If you don’t mind the slightly out of the way location, Hoa Su, a five-villa resort located next to the river on Cam Thanh, makes for a serene, top-range retreat away from the madding Hoi An crowds. The man behind Hoa Su was involved in the building of Vietnam’s most exclusive resort, the Nam Hai. … read the full post

• Negotiating Hoi An’s street food stalls

  First published: 09 Apr 2013
  

  Vietnam is a fast-food nation based around slow-cooked food. Breakfast and lunch is taken on the hoof — it’s pho to go and rice on the run until you sit down for dinner with the family at the end of the working day. Street food is king, with mobile snacking a close second. Here’s our … read the full post