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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Negotiating the potholes on a bike with no suspension or brakes down the six-kilometre-long Cua Dai Road between Hoi An’s old town and beach and you’ll probably be looking out for a stop to get the blood circulating back to your buttocks at around kilometre three — which is where you’ll find the three-storey mirage … read the full post

In an ideal world, breaking a Hoi An stay in two, with a few days at the beach and a few in town, seems like the perfect solution. But what most travellers don’t realise is that Hoi An’s Cua Dai and An Bang beach are just five minutes’ from the old town. Every resort outside … read the full post