Vietnam Travel Guide (Under 60 K per Person)- Part 2 - Central & South Vietnam

Hello There , 

If you have returned to read Part 2 of our Vietnam Travel Guide , then Happy to have you hear .
If you have not  read the Part 1 - North Vietnam , we would recommend you Read that  first !
Click Here to Read . 
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Itinerary : 
Day 6 : Took a Overnight Train from Ninh Binh to Danang
Day 7 : Danang to Hoi An  ,Walk around in Hoi An Ancient Town 
Day 8 : Cycle Around the Ancient town , Site Seeing , Exploring cafes , Evening Food Street 
Day 9 : Go for a Spa Session , Evening Shopping / Boat Ride & so on in Ancient Town 
Day 10 : Early Morning Flight From Danang Airport to Saigon , Sight Seeing & Exploring Food in Saigon , District 1
Day 11 : Last Minute Sovenir Shopping and Last Coffee Stop , Evening Fly Back to India 

Lets Begin our Story from Central & South Vietnam

Central Viet is blessed with Historical & cultural sights, stretches of pristine beaches  Riddled with hundreds of Unique caves including the worlds biggest cave – Son Dong cave  .

For us however  Biggest highlight was  the unique heritage grace of the riverside jewel – Hoi an .

Destination 4 : Hoi An  : Recomended Min 3 Days

You just cant escape the charm of Hoi an , no matter what season !
The Sunshine Mustard yellow walls of the heritage buildings  , the colorful  ambient glow of the lanterns , cafes & shops dotting the full stretch of the Au bon river . Seas of crowd  yet a laid back vibe engulps you and makes you loose track of time . 

5 Must see / Do

                                

• Stroll / Bycycle inside world heritage ancient town of Hoi an . -
• Try the complex cuisine of Central Vietnam and  hang out in  cafes and  riverside pubs
• Shop / Eat / Click Pictures in Night Market
• Go for a Spa Session
• Get out of ancient town and head  out for a coconut boat ride or visit the near by My son  sanctuary

Other Places in Central Vietnam : 

If you are into Caves and adventurous activities , you just can not miss Phong Nha ke bang National park .

Housing the worlds oldest karst mountains with numerous cave systems . It was so hard for us to cut out Phong nha Ke Bang  from our itinerary but we decided to settle with Hoi-an for this time .

Hue is the ancient capital-, well preserved temples , pagodas and tombs lie around in every corner . The history buffs shouldn’t miss this

Destination 5 : Saigon / Ho Chi Minh City: Recommend Min 2 Days

Southern Vietnam , I had heard mostly about southern Vietnam – Specifically Saigon & Mekong delta before we dug deep during our planning for the trip .

So Even if it were for a day we decided to  fly here for the food .

5 Must do / See

1.        Eat a lot of gr8 food ,  the cuisine down south is more suitable for the Indian palate due to the use of  spices and slightly spicy broths & sauces

2.        Go to Post office for the French architecture but don’t forget to return with the cutest souvenirs

3.        Nail Salon- Vietnam is very popular for Nail art , Specially Saigon has many Nail Bars

4.        Insta worthy pink church

5.        Local culture & community vibe of the city dwellers at the walking street, District 1

Stay a day or two Stay longer , eat more and visit Mekong delta .. one of the richest  flora fauna on earth if time permits
Other places of interest is surely the desserts of Mue ne & untouched pristine off shore Nha trang or Phuc quo  or the highlands of Dalat which fall somewhere in between south & central Vietnam . 

That brings an end to our guide on must sees & itinerary of the highlights of Vietnam . 

A perfect 10 full days trip of a lifetime to  wonderfully versatile Vietnam .

The people , local culture, lifestyle , unforgettable food and unique landscapes stole a piece of our heart .

We usually don’t prefer to visit  the same places again  too soon  as the world is big and lots to see.

But Vietnam we sense it in our hearts that we will return soon . 

If you have read it till here , Thank you and we would be most delighted if our Blogposts help you in planning your travel to  Vietnam . 
Drop us a Dm On our Instagram Handle for any queries or comment below in the comment section . 

Happy Travels
@bangalorexpress 
 

6 New Restaurants In Bangalore You Must Try in 2020

Only thing i like better than talking about Food is eating - John Walters
 
Due to the current Corona Crisis , we can not eat out sadly , so lets talk about it, What say ?
Slowly F & B Industry is trying to get back on track and gearing up to open or at least start delivering by taking all safety precautions .
We did couple of polls on our IG handle recently asking everyone which places they wanted to go to #postlockdown . Many responded with their regular hangouts or very popular places which have been in the city since some time .

So we decided to curate a list of new places we enjoyed eating out #prelockdown -mostly in the months of Dec , Jan & Feb and a bit of March beginning.
 
Note : The list is in no particular order of preference .
Hopefully by the end of the year we will be able to add lot of other new places we liked that you all should check out in 2020 as continuation to this post. For Now we would like to recommend - 6 New Restaurants in Bangalore you must try !

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1. Lucky Chan

First Conveyor Belt Sushi place in Bangalore !

Also with a long list of Dim sums will have you wanting to visit soon to try .

A chic place with few Kawaii influences in decor , Situated on 100 Ft Indiranagar

Must try :

Drink : Beer Cocktails

Dimsums - Dont miss the cream cheese & chilli Oil ,Prawn dimsum in butter garlic sauce

Sushi - Spicy Tuna , Asparagus cream cheese

Other dishes - Chilled Coconut Tofu with Wasabi Ponzhu, Corn Cakes

Dessert : Japanese Mochi Icecream

USP :

1.Sushi Train Experience

2.Vast menu with lot of unique Chinese & Japanese dishes to choose from

2. Punkah House

Look and feel of a british Raj elite club .

They have tried to reinterpret the memories &emotions that evoke the charm of the old world and india's culinary past.

The Commitment to the concept is evident in décor, food & drinks .

Must try :

Qtr Plates : Foxnut Jhalmoori ,Karachi Spiced Lotus Root

Small Plates : Sweet Potato Chops , Crispy Whit Bait

Large Plates : Hoppums – 1. Asparagus & water chest nut

2. Old Bombay brain scrabmle ,

Stuffed Flat breads

Desserts : Toffee Cheese cake , In house Sorbets

Drinks : Gin & tonic – Varieties

USP :

1. Very delish & interesting twists to Indian cuisine,

2. Ambience /Decor

3. Dofu

If you are into Pan Asian food , You have to go to Dofu .

They have brought Chuka Specials to Bangalore

Basically Chuka cuisine is the Japanese dishes served in Japan by Chinese Restaurants which is a interesting blend of cuisines and is trending in other parts of the world .

They also serve Japanese , chinese & Korean Dishes

Must Try :

Gimbaps & Chuka Sushi Rolls - Some of the best we have ever tried . Loved it

Steamed Plates & their Grills - An interesting mix of dishes

USP :

Not so common Asian dishes , Chuka Cuisine

4. Kappa Chakka Kandhari 

KCK , is that place you have to head to get a taste of authentic #keralafood in #bengaluru

A mix of Homestyle Cooking , Toddy Shop Specials & Regional Favorites which is a rare gem to find outside Kerala

Must Try :

Drink : Absolute Kandhari

Food :Puttu Biryani , Prawn Kizhi,Kozhuva Fry

Dessert : Cloud Pudding

USP:

Such a well curated Vast menu with authentic and Delish Kerala Cusine .

Small Portions at less Prices so you can try more varieties

5. Pebble

You have to head to Pebble and experience Teppanyaki and the other Japanese food  in a beautiful garden setting .

Perfect special date place .

The Kitchen on table experience is fun

Must try :

Teppanyaki unlimited menu

USP :

Kitchen on Table in a Outdoor green setting

6. Raahi

Modern Indian Cuisine

Very Innovative Cocktails & food

Very Chic & Elegant ambience

Must Try :

Small Plates : Bheja fry Dosa , Seafood Soup

Large Plates : Yak Cheese Daatchi , Duck Do Pyaaza with figs and chilli Naan

Dessert : Coconut , Milk 5

USP :

Many interesting Techniques , Twists & ingredients used to amp up and make indian food very novel and modern .

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Curating this post got me drooling :-)
There you go , that was our List of 6 New Restaurants you must Try in Bangalore in 2020 .
Do Bookmark this post for when all this is over .
Lets hope we can all freely go out and explore these great places , eat drink , have fun & socialize like before !
If you have tried any new restaurants not part of this list , do let us know in the comments .


Here is us at BE. hoping for better times for all of us !
Much Love ,
Bangalorexpress

Vietnam Travel Guide ( Under 60 K per Person ) : Part 1 - North Vietnam Itinerary & Must see places

Travel opens your heart , broadens your mind and fills your life with stories to tell !

This is our story from Vietnam and in short  its memorable  and a very versatile one as Vietnam has so many  things to offer . 

Variety of things to  see & the food  is usually what makes us zero in on our destination and Vietnam has been on our mind since sometime now  so we decided to go in November, 2019

When we told people we are off to Vietnam , many  asked how come you choose Vietnam with a mild surprise on their faces ?

That’s when we realized Vietnam is not very popular with the Indian tourists as much as Thailand , Dubai or Bali but for us we had fallen in love before we even went to Vietnam through the many food and travel shows we watch , the more we researched to form our itinerary more we wanted to go there . 

After  10 full days there we can safely say it was better than what we expected .

We surely left a piece of our heart in Vietnam  & can’t wait to go back already .

Why you should read this  Blog Post : 

We did a lot of research ( a aaa Lot - read tons of blogs , watched a lot of videos and of course the many culinary shows we always watch  ), planned and booked it fully on our own for that perfect holiday with a bit of everything . So This blog post will surely help you plan your trip to Vietnam as it has lot of tips in there, So read on .

Big question :How Many days to plan?

Let me start of by telling you that 10 full days  is very less to explore the length &  breadth of Vietnam as it’s a long country with lot to offer

Same itinerary as ours but 11 – 12 full days would be ideal and  comfortably  paced for your 1^st trip to this wonderful country .

However since we had never gone on a holiday for more than 9 days , we were a bit skeptical so decided to kept it to 10- 11 days and cover the highlights.

Next : What is the Budget?

We ended up spending 60 K per person for everything . 
One  can easily cut down the expenses if you stay at  cheaper Airbnbs & Homestays , we did not compromise on location  as that was the key for us . we wanted to be near  the buzz so its easily walk  able and yet most of our stay(All airbnb & Homestay/small hotels) costed 1500 Rs per night which is so less compared to India.

Also if you can sacrifice some luxuries like Private airport transfers , first class train travel  , 3 star overnight cruise in Halong bay, few fancy meals & Spa it will work out lot less ,  but I wouldn’t recommend it as 60,000  is a very reasonable  price for a comfortable international  trip  with some luxuries thrown In.

Our Itinerary : Versatile Vietnam in 10 Days

We Started from North & ended in the south , you can do other way round as well but Hanoi is a wonderful start to this country & if you start at north you can keep moving forward easily without having to return to any place to travel to the next major destination .

10 days itinerary is perfect for people with less time on hand, for people  who want to check out the highlights as well as do a bit of the - off the beaten path sights.

 
Day 1 : Arrive in Hanoi early morning , explore the Neighborhood & go on a food tour in the evening   (Highly Recommend a Food Tour In vietnam ).

Day 2 : Hanoi Sight Seeing

Day 3 : Hanoi – Explore Street food , Coffee Culture &  shopping in Old Quater

Day 4 : Halong bay cruise

Day 5 : Halong Bay city  to Ninh Binh Provence

                                              
Day 6 : Ninh Binh Siteseeing , Overnight Train to Danang
 
For Central & South Vietnam Itinerary , Stay Tuned to Part 2

 

 Destination 1 - Hanoi – Min Recommended 3 Days .

Capitol of Vietnam , One city in that country you should not miss

Hanoi is charming , dotted with lakes &  greenery  , quaint old worldly & modern Vietnam coexist so beautifully .You will hear no honking even in traffic ,what a pleasure it was to our  ears & mostly how warm & friendly the people were.

Architecture & culture influenced by Chinese & French due to colonization in the past .

A city we could live in !

Recommend you to stay in the old quarter or French quarter in Hanoi to experience the local vibes & be near to all the action.

We chose a airbnb at the edge of French quarter end of old quarter as we wanted to stay a bit away from the busy old quarter yet easily walk able  to the central Hoan Kiem lake .

Our  Airbnb Link : ( Well Equipped , Perfect Location )

https://www.airbnb.co.in/rooms/37728334?s=2&sharer_id=290878025&unique_share_id=3353211f-aa75-45cf-9d59-259a9ed513ab

5 Must see / Do:

1. Hoan Kiem lake – In the early morning as well as in the evening 

Calm yet buzzing , well maintained , The old quater is around the lake , Beautiful Ngoc Son Pagoda is in the center of the Lake not to be missed either very early morning or during sunset.Try to stay walk-able to the lake (within a km )

2. Temple of Literature 

First national University of Vietnam and dedicated to Confucius .Go here early Morning or Evening to avoid large travel bus crowds

3.Tran Quoc Pagoda and West Lake Area 

Beautiful Pagoda , Go by Sunset and spend your evening by the many hip cafes restaurants there facing the lake or stroll along the lake

4. St josephs Cathedral 

Such a beautiful cathedral , Perfect for a evening stroll in that 

neighborhood to explore  the shops and cafes

 

5. Shopping & Eating in old quarter 

Food Tour (Highly recommend you to take one - Perfect for the 1st day ,  

( we chose Secret Food tours -  a local guide will walk you to  local hot spots in the 
Old quarter and have you try many specialties .Its not a fixed route or dishes so its fun .
Surely one of the highlights since we got to experience a lot of local unheard of places 
with great food , you will be stuffed with goodness and you get to meet other 
travelers so check them out )

Bier Street - what a vibe plus just the place to find good nibbles with your local beer.
Dont miss it

Night Market  - if you   are there over  the weekend- i have heard the old quarters 

fully transformers into a vehicle free zone and you can do some souvenir shopping 
and eat from street stalls (You can do that on other days too but the shops are  a 
bit spread out and mostly active in the evenings )

Destination 2 – Ha long Bay – Must do a 1 night Cruise. If possible 2 Night . 

Thousands of Towering Limestone islets  rising from emerald green waters of Gulf of Tonkin Pick a 3 star and above Cruise for a nice cruising experience .

The price for a one night can vary between 10,000 – 30,000

The cruise company you choose will pick you up early from Hanoi  and get you on the cruise ship by noon . 

Don’t expect to relax on the cruise it is pretty packed but you will have a experience of a lifetime ! 

Must do :

• Don’t miss the 15 min tai chy class in the early morning  while cruising by the islets , the early morning sun shine adds a charm ,
• Try kayaking if you are gutsy.
• Ensure you Cruise takes you for a Cave Visit and all the activities is included in the price .

                                                                                              

We chose Swan cruises for the below reasons

• Cruise Route :
• Bai Thu long bay , less crowded than Halong bay
• Pricing is more affordable , may not have the luxuries like bath tub or big rooms like modern boats but it’s a traditional junk boat
• 4 course set meals & all the activities like other boats

Destination 3 : Ninh Binh  - Recommended 2 days

Vietnam's First Capital .

We  contemplated for the longest time if we should go to sapa rice terraces or Ninh binh . as Ninh binh is similar to halong bay , its called halong bay on land we deliberated a lot

But  Since I heard about the place I just couldn’t get myself to give it up . Still did a lot of research and rearranged our plans to accommodate  ninh binh as I felt we couldn’t be satisfied with the  beautiful karst mountains by 1 busy day of cruising , so we deciced to go to Ninh Binh for a day and  glad we did . It was surely our most memorable & favourite day in Vietnam . we really wished to have stayed a day extra ! So we would recommend you to make it 2 days . 

Our Airbnb Link : (Wonderful Host & Family  , Cafeteria Available , Very close to Trang An)

https://www.airbnb.co.in/rooms/18304754?s=2&sharer_id=290878025&unique_share_id=863bc1d7-d9d8-4ac4-8ed9-530da6a088fc

Must Do :

Trang An  boat ride - Early morning this place is so scenic and whimsical . The most scenic place i have ever been to

Hoa Lu Citadel

Bich Dong Pagoda - Dont Miss this Pagoda , One of a kind spread across three different levels 
Ride around the area -stopping at rice fields and other scenic spots , Ninh Binh Has many !

If Time permits Hang Mua caves & Bai Dinh Pagoda

To Summarise :

This draws an end to our Northern Viet experience .

What a memorable one and surely a big chunk of your time in Vietnam you should alot to this region .

 You can choose to add Sapa up north  from Hanoi or follow our itinerary but spend more time in Halong bay/ninh binh .

Part 2 will cover our itinerary and must do from there Central & South

Stay Tuned

You can also find day wise stories in our Insta Highlights #beinvietnam

On https://www.instagram.com/bangalorexpress

You can Get Rs 3025 Airbnb Credit  by signing up  Via this link here 
Happy Travels

Till the Next time , 
Love , 
Bangalorexpress