Posts listed under the ‘Vietnam’ category
Hanoi at 1000 - Celebrations in October 2010
Wednesday, August 18th, 2010, by Tom Armstrong
Hanoi, one of Asia’s most iconic and enigmatic cities will celebrate its 1000th birthday in October 2010. Visitors will be treated to an array of performance and festivities across the city during the month. Anyone planning a Vietnam holiday during this time may want to spend a little extra time in the city to absorb the celebrations and witness this unique event. Hotels in Hanoi will be very busy during this time so contact us for advice in finding the best places still available.
Here we list the official schedule of events, although rest assured there will we be plenty more to discover in the city’s myriad of densely populated and atmospheric streets. (more…)
Blogging through Cambodia & Vietnam…
Thursday, June 10th, 2010, by Tom Armstrong
Experience Travel clients Jo and Dean Bourke are writing a blog about their honeymoon voyage through Cambodia & Vietnam.
It’s a great opportunity for us to read first hand travel experiences and enjoy photos of a trip that is similar to some of our most popular Vietnam and Cambodia itineraries. Their trip is an adaptation of our Cambodia & Vietnam Classic itinerary, with upgrades on some of the hotels. You can find their blog, J & D’s Cambodia/Vietnam Adventure, here. We look forward to seeing how the rest of the trip goes and thanks for sharing your experiences.
Melissa’s Vietnamese Culinary Extravaganza!
Friday, May 28th, 2010, by Melissa Nicholas
Heading out to Vietnam again this month and spurred on by Rick Steins recent Far Eastern Odyssey series and cookery book, I decided that this time I would pay more attention to the food and try and learn how to cook a few dishes for myself. With a bit of help from the locals, I discovered that Vietnam really is the perfect destination for food lovers and that as you travel North to South the fabulous diversity of delicious, fresh, healthy and exquisite dishes on offer is a million miles away from what you get presented in your average Vietnamese restaurant in the UK. (more…)
Ash, Bangkok and BA
Friday, May 21st, 2010, by Sam ClarkThey say trouble comes in threes and if that is true then we are at Experience Travel can look forward to a restful summer.
We’ve had the volcanic ash, the trouble in Bangkok and the BA strikes, designed as if by a mischievous god, to cause maximum havoc in the travel industry… (more…)
5 Best Local Restaurants In Saigon
Friday, April 30th, 2010, by Tom Armstrong
South East Asia has some of the best food the world - fresh, varied and available at every glance. Indeed, many of our customers cite the quality and range of the cuisine in both Thailand and Vietnam as one of their key reasons for visiting.
As a casual visitor it can sometimes be difficult to know where to start looking for the best food - sometimes you need a helping hand. I find this particularly true of Saigon - a sprawling metropolis with seemingly endless dining options and communication challenges with taxi drivers. Add to this the fact that most quality local restaurants outside the hotel and backpacker districts don’t have menus in English and you’ll see why many like a few tips for places to check out. (more…)
Sri Lanka updates
Thursday, December 24th, 2009, by Sam ClarkWe’ve had 2 directors and a staff member in Sri Lanka for the bulk of this month - looking at product, talking to suppliers and generally making a nuisence of themselves. The overwhelming impression that were left with is how Sri Lanka is starting to take off after the end of the war 6 months ago. It aint a bed of roses by any means - but there is hope for the future and that is something new in Sri Lanka in many ways.
One of our directors, Mick Lowe, below gives his personal reflections on the political scene in Sri Lanka, from a tourist point for view and watch out for some great product news and reviews over the coming weeks.
Happy Christmas One and All!
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Air Asia to fly Saigon to Phuket
Wednesday, November 11th, 2009, by Sam ClarkWe were delighted to hear that Air Asia are now flying Saigon to Phuket. This opens up a world of possibilities for those wanting some Thailand beach action following a hectic tour of Vietnam. Do ask us for more details and we can built that in to your tour!
The Mekong Delta: Phnom Penh to Saigon
Tuesday, October 27th, 2009, by Tom ArmstrongThe Mekong River is one of Asia’s great waterways –a powerful, mesmerising and life-giving force that careers from the icy mountains of Tibet to the humid rice fields of southern Vietnam. Along its journey the river blesses Tibet, China, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam with its bounty of food and transportation opportunities and is the lifeblood of thousands of people who live along its banks and survive from its fish and the irrigation opportunities it presents to otherwise remote rural areas.
A family travelling through the waterways
I have explored and journeyed along the river at various points of its path through south east Asia. On my first trip to the region as a young backpacker in the late 1990s I took a slow boat from Huay Xai (the border town in the north of Thailand and Laos) to Luang Prabang, and from this time onward I have been fascinated by exploring the Mekong and its tributaries. I have been fortunate to travel down and stay alongside the river in Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. However, the so-called ‘Mekong Delta’ region of Vietnam had eluded me on my travels until recently, and what a treat I had been missing! (more…)
Constance - Halaveli
Monday, October 19th, 2009, by Sam ClarkHalaveli is an old Maldives favourite and it is has recently been totally refurbished by the Constance Hotel group. We have had really good reports from a very trusted source - saying it is right up there with the best in the Maldives and with their 2 for 1 offer right up until April 2010, it is incredible value! Not yet on our site but you can read their official website here and get these brilliant offers directly through us.
Rick Stein’s Far Eastern Odyssey - a review:
Tuesday, August 25th, 2009, by Sam ClarkRick Stein did us a massive favour by doing a programme that focused, almost exclusively, on the area that we specialise in. Apart from Laos, all our bases were covered – Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Cambodia and of course, Thailand. A big ‘thank you’ to Rick then, as we saw a definite increase in inquiries from the sort of people keen to do something a little different and sample the true flavours of the region – something which we can deliver!
I also think we are well placed to review the show and watched it with great interest. Not only do we know the countries very well, but we are all fairly greedy and get thoroughly over-excited by the thought of South East Asian food. We also know a few of the characters featured in the programme and all of the hotels featured.