Over 10,000 Buddhist temples, pagodas, and monasteries were constructed in Bagan, of which an estimated 3,822 still stand today in varying states of preservation. This cluster of religious monuments built in an area of about 104 square kilometres (40 square miles) is what makes Bagan one of Myanmar’s most popular and intriguing tourist destinations.
Yangon, formerly known as Rangoon, is Myanmar’s former capital and its center of commerce. It’s one of the most visited destinations in Myanmar and where you’ll find the country’s most sacred Buddhist temple – Shwedagon Pagoda.
To be honest, Kuala Lumpur was never one of my favorite cities. It reminded me too much of Manila. It’s big, it’s hot, it’s crowded, and it can often be overwhelming. For us, it was always a point of entry and quick stopover on our way to more interesting destinations in Malaysia.
Together with Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Hue is definitely one of my favorite food cities in Vietnam and a place we’ll be looking to visit again and again. It’s home to interesting and delicious food like bun bo, com hen, nem lui, and banh hue.
We first visited northern Kyushu in 2017 and got to enjoy regional specialties like champon, basashi, and everyone’s favorite Hakata ramen. Everything we had made an impression and got us excited to come back and explore more of the island and its myriad delicacies.
Like ca phe trung in Hanoi, Hue is home to a unique blend of coffee as well – ca phe muoi or salt coffee. As its name suggests, it’s made with salt and fermented milk and served with ice.
Among the Vietnamese cities we’ve visited, we found Hoi An to be the most charming and Saigon to have the best food, but Hanoi is the most liveable. It’s a big city, much bigger than Hoi An so there’s more to do, but it doesn’t swallow you up like Saigon.
This Hanoi Street Food Tour by Backstreet Academy is a 2.5-hour eating binge that takes you to some of the best local spots in Vietnam’s capital. It costs just USD 19 per person and gives you a taste of about a dozen Vietnamese street food dishes.
I had the most fun coffee hunting in Hanoi but Saigon held its own. They don’t have homegrown creations like egg coffee or salty coffee, but what they lacked in unique recipes and history they more than made up for with their plethora of Instagram-worthy cafes.
Vietnamese cuisine has won me over completely. It was the main reason why I did this month-long trip, to really delve into the cuisine and come up with the best and most insightful food guides, starting with Hanoi.