A bucket list for travellers heading to Vietnam

Vietnamese cuisine (left) is a symphony of flavours; Phu Quoc has been voted by 'Time' magazine as one of the world’s most beautiful islands. (Photos: Neeta Lal)

With its jaw dropping natural wonders, lush green rice paddies, scintillating streetscapes and delectable food, Vietnam is a bucket-list destination for curious travelers. And now with direct connectivity from over a dozen Indian cities, as well as a seamless online visa facility, the country’s charms seem even more irresistible. Here’s a bucket list for those heading to this stunning Southeast Asian paradise:

Vietnam, a Southeast Asian paradise. (Photo: Neeta Lal)

Hanoi high

Vietnam’s capital city Hanoi offers the perfect gateway to this fascinating and complex country. A melting pot of a myriad cultures and cuisines, it is reflective of the nation’s syncretic heritage that embraces people from different nationalities. Begin your odyssey at the Old Quarter, the beating heart of the city. A warren of lanes abuzz with commercial establishments and sundry sights, its atmosphere is so thick it can be sliced with a knife.

Immerse yourself in this cultural blast furnace where culture and commerce coalesce to create an astonishing sensory experience. Trawl the Quarter’s streets,  each one eponymously named after the crafts sold or produced there. Pick up bolts of fabric, beautiful handicrafts, bamboo bric-à-brac, Vietnamese hats, paintings, edible treats, handbags and more. And don’t forget to bargain hard to whittle down the price!

Also part of the Quarter’s visual theatre are ancient monuments, sepia-hued temples and the iconic Train Street where you can snap your photo on a real train track! Never mind the flocks of tourists and roads overrun by kamikaze motorcyclists. In this maelstrom of sights, sounds and smells, the feeling of being transported back millennia is well worth the risk.

Beauty and the beach 

With over 3,000 km of coastline, Vietnam is speckled with salubrious beaches offering velveteen sands. (Photo: Neeta Lal)

With over 3,000 km of coastline, Vietnam is speckled with salubrious beaches offering velveteen sands, succulent seafood and adrenaline-spiking aqua activities. The highly Instagrammable Phu Quoc Island in southern Vietnam has been voted by Time Magazine as one of the world’s top 100 most amazing islands, its  periwinkle waters brimming with coral reefs, over 150 species of tropical fish and other exotica.

Charming beachside cafes and bistros offer traditional Vietnamese treats including the country’s famous coffee, banh me sandwiches and Pho, a soul nourishing broth redolent of proteins and herby goodness. Accommodation too, is plentiful in Phu Quoc. The award-winning Premier Village Phu Quoc Resort nestling along the Gulf of Thailand offers lavish villas overlooking the vast azure. Butler service, an excellent spa, three restaurants, a swim up  bar and other luxe amenities will impress the most pernickety customer.

To Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam. (Photo: Neeta Lal)

For those looking for more immersive experiences, the resort also offers cooking classes where chefs tutor you how to rustle up delicious Vietnamese salads and other tantalising local treats.

Vietnamese hat making. (Photo: Neeta Lal)

Coconut-leaf weaving. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

Workshops in stone painting, Vietnamese hat decoration, tote bag painting and coconut-leaf weaving add a fun quotient to the vacation. Wellness seekers can give in to the ministrations of the masseur at Plumeria Spa or a singing bowl meditation session next to the ocean. The sporty  can sign up for a Vietnamese kickboxing class or visit the Village Farm to feed the ducks, go  egg hunting and fish feeding!

Egg hunting in Vietnam. (Photo: Neeta Lal)

Must do Mekong

The fertile Mekong Delta, a charming countryside in southern Vietnam, is a dense cluster of provinces that offers travelers an in-depth exploration of a floating population, the lush beauty of endless rice paddies and fruit orchards under the expert guidance of friendly locals that depend on the river for sustenance.

Mekong Sun river cruise ship in Luang Prabang, Vietnam. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

The delta’s iconic floating markets offer a peek into the traditional Vietnamese way of life that has remained unchanged for hundreds of years. Book a rural escapade into serene villages or go for a sampan (gondola) ride along narrow creeks and canals to experience riverine life up close. Taking a cycling tour through lush green paddies is another good idea as also signing up for a Mekong River Cruise, a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Homestays abound in the region and charming local families will happily initiate you into their ancient lifestyle. For a little extra payment, they will also teach you how to make flavor-charged coconut candy, rice cakes, Pho and colorful salads.

Food fiesta

Vietnamese bánh mì sandwich at a beachside cafe. (Photo: Neeta Lal)

Vietnamese cuisine is a symphony of flavours. Seafood mined fresh from the ocean, luscious tropical fruit, aromatic herbs and spices find their way into habit-forming dishes. Salads  crafted from banana flowers, lotus root, pomelo and green mango fill me up daily at The Market, the all day dining at the Premier Village Phu Quoc Resort.

The restaurant serves Vietnamese treats inspired by the five fundamental elements — Wood, Earth, Fire, Metal, and Water. Ergo, there’s Bun cha or deep fried spring rolls served with fresh rice noodles, herbs and crunchy peanuts. Rice flour pancakes bursting with mung beans and served with mustard leaves and local herbs take my taste buds to a place they’d never been. Dinners at the elegant beach-side restaurant Corallo included Vietnamese style Flambé burgers and charcoal-grilled barbecues served against the roar of the ocean.

“Our focus is local Vietnamese cuisine that leverages fresh produce and seafood plucked from nearby waters,” informs Florent Passard, the resort’s Executive Chef.  “The accent is on healthy and sustainable. We grow our own micro greens and herbs like morning glory, spinach and water spinach as well as Vietnam parsley and Phu Quoc pepper among others. For breads, gut-friendly sourdough and rye is used apart from nutritious beverages like corn, almond and soyabean milk.”

Vietnamese pho being served at the beach, which is a burst of fresh flavours and aroma. (Photo: Neeta Lal)

Banana leaves are used to steam many dishes while fresh cheese is procured daily from the Dalet region. Healthy fish like cobia, sea bass and grouper are caught fresh from Phu Quoc’s waters.  There’s also a 'Wellness Corner' where guests can make their own juice/smoothie from fresh tropical fruits by climbing onto a bike and pedalling away the juicer!

“We follow eco-friendly farming initiatives, energy-saving techniques and bottle our own water. No plastics are used in the resort and water is served in cans and glass bottles. Earth-friendly utensils and amenities are used in every restaurant and room to minimise the guests’ carbon footprint,” sums up Passard.