The Last Great Taste of Hoi An Food Tour (Hoi An, Vietnam)

Hoi An is a magical place in Vietnam. Full of color and beauty. The cuisine is also one of the best we tasted on our journey through Vietnam.  With more than 100 restaurants catering for tourists, there were so many restaurants to choose from and within the restaurants so many dishes to interpret. Most offer some Vietnamese dishes including the local specialties of White Rose, Fried Wontons, Cao Lau and Mi Quang along with some house variations of Vietnamese food.

The best way to learn more about Hoi An delicacies was through a food tour of which there were a handful. After a lot of research over the internet through tripadvisor and other travel review sites, we settled for one led by an old Australian couple who have resettled in Hoi An (something I wish I could do). The tour is called, The Last Great Taste of Hoi An and is highly recommended (although it is quite expensive for Vietnamese standards).

We started our walking tour visiting the colorful local Tan An Markets where we met and chat with stall holders about their food. Our walk then continued along both high streets and back streets, discovering out-of-the-way producers and street vendors making and selling a wide variety of exotic foods. Our final destination was a local restaurant where we enjoyed refreshments and tasted small samples of a wide selection of the local delicacies bought directly from the vendors – most of whom we saw or met on the tour.

Information for visitors:

http://tasteofhoian.com/

Tour Times
7.30 am – 12.00am

Bookings Essential
Family Restaurant
108 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street
Hoi An Ancient Town
Telephone:  09053TASTE (0905 382 783)  or 0121 7621 693
Email: theteacher@tasteofhoian.com

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A relaxing stay at Palm Garden Resort (Hoi An, Vietnam)

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Our stay at Palm Garden Resort in Hoi An was to put it simply perfect. It only took seconds to realize it. As the taxi drove up the drive way to the open air grand entrance of the Resort I knew we were in for a treat. The entrance of the hotel is grand and beautiful. The staff welcoming, warm and professional. And if the modernity and bright cleanliness of the hotel is not what you envisioned Vietnam to be like, the traditional clothing worn by the staff will quickly remind you of where you are.  Before arriving, we were concerned with the distance from the actual town of Hoi An but all our worries were put to rest as soon as we arrived. There were free hotel shuttles taking guests to and back from town which is only 5 KM away. It’s best to stay at the beach resorts rather than the town because the hotels have so much more to offer as oppose to staying at the town.

The Grounds:

After a smooth check in we were walked through the lush green grounds of the large hotel to our room. The hotel is split into various sections across 5 hectares of beach front property. Of course not all rooms are ocean view but I certainly enjoyed the tropical garden view to that of the beach. Pathways connect all rooms and buildings to the beach, central pool, spa and various restaurants.

 The Room:

Our room was exceptionally clean, with large sliding windows leading out to the patio and directly on to the gardens offering a peaceful and relaxing environment where you can only hear the birds and bees. The furnishings were modern Vietnamese. The air conditioning was on full blast and worked really well. The bathrooms were nice and modern although they could use an update as there was a musty smell in the air. My only real complaint about the rooms were the thin walls. In the case that you had a neighbor staying next door, conversations and television noise came through the thin walls. It wasn’t much of a concern of ours since we started our days early in Hoi An either in the fishing village or lying by the beach and ended our nights by coming back late from the village, hands full of shopping bags (I happened to buy some amazing art in the village).

Restaurant:

The food at the hotel is really good and authentic but costs well above what an average meal in Vietnam typically costs. The traditional Vietnamese food specific to the region of Hoi An is available on most of the menus at the hotel and is not to miss. Definitely try the white rose dumplings and lemongrass beef. The breakfast buffet is out of this world with a selection of European continental treats such as waffles and pancakes but also a selection of chinese dim sum, congee, vietnamese pho and much more.

Spa:

The Spa is serene and beautiful from the outside. There are fish ponds surrounding the spa and many of the hotel grounds. And while the grounds are beautiful, the actual services are not very professional (and cost more than what you would typically expect in town). I had a massage and a facial at the Spa which was definitely not what I expected and paid for. The change rooms include a steam and hot sauna and an older jacuzzi.

Overall?

The experience at the Palm Garden Resort was exactly what we needed after our dizzying whirlwind experience in Hanoi and Halong Bay. It is the perfect place on the beach to relax before making your way south to Saigon.

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