The Influence of French Cuisine in Modern Vietnamese Food

From the moment you arrive in Vietnam, you’ll be immersed in a world where there’s something tempting to eat everywhere you look. Vietnamese food is a diverse blend of healthy herbs, meat and seafood that’s packed with flavor, and delicious bowls of soup noodles that burst with freshness. Along with ancient and traditional recipes, there are numerous

Vietnam has a long and interesting history that has been shaped by the influence of many outside forces. While we won’t tackle everything here, it was during the Nguyễn Dynasty in the 1800’s, when the French established a colony in Vietnam, when things started to change rapidly. Among many things, the French brought their own food, which slowly but surely began to permeate into all aspects of Vietnamese life. Potatoes, asparagus, cauliflower, lettuce, and carrots are just a few of the ingredients introduced by the French that are now used so frequently in local cooking that they are considered a part of Vietnamese culinary culture.

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India’s Republic Day Celebration

If you are anywhere near New Delhi in late January, then you have a treat in store, for on 26th January India celebrates its Republic Day. In fact, the holiday is celebrated all over the country, in every town, with flag hoisting, parades, military reviews, cultural programs and more, but the Parade To Beat All Parades takes place in New Delhi. This annual extravaganza really is one of the more spectacular events of the year and is a set piece absolutely not to be missed.

The parade takes place along Rajpath, a long, wide avenue that leads from the Presidential Palace, Rashtrapati Bhavan, to India Gate, the country’s iconic Arc de Triomphe-like war memorial.

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Not Your Traditional Salad – Ten Thai Dishes That Redefine the Word

For many westerners, the idea of a salad is pretty simple, and usually revolves around lettuce and other veggies. But once you start exploring other culinary trends, you’ll find that ‘salad’ is a pretty broad term, and nowhere is that more evident than in Thailand. The Thais use a multitude of fresh ingredients to make up a large variety of dishes that technically qualify as salad. I’m a huge fan of all of these, and here are ten of my personal favorites.

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Koh Tao: More than a dive

Every island has its own personality – one far more complex than its reputation ever suggests. Though these reputations might have been justifiably earned, it's worth setting aside your traveler expectations and exploring the lesser-known aspects of a destination, whether they're topographical, cultural or spiritual. This is perfectly true for the little rocky blob of land that is Koh Tao – Turtle Island – for it is far more than just a scuba diving destination.

However, it is easy to understand why Koh Tao is a renowned diver's destination – the part of the Thai Gulf in which it sits is crystal clear in places, sprinkled with small, uninhabited islands and brimming with marine life. At only 21 square kilometers, this reef-fringed rock that rises out of the ocean like a turtle’s shell is part of the idyllic Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Koh Tao triumvirate. Each island has its own distinct personality and between the three, you can while away an entire Thailand holiday – or a lifetime, as some have found.

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Shopping in India – Tips, Tricks and Tactics

Many locations around the world bill themselves as a “shopper’s paradise” but in India, it’s definitely true. However – as with many things in India – you do have to know the ins and outs to really get the most out of it.

Over the last few years India has opened up its retail sector dramatically, and in most cities, malls abound. New ones are opening up every day – glitzy, air-conditioned, and full of shops selling exactly the same brands you can find in London, New York or Hong Kong. They’re likely of limited interest to the average tourist unless you want some air conditioning or to see a movie, since the best urban cinemas are often inside malls.

But for the visitor looking for a bit of Indian authenticity, there are far better, more traditional and much more interesting ways of finding that perfect holiday memento or handicraft.

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A peek behind the curtain of the Golden Triangle

The lush, mountainous chunk of land where Thailand, Laos Myanmar and Vietnam meet has long been one of Southeast Asia’s most noteworthy areas for a variety of reasons. There are the inevitable issues with cross-border migration and smuggling, but the “Wild West” image that some like to play up doesn’t really reflect the reality of this beautiful area.

Too many travel operators in Northern Thailand tack a night in Chiang Rai city onto a slapdash tour of the entire region. Visitors whisk in, see the statue of King Mengrai and drive past the brand-new clock tower before heading out to the ‘lawless’ frontier of the Golden Triangle. It’s too bad because there are some spectacular side trips in this laid-back regional hub – hill-tribe treks and elephant rides of course, but there are also a few surprises.

The best way to visit Chiang Rai is to snub the package tours and take a VIP bus from Rose-of-the-North Chiang Mai. You’ll arrive near the Night Bazaar, where there are plenty of Chiang Rai hotels. If you can stomach driving in Thailand, you may want to rent a car to explore the countryside on your own. Otherwise, hire a car and driver.

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Visiting a Food Market in Yangon, Myanmar

Browsing a local fresh market is one of the most captivating activities of visiting any foreign country. It’s at markets where the real lifeblood of a country flows, where commerce and leisure meet, and nowhere is this more true than in Asia. Markets are where local residents converse, do business, share meals, and spend time together with friends and family.

Slotted in between Thailand, India, and Bangladesh, and with major influences from both China and Great Britain, Myanmar contains an extremely diverse range of market ingredients and cuisine. Yangon, the capital and most important city in the country, is home to a number of sprawling food markets that not only offer fresh produce from miles around, but also a variety of different pre-cooked meals and treats.

The early morning is the best time to visit a market in Yangon, as the most vibrant trade happens before sunrise when restaurant, street food, and business owners all converge to get their daily supplies. After that, the next wave of traffic comes from people hunting for breakfast and those looking to purchase ingredients for their daily cooking needs.

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Why Durian is Both Passionately Loved & Passionately Hated

Durian is the world’s most controversial fruit. Some treasure it like a mother loves her children, others find it so offensive they get angry at even the slightest thought.

But before we get into the reasons why durian makes some people rage with anger and others filled with ecstasy, let’s first go over what a durian really is.

Durian, colloquially known as the King of Fruit, is one of the most prized delicacies in Southeast Asia. Thailand grows and exports the largest quantity of durian, but residents of Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and parts of the Philippines are equally passionate about this divisive fruit.

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Agoda.com releases its brand new iPad app!

It’s an exciting time in the mobile hotel booking industry. It was only a generation ago that booking a hotel consisted of searching for a good travel agent, fighting with language barriers, and hoping that when you showed up at the hotel, they hadn’t misplaced the reservation that you made 3 months prior on an expensive long-distance phone call. My, how things have changed.

With the release of Agoda.com’s new iPad app, finding and booking a hotel has never been easier, no matter where you are – or where you’re going to. In fact, a recent survey found that almost half of mobile hotel bookers were already on the road when they made their booking! How’s that for a shifting demographic?

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Getting Married in India…It’s a Pretty Big Deal

If you’re ever lucky enough to be invited to a wedding in India, the first thing you have to know before going is that it’s a big deal. A very big deal indeed.

Lest you expect an Indian wedding to be simply two youngsters falling in love and exchanging vows with a few family and friends present and then slipping away for a bit of private time…well, that’s not how it works.

In fact, it’s quite the opposite – an Indian wedding is the very public bringing together of two youngsters AND their families. Indeed, you do not marry an individual in India, but rather a family, a clan, an entire interconnected, intertwined inter-dependent network. And as such, everyone is involved in the wedding at every stage, and celebrates with a vengeance over a period of several days.

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