​​     Vietnam and Cambodia fascinate me like no other places on earth and I am thrilled to share some of what  I have experienced and learned during the times I've spent there.  Our small group explores the exotic flavors, colors, textures, and sites of Vietnam and Angkor Wat during the most pleasant time of year. The weather is mild ~ warm but not unbearably hot or humid. The tourist peak season starts November 1, so we avoid the worst of the tourist crush. Food is our main focus ~ its origins, flavors, production, preparation, and the people responsible for producing and creating it. A farm tour where we harvest the ingredients used in our cooking class, food-on-foot walking tours, market visits, off-the-tourist-track restaurants and cafes, and a  motorbike Foodie tour at night (to areas not yet discovered by tourists) are included in the itinerary.

    Local English-speaking guides unwrap the mysteries of the famous and not-so-famous sites, the nooks and crannies of Hanoi's Old Quarter, a rural village where rice paper is made entirely by hand, the mysterious Cu-Chi tunnels, ancient temples of the Angkor Wat complex, and more. An overnight cruise beyond Ha Long Bay to Bai Tu Long Bay aboard The Dragon's Pearl, a luxury wooden junk, takes us to places only reached by a select few. 

    We stay in charming boutique hotels in prime locations, near everything we want to see, yet quiet and comfortable. Accommodations offer Western amenities (including free Wi-Fi) enhanced by gracious Asian hospitality, plenty of fresh fruits, and good breakfasts. 
    What distinguishes this tour from every other Vietnam and Cambodia tour? First of all, we do not attempt to see and do everything that is on the typical "tourist trail". I hand-select the sights, activities, and experiences that I have found most interesting and worthwhile. We have an exciting itinerary that combines a variety of activities, events, opportunities, cultural exposure, and of course FOOD. (I have  friends who are chefs, cooking instructors, and owners of restaurants and cooking schools in Vietnam.) We explore the historic town of Hoi An (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and surrounding countryside by bicycle.The schedule is designed to allow some "breathing space" - time for writing, reflection, shopping, photography, massages, and processing what we are experiencing.  

    In Cambodia, spectacular sunrises, apsara dancers, night markets, acrobats, and awe-inspiring ancient temples wrapped in tangled roots of gigantic trees await us. We may also spend time with kids at an open-air school under a stilt house along the river, where they are learning English. 

    Best of all, it is my privilege to introduce my travel-mates to some of my amazing (yes, amazing) Vietnamese and Cambodian friends who continue to enlighten, enhance, and enrich my life.    

Please join me on this marvelous one-of-a-kind adventure!   Aloha,

Rebecca​