Not Just Plastic

Not just plastic is an initiative by Frantz Byrch Pedersen from Denmark, officially started in November 2023 in Hoi An. Hoi An has many hotels, cafes and restaurants, which all produce a high amount of waste, single use plastic being among the highest amount. There are concepts for reusing or switching to more environmentally friendly alternatives, but the plastic trash that is produced currently still has to go somewhere.

At their workshop you can see different bins, each with a designation of what type of plastic is supposed to be collected in it. Next to it are collection areas were the plastic is cleaned and sorted, waiting to be shredded. These steps are essential to have a good base for recycling. Not all plastic is the same and not all plastic can be turned into the same kind of new product.

Since it’s founding Not just plastic started to produce outdoor flooring, pallets, keyrings and sunglasses from recycled material collected in Vietnam. They work with 125 “plastic partners” (June 2026) for trash collection: schools, hotels and other companies in the greater Hoi An area. These local collection points enable them to cut down on collection time and sorting efforts by involving the local population and sorting everything right at the point where it is thrown away.

Sunglasses made from recycled plastic Workshop

I was able to visit their Not just plastic workshop in Hoi An in March 2026 and see the process for myself. Frantz was out of the country at the time, stuck abroad because of the US-Iran war, but he still made the visit possible through online communication. Once the plastic is shredded into small shreds it is stored by colour and plastic type. These can be mixed and melted, before they’re pressed into new shapes.

One example are sunglasses made from recycled plastic straws! The frame of the Naya Black Frame series (last picture in the gallery below) is stylish and because of the material it is very lightweight: Only 25 grams including the lenses! Other options include the Gaia frames, which are made from post consumer t-shirts and recycled plastic waste type #5 (straws, cups and lids). Or the Mana-re-run and Naya-re-run (post main picture, left pair of glasses), which are made from recycled plastic waste and recycled running shoes.

For athletes they have the Sapa v. 2.0 and the Sapa Re-Run Glasses (middle glasses in the post picture), which have more coverage in the lenses. The frames here are made from recycled plastic straws and recycled running shoes. In addition these frames are in themselves 100% recyclable, since there are no paint or metal wires added.

And if you like recycling, but want to avoid as much plastic as possible there is the Mana series: Mana Wood (post main picture, right pair of glasses) and Mana Coffee. They are made from recycled wood waste and coffee waste (from their own office and zero waste cafe) respectively, with a binding material.

The lenses they use come with UV protection (UV 400 CE Certified) and in a variety of different colours. Some have extra functions, such as being polarised or anti-blue-light. While they don’t produce the lenses themselves, the lenses are fitted into the frames directly at their workshop.

He also told me about their three workshops available to the public:

• Sunglasses Workshop – one hour workshop where you learn about the different plastic types, the process behind making sunglasses and then make your own shades
• Bracelet Workshop – half hour workshop where you make a bracelet from marine ropes, etc.
• Educational Workshop – half hour workshop about circular economy, including plastic types, plastic waste sorting, shredding and recycling

Whether you are interested in a workshop, or you are in the market for new sunglasses, consider messaging them to visit their workshop or buy a pair in their Not just plastic online shop (not an affiliate link).

I bought this pair of Naya sunglasses. They are made from plastic waste like bottles and recycled running shoes (the black and yellow specs in it).

That’s not all: For every product sold at their workshop or online they donate to the Giving Back Initiative, which has the main goal of providing clean drinking water.

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Luxi Eyelash & Spa

My go to for anything lash and eyebrow related. I got my first ever lash lift here and since then it has been on my list of institutions in Hoian I will visit at least once when I am in town.

Whether you are looking only for colouring, lifting or something more permanent like brow lamination or lash extensions, come here. The cleanliness and attention to detail are par none in this line of beauty treatments I have seen anywhere, Vietnam or Germany and the results are worth every cent.

The booking is done via WhatsApp (+84 905 665 617), or in person. You can also try on Facebook and Instagram, but I have only tried the first two options.

You can find them at 33 Nguyễn Đình Chiểu, Hội An Đông, Đà Nẵng, Vietnam

The picture of me is a before and after of brow shaping and colouring with light brown as well as lash lifting and -colouring in blue-black.

Ningy Spa

My first fisit to Ningy Spa was in 2024 and I went back again this year. My go-to treatments here are the Head, Neck and Shoulder Massage to prevent the headaches I keep getting and the Vietnamese Massage for 90 Minutes minimum.

A visit to the spa starts with a footbath and a bottle of water. If you aren’t sure what to do or you haven’t booked yet you can use this time to flip through their menu and choose your treatment. Or if you have already booked you can just lie back in their comfy chairs and relax. I went back in 2026 after I was here several times in 2024. I want to say it stayed the same, but instead it was even better!

Before the massage you change into spa clothes that are easier moved and still offer coverage for the parts that aren’t being worked on. The rooms are cool, but not cold and the aromatic massage oils are muted, which I love, since that means I won’t get a headache from the smells. It was great, not too strong and not too light, the massage therapist kept checking in with me throughout and afterwards I felt like a piece of dough that had been rolled out.

The owner and the staff are super friendly, very attentive and dedicated to their job. The location is clean, quiet and reliable. Not instagram-fancy, like some other places, instead the focus is on the treatments themselves.

You can find some of their offers on klook: Ningy Spa Treatments in Hoi An

Klook.com

Blue Gift Spa

Blue Gift Spa was initially recommended by my homestay in 2022. They offer pick-up or drop-off with a certain amount of spending and I opted for getting dropped off after my massage. I returned in 2026 to get my feet taken care of, from a pedicure to a foot and lower leg massage after days of walking. Pro Tip: The Foot Reflexology Massage hurts, but you will feel sooooo much better afterwards!

The spa itself is clean and quiet, especially during the day. You can also get recommendations on package bookings when you plan a full day here. I recommend to book ahead, especially when you want different services like manicure, pedicure and massage.

You can find some of their offers on klook: Blue Gift Spa Experience in Hoi An*

Klook.com

M Spa

If you are looking for that Instagram / TikTok / YouTube Shorts viral hair treatment for your Spa Day in Hoian: M Spa has you covered, with the Vietnamese hair wash & head massage. It is recommended for long hair and straight to lightly curly hair. There are other salons who specialise in curl treatment, which is important to differentiate if you want a satisfying experience.

Der Beitrag Spa Day in Hoian erschien zuerst auf Kaya Wanderlust.

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If I understood it correctly, and online sources are contradictory to each other, the place where the Silk Village Hoi An now stands used to be an actual crafting village that fell into disrepair some time in the past and has now been rebuild by a company, to be used as a showroom and museum. However there is also a resort hotel at the same address and I am not sure if they belong to the same company.

The normal ticket includes a 45 minute tour and one bottle of water. You learn the basics about silk worm farming, silk thread extraction from the cocoons and how there are three types of thread won from every single cocoon. The first layers of the cocoon are more dirty and have the roughest fibres. The middle part is cleaner and softer and only the inner part is light, thin and soft. I learned in Da Lat in a silk factory that the threads from the outer part are used to make things like pet beds and horse blankets to not waste anything.

Next stop on the tour is the weaving house where antique wooden looms are showcased. Here they show two types of silk weaving: By loom to create wide panels of cloth and by hand to create brocade bands with traditional patterns. Sometimes these brocade bands have gold and silver threads interwoven with the silk.

The tour ends in the showroom / sales room where you learn how to distinguish 100% silk from mixed silk-products and polyester – by burning it. Silk has white smoke, does not rapidly catch fire and smells like burning hair, because it is made from the proteins of the silk worm cocoon. Silk-cotton mixed cloth burns fast and smells like burning paper, because cotton is a plant and usually the percentage of cotton is higher than that of silk, for cost reasons. Silk-polyester mix or specifically woven polyester fabric burns rapidly with black smoke and smells toxic.

Every Half Coffee Roasters

At 28 Nguyễn Tất Thành, Hội An Tây, Đà Nẵng, Vietnam, which is the official address of the Silk Village in Hoi An, despite the complex being huge in size, you’ll also the café Every Half Coffee Roasters.

You can visit the grounds and the café without needing to purchase a ticket. Or after your tour, which is what I did. Pictured here is their “Pink Guava Nitro Tea“.

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About CSO Gallery

The CSO gallery in Hoian is not just one gallery, but rather a collection of collections. Let me explain: The spaces on the premises are dedicated to different collections around a topic. One is focused on The Tale of Kiều, one on ancient coins and banknotes and the last one on stamps. Each collection could be seen as a museum or gallery in itself and all of them have been collected by the owner since his youth.

Overview of CSO Gallery

• The Tale of Kiều
• Ancient coins & old banknotes
• Stamps
• Dó paper painting workshop
• CSO Gallery on Vietnamese TV
• Overview

The Tale of Kiều

The Tale of Kiều was written by Nguyễn Du as a poem with 3,254 verses! The original was written in Chu Nom, the former Vietnamese writing system. It was based on the plot of the 17th century Chinese novel Jin Yun Qio. In the 1960s the poem was turned into a novelette called Kim Van Kieu by Lê Xuân Thuy. This story, in its many forms, is widely regarded as the most well known story in all of Vietnam.

The gallery covers the original poem, rewrites into novelettes and novels, translations into more than 20 different languages and more. There are even books analysing the books and “translations” that rather than translating the story line by line, attempt to explain it instead and put it into a historical context. The poem has inspired many artistic interpretation over the years, from audiobooks to movies, modern twists on the story and even music videos. It can also be used for fortune reading, where you pull a card from a deck and that card has a verse from the poem on it. You can try that at the CSO gallery.

But what is The Tale of Kiều even about?

The poem tells the tragic story of Thúy Kiều over roughly fifteen years of her life. From the first meeting of her and Kim Trọng, a young scholar and her first / real love, over the financial devastation of her family that forces her into an arranged marriage that leads to her being sold as a prostitute, her fight against this fate – even trying to escape it by suicide – and how she seemingly can’t escape it. Her life never stops being turbulent during the duration of the poem, even when she gets taken in by a Buddhist nun her trials are far from over.

The poem ends with being reunited with Kim, who had married her younger sister Thuý Vân years prior and has taken care of her family in the meantime. She marries him, but refuses any kind of physical relationship.

One wall of the gallery is covered in watercolour pictures which depict different events from the story. Below you’ll find the gallery itself, the picture about Kiều when she first accepts her fate in the first brothel shes brought to and the last one where she is shown together with her sister Thuý and their husband Kim.

Ancient coins & old banknotes

There are many different coins in the collection, including graded coins that have been officially evaluated, commemorative coins that were issued at special occasions or events (some of them were used as currency, others only as keepsakes), coins from many different countries, sorted by the country and ancient Vietnamese reward coins, which come from the time of Vietnamese Emperors, they were given during several dynasties as rewards for loyalty or big achievements.

Then there are bank notes from all over the world. Some were printed with royal symbols, examples of famous architecture, colourful animals and historic figures (most of which were less historic at the time of printing). There are notes from colonies and countries that no longer exist today and even notes that were for exclusive use by military personnel during or after war times.

I have taken so many pictures in here, but I want you to go and see for yourself, so here are only three:

1. The last 5000 Vietnam Dong Coin, minted in 2003
2. A 1 Vietnam Dong Note from 1958
3. Ancient (1097!) and international coins (one is from North Korea!)

Another coin I remember well from this collection is an old 5 German Mark coin (currency used previous to the Euro) which was minted in celebration of the 100th birthday of Otto Hahn. He was famous German chemist who won the 1944 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his discovery of nuclear fission and is is considered the “father of nuclear chemistry” here. I have a coin from the same batch at home, it had been a gift from my grandfather.

Go Home 201

Next to coins and bank notes the second floor of the second building also contains “Go Home 201”. This artwork contains many small watches with flags inside them. Every watch is set to the local time of the country whose flag it’s displaying – in relation to Hanoi time.

The artist describes their intention behind this artwork as “the connection between cultures, time zones, and global life rhythms.”

Lucky Coin Tree

Another artwork in the same area of the museum is the “Lucky Coin Tree of 200 Countries”. A tree-shaped artwork where the leaves are made from coins from 200 countries around the world, with some 1 Vietnamese Đồng coins as well!

The tree is supposed to symbolise luck, wealth, and prosperity, as well as cultural connections between countries.

The “Lucky Coin Tree” artwork was made in the Kim Bong Carpentry Village on Cam Kim Island.

Stamps

Last but not least, the third gallery covers over ten thousand (10.000) stamps. It is spread out over several rooms and the stamps are grouped by type. The stamp collections are sorted into two categories:

Special variety stamps

• a collection of stamps featuring President Ho Chi Minh throughout different periods
• overprinted stamps from countries around the world – an overprint stamp is an issued stamp that is printed with additional titles, images, logos symbols, or prices that are not part of the original design due to changes in government, currency denominations, and geography)
• special function stamps from all over the world – examples of special function stamps are ration stamps during the subsidy period in Vietnam (they could be exchanged for goods and food), dog license stamps, bird hunting license stamps, fishing license stamps, revenue stamps, law stamps, unemployment insurance stamps, railway stamps, telegraph stamps and much more. These impressively show that stamps were much more than just payments for the cost of postal services

Horse stamps

The horse stamp collection itself has exhibits from 200 countries and set a record in 2023 for the most horse stamps in a single collection!

Dó paper painting workshop

Since it was close to closing time at my first visit I came back two days later to do the workshop they offer at the museum: Another version of traditional Vietnamese woodblock painting (I tried Vietnamese calligraphy, traditional bamboo painting and Vietnamese watercolour painting before).

The process is inspired by Dong Ho painting – a traditional way of painting by using carved wooden blocks that originated in Đông Hồ village. Artisans carve different parts of a picture into wood, then paint the wooden blocks in different colours won from nature and press them on top of each other on the paper until it forms a painting.

Some of the motifs you can choose from include similar ones to those popular in Dong Ho painting like a rooster = a wish for a happy family life and togetherness, or a boy playing a flute, while riding a water buffalo, which is a traditional Tết painting. While the one I picked, for obvious reasons, was a scene from the poem “The Tale of Kiều“.

During the workshop at the CSO gallery in Hoian the first step after choosing your motif is rolling black paint onto woodblock with outlines of a painting carved upon it. Then you press it onto the Dó paper. Dó paper is a type of handmade paper that originated in Northern Vietnam. It gets its name from the Dó tree, the inner bark of which is the base for this paper.

Once the outline has dried (the process can be sped up with a hairdryer) you colour it in any colours you want. They have several different ones and give you a palette to mix as you like. At the end of the workshop you get to take your artwork home.

CSO Gallery on Vietnamese TV

Two days after my first visit and one day before my second visit to the CSO Gallery in Hoian a film crew from VTV1 filmed the museum. It wasn’t fated to coincide with my visits, but Nhu Phuong told me about it. I asked her to share the video with me once it was aired, so I could include it here:

CSO Gallery in Hoian

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First we chose our motif from two they had prepared in advance. If you are not a beginner you can also paint what you want, but as a first time bamboo painter interested in traditional motifs I chose one with bamboo and fishing boats.

Initially you start by painting on simple paper. You learn how to hold the brush and how to apply pressure to achieve the look of bamboo and the leaves. Then you learn how to draw the people fishing from their boats. It is more complicated than I thought, but once you know the order of what to start with some brush strokes and some outlines form a boat, a person and finally a pole.

While I only pictured three practice sheets here, I think I went through at least six, before they let me paint the bamboo. You start with the boats and the sunset, before adding the bamboo canes in the foreground.

Once the painting is done you mark it with your thumb-print and sign your name. Then it can dry a little, or they speed up the drying process with a blow drier. I used this time to wash my hands (and underarms) and got most of the paint off.

I asked our instructor, Ho Tam Phuc, about the bamboo paintings along the walls and he enthusiastically explained some oft he motifs to me.

Most often he paints traditional pictures, with nature such as bamboo and lotus, animals like water buffalo, koi and dragons or humans like fishers, merchants or women in Ao Dai (the traditional Vietnamese dress).

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How to get to Cam Kim Island

You can reach the island by boat, bicycle or scooter. By boat you are most likely going to arrive at the pier “Bến Thuyền Du Lịch Cẩm Kim“, from where you’ll have to walk across the island. Make sure to negotiate a return price and time, or you might get stuck. Though many locals will help you organise your transport back it will be more expensive that way. By street it’s about 3 km to reach the island from the center of the ancient town. A lot of hotels and homestays in Hoi An offer bicycles to their guests. Some keep them in better condition than others. Keep in mind to do a check of all the safety features before you leave on a full day trip. You have several options to rent a scooter in Hoi An, but you’ll need an international driving permit / international drivers license.

What to do during a day on Cam Kim Island – Hoi An

• Woodcarving Workshop Kim Bồng
• Incense making Workshop in Hoi An
• Ricepaper Workshop (and eating it afterwards)
• Placemat Weaving Workshop

For my day on Kim Cam Island I bought a Banh Mi and Coffee for breakfast near my homestay in Hoi An. However there are some options to buy breakfast and coffee on the way there and on the island itself.

Woodcarving Workshop Kim Bồng

The main village on Cam Kim island is the Kim Bong Carpentry Village, a more than 500 years old artisan village renowned for woodworking. To this day the wooden crafts from Kim Bong are held in high regard. The wooden crafts made here are not just sculptures and woodcarvings for decorations, but also household items, furniture, architectural decorations and even boats! Several of the workshops in the village have opened their doors to tourists these days and most offer roughly the same experiences in terms of workshop. Of course I didn’t do all of them and since I did a woodcarving workshop in Hoi An already in 2024 I wanted a different experience this year.

This family owned woodworking workshop offers visitors the opportunity to carve keyring pendants. They are made from Agarwood which smells nice! I carved a Hoi An lantern into mine and my grandmothers initials into the back, to bring it back as a gift for her. Afterwards I also visited their shop and bought a small wooden elephant (I love elephants) for myself!

This is where you can find them: Experiential Carpentry Village at V87H+8PH, Hội An, Đà Nẵng, Vietnam

Incense making Workshop in Hoi An

The incense workshop is just down the road from the woodcarving workshop. Here I got to make three types of incense: cones, hand-rolled sticks and human-operated-machine shaped sticks. The workshop includes colouring your bamboo sticks and mixing the incense mixture with the scents as well. And you get to keep all the incense you make!

More about that workshop here: Incense making Workshop in Hoi An

Ricepaper Workshop (and eating it afterwards)

During your day on Cam Kim Island you can also stop at Mrs. Tiens Noodle Shop. Here you can eat Mi Quang, buy Ricepaper Snacks, Peanut Snacks and Noodles and do a small ricepaper making workshop. The kind old lady who operates this place (who I assume is Mrs. Tien, but I cannot be sure) doesn’t speak a lot of English, but very happily communicates via translator and point-and-smile language.

She showed me the big bags of rice lining the walls of her courtyard. They split the rice from it’s skin and use the rice husks to stoke the fire they use to make the rice paper and noodles. The rice itself gets milled with water to turn it into a thin dough. This dough is applied to a wet cloth that’s pulled tight over a pot of water and spread out until it becomes translucent. Then it is covered with a hollow lid and steamed. Once it is done they peel it off the cloth with an oiled bamboo stick and placed on a rack to dry.

If it’s super thin and dried more it turns into rice paper, if it’s thicker it can be pulled through a cutting machine and made into rice noodles. The third option is that it’s stuck to a sheet of deep fried rice paper and chopped into pieces. That’s the way you get to eat your self made rice paper. This snack is both crunchy and chewy and very delicious when dipped into soy sauce.

I just showed up after the first two workshops and asked via translation app if they would show me how to make it, since I had just seen a tour group leave. She nodded and typed back how much it would cost. I nodded back with a smile and she walked straight off without another word to start showing me. Don’t be discouraged by that.

This is where you can find them: Lò Mì Quảng Bà Tiễn at V87F+5RX, Hội An, Đà Nẵng, Vietnam

Placemat Weaving Workshop

Der Beitrag Day on Cam Kim Island – Hoi An erschien zuerst auf Kaya Wanderlust.

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The workshop starts with a short introduction on what incense was and is used for in Vietnam: it has been burned in temples, homes, and sacred spaces throughout centuries. Included in the introduction is a demonstration by the family who owns the workshop on how it was traditionally made. Then you colour the bamboo sticks you are going to use during your workshop in four different colours.

While the wooden sticks are drying in the sun it’s time to mix the dough. The first step is already done, it consist of grinding the dry ingredients into a powder after drying them for a long time. They explained that they use mainly agarwood and cinnamon for the scents of their incense. Inside a stone mortar you gradually mix water into the the dry ingredients. After every splash of water the mixture is pounded with a heavy wooden instrument to form a pliable dough that is just wet enough to stay together as you shape it.

From this dough they instructed me how to make incense cones. There is a specific way to press the dough into a mould, ensuring that it is packed tightly enough to hold its shape and not to crumble as it dries. Incense Cones are burned from the tip down and produces a stronger, more concentrated scent than the sticks.

While I was stuffing the cone-moulds the family explained that their incense are all made from high-quality natural ingredients, without any synthetic fragrances or chemical binders. This means that while the scent might not be as strong, the burn is very clean and the smoke is less toxic. They added that the quality of incense depends on the quality of its ingredients. (Which is the case with many things, but tends to often get ignored for a cheaper price or higher product margin.)

After that I got to roll incense sticks by hand, which was a lot harder than it looked. But to be fair, the person who was showing me how to do it has been doing it for at least a decade. I have no pictures of that since my hands were too dirty to take one myself and my teacher was busy, well, teaching me.

The last step of the workshop was using a simple human operated and physical strength operated machine to make more incense sticks. The dough is filled into the top, you push the stick into the side and then you press down on a pedal. The downward force moves a chain that pulls the bamboo stick through a hole and pushes the dough out around it at the same time. WAY less complicated than hand rolling. Incense sticks are the most common form of incense around the world. They burn slowly and evenly, releasing their scent in the form of smoke over a certain time.

At the end of the workshop I could take everything home. That means 12 cones and almost 40 sticks of incense! They also have a small shop at their workshop where you can buy something, but there’s no pressure whatsoever to do so. I bought an oil-agarwood roll-on for my headaches. It smells sooooo nice and it cools you down.

I recommend this workshop for everyone who wants to learn more about the traditional way of intense making!

Where to book the Incense making Workshop in Hoi An

If you have more time I recommend spending a full day on Cam Kim Island. I wrote a post of what else I did there and includes three more workshops: woodcarving, ricepaper making and placemat weaving. Read about it here: Day on Cam Kim Island – Hoi An

Der Beitrag Incense making Workshop in Hoi An erschien zuerst auf Kaya Wanderlust.

This is an overview of my trips to Huê so you can plan yours easily!

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Overview of a trip to Hue – City of Emperors

• Where to stay in Hue
• Must-try foods in Hue
• What to do in Hue
• Must-visit museums and places in Hue
• TLDR, show me a map with everything important

Where to stay in Hue

Similar to pretty much everywhere in Vietnam, Hotels and AirBnB can be both high-quality and affordable choices. Of course, there are also Hostels, which are mostly frequented by young backpackers and are great if you are one and want to meet like-minded people. But for everyone a bit older, chronically ill or just wants more privacy there are also many options. Every accommodation I have linked here has excellent reviews, cross-referenced on multiple platforms.

You can stay within the imperial citadel in Hue, in the heart of the city, in walking distance to everything. However, that’s also the most densely packed part of the city at any given time.

Chi Homestay #4* | Moon Homestay* | a-mâze house* | Soleil Boutique* (just outside the citadel)

Then there is Phú Hội, which has a walking street with pubs and restaurants and loud music at night, you’ll find most backpackers here after the sun sets. You are across the perfume river from the imperial citadel, but still very much within walking distance.

TOVO Hostel* | Stop & Go Homestay* | Pisces Hotel Hue*

Must-try foods in Hue – City of Emperors

Like I mentioned before, every time I talked to someone from Vietnam about Hue they were very excited about the food there. That Hue has the best, most delicious food in all of Vietnam. That set my expectations very high and the higher the expectations are, the more disappointed you’ll be. The food in Hue was great, most of it anyway, but it didn’t stand out above all other food I’ve had in Vietnam.

With everything I learned from locals the reason why the cuisine of Hue is held in such high regard might be because it is associated with the cooking style of the former royal court of the Nguyễn dynasty from 1802 to 1945. And when the emperor is eating it, it must be good, right?

Five foods stood out to me as a “must try” while in Hue, all of which I was introduced to by locals, away from the tourist spots (maybe that’s why they stood out):

• Bún bò Huế
• Bánh bèo
• Chè
• Cà Phê Muối
• Bánh Canh Nam Phổ

I linked all of the mentioned foods in the map at the end of the blogpost.

Bún bò Huế

First was of course the Bún bò Huế. A beef noodle soup with blood pudding, fermented shrimp sauce, lemongrass and pork knuckle. I had it the way most people in Hue have: Once at the Homestay I stayed at and once on a tiny plastic table in a back alley from a hole-in-the-wall “restaurant”. The broth was savoury and delicious, the noodles nicely chewy and the fermented shrimp paste gave it a tangy flavour. I definitely prefer the paste in the soup rather than as a dip like I had in Hanoi. The blood pudding was not for me, but you can simply fish it out.

Bánh bèo

Second, are Bánh bèo, small steamed rice tapioca cakes, topped with dried shrimp, crispy pork skin, scallion oil and chilli to taste.

Chè

Followed by Chè, which is a “sweet soup” / dessert. Most street vendors offer different choosable ingredients like red bean, lotus, mung bean, coconut, different jelly and even pork floss. It can be eaten hot or cold and is offered in Hue near parks during the evening. I had my favourite with red bean, mung bean, coconut and lotus from a street vendor near February 3 Park along the perfume river.

Cà Phê Muối

Cà Phê Muối or salt coffee is the only drink on my list. It was first served in a cafe with the same name in Hue and has since taken the country by storm, as it has become a food trend. I’ve been obsessed with salt coffee ever since I had it for the first time. It’s the perfect mix between bitter coffee, sweet condensed milk and lightly salty cream.

Here’s how to make it if you aren’t able to come to Vietnam any time soon: Pour one tsp of sweetened condensed milk into a cup, brew 3 tsp of ground coffee in a Vietnamese drip pot (Phin) with 100 ml of water. Whisk 75 ml of cream with 2 pinches of salt, giving it a smooth texture without getting it completely stiff. You still want to be able to pour it. Add it to the cup and there you have your salt coffee. Ice cubes are optional.

Bánh Canh Nam Phổ

Bánh Canh Nam Phổ is a viscous broth made from shrimp and pork and served over chewy, almost see-through noodles. This dish originated from Nam Pho village in the Hue province but is now sold at many places in the city. Where I had it (near the intersection of Phạm Hồng Thái and Trương Định) they still make it in the village and carry the big pots into the city every day! The taste is amazing as long as you can stomach the texture.

Nem Lụi Huế & Bánh Xèo

Three other foods to eat in Hue are Nem Lụi Huế, grilled pork skewers with minced meat wrapped around lemon grass with Bánh Xèo, crunchy, savoury rice pancakes with shrimp and pork, served with a peanut dipping sauce, young banana and papaya and greens.

Bún thịt nướng

And lastly, Bún thịt nướng, rice noodles with grilled pork and greens topped with fish- and peanut sauce, served all over the city. I had them from a street vendor near Dong Ba Market, the largest commercial centre in Hue.

Where to find those yummy foods? I have a map at the end of my blog post, but honestly, doing a food tour with a local guide will show you a different side of the city, away from touristy spots and with background knowledge of the dishes’ history, which are sometimes over a thousand years old!

La Boulangerie Française Huê

Something non-Hue-specific, but still delicious are the French pastries at La Boulangerie Française Huê. Since 1999 they have been training French bakery students who make all the baked goods sold at the adjacent cafe. Their pains au chocolat and cafe au lait make a great breakfast to start a day of exploring Hue!

They don’t have wifi, but the inside seating area has AC, so if you have a Vietnamese SIM Card or an E-SIM* you can plan your day or the rest of your trip here.

Cơm Hến Bà Đen

Cơm hến is a dish that originated in Hue. It has cooked baby river mussels (basket clams), rice, peanuts and crunchy pork rinds. From there the dish varies. At Cơm Hến Bà Đen they serve it with young manago and some white crunchy vegetable grated on top. The clam broth is served in a separate bowl.

PianoLab.cafe

PianoLab.cafe doesn’t have particularly special drinks, but a very unique atmosphere, due to the eponymous piano standing in a back corner. Sometimes there is someone playing it, others there are children learning how to play.

What to do in Hue

Museums, palaces, mausoleums, temples, pagodas, nature spots and workshops, Hue has something for everyone:

Crafting Paper Lotus Flowers in Hue

Paper Lotus Workshop

The Lotus flower is not only the national flower of Vietnam, it has had many uses during history, some of which are still alive today.

From real lotus flowers being replaced by paper ones to worship at altars, paper lotuses being used to decorate at home and for festivals and real lotuses being used for tea, soup and desserts, this versatile flower can be found in many areas of life in Hue.

When in the city consider learning how to craft a paper lotus flower.

Craft Beer Tasting

Who knew Hue has a thriving craft beer scene? I did not and stumbled upon it mostly by accident. While Bia from huge tanks, filled into plastic glasses by tube for cheap is a staple in the beer streets of many cities you can discover a whole different world inside pubs and bars.

The Imperial Craft Bia Brewpub, which offers craft beer tasting flights of their in-house brewed drinks and The Chàm Craft Beer and Whisky, which has the most comprehensive national and international craft beer by the bottle menu I have seen to this date in Vietnam, are excellent establishments to delight your taste buds with craft beer.

Vietnamese Craft Beer Tasting – Hue

Must-visit museums and places in Hue

As the former seat of the Nguyễn dynasty, Hue has a lot to offer in terms of historically important places and relics from a time when Vietnam was a Monarchy and then a French Colony.

An important tip I wish I had known before I got to Hue:
There are combo tickets available for the imperial city and some tombs. They are considerably cheaper than buying all the tickets by themselves!

Hue Museum of Royal Antiquities

This museum is one of the oldest museums in Vietnam. It contains artefacts from the royal family and their court, from furniture to clothes to pottery, jewellery and even games from a time long gone.

It’s well taken care of and you learn a lot about the royal family and customs in the country during the Nguyens reign. The museum is housed inside Long An Palace, which was built in a traditional style and is a sight to see in itself. Even though it doesn’t have AC it’s pleasantly cool inside and it feels like a quiet break from the hustle and bustle of the city. You have to take your shoes off to enter, so remember that when dressing for the day.

Imperial City Huê

From 1802-1945 the imperial city was home to 13 emperors of the Nguyễn dynasty, the last monarchy of Vietnam, their families and their royal court, so it was literally the city of emperors within Hue. The Forbidden City is located inside Hue Citadel where the families of court members lived.

The Imperial City combines traditional Vietnamese architectural rules, Chinese influences such as feng shui, yin-yang, the five elements theory and Western military architecture. It has been recognised as a part of the Hue Monuments Complex by UNESCO as a world cultural heritage site.

The Meridian Gate, officially called Ngọ Môn (Noon Gate) is the main entrance of the Imperial city, facing south. It is considered to be one of the most valuable architectures among the Nguyen dynasty’s monuments complex in Hue. While the red middle gate was reserved for the emperor, the gates at the side were tall enough to let elephants pass through. It is especially impressive at night!

When I visited, with a guide to make the most of the visit, the citadel was as empty as it looks in the pictures! My favourite place in the imperial city was the walking garden. It has lush greenery which is well taken care of, renovated buildings and a serene feeling, especially during golden hour.

Something you see a lot in Vietnam in most historical places, museums and tourist attractions: people dress up to take pictures in the beautiful locations and the Imperial City Hue is not an exception.

When you pay attention you can find many beautiful details in the Imperial City, especially the colourful mosaics on the roofs and gates.

Tomb of Tự Đức / Khiêm Mausoleum

Visiting the tomb of Tu Duc, the fourth emperor of the Nguyen dynasty, you understand why he spent so much time here that it was considered the second palace. Even though temperatures that day reached almost 40°C in the city of Hue the lush greenery of the grounds surrounding the tomb, temples and pavilions cooled it down considerably.

While you can visit the tombs on your own, I recommend booking a tour with someone who knows about the history and details of these historic places, as there is so much to discover! And again you will encounter loads of people taking pictures.

Most emperors of the Nguyen dynasty had the deeds and accomplishments of their reign inscribed on a stone stele by their heir, which was then displayed near their tomb upon their death. Despite having the longest reign of any monarch of the Nguyen dynasty (1848-1883), as well as 104 wives and concubines, Tu Duc never had a son.

He wrote his own, 4.935 lines long epitaph, which is considered to be one of the most honest records of a monarch’s reign since it is considered hard to admit failures and mistakes to your children and it doesn’t do well to speak ill of the dead. This stele is the largest of its type in Vietnam and was recognised as a national treasure in 2015.

Tomb of Khải Định / Ứng Mausoleum

The tomb of Khai Dinh, the 12th emperor of the Nguyen dynasty, blends Vietnamese architecture with Western styles. Since he was close to the French colonial government it also features more „modern“ materials such as concrete, iron and steel, as well as coloured glass, directly imported from France and a bronze statue of the emperor, which was made in Marseille.

The tomb, officially called Ung Mausoleum, was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. It also has the largest ceiling painting in the country called Cuu long an van “nine dragons amidst fleeting clouds”.

The lack of open bodies of water and greenery, compared to the other tombs around Hue, causes it to become incredibly hot, especially since you have to climb a lot of stairs to explore the grounds.

An Dinh Palace

This villa was built as a palace, mixing Gothic European and Vietnamese architectural styles. However, it was never used as a palace, instead, the royal family received foreign delegations there.

Today the main hall and front yard of An Dinh Palace have largely been restored, but most of the building is still in varying stages of decay. Inside the restored parts of the building, you can see intricately carved wooden arches, portraits of former emperors and landscape paintings from all over the province.

Definitely make room in your travel itinerary for Hue to visit this place of history and bring at least two hours. You can easily go here by bicycle and park it in the shade next to the building.

Tours of Ancient Hue

An Bằng Cemetery

An Bằng Cemetery, colloquially known as “City of Ghosts” is a cemetery 45 minutes East of the inner city of Hue. The thombs here don’t belong to emperors, but rather to normal people. Still, they are build to impress, several meters high, colourful, some of them spanning several hundred square meters! You can learn a lot about a culture from a cemetery.

It’s an eery feeling, walking through this ghost city – and I hope everyone who does is respectful while doing so.

This post by Hue Smile Travel has more details about An Bang Cemetery and some drone-photos as well.

Map for your trip to Hue – City of Emperors

How to read the map: In the first layer light blue are remains of history, dark blue are walking streets, light green are museums and dark green as well as brown are places in nature you can explore. In the second layer pink are cafes, orange are restaurants and street vendors, red is a brewery and salmon is a market. You can open the menu on the top left and choose the layers of the map.

You can save the map to your Google Maps for your trip to Hue by clicking here.

Der Beitrag Hue – City of emperors. Food capital of Vietnam? erschien zuerst auf Kaya Wanderlust.

Imperial Craft Bia Brewpub

My first stop was at the Imperial Craft Bia Brewpub. They have been serving craft beer on tap since 2019 and expanded to have their own brewery in 2021. So I could already have visited during my week in Hue in 2022. Alas, back then I didn’t know they existed.

I arrived there during a tropical downpour and was the only guest in the pub for a while. Which lead to interesting conversations with the employees and a mini tour of the brewery room you can look into from the main pub room. We talked about beer (since I am from Germany it is kinda expected I know stuff about it) and their current flavours.

Vietnamese Craft Beer tasting flight

Some back and forth between the bartender and me later I ended up ordering their “Beer Flight” and got these four of their craft beers:

1. Strawberry Fields Hard Soda – 5%
2. Pink Clouds Hibiscus Wheat – 4.3%
3. Đi Lính Rice Lager – 4.5%
4. Dragon Baby Micro Hazy – 3.2%

Strawberry Soda was very sweet, to the point where you almost couldn’t taste the beer. (Not the worst, especially if you are not a beer fan, although then what are you doing here?). It was the strongest of the beers I tried that evening!

Pink Clouds was tart and heavily hibiscus leaning. But not like hibiscus sweet tea, but hibiscus flower. The most flowery beer I’ve ever had. I was quite impressed that the flowery taste was able to overwrite the mash taste.

Đi Lính Rice Lager evoked a strong reminiscence of rice wine. As if I was drinking a beer flavoured rice wine and not a rice wine flavoured beer.

The Dragon craft beer is described on the menu as having “notes of citrus”, but honestly it’s more like a lemon peel punch in the face. With beer. Delicious! It also had the most foam out of the four beers I tried, although I am not sure if that is due to composition or pouring.

All in all it felt like those four were amazing choices in a Vietnamese craft beer flight, all distinctly different from one another and all a new take on a classic “beer” flavour.

Together with the beers I had one of their pizzas, the “Bánh Mì”. I was curious how they made a banh mi into a pizza. The pizza dough was topped with pulled pork, red onion, fresh cilantro, pickled shredded carrot (lots of it), mozzarella and honey ginger banh mi sauce. It had an interesting taste. To me it ended up neither a pizza nor a banh mi, but somewhere in the realm between both of them.

The Chàm Craft Beer and Whisky

At The Chàm Craft Beer and Whisky they also have local beers on tap (7Bridges, Xứ Huế, Heart of Darkness), as well as an extensive menu of local, international and craft beers.

I wasn’t in the mood for second flight of beers in as many days. After perusing the menu for a while I settled on an East West Rosé – 4,2%: a wheat ale with the flavours of raspberry, mulberry, and strawberry.

Although it has Rosé in the name I would compare the taste less to a Rosé wine and more to a berry liqueur or berry cordial. German beer purists would cry if they drank it, but I thought it was delightful.

Huế = party city?

There is a lot more nightlife in Huế than I though, even back in 2022 – right after Covid. Hue Walking Street and the surrounding area turn into a hotspot for all different kinds of nightlife. Though both the density and the amount of cafes, restaurants, bars, pubs, clubs and streetvendors has more than doubled since then. It’s not for everyone and certainly not for me, but walking past or through this area was still a lot more tolerable than the beer street/s in Hanoi.

Der Beitrag Vietnamese Craft Beer Tasting – Hue erschien zuerst auf Kaya Wanderlust.

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Location of the paper Lotus Flower Workshop

At the Hue Traditional Craft Space you can make a conical hat, paint a conical hat, make a kite or craft a paper lotus flower. Since I had already made a conical hat keychain in Ho Chi Minh City and worried the kite would not make it home in one piece I went for the paper flower.

Next to the workshops the space also has a sales floor where you can buy handcrafted items from the Hue province, mass produced items from Vietnam, as well as teas, soaps, incense and essential oils. Right next to the door they also display a collection of the traditional Vietnamese Áo dài with many beautiful designs.

Crafting Paper Lotus Flowers

The lotus symbolizes purity. It emerges from muddy waters as a pure and delicate flower that emits a sweet floral smell and tastes sweet. The philosophy behind the lotus resonates strongly with both Buddhism and Vietnamese traditions.

Thanh Tien crafting village, located on the perfume river, is well known for its paper flowers. Paper Lotus Flowers are often used for decoration during Tet (Vietnamese New Year) and other festivals. The paper lotus flower is among the most expensive paper flower produced in the village. At the workshop you learn how to make these flowers the Thanh Tien way.

First the paper is dyed. Then you create the length-wise folds by wrapping the sheet of paper around a wooden rod, wrapping twine around it and hammering it into a tube! Afterwards you fix the ends together to shape them into petals. Once the glue is dried you assemble the flower bud with a hot glue gun. To make transportation easier the stem of the flower can remain separate. I took the flower and stem home and connected them there with super glue and a bit of green tape.

Since I was by myself and nobody else had signed up for the workshop I was told that I had to book and pay for two people. Which I did, but only since I could also make two flowers.

The Lotus flower carries much more significance than just being used in decoration. Hue is also well known for Lotus Flower tea. Vietnamese tea is stuffed into a fresh white lotus and left to ferment inside the flower. There are several ways to drink Lotus Tea. During the Nguyen Dynasty, lotus flowers from Tinh Tam Lake (located in a historic royal garden in Hue) were selected for royal ceremonies. At the Imperial Court lotus tea became a refined drink to enjoy.

Today you don’t need to be an emperor or part of the court to enjoy Lotus Tea!

Der Beitrag Crafting Paper Lotus Flowers in Hue erschien zuerst auf Kaya Wanderlust.