Prior to going to Phu Quoc, Vietnam my research showed that the "sleepy" fishing village, Duong Dong, was nothing more than a blip you would see between the airport and the island's resort areas. I found this information to be false. Duong Dong was refreshing, the commotion of the town was very exciting. Phu Quoc is a Vietnamese island off of the southern tip of Vietnam. It is quickly becoming a tourist hot spot boasting its pristine beaches and laid back atmosphere. The photo above was taken amidst a maze of fishing boats in Duong Dong Harbor, near the market (the market with exception to the town's airport may be the only landmark in Duong Dong). The town is so small that you can just about see everything in an hour. If on holiday, stay on Phu Quoc's Long Beach, there are a handful of resorts but Cassica Cottages makes their own Cinnamon Ice Cream..killer. From Long Beach walk north up the beach for about 20-30 minutes until you reach Duong Dong. The harbor and market are another 5 minutes south from there.

To me, a lot of Vietnam has a “rough” feel. There is constant traffic, a lot of people, and land still recuperating from the war; but not so in Hoi An. Hoi An is a beautiful little town, untouched by many of the tragedies that have taken place in Vietnam. At times, it can feel a world away from the rest of the country. Hoi An sits along the Thu Bon River, on Vietnams’ eastern border. Many of the untouched buildings look as if they’ve been placed there for a movie set. Walking down the narrow streets, passing temples and buildings with French colonial facades, it’s like stepping back in time. Hoi An is also a town known for its craftsmanship. Dress shops line the streets, and within 24 hours, you can have a whole new wardrobe made to your exact measurements. There are fantastic restaurants, gourmet coffee shops, and trendy wine bars. One evening after a delightful Vietnamese claypot meal, my husband and I went for a walk over the bridge connecting the main town with Cam Nam Island. We walked one street south of the bridge and stepped into one of the most beautiful night markets I have ever seen. Lined up and down the street were silk lantern vendors with all of their lanterns aglow. We spent a couple hours just wandering from vendor to vendor consumed by the beauty of these colorful lights. I wanted to take home one of every color and fill my house with their tranquility. If you’re visiting Vietnam, be sure to put Hoi An on your list of places to stay!

Halong Bay is a breathtakingly beautiful bay in the Gulf of Tonkin, comprised of densely concentrated zone of stone islands. The only way to see it all is to take a leisurely boat ride around the bay (a day trip or an overnight stay) soaking up the spectacular scenery, exploring the grottoes and caves, and just enjoying what seemed like nature’s work of art. http://0dysseusjournal.blogspot.com/2012/01/vietnam-natures-work-of-art.html

Apparently a private luxury tour of Halong bay for 3 days with 6 people only costs $250 per person! This 'junk' had 2 bedrooms, 2 jaccuzi tubs, a sun deck, formal dining room, and a staff of 5. Granted upon further inspection everything was just a bit off- the arms fell off the deck chairs, the jacuzzi tub erupted water like the Bellagio fountain, and the bed was as soft as a plank of wood. All things considered I'm pretty sure this is the 5 star standard for a junk in Halong. The lovely staff more than made up for any little defects in the accommodations. Our guide spoke fluent English and was a great pal. The chef made elaborate 5 course meals that were some of the best we had the whole time there. When he saw our enthusiasm for his artful vegetable carvings of birds and flowers he sweetly created a massive fruit dragon display for our final meal! I'd definitely recommend these tours! Be sure to bring warm layers though... http://www.whitedolphincruises.com/

The beach that will leave you speechless. Bai Sao (South Beach - in English) is located on the Vietnamese island, Phu Quoc. This place oozes relaxation. The mood on the island is very different from mainland Vietnam and if you have any inclination to see a beach whilst in Vietnam make it Bai Sao. Sipping on a cold Saigon Beer and slurping down some seafood pho will be a moment of pure bliss. The main tourist area is on Phu Quoc is Long Beach. Don't hire a driver to take you out for a venture, rent a scooter from your guesthouse. Dirt cheap pricing and a flexible itinerary make renting a scooter the ideal way to see Phu Quoc. Drive south on the main road outside all of the guesthouses on Long Beach (called: Tran Hung Dao). Once you've gone far enough keep your eyes peeled for a combination of signs one with 46 on it and the other with Bai Sao. You will head north on 46 for less than a mile catching an unmarked road heading east. You may feel lost in the middle of your journey as a large portion of the earlier mentioned Tran Hung Dao is unmarked, don't fret there is a New Zealander who works at the Phu Quoc Pearl Farm along this road. Stop in and he will answer any questions you may have about the area.

A visit to the charming Vietnamese city of Hoi An isn't complete without a fresh bowl or two of Cao lầu. Cao lầu, a noodle dish prepared with sliced pork and fresh vegetables, is considered authentic only if it is made with water drawn from a specific ancient well hidden within the old city of Hoi An. Not to worry, this dish is easily found in restaurant menus all over Hoi An. Try a bowl in a few different spots--but some of the best bowls can be bought from the street vendors who appear along the river at night.

One overcast day in Hoi An, my husband and I wandered down to the river and found a lady and her 2 young daughters willing to row us about 30 minutes up river, to a pottery-making village we had read about. When we arrived, the little girls decided to be our impromptu guides. They led us from house to house, where we watched villagers at their craft. As we were nearing the end of our “tour,” we wandered past a house where a very old woman was sitting on the ground, shaping a jar on a small wooden wheel. She smiled warmly and waved us in. We watched in amazement as she expertly shaped and smoothed each jar. Fortunately for us, a younger woman there spoke English and told us that the woman was her 88 year-old grandmother! She told us every generation of her family learns this skill and participates in one way or another. I wandered around the make-shift shelves displaying their work, and then I found it! A beautiful teapot, with six small Asian-style teacups; lovingly painted with red dragonflies and green leaves. The young woman told me that her grandmother had made it, and she herself had painted it…. It was exactly what I was looking for. Now back in the US, every time I look at my teapot, I have the joy of knowing the hands that made it. You can visit Thanh Ha village by boat or bicycle from Hoi An. Definitely save your dollars and use them there. Many of the villagers are barely scraping by as most of the pottery is now being mass-produced in factories.

My first day in Ha Noi I was lucky enough to meet up with fellow AFAR traveler, Heather, who also aimlessly wanders to get a sense of a new place. Soon after dropping off our bags we started following our curiosities. At some point in the afternoon we came upon these old railroad tracks that were strewn with garbage, slightly elevated above the street, and lined by the backs of apartment buildings. Looking back on this photo, it captured my impression of the place- fresh fruit, worn facades, roaming cats, delicate shade hats and colorful bicycles all seem typical of Hanoi now. If you can, walk down the rail road tracks and bring some snacks for strays!

Sailing around the peaks of Halong Bay is breathtaking, surprising and most serene. Aside from the many boats (junks) on the water, a sunset return to the main junk by row boat found a moment of pure solitude.

When it comes to food the more colorful the better. Southeast Asia, Vietnam in particular, has some of the brightest and tastiest looking dishes. Benh Thanh Market, Saigon, Vietnam

It took ages to find the (much acclaimed on AFAR) sunken B-52 bomber in Ha Noi. The twisted pile of metal hardly resembles a plane anymore but it was interesting none the less. Even more fascinating to me was the 'lake' it had fallen into. This emerald green pool was literally bubbling from some mysterious living sludge... I half expected the 3 eyed fish from the Simpsons to crawl out! It was awesome.

With the Mekong Delta sending out a web of rivers and tributaries throughout southern Vietnam, many of the best routes for commerce are on the water. One of the largest floating markets is near the city of Can Tho. You must wake up early to see the market in action. Once there, breakfast is easy to procure – just flag down one of the small boats selling everything from hot rice noodle soup, to fried pastries, to steaming coffee, to bottled sodas.

When I traveled to Hoi An, the prettied-up UNESCO-protected town on Vietnam's central coast for AFAR, I wanted to unravel the mysteries of the town's iconic (and secretive) noodle (and noodle dish of the same name), cao lau. One family has had a monopoly on making the noodle for generations and no one knows exactly how it's made. After some work (and talking to the right people), I was allowed into the family's lair. The above photo shows Em, the family patriarch, pounding away at the rice dough that is steamed and, eventually, formed into the thick, chewy noodles known as cao lau.

Ha long...we arrive in Ha Long to overcast but tame skies. Our Guide sets off to find our boat and the three of us hang near the van for no more than a few minutes... we are shuffled onto a sampan type boat among the many boats that push and wedge in for a front spot at the concrete steps. We have a five-person crew. The boat, small ship, as it turns out is ours for two nights. For perspective, that includes sea kayaks, separate quarters each with its own bath...breakfast, lunch, dinner and diesel. Our two-hour ride out to the first stop included a six-course lunch with wine and fresh crabs and sesame pork and whole sea bream. Dinner was similar.... Ho hum.... food plays second fiddle to the symphony of sights on Ha Long bay. Ha long is an orchestra of syncopated islands, set up like the notes of a composer’s work sheet, and conducted by the rhythm of the tidal ebb and flow. No matter the deity surely this is one of his finest movements. Our tempo has abruptly changed from Billy Idol's Rebel Yell to Handel's Water music suite and after lunch we stand on top of the boat, mouths open, thinking halleluiahs, but not able to speak. Our anchor spot for the night sits in a small bay with a view of a pagoda way atop a near by island. There are another 5 or 6 boats anchored within our view. Young Vietnamese girls paddle in small prams from boat to boat selling shells, fish, and Oreo cookies. Strange this place is.

Pho Ga (chicken pho) is traditional to northern Vietnam and is served all day. The best time to get it from a local vendor is early in the morning because it's SO fresh and makes for a perfect breakfast. As a side note about this photo, I love spicy food so I thought that this was the perfect amount of chili peppers. As they warmed up however they spread a layer of hot chili oil over the soup making it very very spicy. While the colors make for a pretty picture, I had a stomach ache later. Stick to about 3 slices and then see how it tastes in 10 min.

Lemongrass pork grilled to a smoky, caramelized perfection over charcoal and served with herbs, lettuce, cucumber and fresh rice papers, accompanied by two friendly hosts and their delectable peanut chili sauce. The sticks resemble tiny ship masts with meat flags, and these ones get a touch of caramel sweetness from, coca-cola (their not-so-secret-anymore) ingredient.

Coming down from one of Central Vietnam's famed Marble Mountains--or Ngũ Hành Sơn ("Five Elements Mountains"--we passed this garage, seemingly guarded by the statues and busts arrayed around the entrance and terraced up hillside. The mountains, offering spectacular views of the Da Nang region, are full of caves, many of them sanctified with shrines, altars, and sculptures. They were also a longstanding source of quarried marble and limestone for stone carvers, such as the one who parked his car in his own well-protected cave.

I took my good pal Roy Orbison to visit Mui Ne's sand dunes. At first, Roy was somewhat skeptical - sand dunes? On the ocean? no way - but it didn't take long for Roy to see the light. Mui Ne is frequently passed up as visitors shake and move from Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang... which is alright with me, to be honest. I know the secret. Special thanks to the young Vietnamese chap who held up Roy long enough for me to shoot a few frames.

The term Banh Mi actually refers only to the bread, a light airy white baguette brought to Vietnam by French colonists. But colloquially, a banh mi is a sandwich with any number of fillings. This lady stuffed her banh mi with grilled pork patties, fresh crispy cucumber and cilantro and pickled carrots. After she squirted siracha sauce on top she charged 18,000 dong, which sounds like a mind-blowing amount until you do some tricky conversion math and realize it's about 86 cents. Bon Appetit!