So, anyone who knows me knows I LOVE Vietnamese food. Naturally, my time in Vietnam has like 90% revolved around food. Honestly, I’m pretty in love with everything about Hanoi (except for the humidity but so what else is new) but the food here is really amazing. So without further ado, here’s all my favourite places to eat!
When You’re Looking For Something Bougie
The Diamond Skybar
The Diamond Skybar is a great place for dinner with a view. The rooftop bar features a view over the city of Hanoi, and many excellent drink and food options. I felt so classy eating dinner here, and the view was beyond spectacular.
When You’re Looking For A Quick Bite
Bún Bò Nam Bộ Bách Phương
Next up: Bún Bò Nam Bộ Bách Phương! This Beef and Noodle place was honestly the most convenient meal of my life. It wasn’t my favourite but it was pretty damn good, plus it was so fast. The restaurant essentially only has one thing on the menu, so after you’ve ordered you get your food literally within a minute. Not even McDonalds has comparable speed. It was insane.
When You’re Looking For Breakfast, Lunch, And Dinner
My Pho
My Pho really has it all. From Pho (duh), to spring rolls, to sticky rice and more, the menu has something for every meal of the day. This was the first place me and Nylah stopped in Hanoi, entirely by chance, but it was amazing. All of the food here is outstanding, you really can’t go wrong with this one.
When You’re Looking For Pho (And Only Pho)
Pho Ten
The Pho at Pho Ten is phenomenal. It’s essentially the only thing on the menu, but they have plenty of options to pick from, some more adventurous than others. This place was fantastic to stop in for breakfast, and the Pho was next level. 10/10 would recommend.When You’re Looking For Banh Mi (And Only Banh Mi)
Banh Mi 25
If you’re looking for fantastic Banh Mi, be sure to check out Banh Mi 25. They have both seating and take-out, and their food and fruit juice were BEYOND delicious. They have a range of options of pork, chicken, beef and vegetarian — some kind of adventurous, some not. Overall, there’s really something for everyone and the food is 10/10 so why not!
So that’s Hanoi! I gotta say, I really love this city. It’s crazy hectic and super loud, but also full of amazing architecture and shopping. You can visibly see all the cultures that make up Vietnamese culture coming together in one place and it’s just so cool. The French Quarter is a total must see if you’re ever travelling to South East Asia.
I hope you enjoyed reading! Stay tuned for my next Vietnam instalment: Spend A Day With Me On A Boat Cruise In Ha Long Bay!
I’m back with my second instalment of my Laos travel diary: things to do in Luang Prabang! Our stay here was super short but absolutely packed with some of the most amazing parts of our trip so far. (Yes, I know I say that a lot, but I swear this trip just keeps getting better and better!) Anyways, since our stay was so short I’m going to cover places to eat and things to do all in one post. If you’re thinking of traveling to South East Asia, be sure to add Laos to your itinerary. I honestly didn’t know much about it before arriving as it is a bit of an uncommon place to visit, but it’s honestly so beautiful here, even Thailand can’t compare. Keep reading to hear all my best finds in the beautiful city of Luang Prabang!
Take A Boat Tour!
The Mekong River
Luang Prabang has the massive Mekong river running through the whole country, making a boat tour one of the best ways to get around! Your options are pretty endless with these boat tours, as they offer both half and full day tours, with options to see the falls, elephants, and more.
Textile Display At The Textile Village
On our particular boat tour, our first stop was at a textile village that also brewed its own sticky rice whiskey and wine. They offered (many, many) samples of their whiskey, as you got to explore the village and it’s beautiful textile stalls. My personal favourite in terms of the drinks was the dark rice wine, which was sweet and delicious. However, they also had some INCREDIBLY strong whiskey, for those who were looking for something with a little extra kick.
Whiskey Display At The Textile Village
After that, we hopped on the boat and headed over to the local Pak Ou caves, which hold buddhist temples inside. The stop featured two caves, one which was deep and dark and the other which was quite light and open, for those who aren’t a fan of caves. Both of them were incredibly beautiful and super cool, and I would highly recommend checking them out if you have the chance.
Pak Ou Caves
Check Out Our Favourite Restaurant: Tangor!
Our Meal At Tangor
Oh my god was this place ever amazing. It offers both patios and indoors, but with an open front so that me and Nylah got to sit just off the patio and still see outside. The food here was INCREDIBLE, the pumpkin soup and fried spring rolls I ordered had to be some of the best I’ve ever had in my life. To top it all off, they offered cocktails categorized as “strong”, “refreshing”, “classic” etc. I got one of the “refreshing” cocktails and it certainly lived up to the name, as well as being one of the most delicious and well-crafted drinks I have ever had. If you’re ever in Luang Prabang, this restaurant is a must-try.
Hike Up Phousi Mountain!
Sunrise View From Phousi Moutain
This hike gives you a beautiful view over the city. Its easy enough that it wouldn’t be too tough for beginners, even in the heat. For an added bonus, you can take the trip up at sunrise or sunset for an even more spectacular view. We chose to do the hike at sunrise, but there’s certainly pros and cons to both. The benefits of doing a sunrise hike are the nice, cooler temperatures before the sun rises and a much less crowded viewpoint at the top. However, the sunset views are probably more spectacular and the viewpoint is set up much better for a sunset view. The only downside is how hot it would be that late in the night, as well as the fact that apparently the viewpoint is packed in the sunset hours. I’m sure either way it would be amazing, but the sunrise hike was a wonderful way to start out our last day in Luang Prabang!
Explore the Kuang Si Falls!
Kuang Si Falls, Luang Prabang
I’ll keep this one short as I know I already covered it in my previous post, but this place is both spectacularly beautiful as well as easy to access and explore. The water is the perfect temperature to cool off in the Laos heat, and getting to swim through a waterfall is always a plus! For the more adventurous types, you can also hike up and see the sights from the top of the waterfall. Be sure to be prepared though, as the hike is pretty steep (as well as the heat being an added challenge!). As well, if you have water shoes, they might be a good idea as the algae on the rocks gets pretty slippery. However, still a 10/10 stop overall and I’d highly recommend it to other travelers!
Explore The City!
Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang is honestly one of the most beautiful towns I have ever visited. Seriously, from the moment we arrived I’ve been joking to Nylah that I’m ready to leave everything behind and just move here. There’s plenty to see in the town, from local shops and restaurants, to the beautiful river and more. As well, there are beautiful temples all over the city to visit, and lack the crowds that many of the temples in Thailand attract!
Haw Pha Bang, Luang Prabang
Visit The Night Market!
Coconut Pancakes At The Night Market
Okay, I know I’ve discussed my love for night markets before so I’ll keep this one short. Taking time to stroll through the night markets in any town is a great way to relax and take in the culture. Besides, you never know what gems you’re going to find — like these mini coconut pancakes!
So that’s Luang Prabang! I hope you’ve all been enjoying reading my travel blogs as much as I’ve enjoyed writing them. If you have any recommendations or felt inspired by any of my posts, feel free to let me know! If you ever have the chance to visit Laos, it is 110% beautiful and amazing and I would highly recommend it. Next stop: Hanoi, Vietnam!
As everyone knows, makeup is a huge love of mine. However, you also all know I’m no professional. While I have my day-to-day full face pretty well down, one thing I tend to struggle with for extra-special events is eyeshadow. Especially if I’m going for an extreme look, I’m just no where near as good at it as I am with other aspects of my makeup.
Which brings me to this weeks product: the Stila Glitter and Glow Liquid Eyeshadow! I always had my eye on this stuff, but never actually went out and bought it for myself. Luckily, my aunt got it for my birthday last year! I immediately pulled it out and swatched it and was blown away at how bright and glittery it was. Furthermore, I went to wash my hands later and it didn’t even budge.
Now, I know liquid eyeshadow can be a bit intimidating. The first time I used it I started panicking when it wouldn’t blend. This stuff definitely requires a bit of a different process when you go to apply your eyeshadow. What I typically do now is apply my transition shades, apply this over my whole lid, and then apply the outer corner makeup on top and sometimes use a powder gold shade to help blend. You really can’t blend this stuff much at all, but if you blend on top it looks just as blended as regular eyeshadow would!
What I love about this stuff is the sheer intensity of the colour, as well as the simplicity in applying it. Just swipe it on, its so easy to get it to apply super accurately and smoothly and as soon as it dries it won’t budge. Without fail, every time I use it I get compliments on it and how pigmented it looks.
So, there you go! If you struggle with intense eyeliner looks this is totally the product for you. You can check it out at Sephora here! They literally have almost any colour you could ever want and personally I’m certainly gonna invest in some more soon.
I’m back with my first travel blog post from Luang Prabang, Laos! From the moment I first arrived here I fell so in love that I honestly feel like I could move here. The scenery is sooooo beautiful and the food is to die for. Keep reading to hear all about my first day adventure in Laos!
Exploring Kuang Si Falls!
Kuang Si Falls, Luang Prabang
After a quick breakfast at our hostel me and Nylah headed off to Kuang Si Falls. The National Park has all kinds of attractions, including the falls, which you can swim in, as well as a hike and a bear sanctuary. Not only were the falls one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen in my life, they were the perfect swimming temperature to beat the Laos heat. You can splash around in the pools, or sit in the falls, both of which were super beautiful and relaxing. The hike is pretty challenging, so if you’re planning on it it’s probably a good idea to wear waterproof shoes and bring lots of water. I completed about half the hike before I felt it was getting too challenging for what I had prepared for, but Nylah completed it and said the view from the top was amazing, as well there are more swimming pools and a swing to enjoy when you reach the top! Even without completing the hike, these falls were so stunning and laying around in them was one of the most relaxing things I’ve done this whole trip.
Lunch atChang Kham!
Sizzling Cashew Chicken Plate, Chang Kham
After our excursion to the falls, we stopped in at Chang Kham for a quick lunch! We’d stopped in here the first night after we arrived, but were more than happy to go again as the food was SO GOOD. The first time the chicken satay I had was to die for, and the sizzling fried chicken plate I had after visiting Kuang Si really hit the spot and got us ready to gear up for the rest of our day.
Drinks At A Local Bar!
Mojitos at a Local Bar
After a quick trip back to our hostel and a break, we headed out to grab drinks at a local bar. They had a buy two get one special on mojitos, which we very much took advantage of. They had all kinds of unique flavours, like raspberry, watermelon, and passion fruit (which you can see me drinking above). It was a great refresher after a long day.
Dinner At Coconut Garden!
Coconut Garden Outdoor Restaurant
After drinks we headed off to a little outdoor restaurant called Coconut Gardens. The food was simple but amazing, and it was a nice small meal after the crazy day we had. The soups in South East Asia are so delicious — and worth it even with the crazy heat, so we’ve been taking full advantage lately.
Visiting the Night Market!
Art Sale at the Local Night Market
After dinner, we walked back to our hostel through the night market. It super cool to be able to see and compare night markets between different cities and countries. While the Chiang Mai night market was only on weekends and was more food based, Luang Prabang has night markets daily that focus a lot more on clothing and art. These little markets really are a great way to take in the culture on each stop of our journey.
And that’s it for today! Stay tuned for an upcoming post on things to do in Luang Prabang! Hopefully you’re all enjoying my travel blogs so far, I’d love to hear if any of you get inspired or find places to visit on your next trip from these. If you have anything specific you want to hear about in the next segment, drop a comment below! I’d love to hear any suggestions you have.
I’m back again with another Chiang Mai instalment: Places To Eat! Finding good places to eat in a foreign country can be daunting to say the least, especially if you don’t speak the local language. So I figured I’d compile a little list of the best places I’ve found in Chiang Mai! If you ever decide to visit (which I highly recommend), be sure to check a couple of these out!
It’s Good Kitchen
This place boasts being the top-rated Chiang Mai eatery of 2018, and for good reason. It’s a simple, outdoor eatery and perfect for a quick, causal lunch. But seriously, the food here was out of this world. Hands down one of the best meals I have EVER eaten in my life. If you’re ever in Chiang Mai and looking for real, authentic Thai food, make sure to give this place a try.
Baan Landi
Okay, this place was seriously amazing. To be fair, by Thailand standards, it was a little expensive — but by Vancouver standards it compared to a regular somewhat fancy meal. The pineapple and minced pork starters were to DIE for, and the shrimp and fried noodles I had for dinner were exceptional. On top of all that, they served cocktails composed of wine, candle smoke and lychee juice, which were incredible. If you’re looking for a somewhat upscale dinner during your stay in Chiang Mai, be sure to check this place out!
Mind Over Matter Restaurant
This little cafe was super close to our hostel, so we ate here a whole lot over our time in Chiang Mai. Not only was it super cheap, the food was outstanding, and very fast. If you’re ever in the area and want a quick, delicious meal, this place offers a mix of Thai and Western food — so there’s guaranteed something for everyone.
See You Soon Cafe
We stopped in at this place on a whim but honestly me and Nylah were both super into this place. Not only was the decor super cute (as you can see), but the food was amazing. I got shrimp wonton soup, which was hands down the best wonton soup I’d ever had. I tried to take a picture of it for you all, but the lighting wasn’t fantastic and really didn’t do it justice. Regardless, this place was amazing and I’d absolutely recommend it!
And there you have it! The food in Chiang Mai was so amazing, I’m sad to leave but excited to see what our trip holds next. Stay tuned for my next post to follow me on my travels!
Sincerely, Meredith 