Vegans Rejoice! Chiang Mai, Saigon and Bangkok have been named among the top ten Vegan-Friendly Cities in Asia by PETA. After seeing the article, we sent our team out to see if we agreed. We asked our team about their favorite vegan meals and where to go:
Travelers can find a variety of fresh vegan dishes in Southeast Asia – Photo credit: Michelle & Khoa Nguyen
Joy & Chris, Thailand: “Our favorite vegan dishes are stir-fried mixed vegetables, Thai Fresh Spring Rolls with spicy sauce, Vegetarian Pad Thai with Tofu (ask for no egg and no meat), and Vegetarian Som Tam. You can find these delicious local dishes almost anywhere!”
Lotus Rice (Com Sen) – rice and vegetables with cooked lotus seeds – Photo credit: Michelle & Khoa Nguyen
Michelle & Khoa, Southern Vietnam: “The Loving Hut is a great place! It closes at 9pm except for vegan/vegetarian days of the Buddhist calendar when it stays open a bit longer. It is a great location, but you will need a car or motorbike taxi to get there and English-speaking skills are limited so we recommend having your guide assist you. The food is hot, delivered quickly and delicious, and the menu has a lot of variety. For kids and less adventurous visitors, there are even options such as vegan burgers, pizza and Spaghetti Bolognese versions. Some of the items we liked were the sea nuggets rolled with seaweed, the Vietnamese-style papaya salad, the Kumquat & coconut juice, and hot soya milk.”
We also recommend Hum Vegetarian, Cafe & Restaurant and 3 Lá Vegetarian and you can find dishes such as lotus rice, “vegan pork” in clay pot, and fresh “vegan beef” rolls dipped in pineapple and mushroom sauce.
Vietnamese-style Papaya Salad (Goi Du Du Viet) – Photo credit: Michelle & Khoa Nguyen
Remember, if you have dietary preferences, requirements or allergies – be sure to let our team and your guides know so that we can have translation cards made for you and so we can recommend the best restaurants for your needs.
Fresh vegan spring rolls with peanuts – Photo credit: Michelle & Khoa Nguyen
… Read more »
A Journeys Within Signature Hotel, Rachamankha is located within the boundaries of the original city of Chiang Mai. This incredibly unique hotel is the result of a collaboration between a renowned architect father and interior designer son. Rachamankha has received numerous accolades and press for its design, and is atypical to the architecture seen throughout Chiang Mai. The accommodation is the essence of Zen with ornate roof lines, the rooms centered around courtyards with beautifully manicured landscaping, rock walkways, and the entire property is decorated in the family’s own personal art collection. To stay here feels as if to be a privileged guest at an acquaintance’s extraordinary property. In the evening, spiral sticks of incense burn and subtly fill the space with fragrance.
General Manager, Paul Walker, has been managing the property for over a decade and is a wealth of information about the hotel and Chiang Mai. Every detail of Rachamankha is the well thought out construct of taste and imagination. Walker explained that the design at Rachamankha comes first over pragmatism. This is not a property that was designed under the constraints of compliance for accessibility or safety regulation. In fact, this hotel welcomes guests age 12 and older.This is for a few purposes, one being the potential for slips and falls of smaller children; the art collection that decorates the guest rooms and common areas is priceless and must receive the necessary respect of all guests; most guest rooms (with an exception of the suites) face one another in a courtyard, so noise from small children could disturb the Zen state that the owners of this property have worked so hard to achieve.
Rachamankha includes a pool, a library that includes a collection of the owner’s books and complimentary cognac, a restaurant, and a studio upstairs from the restaurant which may be used for small meetings and gatherings.
Stay tuned for our hotel review of Rachamankha coming soon. Rachamankha is included among Secret Retreats, a collection of inspirational boutique hotels, villas, cruises, and restaurants. Follow the hotel on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more images and information. Contact one of our Tour Consultants for information about booking a stay at Rachamankha and tours in Chiang Mai and throughout Thailand at 877-454-3672.… Read more »
Even if you can’t bid on the dream trip, you can still take the same itinerary, and Journeys Within donates its profits to Macmillan Cancer Support. These two hotels are featured in many of our trips, so we wanted to get the insider scoop on things to do and see at and around the two Belmond hotels.
Here’s what Thomas Moons, general manager with La Residence, had to say:
What are your favorite parts of each hotel?
My favorite thing about La Residence Phou Vao must be the tranquility and the views, while at La Residence d’Angkor it’s the pool in the center of the hotel.
What are your favorite dish at each hotel?
My favorite dish at Phou Vao is definitely Lon Som, which is Luang Prabang style pork and eggplant curry, while at d’Angkor I really like the Angkor tower, a Khmer degustation.
What are your favorite dishes outside each hotel?
In Luang Prabang, tamarind (three kinds of pork sausage) and Blue Lagoon (buffalo stroganoff) are my personal favorites, while in Siem Reap, Cuisine Wat Damnak is an absolute highlight. They only have set Khmer degustation menus.
What are some can’t miss experiences?
A golden tip for Siem Reap is Phare Circus, a Cambodian circus with nightly performances. In Luang Prabang, guests should not miss the Meditation on the Mekong that we are organizing!
Other recommendations?
In Siem Reap I can recommend visiting Beng Melea, a temple that is outside the Angkor park but a wonderful place to visit. The temple collapsed but has never been rebuilt so you find yourself crawling into corridors and climbing over rocks. Very special. In Luang Prabang guest should definitely not miss the early morning Almsgiving and a Mekong cruise of our private luxury vessel. Luang Prabang offers a few excursions suitable for kids, the most noteworthy is the Living Land Farm and the Elephant Village.
What tips do you have for guests that they may not know staying and traveling in the area?
Laos and Cambodia are an ideal combination. Daily direct flights from and to Siem Reap are in place. When travelling in Laos and outside of Luang Prabang, you will not find 5-star hotels but more low key B&B’s and guesthouses. Very nice but not comparable with Belmond, Sofitel or Aman. It’s a wonderful country to explore but a bit more low key than Cambodia where you find great hotels in pretty much every destination.
If you desire tropical white sand beaches without Thailand’s crowds and pricey hotels, look no further than Cambodia’s Lazy Beach Hotel – a beautiful property on the island of Koh Rong Saloem, off the coast of Sihanoukville, Cambodia. Julia Cuthbertson and Carlos Jimenez traveled to Vietnam and Cambodia for their honeymoon in March. In Cambodia they discovered a private paradise at the Lazy Beach Hotel and shared their experience below:
Julia Cuthbertson looking out over Lazy Beach
Lazy Beach, located on Koh Rong Saloem island in the Gulf of Thailand, was the perfect island getaway to cap off a fabulous trip. The slow 2.5 hour boat ride from Sihanoukville was just the beginning of a few days that were fabulously slow and restful. We were greeted at the dock by Chris, the wonderful owner, who brought us to the bar for a welcome drink and to meet the staff.
The path to the restaurant, which is open all day longOur bungalow was just feet from the waterHome, Sweet Home!
Our bungalow, positioned about 50 feet from the beach, came complete with 2 hammocks and a sitting area on a large porch, and 2 queen sized beds outfitted with mosquito nets. Although the bungalows are being renovated, ours was an older model, and harkened back to a simpler and more rustic lifestyle. The property generator only turns on from around 4 or 5 p.m. until dawn, so you can charge electronics and use the fan at night, but not during the day. WiFi has not yet arrived to the island and I am hoping it stays this way. We had two friendly (and stunning) spotted gecko friends that alternated between our porch and our bathroom the whole time.
There are many places to relax, read a book and sip a fresh fruit smoothieOne of the colorful local boats moored off the beach
The rustic nature of Lazy Beach was appealing to us from the beginning and was definitely what made our experience there so special. Without any programmed activities, emails to check, pictures to post or high-end amenities, the hardest decision to make was where to be… lazy. Whether snorkeling, reading, lounging, playing cards, or going for a walk, we were utterly relaxed but never bored. One day we walked 20 minutes to Saracen Bay, a beautiful beach on the other side of the island, and the next we did a short (and vertical) hike up to a lookout point that gave us the most spectacular views of Lazy Beach and beyond. The last night we went swimming after dinner and were amazing by all of the bio-luminescent plankton that surrounded us.
We had this beautiful beach all to ourselvesJulia taking in the sunset
The bar and restaurant is in a large, beautiful and recently renovated villa and the kitchen is open continuously all day. The menu is varied, with a mix of traditional Cambodian and Asian dishes and some more international/western offerings as well. We thought the food was absolutely delicious, and we enjoyed eating it while lounging in all of the different areas of the villa. Wandering up from the beach for an afternoon smoothie became a quick habit of ours. The staff was lovely, service was quick, and they were extremely accommodating.
The dining room at the Lazy BeachFreshly made spring rolls
Chris, the owner, told us that development on the island is happening at lightning speed (which we could see in Saracen Bay). For now, Lazy Beach is the only resort on this particular bay and we hope it stays this way for as long as possible. It felt like true luxury to find ourselves, at times, completely alone on such a beautiful beach in the warmest, most inviting country.
An end to another perfect day at Lazy Beach
… Read more »
Traditional hotels are not your only options when heading to Cambodia. Why not let Journeys Within tailor your accommodations …
Many people may know that Journeys Within Tour company started with the opening of Journeys Within Bed and Breakfast in Siem Reap. Guests were looking to travel to the recently opened Angkor Wat temple complex, but wanted to stay in a place that felt like a home away from home. While it has been almost ten years since Journeys Within Bed and Breakfast opened, and it has since grown into a beautiful boutique hotel, the heart of being a home away from home and the desire of our guests to achieve that same experience, hasn’t really changed.
As more of our guests head to Cambodia to get an authentic look into the culture and the highlights, there are now more options than ever to stay at a home away from home while touring. A great option for those traveling as a family or in a group, is to rent a private villa. Journeys Within specializes in tailoring not only tours, we’re always looking to include the perfect accommodation for you as well. Private villas range from luxury estates with full service butler and cooks on staff, to the rental of a more traditional home with no frills or extras. Private Villas can be a great cost effective way to have multiple rooms so your family can have space without breaking your budget. With sizes ranging from one bedroom lofts to eight bedroom estates, the possibilities are endless and Journeys Within is here to help you find the right fit for your interests and your budget.
While private villas give you the space you need and that home away from home experience, what I truly love about private villas is that they encourage slow travel. In renting a villa you’re encouraged to take your time in one location and when you do that it allows you to go beyond the highlights, and to delve into the heart of the culture of the city you’re visiting. Having those extra days without moving often makes the difference between catching the highlights and that moment when you feel like you’ve truly discovered something. Slow travel is also a great option for families traveling with younger kids, who don’t want to take a lot of flights, but want their kids to have a fun, full and educational experience. In traveling with my two young kids and wanting to limit the traveling and max the touring, I‘ve found the time to do those interesting tours which are normally the first to get cut out of your three day temple plan.
Often times after a long holiday exploring the ins and outs of temples and the cultures of these countries, it’s really nice to end the trip with some extended beach time. It’s nice to take a break from physically moving from here to there, and also I think it’s beneficial to have some emotional down time at the end of your trip so you can really reflect and absorb all you’ve taken in on your adventure. If you’re looking to have extended beach time, renting a villa for your stay can be a great way to do so. You can have your space to relax and take in the beautiful beach around you and feel like you’re truly getting away from it all. The Cambodian beaches are a great way to end your tour of Cambodia and not add in the extra travel by heading to a Thailand beach. You can read more about the Cambodian “seaside” on Andrea’s blog post here: https://archive.journeys-within.com/2011/03/01/a-visit-to-the-cambodian-seaside-kep/
If you’re interested in renting a villa for your upcoming trip to Cambodia or elsewhere in Southeast Asia, let us know!
