Category Archives: Experiences

Vietnamese cuisine is unique in Southeast Asia for its many influences, including the Chinese who ruled parts of Vietnam for a thousand years and the French who occupied Vietnam close to a century. Participate in an engaging half-day cooking class highlighting the bold, fresh flavours of southern Vietnamese cuisine at the exclusive former residence of US Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. Begin with a trip to Ben Thanh, Saigon’s iconic market. Its central location and volume of shoppers means it has some of the city’s freshest ingredients. At the villa, learn more about this historic home with a tour and a short video, and enjoy a private, hands-on cooking demonstration, with tips on presentation and chopstick usage before savouring your culinary creation.

Duration: 3hrs

Much more than made-for-tourists lacquerware and kitschy reproduction paintings, Saigon’s true art scene reveals much about the country’s complicated past and its vibrant future. Spend an insightful half day in the company of artists and scholars for an overview into Vietnamese art, both traditional and contemporary. Explore the Fine Arts Museum, housed in a stunning 1929 colonial-era building, accompanied by a contemporary visual artist and scholar. Listen as she points out highlights of the extensive collection mixing traditional Vietnamese techniques with the plastic arts and compares Vietnam’s dynamic art scene with the more established one of her native Europe. Meet two acclaimed local artists who work with mixed media to learn how they draw inspiration from modern-day Vietnam. Also visit Saigon Salon, a private museum in a beautifully restored heritage building, which showcases contemporary Vietnamese art while nurturing local talent.

Duration: 4-5hrs