A journey through street kitchens, soft morning light — and the story of one extraordinary woman named Ly Ly My eyes stop at the front of the menu before anything else — on a small, slightly faded photograph printed onto textured paper. A woman and her daughter stand side by side, both dressed in soft red tones, both smiling with the kind of warmth that comes not from posing, but from living. It’s such a simple picture. Yet something in it pulls me in. Maybe it’s the quiet pr

A travel story from the streets, beaches and walkways of Côn Đảo In Côn Đảo, the day begins early. The sun has barely risen above the mountains when the first scooters glide through the streets. And between them – in the shade of food stalls, in front of doorsteps, on the beaches – lie the dogs. Loose, calm, half-awake. Not nervous, not on guard. Simply present. For a Norwegian, the first thought is: “Who owns it?” But in Vietnam, the question is a little different: “Who know

One stormy evening on Côn Đảo, when the wind pushed hard against the streets and rain fell in shimmering sheets, we found shelter in a small, warm restaurant called YinYang Foods & Balancing. Lanterns glowed softly through the rain-heavy air, woven lamps cast gentle shadows across the wooden tables, and the fragrance of herbs, broth, and simmering spices wrapped around us like a protective warmth. Inside, everything felt calm—lush green plants, soft music, and the kind of pe

It was a scent that found me before I found him. A heavy, warm aroma of cocoa and caramelized sugar drifting like a soft veil through the hotel corridor. I was supposed to be checking in. Instead, I followed the scent. And at the other end of that aromatic trail stood Hieu Tran, also known as Hendrix Tran – Hotel de la Coupole’s own pastry chef. Smiling, focused, surrounded by cocoa beans, old sewing machines, beautiful jars, and tools that looked as much like art as kitchen

Hotel de la Coupole, Sa Pa. There are hotels that offer comfort. And then there are hotels that tell stories. High in the mist-covered mountain town of Sa Pa lies Hotel de la Coupole – MGallery, a place that gives you far more than a room for the night. It offers an experience, a stage, a feeling of stepping straight into a living work of art. This is not a hotel you simply check into. It is a hotel you enter, like a character stepping into an aesthetic universe. A Couture Pa

. Sometimes a story needs space, breath, and time in order not to lose the nuances that make a life what it is. That was the feeling I carried with me as I sat in a small café in the mountain village of Sapa, surrounded by mist, rice terraces, and a silence that seemed to vibrate between the peaks. I had heard about her before. Mao. Her name had reached me through Kristin and Simon, who had her as their guide two years earlier. They told me she was something special. That sh

Mist draped softly over the mountains of northern Vietnam. Rice terraces curved down the hillsides like ribbons of green, and colorful figures appeared along the road leading into Sa Pa. This highland town is a meeting point — where travelers and locals cross paths among stalls filled with spices, textiles, and laughter. In the middle of the bustling streets, I met two women from the Black Hmong ethnic group — Mama Si and Mama Vo. They came from a small mountain village near

On a cool evening in Sapa, I decided to try one of the house specialties at Red Dzao House: a steaming hotpot made with fresh sturgeon. The restaurant felt like stepping into a wooden mountain lodge—warm lights, dark timber walls, and the soft hum of voices from both locals and travelers. It had that rare kind of atmosphere that instantly makes you relax. A woman dressed in the beautiful, traditional outfit of the Red Dzao people approached my table. The red and white embroid