Eco-cooking tour - one of the best experiences you must try when visiting Hoi An

Cooking tour and cooking class.

If you are planning to go to Hoian or have been to and searching "things to do in Hoi An" you might see a lot of words "cooking tour" or "cooking class" and also see a variety of brands host for it so what is "cook class" or "cooking tour" and it is worth to try?

As a local people and used to try it, I think you should once try when coming to Hoi An. If you have been traveled to Ha Noi or Ha Long Bay in the North of Vietnam, one of you probably had tried this type of experience, simply just like its name "a class of cooking" and you will be instructed to make some local food which may be also a popular food in Vietnam. 

In Hoi An ancient town, honestly, it will definitely make the tourist feel quite embarrassed to pick up one to try. In this post, I will share with you my experience and make some notes for you to have the best choice.

Cooking tour in Hoi An is a variety of both quality and quantity, from local people to luxury hotel or even walking along inside the old town, you will see many stores also involving. The first note for you is that cooking class and cooking tour are a bit different. It will not be too clear between them even some hosts they also don't know the differences, they just "catch the trend" but they do very well as their heart.

For the cooking class, you may just come to cook some local dishes at a local house or in a kitchen hall of a hotel or somewhere else you booked from that agency. Then they are going to show you some prepared ingredients and teach you how to make those dishes. 

For the cooking tour, you might be added more to visiting the local market where you will see visually the ingredients used in the cooking class. It would be very great to discover the market because it is the best places that show clearly cultural values, feel the local lifestyle and that is truly what makes you go crazy about surprises.

Eco-cooking tour or eco-cooking class

How about the Eco-cooking tour that I used to experience? It is basically added more fun for you to try such as getting on the motorboat and enjoy the scenes along Thu Bon River and you will see some fishing man working hard but so friendly, doing basket boat paddling in Cam Thanh water coconut village,  doing crab fishing, catching clams by wading mud,  enjoying basket boat swinging performance on the river, discovering the village history where has Thu Bon river flow through and used to the shelter of Vietnamese soldiers and government during the wars against America and France,  and you will be presented some small cute toy made from water coconut leaves.

The tour normally starts at 8:30 am and there is a guide will take you to the Hoi An market to see how amazing the fresh foods and busy local life is. Then you are moving down to take the motorboat for 30 - 45 minutes to the Water Coconut village. Transferring from the motorboat to the basket boat to experience the activities listed above.

After finishing the basket boat, you will join the cooking class at a local family restaurant and make some food for your lunch. Don't be worried that you do not cook or you are vegan, vegetarians or you want to try to cook another local food that you have been heard about or you are too tired to cook after trying rowing on the basket boat or anything else  are always accepted by the host, they satisfy their customers wholeheartedly and they are always nice.

I made that tour in a group of 7 tourists that is crowded and fun enough, 3 of them are vegans, other 2 offer to make Cao Lau which is not in the list and the rest is taking normal schedule. The vegan tourist had thought that they were fine to eat only rice with vegetable and Banh Xeo without meat and shrimp but the chief had touched them so deeply by making them saute tofu with tomato, fried string green bean, spring rolls and Tofu rice pancake named Banh Xeo. The two had asking to make Cao Lau and the rest group were also satisfied with the professional instruction of the chief.

One of the plus for the tour is that the open space of the family restaurant. It was built of bamboo, water coconut leaves and the vegetable garden around all makes you feel so fresh and close to nature. We finished the tour at 12: 30 pm and were carried back to the old town or tourist's hotel. It's just about 4 hours but had been tried many valuable things for a trip.

Eco-cooking tour schedule

8:30 am: Starting to visit the local market by walking for about 20 - 30 minutes. The guide will stop at some side-walk vendors and show you some ingredients for the cooking class.    

• The market very crowded in the morning so that you must be followed your team strictly if you don't want to be left behind. 
• We also stopped at a grocery store which sells many local interesting things for cooking such making- carrot flower sharpener, grater, a number of types of rice paper, weasel coffee, cinnamon, turmeric powder... You also can buy some as a gift for your friends.
• Banana flower as my opinion may be the most interesting discovery of most tourists and turmeric powder for making the yellow color of Banh Xeo (Vietnamese rice pancake) is also the surprise. 

9:00 am: Getting on the motorboat for 30 - 45 minutes

• The river was so nice and windy because it moves down toward the ocean.
• On the way, you will see fishing net construction and finishing man collecting it. Crossing under a very big bridge you will the coconut forest in the left, getting inside is coconut village. 

9:45 am: Taking basket boat and having fun for 30 - 45 minutes

• You must transfer to basket boats to visit around. Remember that after finishing the basket boat you are going to walk to the restaurant for 3 - 4 minutes, it means that you will not get back the motorboat so that taking all your stuff before leaving out of the big boat. 
• The water is very shallow that you can walk into (except "boom hole" some places) so that won't be too afraid. You have a life jacket too. 
• The boat is for about 2 tourists and 1 paddler at the time. 
• Most local paddlers cannot speak English but they completely friendly and smile all the time. They always make things to make you fun. They are very creative in making many souvenirs from coconut leaves and always offer to take photos for you to save the memories. 
• They kindly instruct you every time getting in or getting out of the basket and happy to learn your languages if you teach them. 

10: 30 am: Taking in the Cooking class. 

• Taking 10 minutes rest and trying passion juice to cool up before starting the lesson.
• Kitchen kit is prepared already, you have to wear the apron to keep your clothes clean, wash your hands and then start. 
• You are going to make 4 dishes: Banh Xeo (Vietnamese rice pancake, Spring roll, papaya salad and fish stew in a clay pot. 
• If you are a vegan or vegetarian or offer to make something else, your ingredient will be separately prepared. 
• Banh Xeo is available for you to make as many as you can eat and the host is also nice to let you take Banh Xeo home if you want.
• Besides 4 dishes cooked by yourself, the host also cooks more to diversify your meal such as morning glory stir-fried with garlic, steam rice, Grilled clams with stir-fried peanut and green onion on the top and the last is desert seasonal fruit. 
• It is such a big lunch so that you may not eat dinner.

12: 30 Getting back the old town or hotel 

• If you were picked at the hotel in the morning, you will be drop at the hotel or the old town or anywhere on the ưay back that you ask to be. 
• The car back is included in the tour.

Conclusion

• There are many options for you to choose a cooking tour but please ask the differences before booking to not to be confused.
• The tour I book is so flexible as well if you don't want to see the market, just come at 9 am to join the rest of the schedule
• You also book the ECO Tour only which means that you will do all the schedule except the cooking lesson. (after taking basket boat, having rest at the restaurant and drinking passion juice, the car driver will carry you back).
• The price is also different between ECO TOUR (20$) and ECO-COOKING TOUR (25$). Most of the tour is at that price or higher.
• There also are cooking class on the boat in the coconut village and the price is more expensive.
• Finally, depending on your time and your interests to chose the one you like to get the best experiences. 
• I hope my shares will be helpful to you.

If you want to book the tour as I did, contact below:

• Phone: Ms. Gem 0915 789 427
• Email: 
• Website:  they are is a family business so that don't have a website.

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