Oct 18-25, 2025
From the patinaed grandeur of Old Hanoi to the deep hilltribe valleys of Lao Cai province, this week is a master class in the vibrant present and the ancient past. Our hosts will be Hanoians, Hmong, Red Dao, and the people behind Song Cai spirits, the most knowledgeable culinary minds in Vietnam’s north. We’ll track down the roots of phở from black cardamom fields to water buffalo markets. We’ll dine on blue plastic chairs down Bun cha alleys and private dining rooms with Vietnam’s most dynamic chefs. An unforgettable deep dive with the people who know it best.
Activist, Distiller, Researcher
Daniel Nguyen
Chef, Writer, Raconteur
Andy Ricker
Overview
From the patinaed grandeur of Old Hanoi to the deep hilltribe valleys of Lao Cai province, this week is a master class in the vibrant present and the ancient past. Our hosts will be Hanoians, Hmong, Red Dzao, and the people behind Song Cai spirits—namely Daniel Nguyen and his partner Nhung Trang Nguyen—the most knowledgeable culinary minds in Vietnam’s north.
We’ll track down the roots of phở from black cardamom fields to city markets. We’ll dine on blue plastic chairs down Bun cha alleys and private dining rooms with Vietnam’s most dynamic chefs. An unforgettable deep dive with the people who know it best. High-to-moderate activity level. Vegetarian-friendly.
R&K Host
Chef, Writer, Raconteur
Andy Ricker is an award-winning chef and best-selling author widely credited with introducing Northern Thai cuisine to the United States through his Pok Pok Restaurants. Formed in Portland in 2005, Pok Pok later operated in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and New York, where it earned a Michelin Star. The two-time James Beard Award winner has worked as a pumpkin picker, DJ, house painter and construction contractor, ship’s cook, busboy, waiter, bartender, musician, commercial fisherman, outdoor store salesperson, maintenance man and short order cook. You can read more about Andy on Roads & Kingdoms.
Local Guide
Activist, Distiller, Researcher
If you want to understand Vietnam’s present-day culinary landscape, you’d be hard pressed to find a more knowledgeable guide than Daniel Nguyen, an activist, distiller, researcher, and League of Travelers host. Raised in California by Vietnamese parents, Nguyen came to Vietnam a decade ago to work with farmers in the Mekong Delta, work that eventually led to the cofounding of Sông Cái Distillery, which partners with multi-generational foragers and farmers to source botanicals for a range of craft spirits, including the first gin ever distilled in the country. His extensive work with farm communities in a country where two-thirds of the population is rural has also given him rare insight into the way Vietnamese actually eat—and live—today, insight that he tapped to help us build this extraordinary journey. You can read more about Daniel on Roads & Kingdoms.
French Quarter Marvel
Wide tree-lined boulevards leading down to Hoan Kiem lake. The opera house with its peak neo-classical style. Those are landmarks of Hanoi’s French Quarter, as is our home there, the Metropole Hotel. This timeless white-walled marvel, built by the French in 1901, is our favorite base for exploring the northern capital. Beyond the impeccable service and physical beauty, the hotel’s true value is as an oasis of refined calm in a teeming, technicolor city
Sa Pa Beaux-Arts
For those who might have visited Sa Pa decades ago, when it was still a misty, sleepy hill station, a place like the Hotel de la Coupole might have seemed impossible. It’s an imposing new hotel, gaudy even, and sometimes overcommitted to its Beaux-Arts style. But my goodness, those views. And that pool. And the rooms are incredibly comfortable, so forget what you’ve heard about the old Sa Pa, lean into the growing city, and the Hotel de la Coupole, our home there for the night.
Hilltop Bungalows
You may thank the Danes—yes, the Danes—for the excellence of Topas Ecolodge, perched on twin hills in the dramatic countryside outside of Sa Pa. It was Danish government funding for sustainability that drove some of the eco touches here: sourcing local granite, incorporating Dzao people and culture into the design and delivery, and above all, making sure that each of the luxurious bungalows fits perfectly into the natural environment. It’s stunning, and small wonder that it topped NatGeo’s list of 50 best ecolodges on earth.
Edo N.Unforgettable trip. Perfectly curated. A once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Max M.It was an absolutely amazing trip. Insightful, delicious, exciting, adventurous. Everything I was hoping for.
Katie K.If you love far-flung, intrepid travel and food, you will love traveling with Roads & Kingdoms.
Feb 8-15, 2026
Join us for a week of culinary exploration that is sometimes rustic, sometimes luxurious, but always fascinating. By foot, by plane, by private vehicle, by speedboat: this is a kinetic journey through the heart of the South. Your hosts Andy Ricker and Phongsila “Mapeng” Comack are the perfect guides through the big history and bright flavors of the region, mixing places you think you know with locations that few outsiders ever see.
Chef, Writer, Traveler
Andy Ricker
Culinary Connector
Mapeng Commak
Oct 18-25, 2025
The only part of Spain never to fall to the Moors, Asturias remains defiant, delicious, distinctive. Our collaborator José Andrés comes from these mountains, and his ideas, passions and people are woven throughout this magical weeklong journey from the coast to the hills and back again.
Fixer, Producer, Explorer
Alejo Sabugo
Journalist, Traveler
Charly Wilder
Ready for a new adventure?
Ready for a new adventure?
Dates don’t work, want a private experience? We can custom tailor any of our trips for you and your group. Reach out to learn more.