Wade, an adult with cerebral palsy, reminisces about discovering new foods with an accessible tour on vacation in Vietnam
When one thinks of Ho Chi Minh City (formerly known as Saigon) in Vietnam, many things come to mind: the constant ‘beep, beep’ of the millions of motorbikes and scooters weaving along city streets, the old colonial French architecture, the bustling markets, and of course, the city’s aromatic and vibrant street food scene.
I was travelling to Ho Chi Minh City last month, and really wanted to do a few tours whilst I was there. However, due to my declining mobility that I’m experiencing as I age with cerebral palsy (albeit gracefully), I found that the distances of the walking tours were too long, and the motorbike tours weren’t feasible since I now use a walking frame to get around. I emailed a few tours, and once I mentioned my disability, I was met with silence. However, there was one tour company that did respond: Street Food Man!
Vinny Vi, the founder of Street Food Man, asked me what my needs were and thought outside the box to come up with a customised tour which suited me. He was so accommodating that I agreed to do not one, but two nights of street food tours!
The first night I was met at my hotel by Catherine, aka Catherine the Great. She ordered a Grab car (the equivalent of Uber in Vietnam) and before I knew it, we were deep in the heart of the city’s District 3, home to some of Ho Chi Minh City’s best street food delicacies.
Vinny had specifically designed my tour so that many of the locations were very near each other, which minimised the distances that I needed to walk.
He was so accommodating that I agreed to do not one, but two nights of street food tours!
The first night I was met at my hotel by Catherine, aka Catherine the Great. She ordered a Grab car (the equivalent of Uber in Vietnam) and before I knew it, we were deep in the heart of the city’s District 3, home to some of Ho Chi Minh City’s best street food delicacies.
Vinny had specifically designed my tour so that many of the locations were very near each other, which minimised the distances that I needed to walk. For the food stalls that were further apart, Catherine simply ordered another Grab car to take us to the next spot. I didn’t have to worry about becoming tired from walking too far and could just enjoy tasting some of Saigon’s famous bites. Catherine introduced me to such delectable dishes as bò lá lốt (beef in wild betel leaves), and bột chiên (pan-fried rice cakes with egg, spring onions and fresh veggies in soy sauce), followed by a succulent seafood BBQ.
Somehow, Catherine persuaded me to also fit in a banh mi and a couple of cold local beers in between before a dessert of coconut ice cream and Vinny’s own homemade Forest Banana sticky rice wine!
A couple of kilos heavier, the following night I set off with another tour guide, Quinton. Once again, we were headed to District 3 to sample even more of old Saigon’s many street food delights! First up was bánh xèo (a crispy, savoury stuffed rice pancake) whose name comes from the sound that the rice batter makes when it is poured into the hot skillet. Delicious! We also tried bánh khọt, which are mini savory stuffed pancakes and are just as delightful.
The stops on this second tour were a bit further apart, but no problem!
It was very easy to get a Grab car, and none of the drivers had any issue with helping me put my walker into the car boot.
Quinton and I ventured down more busy laneways to try even more food, such as bánh cuốn, which are steamed rice paper rolls filled with pork and minced wood ear mushrooms. Half the fun was watching the various vendors cook your order right in front of you before they handed it to you to devour! After even more seafood, I still had to try the avocado ice cream for dessert… a definite winner in the tropical heat of the Saigon night.
Both tours were so fun, and a slight modification to how we got from one place to another enabled me to participate and enjoy them. The people I met in Vietnam were so kind and hospitable and didn’t hesitate to lend a helping hand. Whilst I was eating at a couple of places, a few locals even asked about my walking frame, as they hadn’t seen one with three wheels before.
People with disabilities have the same desire as others to travel and experience new things, and if more people in the tourism industry were like Vinny and willing to make simple adaptations to accommodate people with mobility impairments, it would greatly expand their potential customer base. So, if you have a disability and want to travel, go ahead and reach out to tour operators and suggest what they can do for you to make their tours more accessible. The more that people with disabilities can get out and see the world, the more the world will see us.
More information about Street Food Man tours can be found here: Street Food Man
If you have found this blog helpful or would like to reach out, please don’t hesitate to contact me via LinkedIn: Wade Costley | LinkedIn
For more information about travel and holidaying as a person with cerebral palsy, My CP Guide hosts a variety of information resources. Browse the Leisure & Recreation category on My CP Guide to find other relevant resources.