Is Morocco or Vietnam better for food and scenery?

Vietnam is a serious rival on food and scenery, and I want to do it justice first. Its cuisine is one of the great street-food cultures of the world — pho, banh mi, fresh herbs, balance and lightness — and eating your way from Hanoi to Saigon is a joy that costs very little. The scenery is just as generous: the limestone karsts of Ha Long Bay, the rice terraces of the north, the Mekong Delta. For a food-led trip through green, watery, dramatic landscapes, Vietnam is genuinely world-class.

Morocco's food culture is different but every bit as soulful. It is less about street snacking and more about slow-cooked depth — tagines, couscous Fridays, preserved lemon and ras el hanout, bread torn and shared, mint tea poured from height — plus a vivid market culture of olives, dates, spices and pastries. I would honestly call Vietnam the stronger pure street-food destination, but Morocco the richer home-cooking and feasting tradition, and a cooking class in a riad here is one of the most memorable things my guests do. On flavour you are choosing between two excellent, very different tables.

Scenically the contrast is stark and clarifying. Vietnam is green, tropical and water-shaped; Morocco is arid, mountainous and desert-edged. If you dream of emerald rice paddies and misty bays, Vietnam wins outright. If you dream of golden dunes, snow-capped Atlas peaks and a wild Atlantic coast, Morocco does. Neither is 'more beautiful' — they are simply different palettes, and the right answer is whichever picture makes you want to pack.

The practical split is familiar: Vietnam is a long-haul flight from Europe and rewards two weeks to cover its length, whereas Morocco packs its variety into a compact, drivable ten-day loop a few hours from European hubs. Both are superb value and both are at their best with a guide who knows where to eat. So my honest take: Vietnam for the world-class street food and lush green scenery if the distance suits you; Morocco for a deep feasting culture, desert-to-coast drama and a shorter, more compact trip from Europe. Tell me whether your trip is more about the plate or the panorama and I will weight the Morocco route accordingly.