I am Anna Barnes founder of Anna’s Art, Food & Culture Experiences. I am an artist, chef and anthropologist. I am also a long-time traveller to Vietnam.

I design and host Creative Experiences in Vietnam. I aim to help people connect, transform, recover, and thrive through art, food, and cultural experiences. My love and passion for Vietnam, the people, the culture and the food has brought me to a deep desire to share it with you. I believe that with the right guides, your experiences are enhanced, and you feel confident to take that corner, sit in that eatery, and strike up that connection with that grandma who invites you in for tea. You come away having had the time of your life!

My goal is to share with you the incredible beauty of the culture beyond the service and hospitality industries, beyond simply looking at pretty scenery, and beyond eating the easily accessible foods of the high ranking tourist restaurants.

We go on creative and sensory journeys, coming together in small groups in safe & exciting locations, provoking life long curiosity and connections.

I design slow travel experiences with the emphasis being connecting with local people, nature, food, art, music, stories and the history of the places we go. We learn to travel sketch or keep a travel journal and are curious eaters and foodies. We go out of our comfort zone a little to go off the beaten track and experience grassroots culture.

We remain sustainable for local communities, the local environment, ourselves and our creative lives.

Anna’s Art Food & Culture Experience’s are focussed on responsible, ethical, slow and grassroots experiential travel.

We attract clever, funny, brave, sad, happy, quiet, loud and adventurous souls from all over the world. Many guests come knowing that an experience with Art Food Culture is the very thing they need to help them shift gears and start living again. Many guests come because they have an inkling that creative connection is exactly what they need. Others are continuing on their journey, living their best lives.

Did you know…

*We are veg forward (lots of plant based meals).

*Alcohol free (no activities are focussed on or around drinking).

*Take early morning walks through the rice fields to local markets.

*Have an ongoing bookclub throughout the trip. The book of the trip is announced when you sign up.

*We are curious eaters, open to tasting the local food and drinks, and understanding other ways to eat. We will sit on the street and delight in street food, eat in family homes, in markets, on farms and in local eateries.

*We support Social Enterprises, in particular the education of girls.

*We are not backpackers any more, and do like some comfort, however we dont fuss over our lodgings, instead we focus on our daily interactions with community.

*We stay in boutique, locally run villas, bespoke hotels and quaint home stays, always with private rooms with private bathrooms (unless specified otherwise).

*We dont stay in global chain 5 star hotels, and always choose accomodations as close to the places we plan to visit, often in outlying neighbourhoods and off the beaten path.

*We connect with our creativity on a daily basis.

*We have interesting conversations centred around art & human endeavour.

*We learn about other cultures together, and have a deep interest in the living culture of the places we visit, over and above ticking off the major tourist sights for the sake of it.

*We go home with memories and stories, not suitcases full of more things.

*We dont discriminate between genders - Women are not “girls” and everyone is welcome.

*Pronouns are honoured.

*We don’t fester in our ethnocentricity, we challenge our inherent biases.

*We are open to sometimes getting outside our comfort zone for the sake of grassroots experiential learning.

*We pack lightly with practical outfits, and bring only 1 special outfit for a night out.

*We dont overpack, and always manage to wheel our own bags about.

*Anna’s Art, Food & Culture Experience’s are LGBTQIA+ safe spaces. We are also hetero friendly ;-)

*We have loads of fun, with thigh slapping laughter (the occasional snort) and most of us become friends for life with reunion trips always in the plans!

This is no ordinary trip. This is the trip you have wished someone would design. Anna has done that for you. We welcome you now.

Anna has held “Sketch&Lunch” 1 day workshops in Sydneys vibrant and colourful suburbs since 2017, hosted “Anna’s Art, Food & Culture Experiences” in Vietnam since 2017. She has designed and delivered cooking classes, been a cooking demonstrator, presented corporate team-building cooking events, and facilitated The Artist’s Way groups.

She has a Masters in Design Science from The University of Sydney and a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts and Social Anthropology. Anna was the Executive Chef of Sydney’s Best Specialty Restaurant winner and has worked in Sydney restaurants for over 25 years, focussing on specialty cuisines. She was the founder and operator of “Fiasco and Debacle”, Sydney’s largest artisan cafe cake manufacturer for 8 years, and still enjoys cooking for friends and baking for regular clients.

She is an artist, mother and traveller, and lives in Sydney, NSW, Australia.

Anna’s Art, Food and Culture Experience Curator & Host.

Retreats, Workshops, Day Trips, Classes, Demonstrations.

Illustrator - Food, Markets, Recipes, Urban Life.

Travel Journaller.

Organic Baker.

Sustainable Toymaker.

Photographer & Ethnographic Film Maker.

Content Creator :

@annasartfoodculture

@artfoodculturenature

@sydneytravelsketching

@annamariebarnesbakes

@artfoodculturephotos

@annabarnesstories

Nature Journalling Teacher The Blue Mountains, NSW, Australia.

Travel Sketching Teacher - Vietnam, Sydney, The Blue Mountains (NSW Australia).

2004 MDSc (Master of Design Science, Digital Media) - The University of Sydney.

2004 Dean's Honour Award - The University of Sydney.

1997 Executive Chef "Best Specialty Restaurant" winner Sydney.

1996 2nd Chef “Best Specialty Restaurant” winner.

1989-1999 Chef (Sydney Restaurants-specialty cuisines).

1992 BA (Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts and Social Anthropology- The University of Sydney)