Hoi An

Hoi An was a refreshing break on my tour of Vietnam. A small tourist town, that operates at a slower pace than many other Vietnamese tourist stops. A great place to spend a few days, have some clothes and shoes made to measure, chill out at a great open air cafe and enjoy some “fresh beer”.

I arrived in Hoi An on a warm, rainy night after a long bus ride from Ha Noi. I thought that it would stop raining but it seemed that I arrived in the middle of the rainy season. This did not deter me a bit. Living in Southern California, I assumed that the rainy season means nothing more than exasperation from TV news station regarding flash flood in the LA river and horrible accidents on the freeway. So I expected it to be similar in Hoi An (even though it is in an entirely different continent, thousands of miles away). I expected bad driving (as if they don’t drive badly enough already), a little flooding from the river.

But I went to sleep, listening to the falling of the rain, only to wake up early in the morning, walking down into the motel’s lobby and saw that the water level rose into the motel’s lobby. Soon everyone gathered at the stairs watching the water rising slowly.

Lovely

i love this place! Its a refreshing break away from the craziness of Saigon.

I wanted to like this town, and I am sure I would have 10 years ago. It’s beautiful. It is now entirely geared towards tourism, which would have been not that bad if locals weren’t so aggressive. I was really disappointed with the town, and also felt really mislead by The Lonely Planet recommedations of places to go and eat, which really surprised me because this hasn’t been my experience in the past. By all means avoid Top Bannna and Cafe Des Amis.

Bring your money and your ideas on clothes you want to make…hehe. When my friend came back and told me about the seamstresses, etc, i cut out pics from magazines and of course, got lots of clothes made. the farther out you walk from the old city centre, the cheaper the prices are. Don’t forget to check out the cooking classes at one of the restaurants in the centre of the old town!

Of all the cities I visited in Vietnam, this was my favorite city. The people here are super kind, will go out of their way to make you happy (even though it might inconvience them). The beaches here are beautiful – I could look up and down the beach at my resort and not see another hotel or vendor (unlike places in Thailand I have been, vendors didn’t seem to stroll the beach and bother you while you relaxed on the beach). Beaches were totally unspoiled – possibly the best I have been too, because of the seclusion, tranquility, and weather. (and I’ve been to quite a few beaches).

Another attraction in Hoi An is the town itself. Totally quaint and easy to walk around. The tailoring here is totally great – I had a toggle wool coat (amoung other items) made for $25 US dollars, while one of my friends had 4 suits (top quality material) with matching shirts and ties made for less than $250. Just be sure to shop around a little bit first to get the best deal, and be specific as to what you want. Bring pictures if you are particualy picky. Also, be sure to go for extra fittings – some of my other friends didn’t have more than the initial measurement, while my aforementioned friend with the 4 suits went for 3 measurements.

All in all, no trip to Vietnam is complete without a trip to Hoi An. Just be sure to visit soon, since the commercialism will be sure to take over this hidden gem.

yes, the clothes! But the beach isn’t bad and it’s a lovely old town. Really fell in love with it.

This town looks like it’s been plucked out of a painting. A small jewel worth visiting!

Get tons and tons of clothes made, it’s so much fun!