Hoi An (Vietnam)

...ugly high rise buildings. Today, Hoi An is still a small city, you can easily walk around the whole town and you do have to walk as cars are banned in the main town centre which makes it much easier though no less crowded as motor bikes are not banned and go quite fast round the little streets. There are a fair number of tourists but somehow they do not dominate the place. The tourist take on the attitude and atmosphere of Hoi An rather than Hoi ...
...taxi from the airport to Hoi An costs about £7 as they have a monopoly but it is far less for the return journey .
By train:There is no railway station in Hoi An and the nearest is in Danang, which has several trains a day from Hanoi, Saigon, Hue, Nha Trang etc.

We flew to Danang which is near China Beach ( where the Americans had their Rest and Recreation) and then drove to Hoi An. Fortunately despite the fact the Americans ... more

A bit of history:

In 1999, the old town was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO as a well-preserved example of a Southeast Asian trading port of the 15th to 19th centuries, whose buildings display a unique blend of local and foreign influences. Because of this the government have stopped any building that is not in keeping with this old town so there are no ugly high rise buildings. Today, Hoi An is still a small city, you can easily walk around the whole town and you do have to walk as cars are banned in the main town centre which makes it much easier though no less crowded as motor bikes are not banned and go quite fast round the little streets. There are a fair number of tourists but somehow they do not dominate the place. The tourist take on the attitude and atmosphere of Hoi An rather than Hoi An becoming a tawdry outpost for tourists wanting hot weather but European food etc. Because it is cheap it has become a well established place on the backpacker trail, a bit like Thailand twenty years ago. In fact twenty years ago other Asian countries were like this and my hope is that Vietnam does not change and become another Hong Kong, Malaysia or Thailand - lovely though those places are they have changed a lot in the last twenty years and not all for the better.

Getting there:
By plane:The nearest airport is in Danang, which has flights to Hanoi, Saigon and some to Bangkok, Singapore and Siem Reap, Cambodia (for Angkor Wat). A taxi from the airport to Hoi An costs about £7 as they have a monopoly but it is far less for the return journey .
By train:There is no railway station in Hoi An and the nearest is in Danang, which has several trains a day from Hanoi, Saigon, Hue, Nha Trang etc.

We flew to Danang which is near China Beach ( where the Americans had their Rest and Recreation) and then drove to Hoi An. Fortunately despite the fact the Americans used this area for R&R it does not seem to have taken on the seedier aspects like Saigon, in fact it seemed relatively unchanged and undamaged.

We stayed at a lovely old hotel called The Ancient House Hotel which was charming, friendly with a beautiful garden and a pool like a warm bath. We had fruit and little bean cakes wrapped in banana leaf left in our room every day. It wasn't modern, the bathroom had seen better days but everything was very clean. This is a website showing the hotel to give you an idea of facilities and prices http://www.hotelclub.net/hotel.reservations/Ancient_House_Resort_Hoi_An.htm

We visited Yaly tailors and had a suit made for my husband and several items for me including matching shoes for 2 outfits at £2.50 per pair!! I understand there were cheaper tailors but our guide recommended these. Since we have been back I notice on the internet that these tailors seem to be rated quite highly in reviews like Lonely Planet. They were extremely attentive but you do have to get over the embarrassment of being measured and inspected by beautiful sylph like girls - my husband thought it was wonderful and I usually have to do all his clothes shopping as he hates shops!!
Website: http://www.yalycouture.com/Index.asp

The Red Bridge Cooking School was fun. We had a fascinating boat trip down the river . On the way our motor boat was hailed by a tiny lady with no teeth and a huge grin in a rowing boat. Our driver caught her rope and tried it to our boat. She then proceeded to do her house or boat work. She washed her pots and then her clothes all the while been towed down the river by our boat it was very entertaining. As well as watching our hitch hiker we saw duck farms and huge fishing nets drying by been draped right across the river, small children playing and lots of other river action. We were met at the Red river Cookery School and given a tour of their beautiful garden where we were shown the different herbs, spices, fruit and vegetables used in Vietnamese cookery. We then had a cookery demonstration from a chef with a sharp sense of humour and tried to do our own version in a kitchen beside the river … what a view!! We then enjoyed the fruits of our labour for lunch in their restaurant beside the river, a beautiful setting in a truly idyllic place. We then returned along the river to Hoi An - a great day and thoroughly recommended for both adults and children alike.
Website: http://www.visithoian.com/redbridge.html

Throughout Vietnam the food was amazing, unique herbs and quite hot and very cheap. There were regional specialities which we tried and these included:
Cao lầu, a dish of rice noodles and apparently authentic cao lau uses only water from a special well in the city. The noodles are topped with slices of roast pork, dough fritters, and lots of fresh herbs and veggies. Also very tasty and worth trying.
White rose (banh bao vac), a type of shrimp dumpling made from translucent white dough bunched up to look like a rose. Looks rather insipid but taste delicious
There are lots of sites recommended, such as the Japanese Bridge, and various Chinese temples but we just wandered around and soaked up the atmosphere. We did visit the Marble Mountains 9km south of Danang where several Buddhist temples have been built into the caves and grottoes. A lot of climbing involved but well worth it as the temples were lovely and views over the local area. There was a lot of dust from all the marble mining and processing. You could buy anything in marble from enormous statues to small ornaments depending on your taste and size of wallet.

I loved Hoi An and would go back there again tomorrow given half a chance. Vietnam is a lovely country and well worth a visit. I plan to do reviews of other parts when I have time. 

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