Being one of the country’s more wealthy towns, Hoi An has put itself on the map and has definitely been one of the highlights of our visit to Vietnam. Sightseeing-wise it isn’t the best, but if you are looking for a heavenly spa break or a tailor made suit/dress this is the place you need to be. There are many five-star resorts already situated along the beach, with others on their way. The Old Town is beautiful on an evening, the streets are lit with hundreds of lanterns instead of beaming street lamps, giving it a lovely ambience. You won’t struggle to find a place to eat either, no matter what your budget, there will be something for you. The first night we ate in Hoi An’s first ever restaurant ‘Mermaid’ and it was beautiful fresh food, the second night we found a quaint little cafe overlooking the river and both managed a 3 course meal for £6 in total. Cooking classes are offered in most restaurants and they seem a very popular thing to do whilst in the town.
If like us you are missing the gym, a trip to Marble Mountains just along the coast will give you a bloody good workout. We hired a motorbike and drove about 25km North towards Danang city to see the five striking mountains, each named after the five elements (metal, water, wood, fire, earth). Opting to take the stairs to the top instead of the lift was hard enough in the heat, then you have some caves to explore once you get there. The natural caves shelter some Hindu and Buddhist places of worship and each mountain has it’s own Pagoda. Believe me, you need a pair of walking sandals as the marble is very slippery, a bottle of water if you fancy climbing to the very top and maybe an ice cream break half way up just to catch your breath.
The highlight of our visit to Hoi An had to be our half day at the beach, where we were kept entertained by a couple (who had to be in their 60’s) taking posing shots of each other on the beach. Cowboy hats and sticks as props, then using the waves and sea as a different backdrop, they had us, and the rest of the beach goers transfixed for about half an hour. Show offs!
We nearly there yet? 