Fifteen hours, two buses, and a rather confusing wake up call which included a two hour wait in a breakfast cafe with 30 others, just as confused (and exhausted) tourists, and we were finally in Hoi An.
We really loved our time in Hanoi, and a part of me was a little sad to leave the bustling streets of the old quarter, but the excitement of Hoi An helped me recover.
A UNESCO World Heritage site, the name Hoi An translates to “peaceful meeting place” and still functions today as a typical Southeast Asian trading port. However, tourism is definitely the biggest commodity Hoi An offers present day. A whopping 3.22 million tourists visited Hoi An in 2017 (including us!).
I swear, if you were to look up the word charming, you would see an image of this picture perfect town. We splurged and spent $18 (instead of $16) for the deluxe room at the newly constructed Hoi An Rose Hotel and couldn’t have been happier with our decision. While there was a very odd bathroom set up, the balcony (and free breakfast and bikes) made up for any shortcomings in layout.
The number one thing I wanted to do in Hoi An was visit a tailor and see about having some western clothes made. I did my homework and convinced Brian that I needed to go to one of the top three tailors (read: more expensive) as I wanted to make sure I had a good experience and didn’t end up crying in the dressing room. Having been in one too many “crying in the dressing room” situations, Brian happily agreed to my request.
I’ll write a whole post dedicated to getting tailor made clothes in Hoi An, but for now, all you need to know is go to Bebe Tailors and ask for Ti. I promise, you won’t be disappointed. (and if you want more information, feel free to send us an email!)
When I wasn’t living out my Project Runway dream, Brian and I were enjoying walking through this romantic city and finding new cafes and bars to enjoy an ice milk coffee or cold beer. I know I keep saying this but Hoi An truly felt like we were walking the streets of Provence. With it’s faded mustard colored buildings, rustic walls blanketed in vibrant bougainvillea, and picturesque bicycles adorned with baskets, it took everything in me not to skip down the narrow streets singing “Bonjour!” I kept waiting for plump french men standing in the doorway of their bakeries to toss baguettes into my apron (PS. Is anyone else as excited for Beauty and the Beast as I am?!).
We spent four days eating, drinking and relaxing in Hoi An. We rode bikes through rice fields to the beach, ate delicious rice paper pizza taco things (that’s what we called them, they are actually called bahn tráng nuong), and ended our nights watching tourist release candles into the water under an unforgettable colorful lantern filled sky.
It was one of the few times that it almost felt like Brian and I were on an actual vacation (before you roll your eyes, just trust me! traveling like this isn’t always fun and games). Hoi An was the perfect antidote to the chaos of Hanoi and a great transition to our next destination, Dalat!
S+B
