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Published: July 16th 2009
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B'lan
B'lan's contact details Period of travel ǀ Mon 6 July 2009 to Mon 13 July 2009
Cities visited ǀ Da Nang (6 Jul - 7 Jul)(Green Plaza Hotel) ǀ Hue (7 Jul - 9 Jul)(Hotel Saigon Morin) ǀ
Hoi An (9 Jul - 13 Jul)(Hoi An Riverside Resort & Spa)
Hoi An…
Weather:
It was sweltering HOT hot HOT!!! Temperatures averaged between 35°C to 36°C. It was also very humid.
Tailors:
We used 2 tailors, which we found through the internet - B’lan and Thu Thuy.
B’lan is my (much) preferred choice in terms of overall quality of the tailoring and price. They were straight shooting, fuss-free and to the point. Also, the cut of the final shirts and skirts were almost perfect the first time round on a tight timeline. Same for my fiancé. He made several shirts and a couple of suits. The workmanship was almost impeccable. Given the tight turnaround, we were VERY satisfied.
Also, I like that their default starting quote is based on locally-made fabric. This was unlike Thu Thuy, where the default quote will be based on imported fabrics. To be frank, for my shirts and skirts, the quality, overall look and
Mango Room
Mango Room feel of the locally made fabric was no different from the imported fabric. In fact, I preferred the clothes that were made with the local fabric. However, my clothes from B’lan were all made with local fabric. Those made with Thu Thuy were done with imported fabric. Frankly, the workmanship for Thu Thuy was really inferior compared to B’lan. Surprising as Thu Thuy is apparently the first tailor shop to be set up in Hoi An and is considered a pioneer. They are also much bigger. But if you like to be fawned over by a bevy of girls and are a sucker for service, then Thu Thuy is the place for you.
Can’t comment on the durability of the clothes as they are still wrapped in their plastic wrappers!
My two cents’ worth - stick to classic work clothes for both men and women i.e. suits, shirts, pants and skirts. These turned out well (significantly better at B’lan). But my dresses were disappointing (more so at Thu Thuy) - in terms of ability to follow the designs accurately and choice of fabrics by the staff (which really affects the look and cut of the dresses tremendously). From
Brother's Cafe
Brother's Cafe my observation (I could be wrong), after you pick a dress design from the shop’s pictures/magazines, rather than give the actual picture of the dress, the shop assistant does a rough drawing in an exercise book. And I think the tailor actually makes the dress based on either the rough drawing or a verbal explanation. It is only when the first cut doesn’t really turn out right that the tailor will then personally come to the shop to discuss and look at the actual picture. I think if you bring your own pictures, it may be better coz then the picture may be given to the tailor. I can’t say for sure as I didn’t bring my own. And I have to say specifically that all the above is really based on my observation so I strongly suggest you ask to be sure.
Food:
Mango Room. Mango Room. Mango Room. You MUST try. The cuisine is fusion and eclectic. Menu states that ingredients are organic. It was good quality. tasted like nothing I've ever eaten before.. in a REALLY good way. Portions are big and it is NOT cheap. When we were there, we noticed that
Bale Well
Bale Well many people walked in, sat down, looked at the menu and walked out. I think if you are on a budget, this is not a place for you. We had one appetiser, two mains, and a couple of fruit juices for around US$80. It was well worth the price.And this was the only place I dined at twice. Try the dishes that are labelled as signature, especially the prawn wrapped with beef (main). Awesome.
Brother’s Café. Try this as well. I love the traditional Hoi An noodles - was it called Mi Quang or something like that. Traditional rice noodles with pork char siew and prawns. Love it love it love it. It was so fresh, warm, savoury, sweet and delicious. The wantons were good too.
Tam Tam Café - overrated. I was not impressed. The spaghetti bolognaise was less than ordinary.
Cargo café - yummy profiteroles though nothing to scream about. Try the mango ice cream though. It was good.
Open air food court along the river. The first stall nearest the river, Mr. Hung, had wonderful spring rolls, which were so juicy and heavenly. Mrs. Hung said that their wantons were very very popular
Nam Son
Nam Son Foot Massage as well. We didn’t manage to try that though. That being said, their utensils were in the worst shape compared to the other stalls.
Bale Well - must-try simply coz you get a taste of local cuisine that is also eaten by the locals. Sells only spring rolls which you wrap yourself. Filling of pork or fried prawns. VERY hospitable and sociable hostess.
Massages:
Unlike Phuket or Bangkok in Thailand, massages in Hoi An are not as cheap or easily found around every corner. There are hardly any massage places in the town centre.
My favourite experience was with Nam Son Foot Massage at Cua Dai St. An hour’s foot massage costs US$16. I don’t consider that cheap for this part of the world. Good but you can find something better and cheaper in Thailand anytime. If you have a high tolerance for lack of cleanliness, you may want to try the spas that have more of a “local” flavour. They are obviously cheaper. We tried one called Aly Spa. Room was no frills and massage was ok. One hour’s full body massage cost US$15.
If you are adventurous, you can try this place called
Nam Son
Nam Son Foot Massage - Contact details Bao Tram, which belongs to the wife of our very nice cab driver, Mr. Yem. See the picture below. To put the pricing in perspective, an hour body massage costs US$12 and a 35-min foot massage costs US$6. Apparently, Mrs. Yem used to work in a hotel spa before taking the entrepreneurship route. The number on the left of the 'Bao Tram' picture below is Mrs. Yem's contact. However, if you would like a cab to go to the airport or perhaps take you on excursions outside Hoi An to Marble Mountain or My Son, you can call Mr. Yem, whose number is the one on the right. But as I have mentioned, I have NOT been to Bao Tram so I cannot vouch for the quality or the lack thereof so proceed at your own discretion!
By the way, just a side interesting point on Mr. Yem. He is actually the youngest of a family of 10 which fought in the Vietnam war as a Viet Cong against the Americans and the South. 6 of his siblings died in the war. When he was young, he stayed together with his family in one of those dark, claustrophobic tunnels.
Bao Tram
Bao Tram WOW! I've met a Viet Cong!!!
Best way to get around:
Hands down, it’s by way of scooter. Auto should cost around US$8-US$12 for a whole day. Manual will be a few dollars cheaper. Around town, walk. You will need to burn some calories.
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