Hoi An - Vietnam

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Hoi An was my favorite stop in Vietnam. It is the town of lanterns and known for the best custom tailors in Vietnam. The old town along the river is a UNESCO World Heritage site and still holds old world charm; there is also a nice beach just a few miles from town.

The hotel where I stayed in Hoi An was also a highlight, it was Van Tranh 2. It is brand new, the rooms were so nice (huge bathrooms) and had a pool and full breakfast for $25. They also have free bikes for guests so I was able to bike around town and to the beach.

When getting clothes made it is very very hard not to get carried away. I got most of my clothes done at Yaly which is one of the more well known place and they do all of the sewing in house. Before coming to Hoi An I did some online research for clothes I wanted made. I actually was able to take my computer with photos from Saks and J Crew and they took the pictures on their jump drive, uploaded them to their computer and made almost exact copies of what I wanted. I was able to pick out all of the material and everything is custom tailored. I also went to a less popular place to get some cocktail dresses done, they had the most beautiful Thai silk, so I got a dress made out of silk and another made from Chiffon. I don’t know any girl that wouldn’t be ecstatic to go to Hoi An and get clothes custom made for a fraction of what you pay at home off the rack!

Another highlight in Hoi An was Cafe 43. I had been told to make that a must do in Hoi An by friends who had traveled through Vietnam. My first night I went there for dinner and it was great. It seems a little strange to go to same restaurant everyday on vacation but that is exactly what I and many many other people did when it comes to Cafe 43. After a few days you start to see all of the "regulars" and wave to them as you walk in, also it is run by a great family and they start to recognize you as well. I think everyone has their favorites at Cafe 43 (the menus are full of letters from customers that end up eating their everyday on vacation), my favorites were the grilled shrimp, so simple. Just full grilled shrimp and a dipping sauce of salt, pepper and fresh lime juice, incredible. I also really loved their fresh shrimp spring rolls. All of the seafood in Hoi An was delicious and it is easy to get spoiled when you can have incredibly fresh shrimp and squid for just a few dollars. In addition to the great food Cafe 43 also had the cheapest beer I drank in Vietnam. Only 3,000 Dong (15 cents) for a "fresh beer". It was always ice cold and tasted great and of course you can’t beat the price.

I wanted to make sure to take a cooking class in Vietnam because I really do love the food and I had heard really good things about a cooking school called Red Bridge. The day was a lot of fun but I think I actually enjoyed the things around the class more so than the actual class. We met at a restaurant in town and went to the market, then took a boat ride down the river. We went on a walk through their herb gardens and then got to cooking. We made rice paper and fresh spring rolls, eggplant in claypot and plate decoration. Everything took place outdoors in a beautiful setting.

Hoi An is a must do when visiting Vietnam. It is a charming town with wonderful tailors, food and beach.

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Photos

The beach
For a couple of dollars you rent a chair with the hut for a day

$.15 Beer at Cafe 43
The power would go out a lot in Hoi An so this was a dinner by candlelight

Successful Rice Paper
At cooking class making rice paper for fresh shrimp spring rolls