Blogs from Hoi An, Quảng Nam, South Central Coast, Vietnam, Asia - page 135

After the awful train journey (no air-con and chain smoking locals) to Nha Trang we decided to fly to the next place which was Danang in order to get to Hoi An. This was much better however it was the first time I have ever been on a plane that had graffiti. We caused a big argument amongst the taxi drivers at the airport as there is the usual 'rip off the tourist' set fee to Hoi An. However during discussion with the girls who were asking for this, the Taxi drivers behind signalled a cheaper price to us which we took, much to the annoyance of the girls. We don't know any swear words in Vietnamese but we were pretty sure we were hearing them on the radio as we left. Hoi An was really ... read more

A sleeper coach had deposited us in Hoi An after holding us hostage at an associate hotel. The hotel staff were so keen to get our business they paraded the coach aisles pleading for us to just take a look at the rooms. A few passengers resorted to saying they would look at the rooms & once off the coach they scarpered along with all their heavy luggage. The long walk back into town was probably why the hotel didn't get much business in the first place. After we had been released our hotel had arranged for a taxi driver to pick us up & drive the short distance down the road through the oncoming hoards of cycling students wearing white Aoi Dai dresses (the girls anyway) on their way to school. Having caught up on ... read more

We are in Hoi An at the moment which is about half way up the coast. We flew here on a slightly dodgy flight at 7:30am this morning so we are pretty tired. This has to be the clothes capital of the world. It is only a tiny place but the are over 200 tailors and probably a similar number of shoe shops. Everything is made to measure so we went a little crazy (ok a lot crazy!) I decided to get a dress and a top made. You just need to give them a picture, or a garment that you want copied and then choose your fabric and you are away. They have a lot of NEXT directories for you to look at, as well as tons for magazines. It is really good as you ... read more

Hoi’An... An idyllic mix of Asian and Continental. Pastel coloured houses line palm-fringed streets. Row upon row of cloth shops sharking for your custom. Myself, Sarah, Colton and Rob arrived here yesterday, due south from Hue. The beach just up the road, days can be filled with kitting yourself out with a new wardrobe, tailor made to your specifications, and I hope lots of lazing around in the sweet sunshine. It’s hot, it’s beautiful, it’s cheap. We had to bid our farewells to the Swedes, for now at least. Visa issues. Until we meet again in Laos... ... read more

Hi all, Well last entry was from Hoi An, the little old colonial city of South Vietnam. We grabbed a bus from Hoi An to Hue (about 4 hours drive) and it cost the awsome amount of 3 bucks US ..... I'll have to get a second job when I get home : All the travel info we have read about this trip stated it was the most majestic trip over the mountains. We guess what. They have constructed a huge tunnel through the mountain range and now all you see is concrete, road and tunnel. (Took us about 10mins to get thru so it's a fair distance). But I suppose it did save us many hours on the journey. But then on saying that, the bus conveniently broke down at a Cafe on the way, ... read more