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Published: December 23rd 2014
Hoi An After travelling from Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Ninh Binh, Hue and then ending up in a beautiful place like Hoi An, we thought we would stay here forever. The Vietnam experience was starting to show its true colours and we were getting sick of the residents fleecing us at every opportunity. Even with the most genuine smile and chat the locals have a well-tuned knack for extracting money from your pocket for no reason. 14 hour bus tours with no toilet and the feeling like you are going to die with every dodgy over taking manoeuvre is not as painful as realising that the money you handed over to the nice guy at the tourist shop was double the price of the cost and the experience is shocking, don’t be a tourist, explore everything yourself and enjoy the fruits of this country in our own time. The Vietnamese people are out to take your cash at every opportunity.
On the flip side the scenic views and food is splendid. Don’t be put off by my generalisation of the smiling rip off merchants, they are only trying to build their country after the westerners raped
it with war, brutality and pain, so now its just a little pay back dollar by dollar until learning and stability settle in. I am loving my time in Vietnam and after three weeks I enjoy it more and more.
From Trang An caves to delightful Hue dinning at Risotto, from raining constantly to the scenic Marble Mountain drive, from Da Nang to Hoi An it’s a surreal trip that I wish I had done years ago. The weather in Hoi An was cold as we have acclimatised to the Asian weather and the rain made us fly from Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City.
Hoi An is a must. The place transforms in the evening and the lights make this one of the best places to stroll about. The beauty only last a few days though, get in and out quick with your tailored togs as the hawkers become a nuisance and you cant walk 5 metres without someone tiredly asking you if you would like a banana pancake, motorbike, candle, restaurant, massage, banana pancake, motorbike, candle, restaurant, massage, banana pancake, motorbike, candle, restaurant, massage, banana pancake, motorbike, candle, restaurant, massage, banana
pancake, motorbike, candle, restaurant, massage, banana pancake, motorbike, candle, restaurant, massage, banana pancake, motorbike, candle, restaurant, massage, banana pancake, motorbike, candle, restaurant, massage, banana pancake, motorbike, candle, restaurant, massage, or a ticket to the old town which is free any way. Try and make your visit two or three nights and pick out some new gear at a cheap cost, eat at some fancy cheap restaurants and enjoy the cakes at cargo then when the hawkers become too much, exit and try some where new.
Saigon or HCMC is a bustling city just like Bangkok but with a more modern approach. The place is nice and the streets are filled with whatever you want!!! We stayed only a short while as we pushed on to Mui Ne, the kite surfing mecca full of kites and Russians. More to come……
Have a merry Christmas and all the best for a New Year.
Love you all xx
Hoi An (Wiki)
Hội An is a city of
Vietnam, on the coast of the
East Sea in the
South Central Coast region of Vietnam. It is located in
Quảng Nam Province and is home to approximately 120,000 inhabitants.
Hội An Ancient Town is an exceptionally well-preserved example of a South-East Asian trading port dating from the 15th to the 19th century. Its buildings and its street plan reflect the influences, both indigenous and foreign, that have combined to produce this unique heritage site.
The city possessed the largest harbour in Southeast Asia in the 1st century and was known as
Lâm Ấp Phố (Champa City). Between the seventh and 10th centuries, the Cham (people of
Champa) controlled the strategic
spice trade and with this came tremendous wealth. The former harbour town of the Cham at the estuary of the
Thu Bồn River was an important Vietnamese trading centre in the 16th and 17th centuries, where
Chinese from various provinces as well as Japanese, Dutch and Indians settled. During this period of the China trade, the town was called
Hai Pho (Seaside Town) in Vietnamese. Originally, Hai Pho was a divided town with the Japanese settlement across the "Japanese Bridge" (16th-17th century). The bridge (Chùa cầu) is a unique covered structure built by the Japanese, the only known covered bridge with a Buddhist temple attached to one side.
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Jerry
non-member comment
Your a true traveller now................
Davy Lad, I see the hawkers are finally getting to you along with their legendary capability to extract cash. On tip for you, and worth the investment if you are staying a few days is to do what I did. After being constantly bothered on the beach to buy all sorts of crap, I decided to turn the tables, one guy tried to sell me some sun glasses (although I clearly already had some) so after he exhausted his pitch I tried to sell him mine "best western make, only 50 dollar, Bargain for you my friend". He walked away, but I followed him the length of the beach until he thought I was a crazy man. Did this a couple of times, and word soon got round, they didn't bother me any more after that! So as soon as they try to sell you something, immediately try and sell them something, that really drives the point home! Enjoy Saigon, great city, Hue was good too, better if the Americans hadn't destroyed it during the war! Merry Christmas, Jerry