Several people had said to me before I came to Vietnam that one of the highlights would be the town of Hoi An. They were spot on.
If you were to ask me to write down all the attributes of what constiutues a perfect holiday location, this place would pretty much have the lot. It is a town with incredible culture and charm, and a relaxing antidote to some of this country's more frenetic tourist destinations.
Hoi An is a very small place, but that in itself is part of the attraction. The ancient centre of the town - clusterted around two rivers - is very colonial French in its architecture, but also includes pagodas going back to the 15th century. It is exceptionally well kept, cars are banned from certain streets and if the locals are trying to sell stuff, it's boat trips and paintings rather than hookers and hash.
I cannot speak highly enough about this place. I arrived on Saturday 14 February, with a hotel booked for two nights. By the end of the day I had extended it to three. By Sunday lunch time I had made that four.
My experience of Hoi An didn't get off to the best of starts, but that was my fault. I somehow managed to get lost on my way from the hotel to the town centre - quite an achievement in a place this size. And so I found myself walking out of town instead of into it, and along streets that were not as inviting as the guide books suggested. It was a relief to discover I was walking the wrong way. I had done the equivalent of arriving in London to visit Buckingham Palace, only to find myself walking through an industrial estate in Croydon.
When I did find myself in the centre of Hoi An, I was immediately charmed by the place. There are restaurants serving the most amazing food, really cool bars, heaps of cultural 'stuff' and lots of shops. Handmade clothing is a speciality here, if you like that sort of thing.
My hotel is wicked. For a avery affordable price, I have a large traditionally decorated room with all mod cons and a balcony looking over a paddy field. It's absolutely perfect for what I need. On Saturday night I came back from the bars and had a choice of three live games I could watch from the Premier League and FA Cup on tv. Getting home from the boozer and watching the footy is something I've done many times, but not in tropical heat overlooking a paddy field...
If all that wasn't enough, a few kilometers away is an amazing beach. However it says much about Hoi An's appeal that most people prefer to stay in the town rather than sit on the sand.
If you haven't been here before, make sure you do. If you have already, make sure you do so again.
If you were to ask me to write down all the attributes of what constiutues a perfect holiday location, this place would pretty much have the lot. It is a town with incredible culture and charm, and a relaxing antidote to some of this country's more frenetic tourist destinations.
Hoi An is a very small place, but that in itself is part of the attraction. The ancient centre of the town - clusterted around two rivers - is very colonial French in its architecture, but also includes pagodas going back to the 15th century. It is exceptionally well kept, cars are banned from certain streets and if the locals are trying to sell stuff, it's boat trips and paintings rather than hookers and hash.
I cannot speak highly enough about this place. I arrived on Saturday 14 February, with a hotel booked for two nights. By the end of the day I had extended it to three. By Sunday lunch time I had made that four.
My experience of Hoi An didn't get off to the best of starts, but that was my fault. I somehow managed to get lost on my way from the hotel to the town centre - quite an achievement in a place this size. And so I found myself walking out of town instead of into it, and along streets that were not as inviting as the guide books suggested. It was a relief to discover I was walking the wrong way. I had done the equivalent of arriving in London to visit Buckingham Palace, only to find myself walking through an industrial estate in Croydon.
When I did find myself in the centre of Hoi An, I was immediately charmed by the place. There are restaurants serving the most amazing food, really cool bars, heaps of cultural 'stuff' and lots of shops. Handmade clothing is a speciality here, if you like that sort of thing.
My hotel is wicked. For a avery affordable price, I have a large traditionally decorated room with all mod cons and a balcony looking over a paddy field. It's absolutely perfect for what I need. On Saturday night I came back from the bars and had a choice of three live games I could watch from the Premier League and FA Cup on tv. Getting home from the boozer and watching the footy is something I've done many times, but not in tropical heat overlooking a paddy field...
If all that wasn't enough, a few kilometers away is an amazing beach. However it says much about Hoi An's appeal that most people prefer to stay in the town rather than sit on the sand.
If you haven't been here before, make sure you do. If you have already, make sure you do so again.
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