Hanoi - Hoi An - Hanoi

We arrived on the overnight train from Sapa to Hanoi at 5.30am then headed straight for the airport for a long wait for our flight to Da Nang. Unfortunately on arrival our courtesy car didn’t arrivewhich left us a bit frustrated, so we had to get a taxi to our hotel in Hoi An. The journey is about 30 minutes. We stayed at a lovely hotel with it’s own private beach even got a body massage thrown in which was very welcome after bouncing around on a train and a plane over the previous 24 hours!

Hội An is a city on Vietnam’s central coast known for its well-preserved Ancient Town, cut through with canals. The former port city’s melting-pot history is reflected in its architecture, a mix of eras and styles from wooden Chinese shop houses and temples to colorful French colonial buildings, ornate Vietnamese tube houses and the iconic Japanese Covered Bridge with its pagoda.

As we had been to Hoi An previously and done all the touristy things then, we spent four days doing practically nothing bar lazing around the pool, reading and occasional walks along the lovely sandy beach. The sea was quite rough and cold so we only took a plunge once. It was a welcome break from travelling around. Every evening we went into the city which is when it is at its most beautiful with colourful lanterns adorning all the streets and shops and small boats on the river all colourfully lit up. 

There are dozens and dozens of lovely restaurants and it is hard to choose between them. We had a great meal at Morning Glory II restaurant and sampled the white rose dumplings, a local specialty. We also had a delicious prawn curry served with rice and a baguette (that’s the French influence) which sounds a bit odd but it did work dipping the bread in the sauce. Gentle music emits out of speakers in the main centre of Hoi An which is pedestrianised, just as well given the amount of tourists.

Which brings us on to the way that Hoi An has changed since the last time we were here only 5 years ago. Back then it seemed to be a more gentle city with fewer hotels and tourists, there are more Vietnamese, Korean and Chinese visitors, that’s clear. Cruise ships sail into Da Nang which brings another two to three thousand in weekly.

We went back to the Dive Bar, a bar we visited last time and got talking to John a gentle Australian guy who moved to Vietnam 15 years ago and runs a business, he confirmed that tourism has boomed over the last few years - still that’s progress.

And then there’s the unfortunate episode at the barbers where Mr C went for a hair cut “ Jeffery I said cut and blow wave not shave!” lamented Mrs C.

Talking of close shaves, we fortunately leave Vietnam on the 25th, 2 days before the Donald and Kim circus rolls into town!

We flew back to Hanoi and despite the cockroach episode ( the telling of this saga will wait for another time) stayed at the same hotel we stayed previously and a nice surprise awaited us, we were upgraded to a lovely room on a newly opened floor of the hotel.

Next stop Penang.