@travellingwiththeateam

After a cloudy start this morning, the sun returned early afternoon, so we decided to take the hotel bikes out again and explore a little more by peddle power.

The ride into the old town is only 10mins and is pretty much a straight road. The only hazards are the other road users, with over taking & under taking often occurring at the same time. Added to this there are no traffic lights, so at junctions it’s just a case of who is the bravest and has the loudest horn and the confidence to just keep going!!

Once we hit the crowds in the old town, we quickly found a cafe for a drink and an opportunity to people watch. With the advent of social media, places like Hoi A with its quaint historic cafe buildings are a perfect backdrop for budding YouTube & Tic Tok users who knock out endless photos. So it was today, as within 30mins we watched tens of mainly young South Koreans take hundreds of photos in front of our cafe in every pose you can think of. Funny old & new world….

After the liquid refreshment we got back on the bikes and followed the river past an array of bars and restaurants with hanging colourful flowers. It truly is a beautiful place.

It’s very difficult to cycle around Hoi A without feeling the need to stop and take it all in. So it proved for us and we decided to retire again to our favourite little roadside bar opposite the river and the taxi cycle hub. No sooner had we sat down, the bar man had already remembered our order from the last visit (never a good sign!) and two Saigon beers were placed in front of us. Does it get much better than this?!

The break from the bikes was only short and we were soon back on tour, passing the throng of cycle taxis all laid out in a line, ready for the off.

Out of the centre, back towards our hotel, we headed to the paddy fields to catch the sunset at an aptly named restaurant called Roving Chill-house.

We sat perched just above the rice fields with unspoilt views looking out towards the setting sun.

The way of life here doesn’t appear to have changed that much for hundreds of years. We watched a lady fertilise the rice crop by hand sprinkling what looked like salt over the green maturing crop to keep the pests away.

As the food arrived it became clear that the residing clouds would hamper our view of the setting sun, so instead we settled in with our veggie garden food and just enjoyed being in the serene countryside surroundings.

As the darkness descended we returned to our bikes for the mile return cycle to the hotel. Another day of enjoying what’s on our door step.

In a couple of days we will be back on the road, returning to a more mobile existence as we ebb our way up the coast to Cat Ba Island and a return to Hanoi in the early part of August.

We’ve been staying at the Little Oasis hotel now for almost 10 days, so it’s become a home from home.

The one year celebrations started early at breakfast, and as ‘special guests’ we were treated to a prominent position, so we had full view of the entertainment they’d put on.

The Vietnamese love a good photo opportunity, but who doesn’t, and after this we were entertained by traditionally dressed dancers who performed a Vietnamese dance.

We felt honoured to be part of their ‘wider family’ at such an important time for the hotel team. Salome the general manager is a wonderful leader and so incredibly friendly and welcoming. She helps to make the place it is.

After the mornings merriment, we settled into an extended breakfast out on the veranda, checking out the veggie patch and the return of the sunshine.

All the vegetables grown in the gardens make their way on to the tables of the restaurant and fulfils the hotels ethos of being environmental and sustainable.

With the return of the sunshine we headed down to the beach at Bai Bien A Bang. It was a glorious warm afternoon and a proper wave fest out at sea.

We’ve experienced a change in the weather over the last few days, with more clouds and some rain, but the sun still seems to find its way through and today proved the same. We have learned to ignore the weather forecast, with its tales of rain and woe!

The beach and restaurant were both busy, with the majority of the sun worshippers being either Australians or Europeans maxing out on the sun loungers.

In between the odd dip in the water, it was back to book reading, with the odd interruption to finesse our travel plans with a spot of train and bus bookings and Booking.com ogling….

This evening was the big hurrah for the hotel’s 1st birthday and we were treated to champagne cocktails and a bbq.

After grabbing a photo on the party stage, we were entertained by the staff from the hotel performing a local dance.

Next up was the fire dancer who proved to be very skilful and at the end of her performance we got in on the act and put on a side show of our own. Not sure we will be booked again!

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After dinner and a couple of cocktails, there was more dancers, a DJ spinning some rave tunes, then a local guitarist before a final performance from female dancers with a peacock inspired show. Such a fun night and hats off to the hotel staff for making it feel so special.

Tomorrow we had planned to head out on a boat tour of Cham Island, but due to uncertain weather we changed this to Thursday, our last full day in Hoi An before we head north to Hue by train.

So tomorrow, Tuesday will be a relaxing day next to the pool with dinner locally. Until then.

Our first rainy day in Hoi An, which meant for a relaxed affair at the hotel until the weather improved.

We spent the morning, post breakfast, enjoying the views from the veranda out across the vegetable garden and the feeding water buffaloes.

With the rain showing no signs of subsiding, we picked up our books and headed for the covered pool side. As we have only a few days left in Hoi An we started to organise our plans for the remaining few weeks in Vietnam.

Our first port of call will be Hue, which we visited briefly on our tour of SE Asia, back in late May, before following the coast to Dong Hoi and a few days spent exploring the national park and famous caves at Phong Nha. From there it’s on to Ninh Binh, via a flight to Hanoi and a 2hr bus south to this adventure playground.

Our hotel will be celebrating its first birthday tomorrow, so the preparations for the party are already in full swing and we were honoured to be one of the first to get their photo in the hotel lobby.

This afternoon we were back into Hoi An old town to pick up a shirt that we’ve had made by a local tailor. Andy had bought a short sleeved shirt whilst we were in Malaysia and loves it so much that we got it copied and made up in a deep blue colour. The shirt has been made from scratch in 2 days and all for just £16.

The great news is the newly made up shirt is as good as we hoped! Added to this the tailor made it clear it was drizzle proof too…..!!!

After the success with the shirt, we went in search of a leather bag for our daughter Amelia.

After a mostly wet day, Hoi An centre was a lot quieter than other nights which made it easier to navigate and we were able to stop and take photos of the lantern shops, without an invasion of South Korean tourists descending.

Our luck seems in tonight, as Michelle negotiated the purchase of a black leather bag for Amelia.

After the purchases we made our way to Hoi An Cuisine, a restaurant we had spotted a couple of nights before which does great street food with a twist.

As we were not too hungry, Andy went for a Vietnamese chicken salad and soup, whilst Michelle opted for fresh spring rolls with pork and shrimp. The food looked and tasted so delicious and healthy to boot. It really does feel like the food we will continue to eat when we return to the Uk.

We spent an enjoyable hour at the restaurant marvelling at the success of the food and how much we are loving our extended stay in Hoi An. It’s been a real treat to stay in such a wonderful part of Vietnam and get to know the people and the Hoi An area. We would definitely recommend it to anyone thinking of visiting the country.

After dinner there was just enough time for Michelle to negotiate one more purchase, a special gift for her sister Deborah. Hopefully she’ll like it!

We are getting used to navigating our way around Hoi An and catching a glimpse of life for the locals.

Also the beauty of the buildings in and around the old town whose beauty does not dim even after visiting for the six or seventh time during our two week stay.

Having returned to the hotel we went to bed reasonably early and set our alarm for 2am to watch the Euros final between England & Spain. Sadly lightning didn’t strike again, Kane & Co were unable to overturn the might of the Spanish footballing wizards losing 2.1. It’s such a shame, but in truth we were just so pleased they made it to the final and put in a reasonable performance.

With the game finishing around 4am here in Vietnam, we returned to our slumber in the hope of getting a few more hours before a special hotel bday breakfast at 8.30am. Until then.

After an early breakfast, we picked up bikes and went to explore the nearby paddy fields and the Tra Que garden village.

Within a matter of minutes we were out within the rice fields, on cycle paths, taking in the wonderful views and enjoying the glorious sunshine.

We had been given a route to follow to a cafe spot and we ebbed in and out around the rice fields and water channels in search of Missah Cafe, a Insta favourite stop.

The area is made for cycling, with quiet paths stretching out into the distance bordered by the sea at one side and a snaking river at the other.

Michelle soon got her cycling legs and was happy to lead the way acting as the spotter for water buffalo amongst the flooded fields.

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This new mode of transport suited Michelle and there was soon a declaration that she would be happy to cycle more when we get back to the Uk!

We eventually found an ideal spot for a coffee in amongst the paddy fields and settled into our comfy chairs to take in the stunning vista.

This has to be one of the best cycle stops we’ve experienced, although my cycle buddies in Oxford will be comforted to hear that there was no bacon baguettes on offer!!!

The coffee shop itself was stunning sitting over three floors to provide the maximum views and proved to be a real haven for tourists wanting to get that perfect photo out across the paddy fields.

We then made our way to Tra Que, an area famed as the garden village where the locals farm the land growing a host of vegetables.

Such an incredible place, and what a way to spend your days with music playing in the background as the locals toil in the fields.

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We then set a route to take us back along the paths bordering the water channels to our Little Oasis hotel. Such a great way to spend the morning exploring this stunning countryside.

Back at the hotel, we had a quick dip in the pool before changing and readying ourselves for a cookery course we’d booked.

Nothing says cooking like a chef’s tall hat and apron. Some might say, all the gear but still no idea….

After a brief tutorial we were soon at work preparing the entree, fresh pork spring rolls , followed by fried spiced fish and vegetables in clay pot, finishing with a banana frittata dipped in rum and honey for dessert.

The hotel chef gave us a brief overview of how to prepare each dish and we then tried our best to become the next Masterchef – although we had fierce competition from a French couple who were also on the course. I think it’s fair to say they were more disciplined with their presentation!

Within a blink of an eye the three courses were done and we were ready to sit down and try out the results.

The great news was it was not only edible but actually tasted delicious. We even got the recipes and plan to give it another go when back in Oxford.

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We both polished off the three courses over lunch and we are pleased to report there was no sickness later, so the fish was properly cooked.

After our productive morning and lunch, we spent the afternoon planning out our travel route over the last few weeks in Vietnam, with the next stop being Hue before we head to the caves in Phong Nha and beyond.

Tomorrow looks like the first wet day in a while, so it may prove to be a quieter affair.

With the sun returning this morning, we pressed repeat and spent the time around the hotel pool.

The storm of last night seems long gone and we are back to bright blue skies.

Michelle has a new book so is content to read and chill, whereas Andy is back in the gym trying to set a new 10k time on the treadmill!

Around 4pm we headed into Hoi An to find a tailor to make a copy of a shirt that Andy bought in Malaysia. They suggested some similar material and informed us it will be ready to pick up in 48hrs. We then went in search of a leather clutch bag that Amelia had wanted and think we’ve found a bargain at just £10!

Feeling in a productive move we then found a tour to Cham Island where we plan to spend Tuesday, snorkelling, exploring and generally enjoying the natural beauty of the old pagodas and beaches.

With early evening not for away we went out on a small lantern boat up the river along the route of the old town.

Fortunately for us we had the boat to ourselves and our lady skipper then proceeded to row us expertly up the busy stretch of river manoeuvring around the other pleasure boats.

We picked a great time to go on the boat, just as the sun started to drop and you were able to catch the changes in the night’s sky.

This is an experience we’ve been planning to do since arriving in Hoi An, as it gives you the opportunity to see the town from a different perspective and take in the spectacle of the whole place. It is truly beautiful and we are so glad to be spending some extra time here before we move back north.

Our little journey up the river took us as far as the main bridge where people flock to take pictures of the boats and the lanterns in all their splendour.

At this time of the day, with night coming, all you see are the many coloured lanterns illuminating the shops and restaurants.

As our boat trip was coming to an end, the sunset had been and gone and the night was lit by the various lanterns on land and water.

We spotted tonight’s restaurant from the water and realised it was staggering distance from where the boat stopped.

We took one last photo from the boat of the scene waterside before disembarking and taking the short walk to our new favourite spot where you can get great Vietnamese noodles for a couple of pounds.

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After dinner we went for a wander along the river and bumped into yet another of the Disney clan. Andy just can’t resist making their acquaintance.

After our wander along the waterfront we made our way back to the bus stop, not before taking a couple more obligatory photos with lanterns and colourful flowers!

Tomorrow we are off on a bike ride to the paddy fields and vegetable gardens in the local villages. We’ve been told there’s a great cafe in the midst of the rice fields so plan to drop in there to take in the views.

We also have a cookery course to look forward to at the hotel – so until then.

After our late night/early morning watching the England v Holland match, we had a much needed lie in and a late breakfast.

Our plans today involve full-on indulgence, with an early afternoon body massage for Andy and a facial for Michelle.

The hotel spa greeted us with a soothing foot wash along with a hot ginger infused drink.

The foot spa also included a ginger infused warmed water which meant our feet were tingling after the 5 minute soaking.

We were both ready for our hour long treatments and we weren’t to be disappointed. Andy went for the full body massage with a sports bias and a bit more pressure, Michelle was keen to be pampered and had an anti-aging facial that helped to rejuvenate her face and muscles.

By the end of the hour we both commented how fully relaxed we now felt. It’s amazing how mentally and emotionally stable you feel after these kinds of treatments.

After returning to the pool side, we noticed the arrival of dark clouds and a chilling wind.

Within 15mins the heavy rain storm arrived and proceeded to rise and fall over the next hour or so. Being sheltered from the elements it was great to just watch as the clouds descended and the sky darkened brining torrential rain that you just don’t see in the UK.

We took this time to chat, read and watch the rain clouds.

We managed to catch part of the storm on video to illustrate how strong the rain was.

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As the storm deceased we moved to the downstairs bar for some light refreshment and to take advantage of the buy one get one free offer. It was a cocktail offer for Michelle and local beers for Andy.

After the rain, the rainbow arrived and we marvelled at the wonderful views from the hotel garden out across the river and beyond.

After a couple of drinks at the hotel bar, we soon decided that the best place to stay and eat was where we were.

After ordering some pizza (not v healthy) and trying to counteract this with a salad, we got comfy and chilled in the calm of the hotel garden patio. It’s fair to say this is one of the better ways to spend a relaxing evening.

As the night wore on, the nights sky was lit up by an electric storm with repeated flashes of lightning. At times the whole sky was lit up and we were able to see right into the eye of the storm.

We’ve never really seen lightning without thunder before and we were captivated by the changes in the nights sky.

Having had a displaced sleep the night before we were both keen on an early sleep and so it proved as we both struggled to keep awake much beyond 10pm.

Tomorrow we plan to pick up the bikes from the hotel and take a trip out to the paddy fields and grab lunch in one of the restaurants in the countryside. Until then.

A day messing about on the water.

One of the things every one should do when visiting Hoi An is to go on a basket boat to see the coconut village.

Today was the day, we picked up bikes from our hotel and cycled out to the river to experience it for ourselves.

The cycling route to the coconut village took us through idyllic paddy fields in soaring heat, but thankfully the ride was only 15mins and before we knew it we were boarding our craft and putting on our traditional hats.

Our guide was a lovely lady who smiled and laughed throughout our time together. Despite the heat she rowed us along the river singing and chatting away as we made our way through the water to the coconut forest.

The scenery was incredible and unexpected. Both of us were spellbound and loved bobbing along the estuary amongst the other basket boats.

As it was still morning, there weren’t too many others in the water, so we were able to stop and enjoy the coconut village and get a few photos along the way.

The boats are modest in size, around 6ft or so in diameter, and we were encouraged to sit together on one side to enable the boat to tip, to help with the rowing and movement through the water. Seemed odd at first, but these boats are so flat bottomed the chances of turning them over is so very slight….

We were presented with an umbrella, for once not for rain but to protect us from the strength of the sun, such was the heat of the day. We are currently experiencing a heatwave with temperatures exceeding 37c most days.

All the locals are fearful of getting too much sun, so dress like it’s the Baltic with covered jacket sleeves, trousers and socks. You can only imagine how hot they must be under all that!

Our guide was quick to find another paddle and soon got Andy earning his keep with some rowing as we edged towards the coconut farm.

This part of the river remains undeveloped and you get to see the countryside as it’s been for centuries with coconut trees growing right up to the waters edge.

We were keen to grab as many memories of the day by taking as many pictures as we could, encouraged by our guide who had seen it all before and was keen to recommend poses we should put on!

Half way around the route we watched some of the local fisherman perform amazing skills spinning the basket boats round at high speed.

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We then got a chance to go fishing for crabs along the bank of the river. The great news is that Michelle with the help of our guide managed to catch one within a few seconds.

More spinning of the boat which made us feel a little queasy just watching it!

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We were fortunate to see one of the local fishermen at work casting his net into the water. Such a wonderful sight and so spellbinding to be there to witness it.

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After an fantastic time on the water we slowly made our way back up the river, still with the protection of the umbrella, to our starting point, not before trying out our own final little spin around, again encouraged by the lady guide.

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After the fun time on the basket boat we cycled back to our hotel on the river.

We then spent an hour or two at the pool chatting to a friendly Canadian guy who has recently moved to the area to live. Seems like Vietnam and in particular Hoi An is becoming an increasingly popular place to retire due to the low cost of living and wonderful lifestyle.

In the late afternoon we headed back into old Hoi An where we had booked dinner at a floating restaurant near the Cau Cam Nam bridge that leads on to Cam Nam island.

We had a short pleasant walk to tonight’s restaurant, the Little Riverside Hoi An where we were treated like royalty with our own table on the roof top. This resulted in cries from people going past on boats shouting congrats (it looked like a place you might make a marriage proposal!).

Part of the evening was spent out on the river, before we retired to land, due to the increasing number of passing boats and the resulting rocking of the boat and our table!

We finished the evening, as we have done others watching the lanterns flicker in the nights sky. Hoi An is truly a special place.

Returning to the hotel we headed to bed around 11pm setting our alarm for 2am to watch the England v Holland semifinal. It was worth waking up for. Brilliant to experience a great English victory and a performance that puts us in the first overseas final. After the celebrations at 4am, we returned to sleep and a late 9.30am alarm before breakfast ends. Until then.

A return to the early morning starts, with a 5.30am departure to visit the temple ruins at My Son Sanctuary.

My Son owes its unique spiritual origins to Indian Hinduism developed on the coast of contemporary Viet Nam.

We drove about an hour in land to the mountainous border Duy Xuyen District of Quang Nam Province. My Son Sanctuary is situated within an elevated geological basin surrounded by a ring of mountains, where the remains of a series of impressive tower-temples, formerly the religious and political capital of the Champa Kingdom.

Before we arrived at the temple sites, we meandered through the lakes of lotus flowers which were so wonderfully colourful.

Despite it being still only 7.00am, the heat of the morning sun was already making us sticky and hot and we can only imagine how challenging the tour would have been, were we here late morning.

After this Insta moment, we started the mile or so walk into the jungle to the first and largest of the Buddhist temple sites.

Conservation of the My Son monuments began in the early part of the 20^th century soon after their discovery by French archaeologists.

My Son Sanctuary reveals historical, cultural, architectural and artistic values developed over a long period from the 4th century to the 13th century.

We spent a couple of hours with our guide who explained that during the Vietnam War, the site had been hit by a number of bombs and that there was evidence of bullet holes across a number of the buildings and here the Viet Cong had hid out.

Many of the buildings have suffered as a consequence of shelling in the Vietnam War and there is still evidence of this with mounds and holes in close quarters to the ruins.

Despite the impact of war, the site has seen a number of preservation projects by Indian and Italian archaeologists who have worked on some of the sites to try and rebuild and recreate the ancient temples to varying degrees.

Whilst many of the artefacts have found there way to French museums and to the Cham Museum in nearby Da Nang, there are a few remaining pieces that have been preserved and retained on display.

After spending a hour at the first site, Andy was able to get some great photos of the site from a raised path just at the point an aeroplane passed overhead and left a trail through the sky.

The guide explained that the many headless sculptures were due to changes in religions and beliefs over the centuries, when the then ruling class would remove the head and replace it with one that reflected the current religious tradition.

The second temple site we visited was one that an Italian group of archaeologists worked on for over 14yrs, as they attempted to reconstruct part of a temple that had been destroyed during the Vietnam War. It’s a delicate balance trying to replicate history, but thankfully they only added part of the original structure after acknowledging how timely and costly it would be to try and complete.

We then moved on to another site a mile or so away, which required us to walk along the nearby river and through an area of natural beauty with dragon flies and more lotus flowers amongst the river beds.

Being so early in the morning we were able to see the temples with very few other visitors being there, which made us feel we were exploring the place in isolation.

The paths between the ruins were laden with lilies and other colourful flowers making the place feel even more stunning and other worldly.

After a couple of hours we said our goodbye to the temple sites and started our walk back to the entrance of the sanctuary, via a restaurant for a breakfast stop of noodles.

The last mile or so back to the road was via an electric buggy and an opportunity to get some final photos of the sanctuary before we left.

The hour drive back to Hoi An was spent snoozing and before we knew it we were back at the hotel and it was still only 11.30am.

Our afternoon ended up being a relaxed affair at the pool where we chatted to a couple from Australia who like us have recently retired and were enjoying their time in Vietnam.

We indulged in a coffee and cake at the hotel late afternoon, before an early evening dinner at a nearly restaurant before retiring to the hotel around 9.30pm.

This brings to an end another wonderful day in Hoi An.

Tomorrow we are off on a basket boat ride in the coconut forest. Until then.

A quiet morning all in all. Late breakfast, followed by a couple of hours by the pool, before we changed and readied ourselves for a walking tour around the old part of Hoi An.

The GuruWalk tour started mid-afternoon with a modest group of four, plus our young guide Ly, a student studying business and tourism. The other two guests were a friendly young Spanish couple, who we soon got chatting to and helped to make the next couple of hours memorable & fun.

Our first stop on the tour was an old Japanese traders house, now a promotional space for Japanese culture. We loved the order and atmosphere of the place and it’s got us ever more excited about our forthcoming trip to the country in October.

As a centre piece to the front of the house was a shrine to the Phoenix, which in Japanese tradition brings peace and prosperity and is a message of hope and rebirth.

We then visited the old bridge, known as Cau Pagoda, linking the old Japanese and Chinese quarter which is currently being renovated after being badly damaged by flooding in 2020.

The bridge has been downgraded since the last renovation due to various floods in Hoi An City. Many poles and beams that support the bridge have deteriorated, requiring urgent maintenance to avoid it collapsing.

At the entrance to the bridge are a dog and a monkey respectively. They represent the guardians of the bridge, symbolising protection and safety in Japanese culture. It is also said that these two statues marked the beginning of the construction in the year of Monkey and the completion in the year of Dog.

Bon river provides a perfect spot to see sunrise or sunsets or simply to chill with a cool breeze. The bridges connect the town with the other islands that sit in the delta.

Whether accidentally or intentionally, all the bougainvillea trees in Hoi An have only one velvet purple color, and some trees are planted with red flowers.

There are large bougainvillea trees and tree trunks as big as old trees.

One of the beautiful things about Hoi An is the bold yellow colour of most of the buildings. It’s been nicknamed “The Yellow City” as a result.

As we strolled the side streets on our tour, we came across restaurants selling the famous Com Ga Hoi An, a signature dish that features shredded chicken tossed with Vietnamese coriander, onions, and lime juice dressing. Michelle is a big fan and has eaten this twice over the last two nights!

Hoi An old town is an exceptionally well-preserved example of a South-East Asian trading port dating from the 15th century. Its buildings and street plan reflect the influences, both indigenous and foreign, that have combined to produce this unique heritage site.

We came across a lady selling potato and rice dumplings and they proved to be a great find and very filling served on a banana leaf.

We finished our tour visiting Quan Cong Temple, also known as Ong Pagoda (Quan Công Miếu or Chùa Ông in Vietnamese), established in 1653 by Chinese immigrants in Hoi An. The temple is a place of worship devoted to an esteemed Chinese military general – Quan Cong.

After finishing the tour, we headed down to the river for a wander through the street market.

As it was early, the taxi rank was full with drivers taking life easy and they joined us in watching the world go by!

We ended up having drinks and then dinner at a restaurant along the riverside enjoying the spectacle of the coloured buildings, lanterns and the buzz of the evening.

After making a couple of purchases, mainly for our daughter we returned early to our hotel in readiness for a 10pm sleep.

Tomorrow we depart at 5.30am on a tour to My Son a cluster of abandoned and partially ruined temples, constructed between the 4th and the 14th century by the Kings of Champa an Indianized kingdom of the Cham people.

Finishing with a smile, Andy again met up with another of the Disney cast on our way back to the hotel!

Another day in our beautiful Hoi An paradise.

This morning we decided to make the most of the hotel, chilling by the pool side catching up with a podcast or two mainly to do with Englands victory at the Euros the night before. After some hard fought hours on the sun lounger and more reading and relaxing, we made plans for an evening in old Hoi An.

We’ve mentioned it before, but the hotel staff are truly magnificent and have helped us with our various day trip plans (we have a walking tour tomorrow and a half day in My Son the day after) and we intend to book a day in the Cham Islands with them too.

We headed into town at 6pm in search of a good restaurant, as well as some gifts for our daughter.

We made a bee-line to a restaurant on the river front which had a good view of the boats bobbing up and down festooned with lanterns.

It’s peak season in Hoi An and the town has a real hustle & bustle feel, with lots of Vietnamese, South Korean and European tourists filling the streets and restaurants. It’s good to see it thriving, although we’ve been recommended to come early morning, around 7am to see its famed yellow coloured buildings when there are less crowds and you can truly see the town at its best and appreciate its beauty and the nature.

Hoi An is famed for its tailors, as well as its ability to mimic established brands and recreate at a tenth of the cost. Our daughter made her order for a Patagonia fleece jacket and we found one that Michelle then tried for size. It’s a good likeness and should work well in the cold of Loughborough’s winter!

We also checked out a few craft stores for authentic Vietnamese goods that we could easily store in our bags, however am unsure if shot-glasses will stand the test of time!

Despite being a long way from Disney, we managed to bump into Mickey Mouse…..

The best way to get around Hoi An is by scooter and we saw this family of three young boys measuring up the bike for size.

After another pleasant evening meandering around the streets of Hoi An taking in the sights and sounds, we started our walk back to the pickup point where the minivan meets to drive us back to our hotel.

We got chatting to an Australian couple from Melbourne staying in our hotel, who like us are retired and are so enjoying their stay in Hoi An so much that they extended it by another week. It’s that kind of place, so welcoming and easy going. Also it got us thinking….

After todays ‘lazy’ day, we intend to do a walking tour of the old town tomorrow afternoon and follow it up with an evenings boat trip along the river to marvel at the sea of lanterns from the water.

Well that’s about it, today has been a low key affair we admit, but one where we made a few decisions.

The first was to stay for a further week in Hoi An, at the lovely Little Oasis (a must place to stay if you get the chance to visit the area). Secondly we have formulated our plans for our first few days in Beijing, China in August and a few day trips before our Intrepid tour starts.

Third and finally meeting up again with Amelia in early September with a possible family meet up in Singapore and on to Eastern Malaysia where we have yet to visit.