We need bigger bags (and muscles)
From Crossing borders & pushing boundaries in Hoi An, Vietnam on Apr 25 '07
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We had wanted to take a train from Nha Trang to Hoi An, but due to it being a Vietnamese holiday we were stuck on an overnight bus. To make matters worse I was on the elevated non-reclining back seat with the fully reclining seat infront of me on my knees, making slouching enough to get my head on the head rest practically impossible without some strange contortions. I spent most of the night pondering how I, being probably the 4th or 5th tallest person in the bus, got the worst seat.
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But Hoi An was worth all the pain. It is a cute little town on the coast, saved from bombing during the war so has retained its original archeticture making it a Unesco World Heritage site.
But we weren't here for the buildings - we were here for the clothes. Hoi An is home to many tailor shops, able to whip you up a made to measure whatever in the same day or overnight. I purchased a suit (jacket, pants and skirt), a casual jacket, casual pants and knee length boots all for under $NZ200 together, without bargaining. Crazy! If I make it back here again it will be with an empty bag and a full wallet. As it was there was much cursing going on as we tried to pack our bags with our new clothes, and then try to lift them.
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We didn't realise it until we got here, but Hoi An also has a lovely sandy beach - which stretches 30ks to the north and includes China Beach of the TV programme. The beach reminded me of home - there were actual waves and the water wasn't perfectly clear, and even a little cold when you first got in - how sea is supposed to be!
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Popular Hoi An Hotels
- Phuong Nam Hotel
- Ancient House Resort
- Hai Au Hotel
- Thanh Phat Hotel
- Greenfield Hotel
- Hoi An Beach Resort
- Nhi Trung Hotel
- Glory Hotel Hoi An
- Hoi An Hotel
- Thien Thanh Hotel
Popular Hoi An Things to Do
- Jimmy Mak's
- Get clothes made, buy local arts and crafts
- shopping and absorbing the ambience
- tailored clothes
- Yaly Couture
- Sightseeing, walking around the city, getting to know with local people
- Beach, shopping, party
- Tailoring
- Red Bridge Cooking school
- Get clothes made!










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