Two months of travelling has started to take its toll and the night before we left for Hoi An Hana and I both found ourselves ill. Therefore, on the grounds that we might recover faster we gave ourselves a holiday from crappy hostels and made a reservation at a nicer hotel - by far the best decision we've made yet!
Our sleeper bus arrived at seven in the morning so we were expecting to have to wait for hours before we could check in. However, when the lady at reception saw how tired we were she told us that although our room wasn't ready yet they could put us in a superior suite instead for the same price (just seven pounds!) One of the few times I've been happy to hear the old Asian cliche 'same, same but different'.
The upgraded room had a balcony overlooking the swimming pool, enormous comfy beds and a bathroom which looked as though you could actually shower in it and come out cleaner than you started - not something we've come across very often in Asia. Better still was the all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet which we woke up to each morning. The spread was so amazing it could rival those at the Hilton back home and despite being ill we found we could eat a lot!
The hotel was so great that we could have spent our whole three days there but when we finally felt better we dragged ourselves away and into Hoi An. And we were glad we did! It's a gorgeous little town, most famous for its world-renowned tailors which it's absolutely full of. The design of each shop matches the next, all named with a dark wooden plaque and elaborate golden writing scrawled across the front.
Just outside the town the scenery is stunning. Green rice fields line the route along to the beach which stretches for miles along the coast. One day we took the bikes to find the herb village where the locals all own small allotments. Hours later we were still cycling in circles trying to find it (maps in Vietnam are more a hindrance than help) but we didn't mind because the journey was so scenic. The village itself was very impressive, organised perfectly into row upon row of green and yellow shrubbery.
At night time Hoi An comes alive in the most beautiful way, lit up with hundreds of silken lanterns. The prettiest part of town is along the river front where you can cross the Japanese bridge over to a small island. From the mainland it looks like an Aladdin's cave with the lanterns glistening like gems in the night skyline.
Hoi An has given us a taste of the real Vietnam and has been by far my favourite place along the East coast. Thanks to the wonderful hotel and beautiful place we feel relaxed and ready to face the hectic capital of Ha Noi which will be our final stop in Vietnam.
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