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Hoi An. Vietnam, China, India, France and The Netherlands, all in one small coastal town. Similar in name to Hanoi, but the weather (the main appeal of the place) couldn't be more different. For those that have the dollars and space in their backpack, you can get a tailor made suit for under $50 here. Seen the Top Gear Vietnam special? Well you've seen this place.
Arriving on our North-South open ticket bus, we wondered around without much avail until we finally stumbled upon a few guest houses. Cheap. Small. Crap. Anyone who has travelled without reservations will know you have to trust your gut feeling whether to stick or twist. You're normally tired and anxious to get your heavy backpack off your shoulders, but location, comfort and value for money must come first. Baring this in mind, we walked away.
More expensive guesthouses followed, accompanied by our 'backup' accommodation being full. Walking into the darkness, not knowing what's going to happen, we finally found somewhere, not too much out of budget, but it did have a free cocktail hour, satellite tv and a pool.
As stated above, being costal and predominantly sunny means when the weather isn't great, plans need to be altered at the last second. We walked, we cycled, we explored until the sun made an appearance. Sadly, it was on our last day, so we didn't get the chance to enjoy the beach much before heading to Nha Trang.
The funniest 2 mins of the trip happened a couple of hours before we caught the bus. First, Vikki dropped her sun glasses and the lenses fell out. Then she dropped her ice cream and her smile turned upside down like a child's. Maybe you had to be there, maybe not, I'm not however allowed to upload the pictures.
The highlight of the town has to be the lantern lit river (pictured). They're said to bring luck, love and happiness... All for 5000 dong (15p)!
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