Budget Hotels in Long An

Feb 13: Day 4: Hoi AnIn the morning, he came out with me, got me a taxi and waved bye-bye. I reached the station in some 40,000 VND. I slept till 9 in the train. Even this route is scenic. I had booked a soft seat again. (Oh, I had pre-booked my train tickets from https://www.baolau.vn) I reached Da Nang and found a Xe Om guy. He offered me to take to Hoi An for 1,50,000 VND. I had read earlier that 8$ would be a fair rate. So this was a fair rate. Hoi An was quite far than I had expected. Took around 40 min on that bike to reach my homestay.I had booked Chau Plus Homestay. This is a bit far (1 - 1.5 km) from the ancient town, but no worries. Free bicycles! There are many many other homestays near by. All provide free bicycles. The place is real good.I roamed Hoi An for more than 4 hours in the evening. The lanterns were everywhere. Its super cool. Many things to try (eat) at night market. You will see a lot.. a lot of Japanese people here.. Probably because of the Japanese bridge and the associated temple.

The next day, we decide to take a tour to the UNESCO Heritage city " hoi an". It is Prominent in the city's old town and the historic district, recognized as an well-preserved place for Southeast Asian trading port dating especially between china, portugal, Japan, Dutch and India, from the 15th to the 19th century. It is covered by "Japanese Bridge," dating to the 16th-17t1h century. We stayed there for 3-4 hrs. Our guide was very nice to answer our all questions and help us in exploring the beautiful town. It's always awesome to in evening to enjoy the city of lights. The next day, we decided to visit Novotel club on 36th floor which offers breathtaking city view at night. There was a dragon bridge which oozes fire on late weekends. We enjoyed every bit of moment there and each day, tried to enjoy to our best. Next day, We had our early morning flight to our next destination, "Da lat".

Hoi An, being a UNESCO World Hertiage site, one has to purchase tickets at the gate which allows entry into three of the many sites which need tickets. The colourful lanterns lining the street added to the festive atmosphere for the town, which I can’t decide if it beautifies the place or makes it fake.Chinese, predominantly the Hokkiens (where my ancestors originated) from Guangdong province descended here in 1600s, bringing with them their religions, customs, and architecture. thus, I see familiar temples and buildings as we walked along the streets. Most of the houses have been turned into souvenirs shops, cafe, art galleries, restaurants and handicrafts showrooms. Those that are not in the above categories are designated heritage houses where you can visit with your ticket.I went into three owned by merchants, one of whom traded in Chinese medicines. The long interior reminded me of my grandma’s house at Cuppage Road (which has been turned into a restaurant as well). The indoor courtyard allowed light into the otherwise dark terrace house. Narrow stairway leads upstairs to the what were bedrooms before but now a lantern workshop.We were told about the annual floods and how the heavy Chinese furniture had to be moved upstairs via a pulley system from outside the house. Marking of the floods are proudly displayed on the pillar, with the month and year clearly stated, with the most recent dated Oct 2013, merely a few days before we arrived. The town is situated next to a river which facilitates trading in the olden days, and these were the inconvenience living next to the flooding river.To really walk the complete town, one needs a few hours. A better way is to cycle as the whole town is closed to traffic. Most hotels in the vicinity provide free bicycles for guests. Unfortunately, my husband thought it too dangerous to cycle from our hotel due to the traffic outside the old town.One of the more interesting location for me is the market at the opposite end of the entrance. There, one could try local food for cheap instead of eating at the restaurants or cafes. Much like our hawker centres, one could choose to eat a wide variety of local food there. We chose to try a local noodle stalls. It was delicious. The stall owner had a menu with photos and we just pointed to her.Much like the wet markets in Singapore, this market also houses a dry area selling dried food, coffee powders and yes, souvenirs for tourists. Further in is the meat section which has been cleaned as business hour was long over.s we walked along, we see vendors selling snacks along the streets and river banks. I was excited to see a soya custard (served hot) seller on wheels and even though it’s not my favourite snack on a hot day, I wanted to eat it for nostalgia sake. This was probably how it was sold in the old days in Singapore as well. (Nowadays in Singapore, it’s retailed in pre-packed plastic bowls in chillers.) It tasted the same as in Singapore.As dusk approached, the lanterns were turned on and the whole town transformed into a fairy land.

Dalat central market is one other place not to be missed, with shops selling from clothes and souvenirs to mouth watering tasty meat grills and local foods. Hoi An is a city of UNESCO recognized world heritage center with French influence in architecture and food providing apple opportunities to get yourself lost in its exotic and rich architecture, central market, museum and mountains. Don't fail to taste the gourmet tasty local foods like pho, banh khot, bun bo, etc. at any cost to experience a glimpse of the eataholic Vietnamese. Beware! bicycles in Vietnam are specially made for the slim local people and if an overweight and stout foreigner hires one, it will end up ripping off and you need to fix it.

The People – Contrary to what I’d heard about the Vietnamese not being as friendly as some of their neighbouring countries….I actually found them to be some of the kindest people I met on my travels, who helped me out in many a sticky situation (well maybe with the exception of the grumpy travel agent we met in Hoi An….but I got the feeling he was having a bad day….don’t we all?!?) Generally always smiling and laughing, the Vietnamese really made an impression on me. So if you end up visiting – take every opportunity you can to get to know them.This post was originally published on where is noodles?

Hoi An – Of all the places I visited in Vietnam, this quaint little ancient town sitting peacefully on the coast, had to be one of my favourites. Once a major trading port, where Chinese, Japanese, Dutch and Indian merchants once settled, the town boasts brightly coloured architecture and temples, influenced by a mix of these different cultures. Now converted into an array of stylish restaurants, wine bars and tailor shops all adorned with pretty hanging lanterns, centred around a charming little riverside, Hoi An has a unique charm and it’s easy to see why it has been labelled the “Venice of Vietnam.”The Diverse Scenery – Vietnam has some truly dramatic landscapes and I was continuously surprised by how different parts of the country looked. From beautifully secluded beaches to lush green rice paddy fields, magnificent limestone caves and winding waterways, Vietnam is blessed with an abundance of beautiful scenery that does not grow tiresome on the eyes. As for the cities and towns, they all have their own unique character, boasting a mix of imperial and modern architecture among narrow ancient streets. No matter where you go in Vietnam, its diverse scenery is bound to impress.

Make the most of this, but there’s also plenty to do in Hoi An, so I would recommend three nights here. Ms Vy’s cooking course (as featured on Gordon Ramsay’s “Gordon’s Great Escape”, May 2011) is fantastic. It lasts six hours, but the time flies by as it includes a tour of the local market, starting at 8.30am. This is a real eye-opener and helps you understand and appreciate all the local produce. The cooking itself is fascinating and you get to eat everything you cook. Ms Vy’s courses sell out in advance so it’s best to book before you fly.

Vietnam has some of the best tailors around. Whilst it can be a mission finding out a good one (as many are jumping on the tourist bandwagon) some research and shopping around can leave you with beautifully hand-made items. I got my beautiful wedding dress made here for a fraction of the price it was being sold at back home and Andy got two beautiful suits made up. Hoi An offers tailors on every street corner however most cities have their own tailors, you just might need help with translating! Make sure you know what you are going in for a bring plenty of pictures with you and make sure you know how to avoid getting ripped off!5- Touring down the Mekong Delta

Unfortunately I had to pull out of this one due to illness but Andy went along by himself and had a great time with 2 really long dives into the waters just of Cham Island. If you don’t want to scuba there are snorkeling trips on offer too however the spots were not quite of the same standard as the scuba sites.4- Getting something tailor made

You must also visit Hoi An which has been declared as a heritage site by UNESCO.The city is preserved to its ancient self and grandeur. The place is a paradise for back packers and shopping lovers. There are folk music shows on the boats that are pretty good. To me the best thing about the city were its rickshaws .The rickshaws have two tyres in the front and the Rickshaw drivers sits behind you. It is a fun experience.