Wednesday I flew into the city of Danang and made my way to Hoi An. Hoi An is an old historic town which is famous for 2 things: Tailors and Lanterns.
Before even coming to Singapore I knew I wanted to get clothing made when I went to Vietnam, so I was very excited that Hoi An was the place to do it. After checking into the hostel I started my walk around the old down to find tailors everywhere! It seemed like 1 in 3 shops was a place offering to make you a new dress, jacket or skirt. After seeing all the tailors I knew it was probably best to do a bit of online research before choosing one. Of course this was best done over lunch of a typical Vietnamese Banh Mi sandwich.
After narrowing it down from my online research I headed to the marketplace where I met Bee. After talking and looking through books and pictures I wanted we came up with sketches for a business suit and 3 casual dresses. Next step was picking the fabric and taking some measurements before saying goodbye until tomorrow when I'd get to try on my new clothes.
I then headed to the central market where food stalls with local women behind them were lined up. I had heard about the famous Vietnamese dish Cao Lao and it was time to give it a try.
As I mentioned Hoi An is also very famous for their lanterns. When you walk along the street at night you can see many bringing light to the street. As well, the stalls at the night market sell them which makes for beautiful photos of all the intricately designed lanterns.
Thursday I started off my day walking around the old town taking some beautiful photos (if I do say some myself).
After an hour and a half walking around the sun beating down was a little to much and I headed back to the hostel for some air conditioning. After cooling off I hit the streets again for more photo ops and by then it was time to try my clothing. Although it required a few more alterations it was well on its way to becoming a success!
After my fitting, I was walking around the old town, when I ran into a couple I met on my tour to Cu Chi Tunnel in Ho Chi Minh. Together we proceeded to look for a restaurant for dinner. We came across on called Streets, that was part of an organization that trained underprivileged youth in food preparation and restaurant service. Not only was the service outstanding the food was also really good!
Friday, my last full day in Hoi An, started with a free tour of the countryside around the city. The company, Hoi An Mates, is run by students who have an interest in cultural exchange and volunteer their time to show tourists around. It was only me and my tour guide, Van, on the tour which was nice. We hopped on bikes and rode across the river to the countryside villages. Our first stop was a family home who weaved traditional Vietnamese sleeping mats. They let me get my hands in and give it a try!
The next stop was a family temple; one of the largest in the area. One wall had the family tree which looked as though it contained over 1000 people, dating back for centuries.
Our next stop, and one of my personal favourites, was a home where they made rice noodles. Although the actual batter is machine made, I got to try cooking and cutting the noodles! The fuel for the fire to cook the noodles is actually the husks from the rice grains.
The final stop on our tour was a woodworking centre. There were about 10 men there working on a variety of beautiful, intricate carving projects. I also got to see a boat making yard, where wood is turned into beautiful traditional Vietnamese boats.
On Friday evening, I had dinner at one of the most well known restaurants in Hoi An, Morning Glory. The chef from this restaurant has opened others in cities such as Las Vegas and Melbourne. The food was really good!
I was lucky enough to be in Hoi An during the full moon, which meant a lantern festival was taking place. During the full moon all the shops along the waterfront turn off their lights, so the lanterns that line the water and the bridge are even more prominent. As well, you can purchase little lanterns which you cast off into the water as you make a wish. The best place to fully experience this festival is from the water, so I took a boat ride up and down the river where I got to cast my lantern and observe the many others floating in the water.
On my last day in Hoi An, I joined a cooking class. The room was setup with different stations around the perimeter which showed different types of Vietnamese food and ingredients. I got to make a number of different dishes which I hope to replicate at home!
After cooking, I got to take one last walk around the old town before heading to pick up my finished tailored clothes! Then it was off to the airport to catch my flight to Hanoi (which wasn't without delay of course).
