* Pictures will be added soon. It's so expensive to get on the internet in OZ!!!*


Alison: Hoi An is an an ancient riverside town that has been awarded with the title of being a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Hoi An is one of the few places in Vietnam to escape from any damage from bombs during the war so it has retained a lot of its charm. The Old Town next to the river is the most beautiful place. The main street leading down to the river is called Le Soi and there are many other little roads branching off this.There are lovely cafés, restaurants and bakeries dotted about everywhere. There are also many cultural sites that you can visit including museums, traditional houses, and a handicraft workshop. We went to see a famous covered Japanese bridge which appears on one of the bank notes but we missed a lot of the museums because they were quite expensive to see and, in our opinion, weren't very good value for money. Instead, we spent our money in the local Indian restaurant....definitely money well spent!!

Nigel: For those who watched the episode of Top Gear when they travelled though Vietnam, you will be well accustomed to Hoi An. This town is renowned for being able to buy tailored made suits and at a cheap price. You are able to walk in to 1 of the 500 tailors and they will measure you up and make a suit all within 24 hours. Depending on the quality of the fabric you choose does depend on how much it costs. We did toy with idea of getting a suit made and it would be really good to finally have a suit that fitted properly, but we thought it would be unnecessary
spending, so we decided against it. On one of the days whilst we were there, we hired some bikes out to go for a cycle to the beach. The beach was 5km away from where we were staying but you were able to cycle through the little villages and past rice fields, so the distance wasn't a problem. When you get to the beach your not allowed to take your bikes past a certain point and on to the beach front. We did think it was just a money making scam set up by the locals or are we just becoming cynical. As Alison mentioned though the town still has a great deal of charm so you can easily occupy yourself by just walking around it.