Magical Hoi An and beaches

Before I even knew how amazing Hoi An is we stopped for one night in Nha Trang.

Nha Trang. A city full of Russian people. It is so popular for them that all signs are first in Russian then in Vietnamese and after that in English. It was so confusing for a while you just didn't know in which country you are.

That beach in the city was really amazing. Sea was warm and pure. I would say that this city had one of the best beaches in Vietnam but nobody knows that. The food street was full of people and you could choose from a variety of meals and cuisines. In distance you can see entertainment park which is huge. You can get there by boat or cable car across the gulf. Rides on a boat, jet-ski or kitting is normal there. And you can do scuba-diving for really cheap. Much cheaper than in Thailand. Next day afternoon we checked-out from our hotel and headed back to the beach to enjoy the sun and water. After that we collected our stuff and were picked up by a van to get us to bus stop from where we were going to Hoi An. What a day it was!

At about 4am in the morning next day we arrived to Hoi An. I was utterly knackered after that bus ride and I didn't sleep well. So thanks to our friend Google maps we found where is our next homestay. It was Little Leo Homestay. Wonderfull house with great service by a family who owned it. They prepared for us breakfast and we had a shower. Later that day we headed to the city centre and we could not believe what we found. This city is so beautiful and rich in architecture. These pictures down even make it justice it is much more better to see via your own eyes. I don't even have enough pictures to show.

In the night this decorated bridge was lightined up and was so romantic. For a little fare you can hire a boat to give you ride on this river for about 10 mins. Great place for couples.

The old town was raided by many tourists. Restaurants, bars, pizzerias and local places are everywhere. But what's remarkable at this city is that there is tailor's shop everywhere. About 150 tailors in one city. I could not believe how they can stay in business. But there is the charm. Almost everybody there is having made custom clothes. You can see people having sewed shirts, pants, etc. Many girls are having dresses, robes, costumes, etc. Guys mostly suits and jackets. Just get there. They will take your measures and in 2-3 days it's done. And it is much cheaper than in your country.

The Japanese Covered Bridge or Cau Chua Pagoda (in Vietnamese “Cau Nhat Ban”) is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Hoi An, Vietnam. The original Vietnamese name of this bridge is “Lai Vien Kieu”. It is considered that the Japanese Covered Bridge belongs to the Japanese community in Hoi An, and was built in the early seventeenth century. No trip to Hoi An would be completely without visiting Japanese Covered bridge.

A few pictures of nightlife.

Local night market was packed with tourist permanently. You could buy all kinds of stuff from food, jewelery, handcrafted items (postcards, bowls, cups), clothes, toys, etc.

In about 4km distance from Hoi An there is a beach. So we thought 'hey, let's check it out'. We hired bikes and cycled there. The scenery on the way was remarkable.

And not to mention the beach. 'Oh my good'. Right after arrival one guy came to us and offered free beds on the beach if we promise to eat in his restaurant. Why not! Normally you have to pay charge for using beach-beds. Same with bikes. We ouldn keep them parked under roof only if we have bought a bottle of water at local vendor. 'Haha, believe me you want to keep bikes under roof because it was really hot there and you don't want to sit on a burning seat'.But having a free bed and eat nice food on the beach restaurant. Quite a nice experience. Sandy beach and pure sea again. We really enjoyed this one. In my opinion it was a little bit better than the one in Nha Trang because it was not close to the city and it was more peaceful. I could not stop thinking how lucky I am to be there. All was going well. The trip, people, weather. That was one of the moments when I fully realized I'm doing epic thing in my life.

And back again in Hoi An old town. I personally thing that was the most amazing city with Da Lat in whole Vietnam. Architecture, local vendors, decorations, sea... everything is like a harmony to your senses.

After few days spent in Hoi An we traveled to Da Nang. It should be another city full of interesting things and places. We hired a private taxi. Just a guy with a car to get us there. On they way we told him we want to go to Marble Mountains. Marble Mountains (Vietnamese: Ngũ Hành Sơn; lit. "five elements mountains") is a cluster of five marble and limestone hills located in south of Da Nang city in Vietnam. The five mountains are named after the five elements: Kim (metal), Thuy (water), Moc (wood), Hoa (fire) and Tho (earth).All of the mountains have cave entrances and numerous tunnels, and it is possible to climb to the summit of Mt. Thuy. Several Buddhist sanctuaries and can also be found within the mountains as well as dragon decorations all around on stairs or on temples, making this a famous tourist destination.

This was one of the vastest caves in the mountain. We found our way in and there was a small boy about 8 y.o. who came to us and started talking in english that he wants to be a tour guide when he grows up and asked us if we want a tour. We said yes. He talked a bit about the history and then showed us a place on the wall inside the cave that if you clap it's like a drum and it echoes all the cave. Surely we had to try and it worked. Massive drum noises echoed in that cave when we tried. We thanked him and wished him good luck and left the cave.

Then we went back to our private taxi driver and set off to Da Nang. This city on its own is not really interesting. Big thing is Dragon bridge that joines the city across wide river and it lights in the night. What is really great in this city are coffee shops. They are everywhere and the variety of cakes and shakes they offer is amazing. And it tastes like heaven. Nice place to stop for and try some cakes.

But that was is. Nothing much interesting. So next day we left to Hue. Much more interesting city. But what a news. We found that you can get there on motorbikes. Just send your bags with bus and ride all the way to Hue through beach and mountain pass. That was actually my #2 ride in my life. So I was a bit scared. But it was amazing and I will never forget that. About that in the next post.