Hoi An

Hi everyone,

After spending such a long time on the beach, we decided to head to Hoi An. It is an old city which was not destroyed during any Vietnamese wars. There is one main purpose for embarking on a trip to this city, and this purpose is made of material. There are over 400 tailors in Hoi An, each wanting to make suits, dresses, or shoes for travelers willing to be separated from their cash. Many people choose to stay at China Beach rather than in Hoi An itself, making one day trip to have clothing made and a second to pick it up, but we decided that it was time to move on from Hoa's.

Armed with recommendations provided by fellow travelers, Hoa, and shop owners we met at the beach, we stepped into the custom-made minefield of shops, eager to have clothing made, but mindful of getting burned along the way. After much comparison shopping, we settled on two tailors, Sarah's Boutique and Dong Duong. I had two suits made, along with some shirts and ties. Ilana had several dresses made, one of which we designed together. Thankfully, all came out very well, and we were very happy with our purchases.


On one of our days in Hoi An, we rented a motorcycle and headed for a beach bar called Phattie's (yes, Ilana got on the back of a bike, and in the end, she did not hate it). The owner is an incredibly nice Canadian, and he and his wife run the place while putting everyone at ease with their casual demeanour. What passes for a motorcycle in Hoi An is a scooter in the eyes of most people, but the owner let me ride his own motorcycle, which is a two stroke Russian-made machine. A bar employee also let me try his, which is a proper four stroke Bonus. As I had been wanting to ride a motorcycle for several years, this was the best thing that could have happened to me in Hoi An. While I was rather shaky at first, I got used to the bikes and thoroughly enjoyed riding them. Our friends from Hoa's joined us later in the evening, and we left the bar as it closed. It was an absolutely awesome day.

Thanks for reading!