Day 1 – May 8
HAPPY MOTHER’S TO ALL THE INCREDIBLE MOTHER’S OUT THERE (ESPECIALLY MY OWN)!!!
After an easy, entertaining, awesome 2.5 hour scenic filled train ride from Hue City, we arrived in Da Nang around 1pm. Our boutique hotel for the next 5 nights, Banana Garden Villas, had offered to pick us up (not for free, don’t be silly now) as it was a 30+ minute drive to the town of Hoi An. Of course we happily accepted. However, upon arrival, there was no one there. We patiently waited, with our 10kg backpacks strapped to our back, our smaller bags in front resembling that of a kangaroo all while watching the clock slowly go around and around and around. Ten minutes goes by, no one. Twenty minutes goes by, no one. Hmmmm that’s odd. Every other time we’ve arranged for someone to pick us up they have always been there waiting, with our names written on a piece of paper and a smile silently welcoming us to their city. I decided to email the hotel and their response claimed the driver was stuck in traffic. Forty five minutes later, someone showed up, with no sign, no smile and no hello. Not a great first impression. To add a cherry on top of this somewhat melted, messy sundae, as we were driving to Hoi An, we noticed there was absolutely no traffic going the opposite direction. I think the hotel straight up forgot but came up with the first excuse they could think of. My parents always told me that honesty is the best policy – I don’t think they got the memo. All good though.
For $50 a night, we didn’t expect a lot, although their reviews on Booking.com and TripAdvisor were relatively positive. When we arrived, the staff warmly greeted us the way the Vietnamese have for the past week (unlike their driver) and apologized for the lateness. The outside decor was adorable with a black and white design theme and luscious, colorful landscape. Unfortunately, the room itself was a little disappointing at first. Hair on the ground, stains on the sheets, no nightstands (made the room feel empty), no complimentary water (I know, boohoo but this has been standard everywhere else). Plus, the website said they had a restaurant but for the time being, only breakfast was served. Minor things that kind of added up; however, I know within minutes, I’ll get over it. And I did. Quicker than you can say high maintenance.
It was about 3pm and we hadn’t had lunch yet so we took a leisurely 20 minute stroll into town for a light snack. Since Hola Tacos was in the top 5 of rated restaurants on TripAdvisor, we decided to take a break from Vietnamese food and have something different. The dishes we ordered were yummy but the pico de gallo sure took home the MVP award. Spicy, fresh, juicy, flavorful and fulfilling. Bullseye, hit the spot for sure.
Banana Garden Villas is a bit of a walk to everything in town, so we decided to rent a motorbike for $7 a day. This would give us the freedom we wanted to go back and forth between sightseeing and meals. Plus, we were planning to do a few day trips so it just made more sense. And we are all about making sense. At least I am. Vinny is kind of in his own world most of the time.
That night, we rode into Hoi An’s Ancient Town for dinner at the infamous Morning Glory. Vinny got cao lầu, which is a local noodle bowl dish only served in Hoi An. You can’t find it in Ho Chi Minh City or Hue or Hanoi or anywhere else in this country because legend has it, the dish can only be made with water from the ancient Ba Le well, one of dozens of centuries-old wells dotting the old town (kind of like how the water in NYC makes their pizza and bagels so ridiculously delicious). The first ingredient in cao lầu that will have you salivating after a bowl is set down in front of you (you not me), is the char siu pork — Cantonese style barbecued or roasted pork, seasoned in a five spice marinade. Next, depending on the cook, an array of fresh locally grown mixed greens will be piled upon or beside the pork including fragrant mint, basil, Vietnamese fish leaf, rice paddy herb, crisp lettuce, sometimes coriander. Lastly, crunchy deep-fried squares of cao lầu dough are sprinkled on top, while secreted beneath the noodles will be crispy bean sprouts. And it is usually accompanied with Hoi An’s famously fiery chilli jam on the side. Vinny absolutely loved it. He claims it is one of his top favorite dishes on this entire trip so far. I’m hoping to find a vegetarian version somewhere, somehow, sometime soon.
Hoi An Acient Town is one of the cutest most charming towns I’ve ever visited. Once a major Southeast Asian trading post in the 16th and 17th centuries, the seaside town is a unique mixture of East and West in the form of its old-town architecture including Chinese temples, a Japanese designed bridge, pagodas, wooden shop houses, French colonial houses and old canals. There are colorful lanterns hanging from every building that add a picturesque scene during the day and a dreamy magical vibe at night. All the signs for restaurant names, clothing stores, directions, etc. are exactly the same, shining with glittery silver and gold on a brown wooden background. During certain hours of the day/night, it’s a walking town only which means no cars, no bicycles and no motorbikes. It’s simply perfect. You had me at Xin Chào (hello in Vietnamese).
Day 2 – May 9
We woke up, had breakfast and decided to take a day off from sightseeing so we rode our motorbike to An Bang Beach, about 20 minutes from Banana Garden Villas. As you approach the entrance, shop owners along the way on each side of the road are hustling to get you to park at their place. You almost have to swerve to the left or right to dodge them as they aggressively dart right in front of you. It’s like a video game, but real life. You can’t just run one over and then start a new round, hahaha. We are relatively lazy so we tried to get as close to the beach as possible, paying a whopping 10,000 VND fee ($0.45).
One aspect of An Bang that we really appreciated was having access to lounge chairs and umbrellas. As long as you bought a drink or some food from any of the restaurants, you could then stay there all day. So much better than laying on the hard sand, with the sun beating down on you, aging your skin one year every hour (oh how times have changed – I used to bake in the sun whenever I had the chance). We chose Soul Kitchen, which was near the end. Vinny got Mi Xao Bo, which is basically a stir fried egg noodle with beef and I got lemongrass chili chicken. The lemongrass flavor on my dish was so powerful, I felt like I was swallowing a day spa with every chew.
I was in a Bob Marley kind of mood so I popped in my headphones, got the reggae vibe flowing and escaped into my own world. It was the perfect soundtrack to the live action that was happening all around me. Locals trying to sell tourists anything and everything. Tourists trying to get that perfect tan while they can (gotta look good for Instagram). Guy friends racing into the water to see who can swim out the fastest and farthest. Girlfriends taking endless amounts of selfies. Couples splashing each other as if they were teenagers again. Anything goes. I just love it.
Around 3:30pm, a variety of locals bombarded the beaches and set up various makeshift areas for cooking local street (or better yet sand) food. Watching them from beginning to end was impressive. This was definitely not their first rodeo.
Bad boys, bad boys whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do when they come for you?
That night, we switched it up yet again and traveled back in time to our good old Indian days at a restaurant called Ganesh’s. Oh man how I miss the flavors, the spice, the overall taste of garlic naan, butter chicken masala, aloo gobi, masala papad and everything else. This meal was the perfect ending to yet another awesome day in Vietnam.
Day 3 – May 10
We’ve seen Hoi An Ancient Town at night a few times now but haven’t really explored it during the day so we decided to embark on a self guided tour of this lovely city. I took this photo below while on the motorbike and thought it was pretty cool because it somewhat shows the speed at which we were going with the semi-blurriness of the trees. Random, I know. Kind of makes me dizzy to look at actually. Almost like the Twilight Zone.
I’m head over 6 inch heels in love with this town. All the buildings are of a yellow mustard French colonial design, covered with green trees, pink flowers, colorful lanterns and surprisingly clean streets. I feel like I am walking inside of a watercolor painting.
Canals and bridges and boats, oh my!
Adorable school boys in adorable school uniforms…
A tourist getting fooled by the locals. They ask if you want a photo with their carrying pole, also called a shoulder pole (usually made out of wood or bamboo, used for carrying heavy loads of milk, fruit, etc.). Once the photo is taken, the locals then demand money afterwards. He didn’t seem to mind though which is good for his karma bank.
Our first stop was the Japanese Covered Bridge, one of Hoi An’s most iconic attractions, which dates back to the 18th century and is a beautiful historical piece of Japanese architecture. It is claimed to be created by the Japanese then living in Hoi An as a way to reach the Chinese quarter across the water. On the north side of the bridge, you’ll discover a temple dedicated to the Taoist God of weather, Tran Vo Bac De. This is where locals will often pray to stave off any impending earthquakes (California needs something like this). There is a monkey and a dog statue that guard the bridge at either end supposedly because construction began in the year of the dog and was completed in the year of the monkey.
Since we got a late start to the day, it was already time for lunch. I know, to you it seems as though it’s morning since we just began but it was actually later afternoon. Such mind tricks. Anyways, moving on. We ventured down a random alley and found this ever so adorable little spot called Nu Eatery. What a pleasant surprise. I just loved everything about this place from their drinking glasses to their flooring to their Tiffany Blue painted walls to their bathroom to the design of their windows. And the Vietnamese food wasn’t too shabby either including their homemade ice cream. I got coffee, Vinny got chili.
Next on our itinerary was the Phung Hung Ancient House, which was built in 1780, allowing 8 generations of the same family to have lived here (and they still do live there). The architecture represents a combination of Vietnamese, Japanese and Chinese styles. In particular, the balcony and door system is of Chinese tradition. The roof of the nave is of Japanese tradition. Grillage systems, crossbeam, spars, roof of facade and backside are of Vietnamese tradition. Back in the day, the house used to be a shop trading in cinnamon, pepper, salt, silk, chinaware and glassware. Now, part of the house is used as a workshop for making commercial embroideries. And of course to show it off to us foreigners.
Afterwards, we visited the Tan Ky Ancient House, which was built two centuries ago with no windows and has been lovingly preserved by 7 generations of family members. The architecture predominately reflects that of Japanese and Chinese influences.
With all of this history and heat, we decided to take a break over an ice cold fresh fruit smoothie at CocoBox Farm Shop. Such travelers problems we have.
Back at it we go. After we both got brain freezes from the ice cold smoothie, we ventured over to the Phuc Kien Assembly Hall, otherwise known as the Fujian Assembly Hall, which is a typical religious Chinese relic. Built in 1697, the assembly hall concentrates on the worshiping of majestic beauty and the power of influential gods and goddesses in the Fujian people’s belief. The mosaic fountain inside the assembly hall bears a fish sculpture that is a symbol of achievement. Besides the fish, there are other animals such as dragon, unicorn, phoenix, turtle and so on. All these animals signify different features of the Chinese culture. The dragon is symbol of power, the turtle signifies endurance, the unicorn is a symbol of knowledge and the phoenix represents nobility. Personally, I just really enjoyed the aesthetics of this place as the intricate design was quite magnificent.
Last on our self guided tour, we visited the Quan Cong Temple, built in 1653 and dedicated to Quan Cong, a highly esteemed Chinese General who was Vietnamized to be the symbol of loyalty, sincerity, integrity and justice. With the majestic appearance and philosophical decorations, the temple is the belief center of Hoi An.
For dinner, we went to STREETS International, which is an innovative social enterprise initiative with the purpose to develop and operate sustainable programs for street kids and disadvantaged youth in SE Asia and throughout the world. Their tagline is “Good Food Helping Good Kids”. Formed in 2007, as a US-based 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, STREETS prepares vulnerable, orphaned and other disadvantaged young people for careers in hospitality. During the 18-month program, each Trainee is provided with housing, food, basic financial support, active community and social support, and medical care. The housing accommodations are based on a model of supervised, small semi-autonomous groups. Following the 18-month program, STREETS involvement continues with the support necessary for Trainees to secure employment, helping to ensure their independence and success. Ultimately, the Trainees’ greatest accomplishments are not just their newly achieved culinary and hospitality careers but lives that have been empowered with dignity and choice. The food was absolutely delicious (I was finally able to try a vegetarian version of cao lầu – yay!!!) and it also felt good to support such an heartfelt cause. Win-win.
Day 4 – May 11
We didn’t do much today as we needed to catch up on life (talk to our family, finish planning the rest of our Vietnam trip, laundry, etc.). Also, I’m having some major self esteem issues right now which sucks so I needed to just lay low. My face is a major mess (looks like a 14 year old boy going through puberty), my hair is grown out and flat, I miss my friends and family at home and Vinny and I have been a little off lately. I know it’s just a phase but I’m really hoping it goes away sooner rather than later. And trust me, I’m not telling you this for a pity party. I’m telling you this because you are my ears and I am an open book. Not every day is a 10 out of 10 but I certainly strive for that when possible.
For lunch we went to Good Morning, Vietnam which surprisingly had some tasty pizza given the city we were in.
Followed by mid-day coffees and people watching at Hoi An Roastery…
Tonight we took in all the sights, smells and sounds of the Ancient Town (beyond just grabbing a bite to eat), which basically confirmed my unconditional love for this city and has officially been placed on my top 5 list in the world. There were fun street games being played by locals and tourists alike, there were a variety of shops selling colorful lanterns that lit up the evening sky, there was live music being played throughout every restaurant and bar which one couldn’t resist shaking their hips to the rhythm of the beat (although I have no rhythm), there were boats rowing people along the canal as if it were Venice and random characters dressed up for photo ops such as a panda and a horrible version of Mickey Mouse (which I’m sure they didn’t get approval from Disney on either).
We had dinner at Cargo Club, which overlooked the canal and all the brightly shining lights that made this city just so charming.
Day 5 – May 12
Sadly, today was our last day in Hoi An. We hopped on our motorbikes and took an awesome ride to Da Nang, about 45 minutes away. Such cool bridges you have to cross over to get from the beach area to the city area.
Our first stop was Marble Mountain, a cluster of five hills made from limestone and marble, and a well-known pilgrimage site with peaks, caves, tunnels and temples all just waiting to be discovered. The caves within the mountains hold many secrets including bullet holes from when troops used to spy on the US soldiers relaxing on My Khe Beach below. There are also a host of Buddhist sanctuaries and places of worship dotted across the mountains which are a much-visited spiritual site. There are many pagoda temples and even a special circular cave featuring a chimney leading to the summit with spectacular panoramic views.
As we were riding along the main road in Da Nang, we noticed that about 40% of the coastline was under construction with brand new 5 star hotels. There was something being built on almost every single block. And these aren’t little boutique hotels. They are hundreds of rooms kind of resorts taking up acres and acres of land. It would be interesting to see it all finalized in a few years.
In the afternoon, the heat escaped us thanks to the cloud coverage sky preparing for what looked like a storm so we grabbed a chair under an umbrella and enjoyed some R&R on the beach. I liked An Bang better but everyone is different.
That night we went back to Morning Glory for dinner because the food was just too good.
Well, that wraps up our chapter in Hoi An. As I’ve said very loud and clear, multiple times, I just absolutely loved this city. It has history, it has culture, it has charm, it has amazing food and it has an easygoing demeanor. It truly embraces it all in a graceful fashion. And despite the not so wonderful first impression we received from Banana Garden Villas, we ended up loving it there as well. The staff became our family and continuously made us feel warm and fuzzy inside. I will miss their banana pancakes every morning, the sight of colorful lanterns guiding me along the way every night and the sense of being in Europe and Asia at the exact time time due to the grand architecture.
As Arnold Schwarzenegger once said, “I’ll be back”…
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