Hoi An

We'd heard rave reviews about Hoi An from several traveller and our now infamous Rough Guide. Hoi An is a small town on the river with french colonial architecture, known for it's tailor shops that supposedly make clothes as if they are "right out of the magazine." Overall the town is charming and nice but we think it's mainly for people trying to get cheap clothes.

After settling on a guesthouse (had to avoid one with cockroaches), we made our way through the town and discovered the best part of the whole town: a fabulous french bakery and restaurant called the Cargo Club with wonderful fresh croissants, baguette sandwiches, and great desserts. Yes!

I tried to get a dress made, a simple DVF wrap dress, but it didn't turn out so great - the fabric and quality of tailoring just seemed really cheap. I blame my mom for raising me with expensive taste. After that, Brennan didn't get anything made.

We rode bicycles about 7km to the beach and found a spot away from everyone - our own private area with clear waters, blue skies, white sand, and no one to bother us! It was a great surprise and the beach, surrounded by green mountains and palm trees, is one of the more beautiful ones we've seen. We hung out there for the day drinking tropical drinks and relaxing.

One night at sunset, a lot of kids from the town were flying kites along the river, which looked really beautiful. Lots of families would come up to Brennan to practice their english and say hello.
We enjoyed a few good meals in the town, particularly fish cooked in a banana leaf, a specialty of the area. It was a nice stay and the town is charming - however, it would be better to go when it is cooler outside so you can walk around more and enjoy it.