What About Vietnam – S5-E25 – Hoi An in Focus: 10 Things to Love from a Local’s View and a Traveller’s Return
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What about Vietnam?

♪

Xin chào and welcome to What About Vietnam? I have no doubt as soon as you start to plan your trip to Vietnam, the city of Hoi An is going to come up and feature very highly. There's lots of reasons for that. It's a big favorite for all new travelers to Vietnam. It offers the beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Site Old Town and it has beautiful beaches and simply for a

the solo traveler, for the couple, for the family, there's so much to do. Today's episode is one close to my heart. We're revisiting one of the most loved conversations from our archives, originally recorded back in 2021 with my delightful guest, Sharon Sweeney. In the interview, you're going to hear Sharon mention Hoi An now.

This was a helpful resource her and her husband built at the time that has since retired from operation. Sharon, however, remains a frequent visitor and true lover of Hoi An, and her insights into what makes this town so special are as timeless as ever. You've heard that old saying, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. And while the episode still holds so much value,

Hoi An, like all living, breathing places, has evolved. In my recent visit, I recognized some significant changes, but still a deep sense of wanting to keep hold of what makes Hoi An so unique. It's kind of hard to explain, I guess, but I'll do my best.

As you'd expect, Hoi An just keeps growing in popularity. And with that comes an international mix of travellers and a fresh wave of creativity, especially in the food scene.

One of the best surprises for me recently was a dish called banh mi phở at Mam House. It was a kind of an accidental, just stumbled across place. Think of it as a clever twist on two Vietnamese icons. The crispy French style baguette of banh mi filled with the rich aromatic flavours of traditional phở.

Add in the French chef who owns Mam House, his own fish sauce and pepper. Man, it was delicate, bold and absolutely delicious. A snack that totally stopped me in my tracks. Definitely one to put on your list. I also had the chance to visit one of Hoi An's newest gems, Namia River Retreat.

It's a stunning new wellness sanctuary that's really raising the bar here. With its riverside setting and mindful approach to well-being, it's showing that wellness in Hoi An is evolving beyond the usual spas and nail bars you'll see every hundred yards. It's absolutely amazing.

a much more immersive experience, more connected to nature and the local culture. I'm going to be featuring Namia in an upcoming wellness-focused episode, so you'll want to stay tuned for that if you're looking for some recharging while you come to Vietnam.

As I consider myself a member of the slow travel movement, I'm still charmed by cafes out at the beach like Sounds of Silence and cute hideaways like Fin Coffee in the Old Town. You'll be spoilt for choice, trust me. That said, in the spirit of honesty and helping you plan better, it's also worth noting a few realities.

With Hoi An's increasing popularity, especially with day trippers, tour groups and increasingly a domestic tourist, backpackers and travelling families, that rising demand has brought a noticeable hike in accommodation prices, particularly in high season.

Where my favourite boutique hotels and riverside villas are still available, they are now asking at least 30 to 40% more per night. So planning ahead and adjusting your budget slightly is a wise move. You're going to have to keep a more realistic viewpoint on accommodation and where you want it located.

Even my original tailor is too busy to fit me in at the moment. Either that or I'm just becoming too impatient to wait in queues with stares from other patrons wanting the tailor's attention. Maybe it's just a sign of my old age or time to move on to others who do a good job and need the business. Watch this space.

There are lots of mixed emotions when we talk about overtourism, especially in the ancient town. It can sometimes dampen the magic if you're not prepared for it. My advice, seek out the quieter moments. Early mornings are the best, definitely, and I mean really early. In the evening, the lantern-lit streets are something a must-do item.

for people who are visiting. But you may find areas by the river a bit choked with crowds. The idea is to just go with the flow and make your way to maybe some quieter places overlooking the river with a bit more of a soulful feel, but they'll be just on the outer skirt. So keep walking. You're going to find them there, I'm sure, as I have.

And when it comes to the beach, it's true that erosion has impacted parts of the coastline. While Unbung and Kewtai still offer beauty and a really cool vibe, you may notice a thinner shoreline, sandbagging or more decking and built up beachfront spaces as businesses have just adapted. It's still beautiful, it's just different.

Like any destination navigating its popularity, climbing prices and changing weather, like March was cold this trip and didn't really warm up till early April.

Hoi An is working hard to balance that tourism with tradition. And that sometimes means progress is welcomed by some, but not all. And some parts, as they go through it, are a bit ugly and soul-destroying. But guess what? Hoi An's not the only place in the world that's experiencing that. So it's part of the story.

What remains and what I still love most is that deep breath you take when you first walk through the ancient town. And when you're sitting by the Tubon River, watching the lanterns dance on the water, you have to remind yourself, where else in the world could you experience this?

So this is your updated gateway to Hoi An. I've kept the original conversation with Sharon intact because I listened to it again and I was just reminded that her insights, they're just timeless and you're going to get a really good feel for that during the show. But I wanted to set the scene again for a new year, a new vibe, but the same incredible Hoi An.

Let's dive in. Top of the list is Hoi An Old Town. And I mean, I've never seen any place like Hoi An Old Town in all my travels. Basically, it's a heritage listed place.

town that is actually steeped in history. It's like a living museum, if you like. During the 1500s, it was the sort of epicenter for merchants who were going along the Silk Road. And so you had all these, I mean, amazing time, all these merchants from different parts of the world, like

Japan, China, Europe, France, just everywhere. And the architecture of the Hoi An Old Town is sort of reflecting all that melting pot of people. And during the day, it's just incredible because they've just maintained it so beautifully. They've got...

buttercup yellow buildings interspersed with pastel blue, sky blue, baby blue sort of paint work as well. And it's just incredible. It's just so well preserved. And then at night, at night, it's like,

It's like Disneyland because Hoi An is known as the lantern town and for good reason. Out of every shop front, there is numerous lanterns. There are lanterns along the street. There are lanterns overpassing the street. And my favorite time in Hoi An Old Town is where

It's twilight. You know that magical color that twilight becomes? It's like pink and soft purple and orange, and they have these gorgeous sunsets. Anyway, and then the

the lights, the lanterns start coming on. And, oh, my God, it's like this magical Disneyland experience. And then you've got this Tubon River that just goes all the way through it. And on that, you've got these little sampan boats that are just all adorned with the same lanterns, you know, all colours of every imaginable thing.

color really and to see Hoi An at night like that and from the river is just I mean really and just a couple of things Hoi An is also a bicycle town and so you know there's no traffic as well that's allowed in the old town so you can walk through it very nicely but they have little traditions and

One that is very close to my heart because I've got a lot of wishes in me is... As we know. Let's not forget the wishes. So, yeah, you can take a little trip on these sampan boats and you set these little wish candles. You make a wish and...

And you put them in a little, they're in a little sort of little cup, if you like, little paper cup. And you light your wish candle and you watch it bobbing away in the water and hoping your wish will come true. So, I mean, you've just, everybody should see Hoi An Old Town just once in their life. ♪

You may see at the beginning of the show notes in the podcast channel that you're listening from some words that say text me a message. It's a great idea. Don't get me wrong. I love hearing from you and, you know, whether that's your thoughts on the episodes, some questions, messages of appreciation, you know, I just love the feedback. It's really great. However, I feel it remiss of me not

to A, not thank you for them, but to B, not be able to respond directly to you. So if you have sent me a question and I've got lots and you haven't heard from me, there's a really good reason why I actually don't have the ability in the technology to respond to you. They kind of expect...

that you would or I would answer the questions in the form of a show. And there's just kind of too many and I just think it's just too personal not to do it that way. So I wanted to alert you to the fact that if you do send me a message through that connection option, I'm not going to be able to respond to you directly.

So if you do have a question and it is time sensitive or you want to send me any kind of message, can I suggest the following two ways? One, send me an email to whataboutvietnamatgmail.com. That is the email address that I have the most constant access to and I will aim to get back to you ASAP.

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equally with a response in voice. So if you want a quick response, that's your next best way. But I just wanted to get this into the show, make you aware of this as it really is becoming problematic and I've just got too many and I can't kind of go naming people and answering each question at

That's just a little bit silly. So if you have sent me a text message before and you're waiting on a message back as a response, I'm so sorry. I cannot do that. But if you want to send the question again, I'd be more than happy to answer. Music

I think absolutely. And I think a lot of people have referred it to me as the Venice of Vietnam. And it kind of is that. And then I was talking to someone just the other day and they said, you know, if you didn't know better, you'd think it was a movie set.

Because everything is so beautifully preserved, as you say, as in the old town buildings, all the shop houses and things like that. So I think you're putting number one as a visit to the old town.

either during the day and experiencing the markets early in the morning and the shop houses and having coffee somewhere really cute, checking out all the alleys, or as you say, at twilight, coming into the evening, watching the town lit up with the lanterns because there's some areas, as you say, are lit totally by lanterns. In other words, there's no light without the lanterns.

And then, of course, there's the sampan boats and the wishes bobbing up and down and floating down the river. So number one.

I'm totally supportive of. I think it's a must-do thing. So for people listening, staying close to the old town is sometimes a good idea. So it's an easy walk into town and I certainly would recommend that for first-time visitors to Hoi An because whilst Hoi

Hoi An has lovely beaches as well. The feature of Hoi An is definitely that 16th century old town. So as close as you can get to it, I think, is a good idea. Anyway...

Sharon, what's your number two? Well, number two is the other thing that I love very much about being in Hoi An is the close proximity of the countryside. There's something about being close to the land that I think we all need. And, you know, five minutes on a bicycle,

will take you into rice fields, rice paddies, or you can go a little bit further and you'll go into villages. And, you know, it's, I mean, I've seen images of this, but I never really believed that Vietnam would have people wearing the conical hats, you

you know, the non-la hats. I never really believed it, but they do. It's very much part of the headwear in Vietnam. And what I love about the rice paddies and the villages is it's like, again, stepping back into another time. It's like going back 100 years because it's

you know, they plough the fields with water buffalo. They, it's really sort of like old world. And so there's nothing unusual about seeing a water buffalo just on the side of the road, meandering across the road. I mean, it can be, it can be actually a,

main road and you'll have cows passing. And so the countryside element of Hoi An, it just fills my soul. And I can't, one of the most wonderful sights that still thrills me to my soul is when the geese

or the ducks are going back to roost. And you'll see them coming along a main road. And there's about 200 of them all just waddling along with the man herding them along. And people just go round them, cars go round them. I mean, where else? Yes.

Yeah, that's the sweetness. I think it's absolutely the sweetness of those simple things and, as you say, just to breathe in that beautiful fresh air, all those beautiful, I mean, when you're riding through the paddy fields, it's kind of the only way you can get anywhere reasonably fast. And I think there's some people, it may even be you, Sharon, that has jumped on one of those electric bikes

you

bikes I think to get around. Oh you know why? I don't know what the world is thinking. I'd never really come across an electric bike until I went to Vietnam and they're everywhere and why do we bother with cycling when you can sit on it and go zip and off you go. It's their dream. Definitely definitely a way to get around. So we're going to say bicycle around town is number two. Yeah for sure.

Yep. Okay. Where are we up to? Number three. Well, you know, Hoi An is equally famous for the heritage old town as it is for its tailors. And no trip to Hoi An is complete without a trip to the tailor. You must get there. You know...

Where can you get, where can a man get a suit made of high quality wool, made, a bespoke suit made just for him for $100? And you can get that in Hoi An. And, you know, the tailors are on every corner. I actually have them on the website, my favorites, by the way, because what you can get is the top end tailors do charge quite a lot and they're not all that different in

to many of the other tailors. So you're paying a lot more money. And then some tailors are very hit and miss. But whatever the case, it's all great fun. And what I love...

What I love most, don't you love this, is going into a shop or going into the cloth market and where there's reams and reams and bolts and bolts of all colored fabrics and types and silks and linens and choosing the fabric and then

You go to the tailor and they'll copy something, they'll design something, or they'll give you a pattern. And it's addictive. It's so addictive. And it's very, very cheap. So very cheap and very quick and quick.

Like you can get a suit made in two days. You can get a suit made overnight, Kerry, if you go to the right feet. That's my love. Well, I think they are a little bit more in the hit and miss variety. I mean there's some tailors there that would slap your hand for saying overnight. But, yes, those, you know, are maybe a little bit more popular

yet select. I maybe would steer clear of those. We have talked about zippers not working the right way and things like that in the past, but I'm addicted. I am definitely addicted to the tailoring. As I've told you every time I've

literally taken over my assortment of pictures from Pinterest or whatever that I like and I just say I want that one and that one. And then also, as you say, wandering around those fabric markets, just picking the exact material, fabric, one,

weight, style, et cetera, that I want as I want dots or I want stripes or I want whatever and just have it made exactly to what my body shape is at the time. Oh, yes. And, you know. Oh.

Well, I actually started to forget whether I was a 10 or a 12 or a 14, thank goodness, because, you know, every time I went, I just kind of got it made to what I was. So that's a little bit tricky as well, but fun, as you say. Now, definitely tailoring, and there's 3,000 tailors in town, so you might like to check –

You might like to check Sharon's website, Hoyer, now she's got some good recommendations there. But let's not get stuck on tailoring. Let's move on to number four because we've got a list of 10 to get through. Yeah, well, look, number four is I take my job very seriously. And so whilst we have got tailors on the site, we've got something far more important in terms of the best, and that is tailoring.

The spa's massages and spa treatments, you know? Come on! LAUGHTER

Oh, yeah. What a hard job you had to take so seriously, Karen, to check those out. We had to perfect it. And it means going back to the same place. It means actually going to every place in Hoi An just to see what they're like and, you know, and I do. So I know.

I know, I know. I'm a champion, but I do it regularly. Yes. Well, look, at the prices, you'd be mad not to. I don't think anyone should go and have a one-hour massage when you can have a five-hour massage.

I reckon you should just book yourself in for the entire trip because I would. Seriously, you've got the high end, very high class hotels offering massages. Now, they cost a fortune. And I've sent writers, reviewers to the top.

really expensive hotels and it's very hit and miss and one would surprise you I won't name it but it's one of the best hotels in Vietnam and the spa treatment was very hit and miss so again no seriously we do put very much a recommendation of the ones you should go to and

Whilst you can get fabulous ones on the street corners, I mean, you can because massage is an innate thing. It's not often something you can train for a good masseur. The ones I highly recommend are the day spas. And there you've got trained masseurs. They're cheap. The premises are clean. They're really, really tasteful. The decor's tasteful. You've got the full sort of Western sort of spa with the wafting music and

The smells actually are, oh, yes. You're sending me back there in a heartbeat, like seriously. But that is one of the things as far as your trip planning is concerned, I would highly recommend to people to include. Don't, I think people always think they've got to be doing things

you know, doing all the time. And I think sometimes there is some pleasure and enjoyment in a holiday when you're just able to access things like massage and be able to just chill out but not lie there thinking this is costing me a fortune. Yes. No, that's right. I totally agree. But there's also one thing I was thinking of too. One of the things that surprised me, actually if not startled me,

was that when you go to a massage on the street corners and sometimes in the mid range and sometimes in the high range,

The Vietnamese have a fascination or they just don't really care, but they don't turn away or leave the room sometimes when you're undressing. And that took me, I mean, you know, I remember getting quite feisty about it and thinking that they were trying to persecute me because I'd eaten quite a lot and felt fat, you know, and I didn't want anyone witnessing it. But anyway.

They did. Just be aware of it. They don't mean harm. No, but I think they like to check out your bits and

you know, your bits are white, like their bits might be slightly toasted. Yeah. But, yeah, I think that's about the fascination, yeah, because I can remember actually the same thing happening to me when I first went and I actually pointed to my arm and I said, yep, same, same.

And she got it. Like the girl really resonated with me and went, ah, yes, okay, yeah, that's what we're looking at. So move on. All right. After our spa, where are we off to? Well, you know, this is – I'm not really a person that likes to do cooking tours, but the cooking tours in Hoi An are a must because it's not really just about the cooking. It's actually about the cultural –

learning about the culture and the cultural experience of the whole. So, I mean, I,

I highly recommend a cooking tour they have um cooking tours for all types so if you're a chef and you don't want all the bits and pieces the paraphernalia then you can do professional you know cooking tours um you can do um a cultural tour where and it's great for kids where they can go out and act like farmers they actually dress you up as a farmer you know um and yeah and you pick

You pick the vegetables and carry them in those round baskets. Very, very heavy. And you wear those peasant clothes, you know, you get dressed up in that in the stinking heat. Looks fabulous. And then you've also got other ones where you can get, you know, like everything thrown in. They like to throw everything in in Vietnam. You can get a basket boat ride. So they're the round modular boats.

You can get a water buffalo ride. You can, well, you can get lots of things. You can even get a massage, which is great. Just thrown in. Just thrown in. Good luck. The one thing, though, that is really good about them is, and this is something that I would put equally number five if I had to choose another one, is they take you to the markets.

And the market is the lifeblood of Vietnamese society. It's like we go to the shopping center, they go to the market and it's a daily activity. It's not just to buy, it's to barter. They'll barter even though they know each other because it's all part of the thing. And yeah, so I highly recommend it for the markets.

Yes, definitely. And I think it is a very immersive experience and I think what better way to understand a country than to experience it through its food. So definitely there, highly rate that as a number five. Now, what are we missing, Sharon? What are you up to now? Number six, yeah. And that has to be one of the tools and one of my favourite

Highest recommendations, it's on our top 10 on the website, is Marble Mountains.

And it's set between Da Nang and Hoi An, about 20 minutes from Hoi An. And during the 15th century, second to 15th century, it was used by the Cham, during the Cham period, it was used by the people there as a sacred site of worship. And it's got, it's really got one of those energies. It's amazing. There's five mountains and each one

represents an element. So you've got fire, water, metal, wood and earth. And it's just amazing. There's pagodas there, which are like temples and shrines. You've got caves, massive caves that you can go down into. There's tunnels. Or crawl into. There's some very small areas. Yes.

I've seen some funny pictures where people are getting their bum shoved through. Me, me. I really got, oh, my God, I was scared. They can really be careful. Guides will grab you and they'll just shove you forward and then the next thing is you're climbing into things that you could easily break your neck on. So just be careful of that, you know. Good footwear. Yeah, well, good, yes, and beware of the heat.

It's very hot. It gets very hot there. So just have to go early morning is the best during the summertime. And truly, I mean it because it's very hot. But when you get to the top, the views of Da Nang and all around are just simply, I mean, you're just going to lift your soul. They're breathtaking and they're so good.

because they look over what used to be known as China Beach, where the troops used to congregate. And it's such good bird's eye view of the whole city of Da Nang that the Vietnamese used to actually use it as a watchtower, as well as a hospital during that period. So that's definitely quite incredible. But I also love...

Those marble statues at the bottom.

You may see at the beginning of the show notes in the podcast channel that you're listening from some words that say text me a message. It's a great idea. Don't get me wrong. I love hearing from you and, you know, whether that's your thoughts on the episodes, some questions, messages of appreciation, you know, I just love the feedback. It's really great. However, I feel it remiss of me not

to A, not thank you for them, but to B, not be able to respond directly to you. So if you have sent me a question and I've got lots and you haven't heard from me, there's a really good reason why I actually don't have the ability in the technology to respond to you. They kind of expect...

that you would or I would answer the questions in the form of a show. And there's just kind of too many and I just think it's just too personal not to do it that way. So I wanted to alert you to the fact that if you do send me a message through that connection option, I'm not going to be able to respond to you directly.

So if you do have a question and it is time sensitive or you want to send me any kind of message, can I suggest the following two ways? One, send me an email to whataboutvietnamatgmail.com. That is the email address that I have the most constant access to and I will aim to get back to you ASAP.

Secondly, if you go to the website for the podcast, which is whataboutvietnam.com, if you scroll right to the bottom, there is a chance for you to leave a voice message. Now, in that voice message, I can respond to you directly.

equally with a response in voice. So if you want a quick response, that's your next best way. But I just wanted to get this into the show, make you aware of this as it really is becoming problematic. And I've just got too many and I can't kind of go naming people and answering each question. It's just a little

That's just a little bit silly. So if you have sent me a text message before and you're waiting on a message back as a response, I'm so sorry. I cannot do that. But if you want to send the question again, I'd be more than happy to answer. Those marble statues like the size of King Kong. If you're in the market for a couple of 20-foot lions that you want to put in your backyard,

Do you know, I can remember when they used to have just a few showrooms, I think, on the street. But now they line the street and I go, who buys these? It's not as if you can put it in the back of your taxi or your grab car on the way home. They are heavy, huge, white kind of stallions that...

I always know when I'm nearly at Marble Mountain because those lined up of shops and frontages where all those statues are sitting out there show, yes, I already, I know, I go, oh, we're here. Yes.

The marble is out. Well, that in itself is a sightseeing tour. It's fantastic. But actually what you can buy, and I still will, is the marble chess set. So you've got like beautifully cut, carved marble chess sets that are about six inches to seven inches tall each piece on a marble chess board. And look, yeah, you can get that shipped overseas back to your hometown or wherever. Highly worth it. $300 was the last...

I saw it last count. Yeah. Okay, so we've done Marble Mountain. Number seven we're up to. Well. Where are we headed now? Marble Mountain is something that came onto the scene, Hoi An scene, about two or three years ago, and I can't tell you. It's a show and it's outside and it's part of a theme park and it's called Hoi An Memory Show.

and I'd heard about it just thought oh I'm not going to that it sounds very glitzy you know not my sort of thing but I covered it for the website and my god Kerry it's a cast of about 300 um it's world class presentation people fly through the air there's music there's lights there's dancers actors it's a

It's all on water. Well, it's a real recreation of Hoi An. And so you've got the Tivon River, you've got the Japanese Bridge. The stages water. Oh, it's just so cute in the stages water. And it's folk tales interspersed with the history of Hoi An. And it's sad. It's uplifting. It's just...

Oh, it blows you away. And then those mechanical elephants that come on stage, you know, on the arena. But here you go, a little bit of a tip. We got, when I covered it for Hoi An Now, I got VIP seats, which was great. You know, I thought I'm set. And then I went again and I got the peasant seats, which is right down the front and I

Yeah, that's where you should be. You're right on this amazing thing. And it's just hard to explain. But it's also part of a theme park that you go at four o'clock. And that in itself, all the actors who are going to perform later are actually part of the sales assistants. They do mini shows. They serenade you. There's little historical things, little places you can go to learn about the silk trade and things like that. Amazing.

Point of memory, Jo. Yeah, it's a delight. I took my 16-year-old grandson and I thought, oh, you know, pretty hard to impress a kid of that age, you know, like he's going to think this is a bit, you know. And he just said I was blown away because also it's the contrast. You've just come out of a 16-century old town and

And then a little bit around the corner, you're stepping into this amazing theme park with this fully professional choreographed stage on water that is definitely up in the 20th century kind of level of production. Mm-hmm.

And the contrast from one to another is just you can't help but just be blown away by it. I mean, he said it's like watching the stage. You opening to the Olympics. Yes, that's a very good analogy actually. That's exactly right, it is. It's, well, I just tell everybody you must go because most people love, almost everyone loves Hoi An. I mean, the people are lovely. And to see a show like that, you just feel great.

I don't know, all warm and fuzzy. Oh, you do. It's swept away. You do. All right, now you're getting me very, very homesick for Hoi An now. But let's travel on. What are we up to? Number eight, I think. So what's your number eight? Well, you know, it shouldn't be number eight, but it's hard to put them in order because there's so many good things in Hoi An. But it's the beaches. I mean...

I mean, Kerry, those beaches. I mean, Sydney and parts of Australia, I mean, they're beautiful beaches. They're so incredible. But so too are the beaches in Vietnam, and I'm so surprised, actually. I don't know what I expected. But you've got yellow expanses of sand, blue water. It's still – although it does get some waves. All you surfers out there, there are some waves. Don't worry. But I like it still, and it's still –

And it's warm and it's safe. There's no sharks or crocodiles. And what is something that we don't have, and I haven't seen this in many parts of the world, to be honest, is shade. These beaches in Australia are beautiful, but there's no shade. In Vietnam, all along the beachfront, there are either thatched huts or you have umbrellas and little tables and chairs and chairs.

You know, there's room for everybody. They're not crowded. Everybody can use one. And you get your little posse, as we say in Australia, you get your little posse there. You order your cocktail or you order water. I know. You order whatever you want. And you can stay there all day. Yeah. I've literally...

plot my bot. Isn't that another Australian thing? God, that's terrible. But yes, but I have plot my bot down with a Diet Coke under an umbrella and literally just

stayed put put my headphones on uh read my book for hours on end i mean if you go to italy or places like that they charge you about 50 euro just to sit down just to have the umbrella so you know and you're so right the beaches are just divine and what i love is the

access to restaurants. They're sitting right on it, aren't they? I'm leading to that. I'm getting to that, Kerry, because that's coming up. But before I move on, I want to say this, that what you'll find is incredible. One of the things about Vietnam is it's so cheap and never forget that. It's a really nice part of Vietnam. But the other thing is the ladies that come and hawk on those beaches, people get very – I've seen some people get very aggressive with them

Try not to because actually these people are really nice people and they're just trying to make a living. And people should just be aware because the Vietnamese are lovely people. They don't mean harm. And so, yeah, just think that they could be your gran or your mum. And they're not aggressive. They're not aggressive. They're not aggressive in any way. But, you know, I have noticed some tourists,

take umbrage to them coming around. But as you say, there's very few of them. Some of them are very well known to the restauranteurs as well. So they kind of let them come in and, you know, for a very small amount of money, you can make a very big difference to those big spots. And when you buy something, the humbleness of them is lovely. Okay. Now, up to number nine, we're nearly there. And it's moving on from your restaurants because this is the other thing.

You've told me, and you're quite right, that Hoi An has world-class restaurants. You've got all types of cuisine, beautiful Vietnamese. You've got Greek, Spanish, fantastic Italian restaurants, everything you can imagine. And I can't say that I shouldn't have this on the list, but the thing is that takes it out for me is having a meal in the evening with the balmy weather

and overlooking the beach. And you have that beach, a beautiful stillness, and you can hear the waves just washing onto the beach. And you're there in one of the restaurants that line the beach. And I've got a few for different types. I'm just going to give some names, which I don't normally do. No, do it. Because I don't like to because there's venues everywhere. But I'm going to do this. There's four types that I would recommend.

For me, the all-out favourite has got to be Soul Kitchen, but I would recommend to a tourist a Soul Kitchen. It's an iconic venue. It was one of its kind, and many have sprung up, but Soul Kitchen still retains its heart. Overlook Zambank Beach, it's got live music, and these musicians are

are world-class. You see, you know, you can hear fantastic music, have food overlooking the beach and enjoy some drinks or whatever your fancy might be. And it's sunset, it's to die for. And you've got these wonderful little, well, not little, they're quite big, aren't they? If you've got a party of people, aren't they nice? They're these high

Yes. Like thatched little mini houses, if you like, with no walls. And the day beds. The day beds. Yeah, we like them, don't we? We do. We do. Who wouldn't? Yeah. I mean, you know, you can just take your shoes off. Like it's such a, I know it's a naughty thing to do, but just to take your shoes off, be able to snuggle up on one of those day beds and drink it. And once again, as you say,

Like there's no, I've never felt any impetus by the staff to say to me like, okay, you can move along now. Like you've been here three or four hours. It's time to go. Never have I been pushed out the door and I can stay there easily an afternoon. And once the evening comes on, as you say, with the entertainment, you're not charged for that entertainment. There's no entry fee into the venue.

And just to linger there in that atmosphere is just divine, just divine. And then you've got other places as well. If you're into nightlife, you've got Cocoon. That's amazing. It starts at 9 o'clock with a DJ. It's hip-hop. Oh, yeah. And it's like...

Very hip-hop. It goes till late, whatever that is. Very hip-hop. It's for the younger, real party crowd. Yeah, they shut the doors so they cut the noise down. Yeah. Well, they do. Yeah, they do. And they make some noise. And then you've got Salt Pub, which is very classy, but it's also a pub atmosphere. It combines the two. Great for kids. Yes, great location. And great location for kids.

And then if you're in a really wealthy demographic, then you've got Shore Club, which is very high class. But they all and there's others as well. There's one run by an Australian called Max Lambert, which is basically for the backpacker crowd. And I love going there. But they all overlook the beach. And well, just don't miss them. Go to all of them.

Yes. And they all offer, as you say, just something slightly different to each other. But as you walk past, you can pick a seafood restaurant, you know, and pick your seafood straight out of a bucket. You can move on and you can go to the Hamang Sisters and have a meal there. Or you could have a pizza next door. You go on to Soul Kitchen, as you say, like everything.

Either left or right at Ang Bang Beach, there's just such a range. I totally agree with you. Yeah, yeah, it's happening at Ang Bang. It's definitely. Okay, last but not least, number 10. Well, again, you know, I'm looking for the wow factor and I was thinking of all my time in Vietnam, what was one of the things that gave me this, ooh, wow? And that was, there's no doubt, it's the Hai Van Pass.

And the Hai Van Pass is extraordinary. It's known by the Vietnamese as Deu Hai Van, which means ocean cloud pass. And that should give you an idea. You start off at sort of ocean level and

and you go up this mountain right into the clouds. And, you know, it's a thrilling experience. It's a steep, steep drop the more you go. The roads wind, and you pass these jungle-covered hills, there's fishing villages below. And then this view at the top is just extraordinary. And so that used to be the main way you got from

Da Nang to Hue, which I highly recommend everyone visit. It was from Da Nang to Hue. But now you can go another way. But don't go the Highland Pass. And if you can, go by bike, motorbike. But just beware. I recommend you go with a licensed bike driver because...

Well, why Vietnam has the highest death toll in the world or accident toll in the world with bikes. And Kerry, I don't know one expat, me included, my husband included,

that hasn't had a bike accident. Some have been fatal. Some have been nasty. And mostly they're okay. But don't take a chance if you're a tourist. You're more than likely not insured if you're on a tourist visa. Take a car. That's what I did. Or take a Jeep. You can do that too.

Yes, we can do a Jeep, we can do a bike. And I think definitely don't put that holiday at risk by riding a bike. As you and I both know, we've known tourists who've got themselves into some sticky situations because of that. And you don't want that. You don't want that kind of trouble or that...

that thing to happen on any level. But certainly as part of your trip, you just don't want any accidents or anything like that. So to minimise that, definitely. But you want the experience. You want that drive up there and you want that pinnacle view. It is just awesome. It's just awesome, yeah. Absolutely. Sharon, I think we could go on to 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 easily. Yes.

We could. I'm so – we could, we could. Hoi An definitely is up there as a big favourite with the tourists. So I know the top ten –

is important because, you know, sometimes the traveller doesn't have all the time in the world. So to narrow it down to the top 10 things that they should do as must-dos, I'm so grateful for you to share your top 10 with us and I'm sure the travellers are going to be able to relate to a lot of them.

and hopefully put on their list of to-dos when they go. Or must-dos. It was lovely having Sharon on the program. I'm sure that you found her insights into the top 10 must-do things in Hoi An helpful. Hoi An does offer...

great many things to do so when you do start your planning allow some time to be able to enjoy those things because it's certainly a city in vietnam uh that you should spend extra time in because of those things i've put in the episode notes uh the link to hoyan now hoyan now offers uh

Just a wealth of information. So if you want to start your planning, certainly start with hoyannow.com as a place to grab the information and really kick off your planning in detail.

Please share the podcast with friends and family. You're able to listen to us through all your favorite channels. It's free to subscribe. I'm really grateful for your support and love to have you join me with my guests on What About Vietnam? Thank you for listening. Check out the episode notes for more information. What about Vietnam? Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review, and stay tuned for more fun adventures in Vietnam.

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