Last week in Hoi An and and my last two nights away chilling at the beach in Danang...

My last week in Hoi An (Ancient town part) was a far more social/fun one and I had a great time.

I did a site inspection/checked out the Anantara Resort which is a stunning hotel just down the road from my house which also overlooks the river .  It is truly a beautiful property and the nicest, close to the Ancient/old town hotel I have seen.  To be fair its 5 star and should be.
Unfortunately I didn't have my camera with me so best to checkout the photos on instagram - kiwitravelguru

Also close to my house and the central market was The Ha An Hotel.  A nice hotel with a pool and all rooms had an outdoor area or balcony.  Again a great option for an easy walk into town for all the shops, restaurants.

I finally found Hito Café  (344/2 Nguyen Duy Hieu St ) which I knew was just around the corner from my place and had gone looking for it since I moved to the house in March after meeting one of the owners at the March expats get-together.  Run by two great guys, that serve great coffee and food.  It is off the main road down (which is why I kept missing it and they were just going to put the signs back up which had come off. ) .  It is truly a hidden gem - a lovely space and comes complete with two of the cutest kittens.  Make the effort to find it ...it is well worth it.

Another coffee place which was also around the corner from me was Mia Coffee which I could always grab a good takeaway coffee and Panini on a busy workwise day.


I spent the 26-30 April at The Historic Hotel Hoi An as my lease was up.  I could have stayed the extra 4 days at my place, but it was getting hotter I was hanging out for a pool again and to justify it I believe it is always better to stay at a hotel to really recommend it!  They also generously offered me an agents rate at a busy time.
The historic Hotel has big rooms, a great pool area and while in a different location to the Anantara or Ha An it is minutes away from the old town.  They provide a free shuttle to Cua Dai where they use the private beach of the Hoi An Beach hotel (I think ...as I didn't see any other ones out that way and to be fair I didn't use it as I hung out at the pool).

I got my legs waxed (again) at the Hoi An Day Spa which was nice and handy (as I was now around the corner at the Historic Hotel although I had gone there previously on a recommendation) and the ladies there were fantastic.  Not a single hair was missed thanks to a fluorescent lamp /strobe light .  A very unique but thorough wax job.

I caught up with Cath, an Australian expat also working remotely for some great wine and the best money bags (huge...and packed with shrimp etc) I've ever had at White Marble .They have Vietnamese and Hoi An Cuisine along with light snacks (and meals) but wine and platters worked for us. They have premium international wine list with 13 wines by the glass - heaven!!  Actually last time I was here I went there and had a glass of wine but had no idea it was the best in town.
To be honest as it was so close to the hotel I went back the next night for the money bags and a glass of wine.

On the Friday before I left town I caught up with Sharon (Hoi An Now) and her friends for dinner at MIX (Greek restaurant - up from the Japanese bridge) which I had heard so many good things about.  Great food, lovely owners and we timed it well as there were people waiting outside to get in.  It deserves the amazing reviews it gets.  Another great night out.
While you are probably questioning the logic of going to a Greek restaurant in Vietnam, the reality is after 8 weeks of mainly Vietnamese food which I love, it was really good to have a change and the idea of going was to check out as many great options as possible.....all about research.

I  then spend my last two nights at the Pullman Danang Beach Resort who on a busy long weekend/ Vietnamese holiday gave me an agents rate.  It was more than I wanted to spend but so worth it.  It was the perfect ending to an amazing 2 months.  I just loved it...so chilled - I loved my room, the beach and the pool.  I spend my first night just chilling in a cabana (sort of) lounger on the beach listening to music on my headphones until about 10pm.  It took me that long to get through the very strong 2 for 1 cocktails from 6pm.  The staff just delivered the second after I had finally finished the first one (well after the happy hour had finished) and ended up having dinner there (on my lounger).
It's an amazing stretch of beach along from the public Khe My Beach  (china Beach)....same beach just further down.  Pools are great and the one at the Pullman was amazing ( I even had it all to myself first thing in the morning for some laps before breakfast) but in my opinion you can't beat swimming in the sea. The sea floor dropped steeply a couple of times and there were big waves but that's the beauty of the beach/sea!

I had a 90 minute hot stone massage on my last day (before I flew out) at the Ocean Spa (17 An Thuong 5 St, Ngu Hahn Son -email - spaocean7@gmail.com) which was just heavenly and I think I paid USD$15/17 + Tip for it. I swear I was so relaxed that I slept for probably an hour of it.

I went into Danang for dinner on my last night and had the most amazing pita bread and dips and crab cakes  at the Waterfront Restaurant and Bar.  After wandering the streets near the hotel in search of a recommended restaurant that I couldn't find , (I jumped in a cab in the end and went to the Waterfront). I got there too late to want a full meal but it what I had was great and it looks out onto the waterfront which is a bit of a promenade. 
Danang city is pretty amazing at night all lit up and again I think is an underrated city and I wish I had taken more time to check it out but I didn't.

How time flies...8 weeks away seems like a long time and the first 3 weeks in Hoi An were a bit lonely, I will admit. Much better after I met a few expats (and travellers) and had people to dine with.  I should have posted on the Hoi An Expats face book page seeking people to catch up for dinner with earlier!

In reality I worked as if I was home (march is always normally a busy Europe/Asia/USA early bird big sale month...April with school holidays and Easter is generally quieter so gave me a chance to check out some more hotels etc and chill a wee bit) so my vision of getting up at 6 am and working until 1 pm and having all afternoon off everyday didn't really eventuate!
Still I'm not complaining ...I had a ball.  I met some amazing people, ate and drank at some very cool places, did some great tours, and stayed at or viewed some amazing hotels. 

It was much busier than it was 4 years ago when I was last there, (more motorbikes/cars where before it was more push bikes) and it's definitely growing -a 'Second Hoi An'  development is in progress currently 
Hoi An has been voted in the top 10 places in the world to visit (The Wanderlust Reader Travel Awards 2016, voted Vietnam’s Hoi An as their readers/voters favourite city in the world to visit) so you have to expect that it will get busier.
Years ago as an agent I would have given a money back guarantee on Hoi An as everyone I sent there loved it.  To be honest as an agent I would never give a money back guarantee as there are always people who would be upset by a day of rain, or a mosquito bite, or the sight of a cockroach that supposedly ruined their whole holiday  - fortunately they are not my clients.
The Ancient/old town is a pretty town -stunning with all its lanterns lit up at night and well worth the visit.
And whilst it is getting busier, it's still a fantastic place to visit or live.....and I would go back in a heartbeat.

A big thanks to the amazing people I met and for the great contacts as a result,  to my gorgeous landlords (who spoke no English) who lived next door and their daughter who did (speak English) for making my working remotely experiment so fantastic.

 

Only two weeks left working remotely from Hoi An...

Only two weeks left ...where did the time go...

My 2nd to last week...

Easter weekend so pretty quiet work wise for me so I caught up with Tracey from Wide Eyed Tours at Felina Cantina (An Bang beach) where they serve the best tacos and if I could bottle his special sauce and sell it here I would be worth millions!!
Tracey showed me around the new hotel that Travis from Wide Eyed Tours is building in An Bang as well as several of their villas.  The  villas are in their brochures and on Expedia etc and a great option for families/ groups of friends and quite unique to Hoi An and An Bang would definitely be my preferred spot - a  mere VND80000-100000 (USD$4-5) from the ancient town but it is so chilled if I had my time again and I hadn't come in the high season would have opted to live out there.
On the way back into town I checked out Essence Hoi An.  Loveliest staff and all the rooms were lovely - modern but with a touch of Vietnamese influence.  The new wing has some higher level accommodation with its own full own deck option which I loved and their own pool/bar etc and soon to have butler service.  The room in their original wing look out onto the paddy field which is an amazing outlook.  Slightly out of the ancient town but bikes to use and transfers into town and the beach. Two pools on the property for both the old (not that old ) and new wing.
The other hotel I checked out is the semi newly opened Lasenta Hotel.  Beautiful hotel, modern rooms and an infinity pool over looking the paddy fields. Important to note however that the infinity pool isn't huge and as I was there in high Season (not NZ's but everyone else's apparently)  that it appeared cramped and staff as lovely as they were hard to converse with.  Still a great location half way between the ancient town and An Bang.
No photos to share sadly as I didn't have my camera with me but they are on my Instagram page under kiwitravelguru

That Friday (Good Friday in fact but as Easter is not celebrated it felt like just another day- no Easter esggs or hot cross buns in Hoi An - not a bad thing if you look at it in a diet way! ) I did the Vespa Adventures Street and eat tour which was great.  Fantastic guide and safe drivers and I got to see parts of Hoi An I hadn't got to in the last 7 weeks.  Amazing food , a trip down the river to set off lit candles and make a wish that I never did during a full moon because of the insane crowds, and plied with alcohol along the way. I ended up on a tour with some English expats working in Hong Kong making the most of the long weekend (1.5 hr flight for them).  Great group, and I can't recommend it highly enough.  I wouldn't recommend it for my folks in their 70's as I wouldn't trust them to be on the back of a bike but the guide and the drivers were great and as I said before the food was amazing.  One of the English Hong Kong expats had done it before and talked his friends into doing it again...and if that's not a recommendation I don't know what is!

Obviously in your last few weeks you finally think about tailoring (in a city that it renowned for it) .  My landlords daughter took me to her friend around the corner from where I lived (I believe you should shop locally) to Huy Bao (49 Phan Boi St) who made me two amazing pairs of boots and handbags to match along with a birthday present hang bag for my sister (made to her measurements!).  The shoes were made to measure and I picked out the leather , heel type and style and were rapt with them. 
I went into the Yaly(  358 Nguyen Duy Hieu St Shop) and picked up some great winter (ie NZ weather dresses) but the reality is that for one of the dresses (a premade dresses that I saw there and liked that they copied which I had to get them to modify ( shorter armpits etc..) I  went in for 5 fittings for it still to be not quite right. The average stay in Hoi an is 3-5 days so it would not have been long enough had I not had more time and it being just around the corner.  To be fair they have a huge number of stores and clearly an army of tailors and like every tailor I went to make it their mission to get it right. they are known to be the best and generally charged more for that reason .
Across the road was Blue Lantern Tailor (331 NguyenDuy Hieu St) who made some amazing copies of a De Nada dress and went out of their way (on the back of the motor bike to 4 fabric shops to find the perfect material ) to meet my expectations. My sisters friends who were passing through got a woollen coat, dress and other items made in 2 days that they were rapt with it.
Two days before I left I used a tailor Bao Diep (which was close to the Hoi An Historic Hotel) -28 Tran Hung Dao St.  I had a picture of a merino hooded top/jacket that I wanted copied.  Given that it was made out of cashmere/wool it turned out great.  It did have to be tweaked a few times and I'm grateful for their patience with the changes I wanted done in such a short amount of time!
The reality is with Tailoring that unless you are copying something or want a basic shirt/dress/suit made you have to allow time and days for refitting which most don't.

Friends of my sister's were passing through Hoi An so I took them to one of m favourite places Lantern Town Restaurant - 49 Nguyễn Thái Học - the email address if you want to book is lanterntownhoian@Gmail.com (where I had meet the owner previously and sold them on the amazing duck spring rolls). Sadly our pre drinks took longer and they had run out . But they went back the next day for dinner when I was out with other friends and agreed with my recommendation.  To be fair all there dishes were great but any duck dish there is to die for. 
We went across the river from the old town where the bars are open later and had a quick look at the night markets and had a few drinks at a bar along the river before being chucked around midnight (my latest night out in  the whole 8 weeks away!!).  Its not recommended to use a motorbike taxi at that time of night - use a proper taxi if its too far to walk back to your hotel from.
I also took them to my other favourites Felina Catina and Soul Kitchen at An Bang the following night and we had a great time.

That weekend I had booked myself to stay out at Victoria Beach Resort.  I first saw the resort in 2004 on a famil and sadly the beach out the front has been badly eroded away but the hotel does have its own really nice private beach next to hotel and I can see why so many of my clients have opted to return to the resort year after year. The hotel generously upgraded me to a deluxe ocean view room which was fantastic.  Its a lovely property. 

While staying at the Victoria Beach Resort (out at Cua Dai Beach) I took the opportunity to have a look at some of the other hotels in the area.
Hoi An Beach Hotel is across from the beach and backs onto the river.  They have their own private beach across the road.  Two pools, nice rooms and nice and handy to all the restaurants, mini mart etc.

Along the road from the Victoria Beach Resort is Golden Sand Resort and Spa which has a massive pool and all the rooms have balconies.

Along from there is Sunrise Premium Resort and Spa which is the newest of the 3 along this stretch of road (Thanh Nien Road).  It is the furthest way from where a lot of the restaurants were but there were places across the road.  The only room type I could see was the deluxe room which was lovely but has more of a Juliet balcony - ie you can open up the sliding doors but there is no where to go. Out of the Victoria, Hoi Beach Resort, Golden Sands this is the most modern. 

 

 

 The last Hotel I checked out in the area was the Palm Garden Resort which is on a different stretch of Cua Dai Beach and has a great beach front area as well as pool etc.  Its a big resort nicely spread out and again has been a favourite for some of my clients in the past.

The Cua Dai beach area is still only 4-5 USD in a cab to get to the old town with many of the hotels offering shuttles into the Ancient/old town area.


After a relaxing weekend at the beach I headed back to my house in town and on the sunday night (4-7pm - I think I finally left at 9!) I went to the Hoi An Expats monthly (April) social gathering at O'Malley's Bar and Grill (part of the Anantara Resort) which conveniently was minutes away from where my house is. The charity of choice this month was the Hoi An orphanage.  Perfect for me as I often grab the toothbrushes etc at hotels that I stay at to give to either Ronald McDonald house or women's refuge at home. Naturally they welcomed them and it was less excess baggage for me.
I met up with some people I had met at the March get-together and organised to catch up with a few of them for my last week in town.
Amongst other expats I had met previously, I caught up again with Sharon and Stewart from Hoi An Now  who are a lovely couple who run the website and are a wealth of information. It is a must check out site if heading over to Hoi An as it is an insiders' guide for tourists and expats about everything Hoi An. Activities, restaurants, shopping, essential information, family, tours.


Now only one week in town to go...

Hue and the heat...

Hue, the Imperial City is so underrated and I feel guilty for generally only recommending stays of 1 or 2 nights at most to my clients in the past.  It is such a pretty city and so relaxing by comparison to some of the other cities.  I'm so glad that I finally went...
The only negative was that it was hot...so hot.

I booked myself a private transfer from Hoi An to Hue with Hoi An Private cars as I needed to work in the morning and had a booked a food tour for the evening in Hue so the buses and train (both considerably cheaper but longer and less flexible options) times didn't work.  On the way you drive pass the beautiful My Khe beach in Danang - A stunning stretch of beach formally referred to, during the war, as China Beach.  We stopped at the summit of Hai Van pass for me to take some photos before driving pass the lovely Lang Co beach and onto Hue.  It's a good 2.5 to 3 hours drive and the roads are pretty good and with the exception of the odd dodgy overtake on corners it was a great drive.

 



I had booked myself into the Hotel Saigon Morin which is in a great location in the heart of Hue, with fantastic views of view of  the Truong Tien Bridge (which is lit up at night with changing colours) and Perfume River. The Morin is a lovely colonial style hotel originally built in 1901 and refurbished in 1997.  Huge rooms and in my case a balcony looking out to the river.

I had booked myself on Urban Adventures 'Royal City Street Eats' which is an evening food tour by cyclo where I sampled some of Hue's best local dishes and ended up at the Tu Phuong Vo Su Pavilion for coffee (inside the Citidel) which was just stunning. 
The following morning I met up with Van (who also took my tour last night), and did a Hue city tour (again with Urban Adventures)which included a walking tour of the Citadel, a visit to the Dong Ba Market, a vegan lunch at a local monastery (Pagoda), a visit to the  seven-tiered Thien Mu Pagoda, and a relaxing cruise back to the hotel along the Perfume River.  I also tried making incense sticks -its safe to say I won't be giving up my day job!.
Van, spoke very good English, was knowledgeable about the history and culture and made both tours interesting and enjoyable.

On the second night I had a nice meal at Stop and Go Café which was just around the corner from the hotel and on the last night I ate along the riverfront at Ancient Town Restaurant.  A lovely spot away from the stalls and shops along the walking street.

While I was in Hue I went and looked at a few other hotels - Eldora, Scarlett Boutique Hotel, Alba Spa Hotel, La Residence and Indochine Palace.  All lovely hotels with their own unique selling points.

I booked a transfer back with Stop and Go Tours (same place as the restaurant) and my driver Hung would have to have been the best driver I have had in Vietnam to date.

Back to Hoi An in time for the full moon but I opted to avoid the Ancient Town after last month and ate around the corner, complete with a lion/dragon dance put on.

That day and night were incredibly hot and the next day it was already 33 degrees at 8am.  We had a power cut for 30 minutes and I thought I was going to die (from the heat).  Normally there is a great breeze off the balcony during the day but it was so still.  (pic of my house - 3rd from the end/bridge)

I was comforted by the fact that everyone was feeling it including the locals but I was desperately in need of a pool and some 24/7 air conditioning so I booked myself into Hoi An Trails Resort for a few days.  I had wanted to check it out so it gave me the perfect excuse.  My room included breakfast (obviously as most Vietnamese hotels do) and a daily 15 min food massage and a cooking class which I naturally made the most of.

While I was this end of town I checked out Dingo Deli for lunch, which is a favourite hangout spot for expats.   I had dinner at Son Restaurant (232 Cua Dai), where I had eaten 4 + years ago on a recommendation from the then chef at the Nam Hai.  The food is still great.
And I had a night out with the one of the owners and sales manager for Wide Eyed Tours (who have a great product) at Soul Kitchen on An Bang Beach - a great spot and a great night out.

Hard to believe I have just over two weeks left...

The house, the bat and the dog....

Well I moved into my lovely place along the river, close to the Central Market and all seemed good.   After the influx for the full moon, Hoi An has gone back to the charming, pretty, mainly chilled little town that I recalled it being...(FYI that it a pic of the Ancient town now my house)

Moving was significantly easier than any other more I have ever done (only one suitcase) and I set my desk up looking out over the river and with the balcony doors open it gets a great breeze.
However on my second night here, while chilling on the couch watching a bit of TV, I noticed something fluttering near the roof in the lounge.  Given that I am not good with moths and other flying things I opted to go down the path of denial and just take myself off to bed....much safer than investigating further!
The following day I noticed quite a few mouse like droppings on the floor which I believed could only have been made by either a mouse, gecko or bat.  I was pretty sure it wasn't a mouse or gecko so that only left a bat or bats...given the amount.  I spoke to the landlords daughter who informed that there were 3 but they had caught two....excellent I thought - lucky me!  The landlord put up some fishing netting across the balcony but sadly it wasn't completely covered and I woke up the next morning to about 5 dead bats that had got in but couldn't get out (including the one in my lounge) - all very traumatic!  After a night of being bombarded by the distressed bat after me trying to swat it with a broom (I felt like I had played a complete game of tennis at the end of it) , I did what any logical person would do and booked myself  3 nights accommodation and moved out!
I booked myself into the Hoi An Silk Village Resort which was like a little oasis away from the hustle and bustle of the old town and of course the bat!

In my absence the Landlord had caught the bat and had completed bat proofing the house.

During my stay at The Hoi An Silk Village I replied to a dog sitting request on the Hoi An expats facebook page for a week in case the bat hadn't gone.
The dog sit was for a lovely young English couple have a brand new house - maybe 15 mins from where I was, and a rescue dog called Hobo.  
I joined the English couple and their friend Maria for dinner at The Beachhouse in An Bang beach the night before they left.  Lovely relaxed place and great food. 
Hobo was the poster dog apparently for Vietnam Animal Aid and Rescue...famous no less.  Lovely dog and it was nice to have a dog around after losing mine almost two years ago. However, dog walking in Vietnam is a whole different ballgame as most of the dogs wander at leisure and most houses have their doors and gates open.  Hobo is a small dog, with a big dog attitude and mentality ,and seemed to take delight in winding the dogs up on his daily walks!  Much as I was sad to leave after a week I did find dog walking here incredibly stressful.

While I was in the area though I did go and check out Ancient House Village Resort and Spa, which I had stayed at in 2004 not long after it opened.  Nice rooms and a nice little resort in a pretty good location - halfway between the beach and the old town with several good restaurants around it.  A colleague did advise that she had seen a review (which I couldn't find) that talked about bats in their room....ah the joys of balconies, and an area close to the river with lots of trees!!

Nearby is the Havana Café, where I had a great Vietnamese pancake and Mojito for lunch.

Now that I'm back in my house, I have begun checking out some of the many restaurants, cafe's and bars in Hoi An.
There is a sports bar down the road , 3 Dragons where I watched the Hurricanes play and it has a lovely restaurant part on the riverfront which serves really good food.  Along the riverfront are numerous cafes and restaurants.  Near by is Hill Station which is in a stunning little building and offers some great platters of cheese, pate and charcuterie (as well as numerous other options) along with great wines.  Its a popular place you need to get there early to get a seat out the front (which I prefer).  My favourite lunch Banh Mi place is a short walkaway and always has a line of people queing up- Banh Mi Phuong.  Last night, I met up with an Australian girl, hoping to work and live here, for a meal at Good Morning Vietnam which does great Italian food.  Western prices by comparison to a lot of the local Vietnamese restaurants but at USD20 each for shared bruschetta, 2 mains and a bottle of wine it is still cheaper than home!

I found a great little spa around the corner, Five Senses Spa and Beauty, where I have had several massages now and pedicure.  I can't complain about USD$10 for an hours massage....

Last week I also checked out the Almanity Hoi An Resort and Spa which is stunning.  Lovely rooms, a great pool area and an amazing spa and quiet/yoga area.  It is very popular with The NZ and Australian market and with good reason.

It was on the way to the Military Bank (MB)which is the only ATM that gives up to 10 Million VND - well worth the trek (from my place at least) to the corner of Hai Ba Trung and Ba Trieu Street .  Most ATM's have a limit of only VND2 Million (approx. $100 ).

I'm off to Hue tomorrow for three night's to do a few tours and to have a look at some hotels....

A taste of Asia....

Hi there...Chris here

Sometimes trying times present fantastic opportunities. ...

Due to a lack of rental accommodation in Wellington, I decided to take advantage of not paying rent and give working remotely a go....8 weeks of it.  I opted for Hoi An for 7 weeks, a destination that I would have almost given a money back guarantee on.   On my way there I spent 4 nights in Siem Reap and then 3 in Ho Chi Minh.  My cousin and his wife and her family were also in Siem Reap at the same time which was great.

Week 1

Siem Reap I really liked, and my cousin came with me to have a look at some hotels (posing as my photographer as he was keen to get ideas ). The hotel I stayed at in Siem Reap was J7 ,which was a great choice if I do say so myself!  It is a newly opened hotel in a great location with fantastic staff.  I couldn't fault it.  I also had a look at others including the Victoria Hotel Siem Reap which is a colonial style hotel, Shinta Mani Club  and the resort across the road which was lovely, Lotus Blanc Resort  and the Anantara which was to die for.

I feel pretty fortunate to have come to Siem Reap in 1998, when there were very few tourists by comparison visiting the majestic sites of Angkok Wat and Ta Phrom.  I saw all the ancient ruins in 1998 but this time just wanted to see my favourites.  I think the tuk tuk driver was amazed at the speed in which I revisited them but for me it was manic. I just couldn’t handle the busloads of tourists (and steady stream of Tuk Tuk’s) and the heat…still I got some great pictures and two blessings.  Both ( and all the others - Bayon Temple etc) are must see's on any Siem Reap itinerary but getting up early is best to check out the ancient ruins (if for no other reason than to beat the heat).

One monk seemed to splash/spray me with excessive amounts of water – either he could see how hot I was or believed I needed to be cleansed of a lot of sins (I’m going with the first option!).

 

 

I loved the fact that at night you could walk around in Siem Reap without horrendous traffic/constant tooting and it was quite pleasant walking (temperature wise) back to the hotel from pub street.  We had a great meal at Malis on the last night.

Ho Chi Minh (formerly known as Saigon)by comparison was insanely busy and while I was kept busy looking at hotels, I couldn’t wait to get out of there fast enough.  Too be fair there seemed to be more pedestrian crossings than I recall but they don’t count for much as although the car/buses stop, motorbikes still seem to go through on a red. I stayed at The Rex Hotel which was fine but dated and there are better options in Ho Chi Minh.   I knew its location which is why I picked it....well that and the rate at the time I booked. I booked a suite as it had a balcony but it wasn’t a balcony as I know it.  Maybe 50-70(?) centres wide - it was tiny and as it looked over a construction site hardly seemed wothwhile.  After checking out the The Grand Hotel I came across the newly opened The Myst Dong Khoi which I just loved and will happily promote - Uniquely  Vietnamese.

I also checked out the Hotel Continental Saigon, a colonial style hotel in a great location with massive rooms and lovely high ceilings.  Nearby is the 5 Star Caravelle Saigon.  The rooftop bar on the 9th floor, Saigon Saigon,  will be forever immortalised for its role in the Vietnam War as the location of the daily war correspondents briefing and their watering hole of choice throughout the conflict. 

I did an Urban Adventure's food tour one night which was a great chance to sample some great local street food.  The lovely Australian family that I did the tour had said they would never have eaten off street vendors and really enjoyed it, which is what the tour is all about.  I however, happily eat off the street but enjoyed the tour and we ended up at a very cool coffee place (mockingbird coffee) which I would never have found..

I also did a full day Mekong Delta speed boat tour with Les Rives Experiences, which was recommended by one of the wholesale consultant’s I use..  A good tour ..a few nice stops along the way and then a walk through the market before having a great lunch.  No crocodiles apparently in the river anymore which is hardly surprising given the rubbish in the river and the number of crocodile skin shoe and handbag shops in town.  A good mix of people on the tour.  There was a kiwi and his Australian wife and their 2 year old daughter, who are living in Danang.  A very cute girl who was a hit with the locals – she spoke amazingly clearly for a 2 year old and was heard saying ‘no photos’ on more than one occasion.  I could relate – being fair headed growing up in Hong Kong, I recall having the blonde hairs on my arms pulled and my cheeks pinched constantly!  There were a few Americans, all nice, but the one who stood out was (in more ways than one -definitely a Trump supporter which I found interesting) was from Mississippi (think southern accent).  He took a photo of a shanti town like house along the river, saying that he would send it to his wife telling her he had brought her a ‘riverfront condo’!  There was a nice Canadian couple and then there were the Ukrainian Kardashians.  A group of young women, and a bar owner (maybe their boss) who were living in Ho Chi Minh (belly dancers apparently although all but one had a belly) who were selfie queens.  When a python was brought out for photos, one did pretty much a whole photo shoot of herself in supposedly sexy poses with the snake.  Animal cruelty groups would probably have a field day with subjecting the snake to this.  She was mortified to hear later that the snake was a female!  All in all an entertaining day!

Week 2

And now onto Hoi An.  I arrived on Saturday which was the full moon lantern festival which I was quite excited about when I realised that I would be there for it.  As I drove in from Danang airport I was staggered at the amount of traffic and new developments since I was last here a few years ago.  I don’t recall as many traffic lights but given the number of cars and motorbikes now they are clearly needed.  My hotel, The River Town hotel is across the river from the old town and fronts onto the main river (maybe 10-15mins walk to the ancient town).  A newly opened hotel with a fantastic staff, a great pool and really good food.

 

That night I arrived I headed into town to take in the festivities but was mortified at the crowds.  Apparently there was a Korean and Japanese exhibition/show on also for the full moon.  Definitely  a WTF moment -I have never seen so many people crammed into the streets in my life – it was hideous.  There was a post from a member on the The Hoi An Expats facebook page that stated he had stopped counting at something like 106 coach buses.  I seriously questioned what I was doing here and found myself googling ‘chilled places in Asia to live’ and even emailed an apartment rental company in Chang Mai on Sunday night as I hadn’t heard back from the rental guy here and was over it.  The days are fine but night-timewas insane – I have no idea where they all get bussed in from.  Apparently it is the high season.

Definitely not the hoi An that I remembered but to be fair I have never been here at this time of the year and the first few days do not make a trip.

Anyway on Monday I heard from the rental agency , Nha Toi Real Estate, who seem to do all the rentals here, and on Tuesday I set off on the back of his assistant’s motor bike to check out 4 houses.  The ones that I had liked on their site had gone.  The ones they showed me were all nice places and most were supposedly in a good areas but seemed to be down a series of alley ways in the middle of nowhere and I was sure I would get lost finding it again ...and definitely after a night out.. My new house is along the river near the Central market so close to the ancient town but from the other end of the town to the hotel I’m currently in.  It is a two storey, 100 sq metre traditional wooden house next door to the owners (Mama and Papa – I met the daughter who can speak English when I saw the house and met Papa when I signed the contract – he doesn’t speak English but smiled a lot so I’m sure that’s good).  It has a balcony upstairs off the lounge that overlooks the river and gets a good breeze.  Two bedrooms – the one downstairs seems cooler and a kitchen , dining table etc.  two bathrooms – one upstairs /one downstairs.  It has aircon, portable fans, a fridge, beds, lounge suite, TV and fibre optic internet (we’ll see).  I figure I will work upstairs and sleep downstairs but time will tell.  It had a mosquito net on the bed but not attached above it so I may have to do some home improvements!   Given my dislike of bugs/moths etc I think it is safe to say that I will probably nuke the place on arrival.  It’s a good location and I like the fact that the owners are next door if I go way for a weekend and just security in general (although I don’t feel unsafe here at all).  USD$600 for the 6 weeks + utilities (supposed to be around USD$50 per month).  Along the riverfront (I’m almost at the end)  are lots of restaurants, cafes etc and I am walking distance to the market and ancient town with all its restaurants, cafes, bars etc so I should be fine.  As the food is so cheap I can’t see me doing any cooking except for maybe a class or two. I think it is safe to say this will be the easiest house move I have ever done!

There is a Hoi An expats monthly group (I’m not sure if I count as I am only here for the next 6 weeks but found it on facebook) get together on Sunday which I will go to.  Each month they do a get together for a token fee/donation which goes towards a charity – this month was the Vietnam Animal Aid and Rescue which works for me!  This month it is held at The Atlas Hotel, which is a nice boutique style , newly opened hotel within an easy walk of the ancient town.

I seem to be sweating profusely all the time and drinking at least 3 litres of water a day, so that along with my 15000+ steps (my fitbit must think it has a new owner), and much better food choices, must surely lead to obscene amounts of weight loss.  Time will tell.  I look around and I swear I am sweating more than others, even those bigger than me, so perhaps my friend is right and I am pre-menopausal in which case I should have gone to a colder climate as April is generally hotter in Hoi An and I fear I will die at this rate!

And so begins my next 6 weeks in Hoi an…

Travel Insurance...don't leave home without it

Hi there, Chris here...

I wanted to share  my own personal story which highlights the need to ensure you have travel Insurance every time you leave the country ...because you never know...

The week before moving into my new place (which is now the home of my office), I was offered a FREE trip to Phuket for 5 nights leaving the Monday after I moved. ....Obviously it goes against everything I believe in to turn down a free trip, and with the thought of cheap daily massages, I left the boxes where they were and took off to Thailand.
Naturally I was going for educational purposes - the chance to try out Air New Zealand's 'grab a seat charter beach party flight' from Auckland to Phuket, and to check out the Westin Siray Bay
With 'Dry July' looming I thought a wet end to June was in order!

 

This is when I tell you about the benefits of having travel Insurance....

The flight over was interesting to say the least.  6 hours into our 12 hour flight Air New Zealand had run out of alcohol and at least 4 of the toilets were deemed unusable.  However the 300 of us survived and landed in Phuket.  (some definitely worse for wear!)
So far so good....
The next day I went into Patong (we were about 40 mins away) to have a look around and have a massage.  I love Thai massages and at 300THB (around $12-13) for an hour what's not to love...
Back to the resort, had some dinner and went for a swim.  Coming out of the pool to go down the stairs (to where my towel and things were on a lounger) I slipped on the stairs, crashing back on my backside before falling forward down the stairs.  (....and no, before you ask I wasn't drunk - I wish I had been as then I wouldn't have felt it!)
In this fantastic display of grace and poise I managed to chip my front tooth, and ended up numerous cuts on the front of my leg as well as a massive lump (hematoma) on my backside.
With the help of the staff, who coated all exposed injuries in iodine,I went back to my room to self medicate with panadeine and voltarin (which clearly no experienced traveller should ever leave home without !!) until I went to the hospital the next day.

I had an x-ray at the hospital (Bangkok Hospital in Phuket)...nothing broken just VERY sore and battered.  I would have to say that the Hospital was so efficient - I was registered and into see the Dr within about 15 minutes (safe to say it seemed a lot longer when I was sitting!!)
Lots of drugs later and a letter from the Dr stating that I can't sit for 12 hrs in 3 days time for the flight home (sitting back in a seat or chair was definitely the most painful) I was back at the hotel on the phone to QBE. As I was on a charter flight and the flight was full in all classes , I couldn't be upgraded on that flight.  On medical advice (my doctor's letter/summary) QBE booked me on Silk Air to Singapore and Qantas Business class home at a cost of AUD$3934. (they should have asked me to book it as I am sure I could have got it cheaper!)
I did save them some money however by getting my tooth fixed at the hospital at the same time for a mere $75NZD.....If you are going to damage your teeth anywhere Thailand is the place to do it!

To be honest while it was not the trip I had imagined (lying on my 'heavenly bed' with an ice pack on my backside was not part of the original plan),given the way I fell, I was lucky that I did not shatter my tailbone or do anymore damage.
The bruising is now coming out in all its technicolor glory and I am feeling heaps better.

Moral of the story is to always clutch onto the handrails (in this case there were none) but more importantly ALWAYS TAKE INSURANCE as you never know what could happen.
Over the years I have always had insurance and never really claimed, but have always worked on the basis that it will help me out when I need it most.....
Don't leave home without it!

Call me for all your travel and travel insurance needs.... 021 740 736