Hanoi
Halong Bay
Hue
Hoi An
Beach
Mekong
Angkor
Slides
Wheels
Facts sheet
Department of managing and gathering swallows nests
Rain in the harbourBoat on the Thu Bon riverWe arrive in Hoi An in the evening rain storm and duck into a cafe on our first walk to avoid getting soaked.

Hoi An is only 30km from Danang but could not be more different. Its market and narrow streets are reminiscent of Stone Town in Zanzibar. The restoration now may be for the tourists but this is still a charming spot.
Hoi An fish marketselling fishEarly the next morning we are down to the market to see the fish being unloaded and the locals bartering for their fish, fruit, veg and just about everything else you could imagine.

The girls are put off by the stench of fish but we walk up and down the crowded stalls soaking up the atmosphere. You can't imagine that there are any fish left in the sea when you see the size of one day's catch.
peeling prawns market stall Market stall
Hoi An harbourBoats on the Thu Bon riverHoi An used to be the main port for central Vietnam until the Thu Bon river silted up in the early 18th century preventing the ships reaching the town. After that ships moved to Danang instead.
Rob chooses materialTommy chooses some silkHoi An is famous for its tailors and we descend on two of them for suits, jackets, dresses, waistcoats and, in Tommy and Tom's case, pyjama bottoms in every imaginable pattern.

A linen jacket will cost you $35 while a full, fitted and tailored silk suit goes for about $100. Not surprisingly we have to buy two more suitcases when we finally leave for Ho Chi Mihn City.

Click here for the beach and tunnels.