First stop on our descent to Saigon was Hoi An. Most people we'd met had said this was the place to go. So, off we went, hopping on a relatively short bus journey from Hue and ending up in arguably the most affluent place in Vietnam.
We got there quite late in the afternoon, so we checked in and then went wandering for a meal. The term "hidden gem" is used too often when travelling and reviewing places, but, the Bale Well restaurant definitely lives up to the term! We stumbled upon it by chance, looking down a back alley and seeing a bustling restaurant. We sat down expecting a menu to be brought, but suddenly this poultice of food started appearing bit by bit. Unsure of what was happening, we started to dig in and were quickly halted by a waitress. Finally when the meal was set in front of us we then discovered, under the tutelage of a waitress, how to actually eat it. The idea is that you make a large spring roll wrap with rice paper, encasing barbecue pork/chicken, salad, fried vegetables and a mini spring roll (yes, a spring roll in a spring roll!). You then dipped the messy masterpiece you had just created into a pot of chilli-satay sauce, it was delicious! Topped off by a mini-chocolate pudding and fresh pineapple. All in all, it made for a memorable meal! That night after we got back we bumped into one of Nats school friends and his girlfriend, James and Natalie. We ended up in a bar called Why Not, cheap drinks, good music but there were a few rats. One actually ran up Nats shin!
Hoi An is beautiful at night, lit up by hundreds of lanterns, which are found mostly along the riverbanks and among the adjoining streets. During the day you've got expansive markets to explore, or a short cycle to a huge beach that stretches as far as the eye can see. Hoi An is famous for its tailors, you can get suits, dresses, shirts and even shoes made from scratch. The services filter from the shops into the markets offering a range of prices, typically between $100 and $200 for a suit, and about $50 for dresses. It was also at Hoi An where Lottie developed a love for coconut juice! When you order one at the beach, they pick it up from the bottom of the tree, hack away one end and stick a straw in, as fresh as that! We had a great time in Hoi An and both agree that we would like to visit again (maybe when it's time for a new wardrobe!).
Next it was down the coast to Nha Trang, where you'll bump into a Russian every few steps (due to there being direct flights from Moscow). We only stayed here for two nights on our way down to Mui Ne, but had a great time! The highlight was the boat trip we took on our second day. It was only $7 each so we thought it would be a bit like a booze cruise full of Westerners (and maybe Russians), but actually it was mostly packed with Vietnamese. We stopped at an aquarium, then went for a swim in some of the most transparent water we've seen; although little did we know that the fun would start later! For the entire morning we were told to expect a Vietnamese boy band at the floating bar (one of our four stops), but we took this as a joke..so after lunch and when we were at anchor, the crew started bringing out a home made drum kit and a few guitars onto a makeshift stage. Another tour boat rafted up next to us to join in the fun too. They performed a few songs and were surprisingly skilful! Then the captain (lead singer) asked everybody on board which countries they were from and made one person get up on stage and represent their country with a performance! There were only 4 Brits on board and it was Nat who took it for the team, getting up and singing Wonderwall, Oasis (luckily a song he knows every single word too!).
Early the next morning we travelled 4 hours down the coast to the little town of Mui Ne. Surrounded by sand dunes, this area lies in a microclimate making it around 10 degrees hotter than the rest of Vietnam! Our hostel was located next to the beach, making it an ideal place to jump in the sea and cool off. That afternoon we spent swimming and exploring. In the evening we joined in a pub quiz with some friends and surprisingly (and annoyingly) came 2nd out of 15 teams! The next day we hired a small sailing boat. Lots on the helm and Nat on the main. We had been looking for a boat for Lots to learn to sail in for some time, it was a bit of a bonus that next door happened to have one! The only mishap that came was when we attempted a jibe, Lots moved across the boat a bit too quickly and ended up sliding off, backwards into the sea.
On our final day in Mui Ne we went on a sand dunes tour. We visited the Fairy Stream (a shallow stream you can walk down that runs adjacent to the dunes), the White Dunes and the Red Dunes. Nat rented a quad bike to explore the dunes, which was a great way to get around quickly without burning your feet in the heat of the day!
Our next port of call is Ho Chi Minh City, swapping the beach life for the city! Wish us luck.
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