After 30 days we left Hoi An, Vietnam, but it left such a feeling that we are sure it will not be for the last time. Why we liked (loved?) Hoi An:

– Such intimacy in the town! It’s large enough that you can find most things, like food, clothes, etc…, but still feels like a small town—which it is. The Ancient Area (what we used to call “Old Town”) is charming to walk, horrendous to drive, and there are food vendors on every corner, along with a) coffee shops, b) massage parlors, and c) motorbike rentals, and d) custom clothiers. They have all in abundance.

– It took us about a week to venture down to the beach, and even then, we never really laid out in the sun! But it was great to go for a sunrise, or catch dinner with an amazing view, and not pay a lot of money. We also found this great breakfast/ coffee shop called Sounds of Silence and went there several times, just to sit on the bluff, drink coconut coffee, and watch the water.

– Speaking of food, because there is SO much fresh fruit and veggies, you almost have to make a strong effort to eat junk food! No McDonalds, no Burger King, and a mango smoothie, my fave, was about $1.38 and a coffee (including coconut coffee, avocado coffee, egg, and salt coffee) was about the same. I enjoyed eating my own version of fresh food for breakfast, including a red pepper, tomato, cucumber, crackers with cheese, and tea. Yum.

– Along with that, except for the carb factor, we ate a lot of noodle and rice dishes, and I was amazed how much I enjoyed chicken or beef noodle soup for breakfast!!

– We were invited to an amazing hotel called Hoiana Beach Club, which was an opulent city sized resort on the beach, where they gave us a tour and dinner, including the rooms. Incredible what you can get for such a reasonable price! I am setting up a Meet up with local expats to introduce them to this very cool place.

– We also visited a unique show called Teh Dar, which was a combination of Cirque de Soleil and a Chinese acrobat show. It was a bit pricey (for Vietnam, @$45 approx), but was one of the few “touristy” things we did, even though there was a decent number of options to tempt us.

– We also visited the largest cat shelter/ café ever, called Jack’s Café, home of 100+ cats in need of a home. They were extremely friendly and as much as it was fun sitting with them and playing, it was heartbreaking all the same, and the people behind this have such giving hearts, getting little in return. Many of the cats had been there for years and would probably never leave.