HỘI AN, VIETNAM | 2019
This quaint town was exactly what I needed. I’m only sad we were not able to stay longer. Even 5 days is not enough to explore the rich history and culture of this UNESCO world heritage site.
The walls are a golden turmeric color, and the trees drip in colorful silk lanterns.
Although it seems one can not escape the honking of horns anywhere in Vietnam, it is noticeably quieter. (thank goodness) There is more space. More room for nature. We are both near the beach and surrounded by rice paddies.
We stayed at Zen Boutique Villas - a small boutique hotel, just outside of Ancient town. It was walking distance to coffee shops, as well as a gym that had a delicious juice & smoothie bar. I find it incredibly important to keep moving regularly, it helps keep me grounded while traveling so much.
One souvenir I treated myself to in Hoi An was a new tattoo! A sweet cherub now forever links me to this place I hold so dearly to my heart. We found an incredibly talented artist who was excited to work with us. His shop was clean & cool, and he was professional and priced very fairly. Check out his page here.
One of my favorite experiences was the cooking tour with took with Thuan Tinh Tours - I hope all these cooking lessons will turn me into something of an international chef! We were picked up at our villa at 8am, and shuttled to the local market to gather our ingredients for the dishes we would be cooking later. Our guide, Trang, was knowledgeable and offered us insights into each of the ingredients and vendors. We collected herbs and greens and noodles and protein and eggs and spices, weaving in and around the locals all getting their supplies as well.
We then took a peaceful boat ride down the river to their secluded private island where our food preparation was held.
These hats were a lifesaver under the hot Vietnamese sun.
We made 4 dishes in total - pho, spring rolls, crispy pancake (my new favorite dish) and beef and noodle salad - learned how to make rice milk from scratch, and I even learned how to flambé! It was equal parts terrifying and thrilling.
The food of Vietnam is an important part of their heritage and culture. You can taste the history and the passion for freshness and flavor in each unique dish. I highly recommend taking the time to immerse yourself in this way, it has proven to be more rewarding than I could have ever imagined.
This is a town I could truly see myself not only returning to, but happily living in. There is everything that brings me joy, from a beach, to ample yoga studios, healthy and vibrant food, and infinite alley ways I could get lost in forever.
Hội An, I will be back for you soon.
