Disclaimer
The information in this blog is accurate as of November 2019.
CONTENTS
- 🤔 – What to Expect
- 🌅 – Activities
- 🍛 – Food
- 🚇 – Transport
- 🛌 – Accomodation
🤔 What to Expect
- Lantern’s galore.
- Mass of people – very popular with lots of tourists.
- Old yellow European and Asian influenced architecture.
- Old city has a very romantic feel.
- 2-3 Nights
🌅 Activities
Hoi An Ancient Town
- 120,000 VND per person
- Choose to visit 5 sites scattered around the ancient city.
- Explore the history, culture and life of Vietnam.
- Some of the sites we visited there wasn’t much information provided on English.
- We watched a short 25 minute performance which showcased some of Vietnam’s musical instruments and dance style. (The choreographer needs sacking if you ask me!)
Lantern Boat
- 250,000 VND (£8.40) for 2 people on private boat (included a beer). 200,000 VND 2 people on join in boat (with other tourists).
- Short 10 minute ride up the lake, could be hand paddled or motorized.
- Send cute candle-lit lanterns gliding down the lake.
- Really cute experience and lovely to watch the other boats all lit up on the lake – even if it rains!
Ba Na Hill (Golden Bridge)
- Booked via tour agent 1.3 million VND (£43.60) per person. Inclusive of cable car ticket, water, lunch, English speaking guide and transport to and from.
- Ba Na Hill was named after the French called it Banana hill due to the prosperous growth of Banana trees.
- The golden bridge is a grand site – well we had to use a little imagination due to the fog!
- Gardens of giants, fairies and Greek influenced statues.
- Wine cellar – small scale version of the building with Barbie’s wining and dining. Then somewhere where life size people can buy and drink ridiculously expensive wine.
- There are some temples and pagodas to be seen (because they’re built everywhere – even on huge mountains 1,478 metres above sea level).
- An amusement area with some small rides, 4D and 3D movies and lots of arcade games. Oh and even rock climbing!
- French village where the restaurants, hotels and a church are located.
- All buildings are stylised by French architecture.
Into Perspective – Price
- Cable car alone costs 700,000 VND (£23.50).
- Food is expensive once in the resort. The Beer Plaza buffet was 250,000 VND for all you can eat for 1 hour. Not sure if this rises to 349,000 VND if you want a drink included.
Other Things To Do
- Lantern making workshops – we really wanted to do this but we have no where to prevent it being broken during transportation. Costs between £9-£17.
- Lune production of ‘Palao’ at the Bamboo Theatre. Tickets cost between 700,000 VND to 1.2 million VND (£23.30-£39.90).
- Take a bicycle ride to the beach (approx 45 minutes from old town). Be careful of people telling you that you can’t go further to the beach and you need to park up. Others were seen riding to the front. Unsure if it’s a scam as they say it’s free to park your bike with them.
🍛 Food
Namaste Omar’s Indian Restaurant
- Fantastic Indian food!
- Set menu is excellent: choose onion bhaji or veg samosa, any chicken or veg main dish from the menu, garlic or plain naan, local rum or vodka, poppadoms with dip and rice – all for a measly price of 160,000 VND (£5.40). 😋
- All the curries we tried were excellent! They also ask how spicy you want it.
- Lovely attentive staff.
- A must if you like Indian food! 💕
Phi Banh Mi
- What it says on the tin – Bahn Mi aka sandwiches.
- Great place for lunch!
- Sandwiches start at 15,000 VND. Our meal, 2 meat sandwiches, 1 can & 1 beer cost 80,000 VND (£2.70).
Eat Thai – The Thai Kitchen
- Moderately priced. 175,000 VND (£5.90) for beef Massaman and 130,000 VND (£4.40) for pork Penang (though it tasted more like red curry).
- Drinks are expensive compared to most other places 22,000 VND coca cola and 27,000 VND for local beer.
- Good Thai food out of Thailand.
- Food was tasty though the Massaman was too oily.
Bikini Bottom
- Average prices but decent portions! Banana and chocolate pancakes 100,000 VND (£3.30) stacked 5 high!
- We cycled here for breakfast one morning.
- Near the beach front.
- Beware of the super cute yet naughty puppy who is currently testing the boundaries. He had us in stitches.
🚇 Transport
We spent most of our time on foot as everything is pretty much in walking distance. But here are the alternatives…
- Rent a scooter – 150,000 VND
- Hire a Bicycle – like ours, some homestay’s provide this service for free.
- Taxi
An Phu – Sleeper Bus to Nha Trang
- Booked online via vietnambustravel.com
- Hoi An to Nha Trang (no hotel pick up) £20.
- Seats were comfortable for a sleeper plus more leg room than others we’ve been on – people over 6 ft don’t get too excited.
- Driver drives well – only the roads prevented us from a better night’s sleep.
- English speaking thus communicating breaks and times.
- All stops were squatter toilets – it’s a no from me.
Alternative and cheaper option: The Sinh Tourist, book at the office for 239,000 VND (£8). If you book online there is a $7 processing fee.
🛌 Accommodation
Bi’s Home Homestay
- £11 per night for Deluxe Double room with private bathroom.
- We ended up being given the family room which meant we had a cute balcony overlooking nearby rice paddies (not the time of year for rice though, so watery sludge was also fine).
- Nice large bathroom with glass sliding doors – make sure you know who you stop with rather well. I really enjoyed seeing Arrans outline whilst using the bum gun every morning. 🙄
- Clean and tidy decor.
- Bi was lovely and helpful although we did feel her hospitality blew a little hot and cold.
- Free bicycles provided to borrow even after we checked out.
- She offered tours, laundry and sleeper bus services (250,000 VND per person from homestay to Nha Trang).
- Nonetheless a fantastic place to stay!
Travel to the Point 