Kim Bong Island

We decided it was finally time to stop being lazy and to explore a bit further than 1km from our hotel, so we booked ourselves in for a bike tour of rural Hoi An. Our group of 10 cycled from Hoi An over the bike bridge to Kim Bong Island, where we cycled through peaceful rice paddy fields, past traditional farm houses and fishing villages. Along the way, we had three stops to visit local businesses. Our first stop was at a wood carving workshop, where we learnt about traditional carpentry and got to make our own sandalwood keyring. The second stop was our favourite, which was the home of an 80 year old couple where we drank tea and got to make our own handmade rice noodles. Once we'd all made the noodles, we got to eat them as banh dap (smashing rice paper). The last stop was at a weaving house, where we learnt how traditional mats and placemats are woven. As machinery has largely taken over this market, there are only 3 families left in all of Hoi An who still weave by hand - they are also likely to be the last generation, as younger generations have stopped learning the practice. After the bike tour, we cycled back to Hoi An old town, dropped off our bikes and went for lunch and coffee. A great way to get out of the old town for a morning and learn about how the locals live in Vietnam.Read more