Phuoc Kien Assembly Hall

Hoi An.

We've taken another day off from riding to rest and go into tourist mode. Hoi An is quite a destination. It is built on a delta with rivers and canals wending their way around and through the town. It's an old city with lots of old buildings and new trendy establishments for eating, drinking, and shopping. Throw in the beach (which we didn't get to) plus a ton of European tourists and it really is the whole tourist package.

We checked into a four star place overlooking a verdant stretch of river called Riverside Villa Oasis. The staff has been super friendly. Plus the place cost $20 a night. Go figure.

Hoi An is also one of the centers for Vietnam's clothing industry, so there are tailor shops everywhere. I was thinking that with a wedding to attend in Mumbai on the New Year, Augie and I should take the opportunity to up our game with some bespoke threads. So we did...

For lunch and dinner we took a Grab (Uber in Asia) to old town to track down another place made famous by the late Anthony Bourdain. This one's called Phuong Ban Mi and it was busy and delicious. Here's a link to the back of the kitchen: https://photos.app.goo.gl/wBcG1JNfNF4yjfDx7

At night the place lights up with quaint old paper lanterns reflecting off the water. Tonight was the Full Moon Festival which is extra special. Our friend Mary Howe is going to love this place...

Tomorrow we're off on another ride up the coast to the ancient capital of Hue. Supposed to be magnificent.Læs mere