Up to this point Vietnam had been a bit of a disappointment, but I’d hoped that Hoi An would help to redeem it, and it did.
Hoi An is a pretty town, full of character, but it has made a name for itself for its tailors. There are over 200 made to measure shops in the small town, offering bespoke suits, dresses and even made to measure shoes and all at affordable prices.
A local tailor sewing in her shop
It was our last stop in Vietnam before heading back to Kuala Lumpur so we increased our luggage allowance on our last flight to allow us to get some clothes made. And then the fun began.
The staff in all of the tailors were very friendly and were happy to entertain ‘the boy’ whilst we were measured and fitted for our new clothes. There are almost too many shops to choose from and with each tailor offering to turn around bespoke items within 24 hours you can see why some people get carried away.
The boy plays amongst the fabric
Overall it was a really good experience and although it was a bit time consuming, ‘the boy’ was very content playing with the different staff in each shop.
Maybe I’ve been a bit negative about Vietnam and our experience here, but there has been one major positive, one that was a rarity in all of the other countries we’ve been to. It is the humble bathtub. Up until this point in our trip ‘the boy’ had only had two baths, one in our hotel in Bangkok and one when we were staying with our friends in Singapore. The sad thing is that ‘the boy’ loves playing in the bath and to have only two in five months makes me feel as though we’ve been depriving him of something he loves. Which takes me to Vietnam. Every place we’ve stayed, apart from the $7 a night guesthouse in China beach, has had a bathtub. It appears that even lower budget options tend to come with a tub. So even if mummy and daddy can’t promote Vietnam, ‘the boy’ has enjoyed some aspects of it that makes it all worth it.
Next stop Kuala Lumpur.
‘The boy’ enjoys yet another bath in Vietnam
Top tip of the day:
Head to the little streets close to the waterfront as in the evenings and during weekends the streets are open to pedestrians only. It was a welcome break to be able to let our baby walk around on the reigns without having to worry about motorbikes speeding through the streets.
‘The boy’ takes a walk along the river front
Negotiating the cost of some pretty lanterns
