Hoi An town Overview

Riverside at the boat pier in Tam Anh it’s hard to imagine where you’ll be taken for the two or three days you’re booked at Le Domaine. This village is off the main road and quite a hike from the closest tourist town in Hoi An and very very poor. Things start to look up when the modern speedboat arrives to spirit you twenty minutes down-river toward the coast where Frenchman Michel Le Bihan, his wife and their grown children have created their highly personal idea of paradise.

Tam Hai is home to a few hundred fishing families who host the family, their 12 bungalows and the steady procession of guests looking for a taste of what Le Bihan calls ‘Real Vietnam’. Almost everything used at the resort comes from these locals so forget about big branded products and instead plump for the simplicity of expertly prepared fresh fish, juices and vegetables produced locally and directed from the kitchens of Didier Corlou, Vietnam’s celebrity chef. Enjoy meals here in the sandy floored restaurant set with white linen, heavy flatware and monogrammed crockery with a view of the sea. More informally, perch in the bar where rattan mats on the sand stop the backgammon chips from an unrecoverable escape if you drop one after a cocktail or two too many.

There’s no television, internet or daily newspapers so news of the world can be days away. Do make sure you bring a good supply of reading materials for whiling away days on the beach or tucked up in the hammock slung between the palms fringing your bungalow. Make sure you take time to take a bicycle or walk around the island and check out the lives and the friendly smiles of these people.

The rooms:
Each of the twelve bungalows face the beach and are minimal yet comfortable and stylish.The bed draped with a mosquito net faces a moon door to the indoor/outdoor bathroom and a small sofa set in front of sliding doors faces onto the beach between a set of speakers for the stereo. A nice touch is the walk in robe for all the clothes that you won’t be wearing in this swimwear rules resort.

One of my most enjoyable evenings in Vietnam was spent curled in the armchair on the patio under the brightness of the full moon. With some of my favourite music, a glass of wine and the changing tempo of the breeze a storm rolled in. Tropical, warm and moody. Once it arrived I showered in the outdoor shower enjoying the sensation of the hot shower and the cool rain under the gossamer wrapped moon. Le Domaine is all about taking the time to enjoy the luxuries inherent in the simplest things in life. Just don’t forget to bring plenty of reading material, some candles, lovely soap and a stash of chocolate if you can’t do without!

Come for:
- A true hideaway
- A close up view of Vietnamese people living traditional lifestyles
- A clean, safe child-friendly beach

Not suitable for:
- Urbanites uncomfortable with being estranged from the world

By: travelintelligence
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Hoi An town Sightseeing

Hoi An town Traveltips

Charm oozes from the quaint riverside shop houses of Vietnam’s Hoi An, an ancient town halfway between Hanoi and Saigon along the country’s well-trodden tourist path. Food fanatics make a beeline for succulent spring rolls and noodle soups, but the credit card carrying classes know a meal skipped means more time for that final fitting at the rightly famous tailors who line these narrow lanes.

Start your tour with a detour. A jewellery shop away from the pack, Viet Lac (51 Phan Boi Chau Street) beckons with simple storefront cases full of well-crafted pieces inspired by international masters, from Tiffany look-a-like silver chokers with 18K gold clasps, Cartier’s interlocking five-band ring in silver or gold to an array of designs borrowed from European master George Jensen. His intertwined ring design is especially fun to fondle.  

Along the main drag, Thu Thuy (60 Le Loi Street) begins one’s adventures in top notch tailoring. Walls are lined with bolts of fabric, domestic and high quality imported wools and linens from Europe. Expect prices but not workmanship to vary accordingly.

Accessorise from the bottom up next door at Nhi Nhi (64 Le Loi Street), where revealing sandals in glowing metallic leather are sure to get you noticed, while pretty silk mules with lotus flower embroidery are decidedly more demure.

Watch for snaking scooters as you traverse the street to 41 Le Loi (41 Le Loi Street), which is deservedly famous for sewn silk art. What look like paintings from afar are actually intricately stitched visions of fisherman along the Mekong or the ancient ruins at My Son. Visitors in the know turn up with family photographs to be recreated on request, while souvenir seekers will be satisfied with inexpensive jungle vignettes.

The entrepreneurial spirit reigns at Du Kien Thanh (49 Le Loi Street), where a young couple has filled the closet-sized space with handmade lanterns in every conceivable colour. All collapse for easy carry but will come to life back home as illuminated lotus flowers and traditional hanging lanterns. Conveniently, they stock a global selection of electrical plugs too.

Down a few doors, Ngoc Uyen (92 Le Loi Street) sells fun silk clutches with fluffy pompoms and gauzy wraps festooned with feathers. Handbags like those that hang from these rafters go for more than twice the price, even in Bangkok.

A flurry of activity greets future customers, as most who enter Yaly Couture (47 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street) quickly become. Despite the frenetic ambience, detailed tailoring takes place inside this cavernous space filled with fabrics from around the world. Visitors squeeze together in front of the too few mirrors to admire their freshly fitted silk organza ao dai, the traditional Vietnamese women’s frock, or intricately embroidered silk tunic, and for men, suits that look crafted by the finest England or Italy has to offer. 

After spoiling yourself silly, do something good for others while still self-indulging along the same street at Reaching Out (103 Nguyn Thai Hoc), a chic boutique where all items are made by locals with disabilities but plenty of talent. Colourful hill tribe fabric turns handbags shaped like the Fendi Spy into an unexpectedly funky find. Roam around the workshop at the back to get a firsthand look at the charming hardworking youth who are turning out adorable kiddie tunics with tribal prints, lacquered lotus flower serving trays and textile stuffed animals, like dragons, monkeys and puppies that anyone will want to hug.

by travelintelligence
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