Tag: travel

Travels, Travels: Europe

Top 10 Things To Do in Prague

1. Eat some seriously good traditional home-style food at U-Medvidku.

http://umedvidku.cz/en/
Where? Na Perštýně 7, 100 01 Staré Město
Why go? They’re a restaurant, hotel and brewery all in one, and the food is warm plates of pure comfort. I highly recommend the potato dumplings filled with smoked ham on a bed of red and white sauerkraut – it looks almost as unappealing as it sounds, but it’s one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. So much so, we went back the following day to order it again!
How long will you need? An hour or so for a good meal – food actually comes out pretty quickly,  but you’ll want time to enjoy it!
Cost? Soups and entrees from AUD$3.00, mains from AUD$12.00

 

2. Cross Charles Bridge – duh.

Where? In the middle of the city
Why go?  Don’t expect it to be quiet and romantic; it’s as packed with tourists as the Brooklyn Bridge! If you’re willing to get up and go early in the morning, you’ll enjoy a nice sunset with less people around, otherwise join the throngs later in the day and enjoy!
How long will you need? Leave at least half an hour each way
Cost? Free!

 

3. Then, see the bridge from above, at the top of the Old Town Bridge Tower.

http://en.muzeumprahy.cz/201-the-old-town-bridge-tower/
Where? The end of Charles Bridge – Old Town side
Why go? After crossing back into the Old Town from the lesser town side, you’ll reach the beautiful Old Town Bridge Tower. Most people we saw stopped to snap a photo of it, but very few seemed to notice the little entrance – head in, pay around AUD$6.00 for entry, climb the stairs to the top, and be rewarded with the best view of Charles Bridge in the city.
How long will you need? An hour or so, depending on how you do with the stairs
Cost? About AUD$6.00

 

4. Take the stairs on Zámecké schody to Prague Castle.

Where? Corner of Thunovská and Zámecká Streets, then head west (turn left) at Thunovská
Why go? Most people enter the castle complex on the opposite side, via the Old Castle Stairs, but that’s actually starting at the back – it was meant to be entered from the first courtyard. But that’s not the only reason; the view out over Prague from the top of the Zámecké schody stairs is unbeatable, especially around sunrise.
How long will you need? 10 minutes or so to the top
Cost? Free again!

 

5. Buy a ticket at Prague Castle to see more than just the outside of the buildings.

https://www.hrad.cz/en
Where? Take the stairs – see above
Why go? There are a few options depending on how much or little you want to see; we went with the middle ground and bought tickets for “Circuit B” which included access to the incredibly imposing St Vitus Cathedral, the Old Royal Palace, St George’s Basilica and Golden Lane (you’ll find Frank Kafka’s house among the tiny colourful dwellings here).
How long will you need? At least 2 – 3 hours
Cost? Circuit B cost around AUD$15.00, plus around AUD$6.00 for a license to take photos

 

6. Indulge your sweet tooth at Café Savoy.

http://cafesavoy.ambi.cz/en/
Where? Vítězná 124/5, Malá Strana, 150 00 Praha-Smíchov
Why go? It’s one of the most opulent places you’re ever likely to eat cake, and they have a great big tea list, too! It’s also great for a spot of people watching, with locals and tourists both pouring through the doors.
How long will you need? How much cake do you wanna eat?
Cost? A fancy coffee, a pot of loose leaf tea and a gourmet slice of cake will cost around AUD$15.00 – $20.00

 

7. Feel the love at Lennon Wall.

Where? Velkopřevorské náměstí 490/1, 118 00, Prague 5-Malá Strana 
Why go? While the man himself never had anything to do with the wall, he became a bit of a hero to the pacifist youth when he died in 1980 – his songs of peace and freedom were a pipe dream to many back when Communism was king – and for whatever reason, they took to this wall to paint their own messages. So many of us take our freedom for granted now, so it was actually pretty moving to stand before this wall that so many young people risked their lives to promote that message on.
How long will you need? Leave time to stay a while
Cost? Nothing!

 

8. Try one of the city’s most famous street foods from a vendor in Wenceslas Square – fried cheese.

Where? Wenceslas Square – look for the carts labelled “Vaclavsky Grill”
Why go? Yup. A solid chunk of cheese, crumbed, deep fried, and nestled in a bread roll. Add a little mustard and mayonnaise, and tell me that’s not the greatest thing ever.
How long will you need? 30 seconds… it’s so good it won’t last long!
Cost? A few dollars

 

9. Shop for books at The Globe Bookstore.

http://globebookstore.cz
Where? Pštrossova 1925/6, 110 00 Nové Město
Why go? While there are a few book stores floating around the city, this one was the first in the city to stock English language books, and it was the best one I found. They also have a great little café/restaurant in there with surprisingly good and well priced food.
How long will you need? Browsing and eating can take a while…
Cost? Depends how many books you want; food is very well priced – you can get a decent sized meal for around AUD$10.00 – $12.00

 

10. Walk up Celetna Street into Old Town Square.

Where? Celetna Street – just follow it all the way to Old Town Square!
Why go? Because you can’t possibly leave Prague without seeing the Astronomical Clock! Celetna Street itself is one of the oldest streets in the city, and it’s unbelievably beautiful. And the clock really speaks for itself – it does get super crowded on the hour for its little song-and-dance routine, but it’s absolutely worth seeing!
How long will you need? At least an hour
Cost? Another freebie!

Personal musings, Travels

A souvenir that lasts – 5 tips on getting tattooed while travelling

This is such a touchy subject, and one I’ve actually really been looking forward to writing about. Getting tattooed, while you’re travelling overseas. The irony of this is that “overseas” is different for us all. I live in Melbourne. Maybe you live in London. Or Rome. Or Seattle. Or Vancouver. Does that mean that you, living in Seattle, wouldn’t feel safe getting a tattoo in London, even though hundreds of people are probably seeing tattoo artists there every day? Of course not, that’s completely ludicrous!

 

I think that the main issue with this topic is that many people have preconceived notions that:
a) Only irresponsible idiots get tattooed to begin with.
b) If you get tattooed while you’re travelling, it must have been a spur-of-the-moment idea that you probably had while drunk and will really regret it later on.
c) Because it was such a stupid, unplanned decision, you’re probably just going to get it done in some dirty, back-alley garage by a big guy in a torn leather jacket who doesn’t sanitise his needles or even wash his hands between appointments, which he smokes his way through.

While point irks me to no end, being the happy owner of around 20 tattoos, I’m not writing this as a rant against people’s uninformed assumptions. Instead, I’m writing this for those of you who, like me, are admirers of art, and have maybe seen some work by talented artists across the globe who you might consider visiting on your next trip. Or maybe there’s just a city you really love, and want to take a memory of that city home permanently, and you need to find the right person for the job. Either way, there are a few things to consider….

 

1. Do your research regarding design:
* Don’t just turn up with a vague idea and expect it to be perfected immediately. They’re tattoo artists, not magicians.

* It should go without saying, but if you’re planning to get a tattoo in a language you’re not familiar with, for goodness sake, make sure it means what you think it means, and make sure it’s spelt correctly!!

 

2. Do your research regarding tattoo artist:
* If you’ve been following someone’s work for a while, this step is a lot easier. Otherwise, search online for “best tattoo artist in XXX” and read through all the lists that come up – if certain names seem to keep popping up on every list, chances are that’s for a good reason.

* Check that reviews/lists are actually recent and still relevant, not advice from 10 years ago.

* Try asking around on online forums, like Trip Advisor and Yelp.

* If you’re in a country where you don’t speak the native language, be sure you’re going to be able to communicate exactly what you’re wanting.

 

3. On the day:
* Does this place take walk ins or do you need to make an appointment in advance?

* If you need to make an appointment first, is a deposit required? Is it refundable (often it won’t be)?

* Are they a cash only place when it comes to payment, or are you able to pay on card?

* How can you get in touch if your plans change?

 

4. Consider the point in your trip you’ll be getting tattooed:
* Generally, you don’t want to expose your new tattoo to long periods of time submerged in water or exposed to the sun, so if your next few destinations are going to involve swimming and sunning yourself, it’s probably not the best time to do it.

* If you’re a party person, it’s also worth considering how many big nights you’re going to be having, and not getting your tattoo done the day after. Alcohol thins your blood, which means you’re going to bleed a lot more, and that’s not ideal.

 

5. After care:
This will be a bit easier if you’ve been tattooed before – while the general guidelines are pretty similar everywhere, only you know how your body heals and responds to certain ointments. As such, this advice is not to be taken as gospel, but for me, I know that:
a) I need to use Bepanthan cream for 4 – 5 days on my new tattoo, then switch to a gentle, non-scented moisturising cream.
b) my tattoos heal best when they’re kept covered for the first few days, and then left uncovered with a layer of Bepanthan where possible, or covered with plastic wrap over the Bepanthan again if they’re in an area that needs to be covered with clothing.

Knowing this, I packed some plastic wrap, medical paper tape and a tube of Bepanthan – I have sensitive skin, and after so many tattoos, I’m not willing to risk trying anything new at this point when this system has been working well for me for the past 12 years!

 

As you can see, we not dealing with some secret tricks – it’s basic common sense for the most part. If you do decide to get a tattoo in a foreign language made up of some cool characters that you’ve seen on a street sign after leaving a night club after having way too much to drink, and you do stumble into the first tattoo parlour you see with a quick iPhone snap of the street sign, then yes – you are an idiot and no one feels sorry for you and the crappy tattoo you’re going to end up with. For the rest of you who are looking for a lasting piece of artwork as a souvenir from a meaningful time or experience that you can literally carry with you for the rest of your life, I hope this helps! 🙂

 

As for me, I left home wanting to add to my collection, and …

Done by Martin at Sweet Hell Tattoo, Reykjavík, Iceland
Done by Pabby at Downtown Tattoo, New Orleans, USA
Travels, Travels: Europe

How to day trip by train from Bern: Interlaken, Grindelwald & Thun

In the course of our trip planning, I spent many hours trawling through travel blogs and websites, trying to find the most helpful information I could, in order to plan the best trip possible. For the most part, that wasn’t too hard, but when it came to Switzerland, I honestly had no idea.

We wanted a good mix of places we’ve been to before that we wanted to re-visit, and some cities that we didn’t know a lot about, so we’d have something new to discover. I threw Bern into the mix, and husband said “yeah, why not?!” Great. We’re going. Now what?!

Grindelwald

I picked Bern because it looked like a really pretty, charming Swiss city, but not as busy as Zurich or Geneva, and I figured it’d be the perfect city to slow down for a while in. I started Googling, and found that there’s actually a bit to do around there, if you want to, which led me to looking for rail information. After spending some time trawling the internet, I landed on MySwissAlps.com, a cornucopia of helpful information for someone with no idea past “it looks like a pretty place to visit” but still wanted to explore by train.

Aside from the rail help and the usual information about what to do, where to go, how to find accommodation etc, they have a few forums, which is where I found the most useful information:

1. Rail: the place to ask ALL questions about rail travel.
2. Accommodation: the place for all things accommodation, including the more niche spots (eg. where to base yourself if you’re going to hike).
3. Trip Reports: the place for travelers to post their itineraries and talk about how their trip went.
4. Miscellaneous: everything else!

Thun

While we already had a pretty good idea of what we wanted to do, it was great to browse the forums and look at other ideas. It was also nice to see how helpful users were when someone asked for help with an itinerary! And when it came to finding information on specific cities, I found it easiest to just type the city name into the search box rather than hunt through the site. A good example was Thun – I’d seen some beautiful pictures of the place and that got my attentions, but I didn’t know what else there was to see or do there. A quick search showed me So, I typed “THUN” into the search box gave me options for boat trips, hiking paths and sightseeing options.

Grindelwald

Arno and Annika who run the site actually aren’t native Swiss – they’re a couple from the Netherlands who fell in love with Switzerland and decided to create a hobby out of it, which then turned into a business! I liked their site because they’re independent operators who specialize in rail travel, and that’s what we needed; a company who could advise us on how to get around by train, but that wouldn’t try to sell us something they were being paid to sell. And when I emailed for help, they got right back to me and explained that I didn’t need to buy several different tickets for our day trip – I could just buy one return ticket Bern to Grindelwald and break my journey in Thun and Interlaken. Lucky I asked!! Also, just for the record, the trains are really very comfortable and spacious…

 

As for the day trip itself, it may seem like a lot of ground to cover in a day, but because the rail system is so efficient and simple to use, it was actually a really easy and stress-free day! Here’s what our itinerary looked like, in case you need some ideas…

How did we make this work by train?
It actually couldn’t have been easier; as I mentioned before, there’s no need to purchase multiple one way tickets, nor do you need to worry about booking tickets in advance. Just buy a Bern to Grindelwald return ticket at Bern’s main railway station (around CHF 80 per person) and you can break your journey at Interlaken in one direction and Thun in the other! Easy!

 

STOP 1: INTERLAKEN (55min from Bern, getting off at Interlaken Ost station)
Why go? Other than the fact that everyone’s photos looked really nice, the forums told me that Interlaken was the place to go for adventure sports and adrenaline experiences, and I’ve always wanted to go paragliding…

What did we do there?
– I went paragliding with Paragliding Interlaken, and couldn’t recommend them more highly – complete professionals and so much fun!
– If you’re a shopper, you’ll love Interlaken’s bounty of boutiques.
– And chocolate. Swiss chocolate. From the Swiss Chocolat Chalet; get a 200g bag of mixed chunks of chocolate (milk choc hazelnut, dark choc almond, that kinda thing) for CHF 12.80.

 

STOP 2: GRINDELWALD (35min from Interlaken Ost)
Why go to Grindelwald? It’s a good base for the snow bunnies, but for the rest of us, it’s an incredibly beautiful town sitting around 1000m above sea level and surrounded by mountains.

What did we do there?
– Walked around the village and stopped every few metres to admire the view!
– Lunch at Alte Post – think old-style, straight out of the movies wooden chalet with a cosy interior and homestyle cooking!
– You can also easily get to the ‘top of Europe’ at Jungfraujoch from here.

 

STOP 3: THUN (1hr 15min from Grindelwald with an easy change at Interlaken Ost)
Why go to Thun? Honestly, I saw a gorgeous photo of Thun’s perfect blue lake and thought it would be nice to see… Turns out it’s a much bigger town than I first thought and there’s quite a lot to do there! And the best view of the lake is from the window of the train as it passes…

What did we do there?
– This is another great place for shoppers, but less high end designers and more every day affordable stores! Get onto the islet in the centre of town and walk the main street Bälliz.
– For multi-cultural restaurants, cafes and a more personal shopping experience, try Obere Hauptgasse street; think hand crafter jewellery, second hand book shops, and small fashion boutiques.
– Thun Castle was beautiful – a bit of a climb with a view more than worth it! There’s a restaurant and shop in the castle walls which can be accessed by anyone, then it’s a CHF 10 fee for some extra access including the museum exhibits.

 And your last train is an easy 20 minute ride direct from Thun to Bern! The stations are all well signed in terms of which platform you’ll need to get to which city, and there’s no need to validate your ticket – just hold onto it so it can be checked by one of the train conductors when they walk through. And that’s it! Three towns in a day: no tour bus or guide necessary!

 

* Disclosure: This post was partially sponsored by MySwissAlps.com, however the opinions contained herein are completely my own based on my experience, as per usual 🙂 *

Travels, Travels: Iceland

Stay here: The Bubble Hotel, Iceland

The Buubble, Iceland
http://www.buubble.com/

My husband was flicking through a travel magazine on a flight we took in early 2016. He came across a picture of what appeared to be a giant bubble, and a few lines describing it as newly built ‘bubble accommodation’ somewhere in the middle of Iceland…

I started Googling when the plane landed, and found it to be Buubble, the self-proclaimed 5 million star hotel. Basically, a “hotel room” that’s one giant, clear, bubble, where you can rest your head and enjoy a non-stop 360 degree view of the Icelandic night sky, and hopefully catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights. “I’m concentrating on offering the accommodation during the wintertime, so that people can see the Northern Lights and the starry sky,” Róbertsson explained on the website not long after it launched. That sounded pretty good to me.

My birthday happened to fall in the middle of our Icelandic stay, and I decided that if I had to be another year older, I wanted to stay in one of these bubbles for my birthday. I braced myself for what I was sure would be a ridiculous price, and was more than pleasantly surprised to find out it was going to set us back AUD$300 for the one night.

 

WHAT’S IT LIKE IN THE BUBBLE?
Despite the fact that they are a self-proclaimed 5 million star hotel, given that the ‘hotel’ is actually a giant bubble in the middle of a forest (the exact address and location is not revealed until you’ve booked, for safety and privacy reasons), don’t expect 5 star facilities. The bubbles themselves (there were only 2 when we booked ours, but it’s now grown to 8) just contain a big, comfy bed, a little coffee table, a lamp, and a power point (yes, devices can be charged, no there isn’t WiFi in the bubbles, but there is WiFi available in the communal service house). There was no TV or sound system, and no lights – just a small lamp for dim light; you won’t need it, because once it gets dark (sunset is around 4 – 4:30pm in November) and the stars come out, you won’t be able to look away.

HOW DO I STAY WARM?
How on earth are you going to keep warm in the middle of winter inside one of these guys? As the website will tell you, “The bubble structure is kept inflated by a slight over-pressure from a noiseless ventilation system. It permanently renews the air inside 2-7 times the volume per hour and this way it prevents humidity. The system has heating elements with thermostat so the bubble stays warm all winter.” That system, combined with an extra little plug in heater, kept us pretty cosy despire the snow and frost outside. Oh, and electric blankets. That said, a middle of the night toilet run isn’t real fun…

 

WHERE’S THE BATHROOM?!
In terms of facilities, there is a shared service house tucked away on the property, containing showers and toilets (toilet paper and shower towels are provided) – they’re centrally located, so only a 2 – 3 minute walk from any of the bubbles. But when it’s below freezing and you need to pee in the middle of the night, it’s hard work getting your layers and snow boots on!

ARE THERE ANY OTHER AMENITIES? WHERE CAN I EAT?
There is free car parking available, and the service house has a small kitchen space with a dining table, coffee machine and elecrtric kettle, sink, microwave, dishwasher, and even a small stovetop – as well as pots, pans, cutlery and crockery! Once you get there, you’re probably not going to want to venture back out to look for a restaurant because a) driving at night in Iceland is scary when the weather can change at the drop of a hat, and b) Iceland is expensive beyond what you’d expect (as in a margherita pizza and a vegetable salad cost us AUD $55.00. Yup, seriously). Your best option is to stop at a supermarket like Bónus or Krónan, and BYO dinner – we took a cup of instant noodles each and bought 2 capsicums – we chopped them up and cooked them in a fry pan in the share kitchen, then stirred our noodles through. And a bag of M&Ms for dessert

UMMM… PRIVACY?!?
This was one of my concerns, given that there are actually several bubbles on site. Above is a photo of the path we walked from our bubble to the share service house, and if you scroll back up, you’ll see the thicket of trees behind the bed. Yes, there are other bubbles around, but at best you’ll only see a peep of them through the trees if their lamps are on. When we visited, there were only 2 bubbles occupied by independent travellers (us and another couple), and a few more occupied by tour participants, and we didn’t see or hear any of them except for a brief crossing of paths making dinner. And, there are no animals other than the odd bird.

 

WORTH IT?
Absolutely!!! While we didn’t see the Northern Lights, we saw the stars like we’ve never seen them before. We lay on the bed and watched a snow flurry slowly dust the dome. We woke up to a winter wonderland you couldn’t even conjure up in your dreams (see below – the snow genuinely sparkled in the morning sun). It was one of those experiences that, although it cost money, I couldn’t put a price on, and I’ll remember forever.

 

And head on over to their website for answers to more of your questions and to book your bubble. You know you want to.

Travels, Travels: Asia

Top 10 Things To Do in Hoi An

1. Take in an amazing view and a delicious meal at Hoa Anh Dao Sakura Restaurant
http://www.hoiansakura.com/
Where? 119-121 Nguyễn Thái Học, Minh An, tp. Hội An
Why go? It’s one of the fancier restaurants in town, and it’s well worth it. That said, we ordered 6 dishes (including seafood), 3 beers and a cocktail, and got away for around AUD$60.00, which isn’t exactly going to break the bank, as far as fancy feeds go! And if you remember, ask for a seat in the rooftop courtyard, too – the best view in the city.
How long will you need? We were there for about 2 hours.
Cost? Depends how hungry you are – we spent around AUD$60.00 for a genuine feast

 

2. Support a good cause by drinking tea and coffee at the Reaching Out Tea House

 http://reachingoutvietnam.com/
Where? 131 Tran Phu Street, Hoi An, Vietnam
Why go? The beautiful space is serene and calm, made even more so by the request that guests communicate in whispers. The staff are all speech and hearing impaired, which makes not the smallest bit of difference in their service. If anything, it’s better than any other tea house I’ve ever visited; they were all so gracious, elegant and accommodating. And the tea and coffee variety is fantastic.
How long will you need? We stayed around an hour, but would have happily stayed longer if our stomachs weren’t grumbling for dinner.
Cost? Varies a lot depending on what you order

 

3. Up your kitchen game at a Morning Glory cooking class
http://msvy-tastevietnam.com/cooking-classes/
Where? 3 Nguyen Hoang Street, An Hoi Islet, Hoi An
Why go? This is THE premier cooking school in Hoi An, and as far as I’m concerned, an absolute must! There are a few tours on offer, I’ve done the same one twice now (yes, I enjoyed it that much!): the Holiday Masterclass (including a trip to the market and a cooking lesson you’ll never forget).
How long will you need? This class runs from 8.30am – 1.30pm.
Cost? AUD$40.00 per person, which includes your market tour, cooking class, lunch, recipes and a little gift to take home

 

4. Cycle the islets of Hoi An with Heaven & Earth Bicycle Tours

 http://www.vietnam-bicycle.com/
Where? Meeting point for tours: 57 Ngo Quyen St. – An Hoi Islet, TP Hoi An
Why go? I don’t particularly enjoy bike riding and was talking into this by my sister; it’s one of the most uncomfortable but incredible things I’ve ever done. We got to see parts of this beautiful country we never would have had the opportunity to see otherwise, led by 2 local women who were some of the loveliest people I’ve ever met. It hurt like hell, but I’d do it again in a heart beat!
How long will you need? We took the REAL VIETNAM tour, running approximately 8am – 5pm.
Cost? Around AUD$60.00 per person, including water bottle and lunch

 

5. Stuff yourself silly with the city’s famous dish, cao lau
Where? All over Hoi An.
Why go? Ohh cao lau, where have you been all my life?! Thick, chewy noodles, the TASTIEST broth known to mankind, delicious slices of pork and fresh herbs/greens, topped with deep fried pieces of noodle. Magic.
How long will you need? Not long, if you eat as fast as I do when faced with something this good.
Cost? A few dollars

 

6. Walk through the lantern-lit riverside night market

Where? By the riverside, every night.
Why go? If you check out the #hoianlanterns hashtag on Instagram and don’t immediately feel the need to throw yourself into the middle of these perfect balls of light, there may be something wrong with you.
How long will you need? Spend the night walking around by the riverside – not only are there lanterns galore, but it turns into a market place with cheap souvenirs and delicious street food.
Cost? You can bring your own lantern home! The smallest ones cost around AUD$1.00 each – barter though, I ended up with 6 for $5, just because I asked.

 

7. Take a trip out to My Son Sanctuary

 http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/949
Why go? My Son, dated from the 4th to 13th centuries AD, is the former capital of the Champa Kingdom. Set in stunning green, mountain surrounds in the Quang Nam Province near Hoi An, it houses the remains of the Cham temple towers. They’re incredibly old, insanely beautiful, and well worth taking the time to see.
How long will you need? We took a half day tour organised by a small local travel agent we found in Hoi An.
Cost? Honestly can’t remember, but I know it wasn’t much.

 

8. Stuff your face with all of the food at Bale Well
Where? 45 Tran Hung Dao Street, Hoi An
Why go? For a mere sum of AUD$6.00 per person, we got a bottle of water each and an all-you-can-stuff-your-face-with pile of fresh herbs and salad, peanut dipping sauce, stir fried veggies, rice paper, freshly fried spring rolls and BBQd meat on sticks. This is some of the best street food you’ll ever find.
How long will you need? Give yourself at least an hour.
Cost? AUD$6.00 per person will have you rolling out.

 

9. Drink more tea at Cocobana Tea Rooms & Garden
 https://www.facebook.com/Cocobanatearoom/
Where? 16 Nguyen Thai Hoc St, Hoi An
Why go? Walk on in, and once you’ve breathed a sigh of relief at the air conditioning, you’ll be met with a wall of tea. Oh so much tea… oh so exciting! They have literally dozens of options to choose from, hot and cold, as well as a great coffee menu. And the best part? They’re all available to take home.
How long will you need? We spent about an hour there, but I’d happily stay longer – it’s just got that peaceful, homely atmosphere that you won’t want to leave.
Cost? Depends what you buy, but prices (particularly for take home tea) were very reasonable

 

10. Just admire the perfection that is the colour yellow all around the city

Where? Everywhere you look
Why go? You’ll quickly notice that Hoi An’s theme is yellow. It’s everywhere, it’s warm and beautiful, and it completely defines the city. Everywhere you look, you see another perfect yellow wall, the same shade as the others, and yet somehow completely different.