Chào buổi sáng Việt Nam!
Good Morning Vietnam!
Let me start by saying this is a must-see city in Vietnam! It has so much to offer and gave me some of the best memories!
First where to stay:
My friends and I stayed at a homestay that we found on Airbnb called the Green Life Homestay. The place was like a mini-hotel with a pool, view of a gorgeous rice field, and the most amazing host ever! When we arrived our host, Sunshine, forced us to sit down and listen to her speech about all the activities she offered. We didn’t want to because we hadn’t eaten lunch and it was already 4 pm. After sitting down she offered everything you could imagine. All you did was pay her and she arranged the rest from pick up at the hotel the whole excursion and then dropped back off at the hotel. We told her we would think about it but we had her arrange us a boat tour and partake in the lantern festival for only $7 (which I will talk about later). When we got back after our lunch/dinner we ended up arranging a bunch more activities which was so convenient and much easier than figuring it all out on our own! Along with the gorgeous pool she served home-cooked breakfast for very cheap which was so nice to just wake up and be able to eat and get on the road! I highly recommend looking for this Airbnb or just booking at the Green Life Homestay for your time in Hoi An!
On to the adventures….
After coming back from our lunch/dinner. We left for our lantern festival boat ride that our homestay arranged for us. There is a small river that runs through Hoi An and in the downtown area it was set up for the Chinese new year. They were also holding a lantern festival so we got on a boat filled with lanterns and rode up and down the river. During the boat ride, we got a paper lantern with a small candle in it. We lit the candle made a wish and placed it in the water. It was a really fun experience. Hoi An is known for its lanterns so it was fun to take part in one of their festivities. I later found out that this lantern festival is put on for the tourists rather than a tradition that the locals partake in but it was still a lot of fun.
The next activity on the list was a bucket boat tour. This was one of my favorite things we did. We got a 1 hours bucket boat ride that was filled with laughter and fun. When you get in the boat they give you rice hats to take pictures in which already put a smile on my face if you know me. We first started making our way up a small river. This part was really cool to see all the houses and small docks along the sides. As we got farther we headed into the mangroves. This was really cool to see and our guide stopped and let us take pictures all around which was so much fun. Then we went out into an open area where a bunch of men were doing tricks on their boats spinning and splashing to music. You could tell this was very much one for the tourist but nonetheless very enjoyable. Then we got small fishing poles made of a stick and a string where we got to try and caught a few crabs in the mangroves. Then it was back to where we started. This was one of the best things I go to do. It was filled with laughs and smiles so well worth it and something I highly recommend to others visiting Hoi An.
Then it was off to make our very own lanterns. My friends and I got to make our own lanterns from scratch. We first put the wire and sticks around the top and bottom pieces. Then poop it out and glue on our fabric of choice. I choose white so I could paint it. This step was a bit harder than I had thought. You had to put glue on the sticks then stretch the fabric tightly a crossed the two sticks before cutting off the extra fabric. After finishing that it was time to paint. I decided to paint a picture of me on the bucket boat with the mangroves around it because that was one of my highlights in Hoi An. I thought this would be a great way to remember both events forever.
The next morning we went about 35 minutes away to Marble Mountain. This place was well worth the visit. The park map makes it look quite large but it didn’t take more than two hours to walk around all of it and hike to the highest point. There are many caves around the park but in my opinion, the best part is the view at the top. There is a small staircase that was a bit of a workout but well worth the city view. From the top, you can see in every direction and it is quite the sight to see.
All of these activities were arranged by our hose and with transportation costed a total of $45 so don’t be shy when it comes to activities in Vietnam. Things are quite inexpensive and will leave you with the most amazing memories.
I hope the Hoi An treats you well! Enjoy every moment!
See You Soon
Hẹn sớm gặp lại
xoxo Gina