We had arranged to spend one night in the old town of Hoi An. We’d already got a Grab taxi over there for an evening from the beach (a twenty minute ride) and we were looking forward to leaving the beach and moving on again. Our homestay at An Bang beach was cheap and friendly. They had upgraded us to a room with air con for free – but it wasn’t working very well and I was struggling with the intense steamy heat. The rooms had tin roofs that held the heat in. There was a breeze on the beach but even retreating into the deep shade of the cafes after about 10am it was stifling. Even if the outside temperature in Hoi An was just as hot, our room was a lot cooler and I breathed a sigh of relief.

Like the Vietnamese we had got into the habit of waking up early and getting out, resting during the day and going to the beach in the evening. In the early mornings and evenings Vietnamese locals and visitors enjoyed themselves in the sea and playing games on the beach. In the evening mats and small plastic chairs came out and the ladies with clam soup and other Vietnamese dishes that I was too chicken to try were sold out of pots and crates. During the day the beach was deserted other than for pink skin tinged westerners and women entirely covered in clothing, hats and face masks who hawked items like bracelets.

Hoi An old town was very touristy, as everybody warns, but it is beautiful and definitely worth visiting. The characterful buildings and temples reminded me of Phuket town and Penang, but I think Hoi An has the edge on those places. As Tim pointed out, Hoi An is an ideal destination for young girly girls – there are numerous instagram opportunities and shopping opportunities. The town is most beautiful at night when lit up boats take to the river and tourists are encouraged to buy little lights and float them down the river.

I regretted spending so much time at the beach and less time in Hoi An centre. It would have been possible for us to have hired bikes and visited some of the little islands in the surrounding area as well as spend more time in the town centre.

We now had the choice of visiting other beach towns on the coast or heading inland to the highlands. Due to the heat our decision was easily made. We managed to book a very cheap flight from Danang to Dalat, the hill station favoured by the French in colonial times. I was looking forward to some cooler weather for a few days.