Hue & Hoi An New Photos

Old Jul 19th, 2010, 04:40 PM
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,539
Received 79 Likes on 10 Posts
Hue & Hoi An New Photos

Hi,
Attached is the link to view new photos of Hue and Hoi An that relate to my trip report "SE Asia: It's So Hot" posted in April.

This is in a slide show format...but I had to click the arrow on the middle right of the screen to advance them....maybe it's because I have a Mac.

Please let me know if you have trouble viewing. Thanks!

http://barefootbeach.smugmug.com/pho...AlbumKey=J4qtk
barefootbeach is offline  
Old Jul 19th, 2010, 06:05 PM
  #2  
 
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 947
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Barefoot,

I am quite a fan of your photos by now. Thank you for providing them and for triggering wonderful memories of our time in Hue (especially) and Hoi An. I was there in July 2008 -- I can see from your sensational photos that restoration work at the Citadel has continued since that time.

Your photos of your cooking school market tour are a treasure. I am supposed to be doing something else right now but I am going to go back and look at them again!
marya_ is offline  
Old Jul 19th, 2010, 06:36 PM
  #3  
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 2,767
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I really enjoyed seeing your pictures. We were happy to learn last night that our pictures were not destroyed by the computer virus we picked up. We were going to have to download your pictures and photo shop you out, replacing our pictures in your place! Fortunately, now we can spend endless nights arguing over whose pictures are best, eliminating those we don't want, and editing the keepers. Hope to post our pictures soon.
dgunbug is offline  
Old Jul 19th, 2010, 08:10 PM
  #4  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 29,053
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
simply fabulous.... anxious to go... november is almost here...
rhkkmk is offline  
Old Jul 20th, 2010, 05:15 AM
  #5  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,539
Received 79 Likes on 10 Posts
marya,
Thanks so much! I'm glad to hear that there's been so much restoration in the Citadel that you can actually tell from my photos. I thought that the best thing about the Red Bridge Cooking school was the opportunity to take so many market photos unimpeded...usually, we'd be hassled to death by then or people wouldn't have been so accommodating. My husband took the meat and poultry photos...I didn't want to look too closely!

dgunbug, so glad to hear that your pictures survived. It does take forever to combine and edit two people's photos....especially when my dear husband had an incorrect date setting on his camera, so they don't load close to mine in the computer. I have to adjust his date settings, then delete most of his (he defers this to me, luckily...we use his smaller point and shoot digital camera for night scenes, potentially wet ones, or sometimes in cities when I don't feel like lugging mine around all day...or for pictures of me!) Can't wait to see your photos!

rhkkmk....thanks again for looking at all these and being so complimentary. You're so lucky to get to go to Asia twice in one year!
barefootbeach is offline  
Old Jul 20th, 2010, 07:27 AM
  #6  
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 2,854
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Gorgeous photos, I really enjoyed them and being inspired to plan a trip soon, thanks!
Shanghainese is offline  
Old Jul 20th, 2010, 08:24 AM
  #7  
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 26,243
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
barefootbeach, still loving your photo album!

I'm curious, I noticed you stayed in Hoi An at the Hoi An Life Resort. Were you pleased with this hotel, and the fact that it's close to town (as opposed to, e.g., the Victoria Hoi An, which is on the beach, but further from town)? It looks very lovely.
sf7307 is offline  
Old Jul 20th, 2010, 10:15 AM
  #8  
 
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 23,255
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Glorious photos!

I stayed in both hotels and I thought both were lovely. How good to see both towns in the sun--I don't think I saw more than one ray of sunshine in my days, during January!

Great work, thank you!
ekscrunchy is offline  
Old Jul 20th, 2010, 02:17 PM
  #9  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,539
Received 79 Likes on 10 Posts
Thanks so much Shangainese....Vietnam is very fascinating.

sf7307....glad you're liking the photos. We thought the Hoi An Life Resort was fine...comfortable if not luxurious, but it doesn't have the charm of other places we stayed...maybe a bit sterile. Ask for an upper floor room overlooking the pool area...better view and more privacy. Don't think the extra cost for a river view room worth it with the cycle noise from a little road that runs between you and river.
Especially wasn't crazy about the breakfast experience...hostess made you sit in a certain area...not very accommodating. But, I do think it's the best place to stay if you're visiting Hoi An because you walk outside the resort and you're at the end of the tourist area of town. You still need to walk about 15-20min to get where most of the restaurants and shops are....but there's always a cyclo you can take...or the resort has free bikes for you to use also. We didn't get to the beach so I can't comment on the Victoria. If you're going to have any clothes made...multiple fittings are needed and that would be a pain from the beach area.

ekscrunchy, thanks for the compliment! I'm glad we had sun too....makes such a difference in how a place looks and feels.
barefootbeach is offline  
Old Jul 20th, 2010, 02:38 PM
  #10  
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 26,243
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
>>

Would you mind sharing the places you stayed that you DID like? (We'll also be in Hanoi, Hue, HoiAn, HCMC, Siem Reap, Hong Kong)

>>

Is the quality as high as the better Hong Kong tailors, or is it just "the thing to do because it's there"?
sf7307 is offline  
Old Jul 20th, 2010, 04:16 PM
  #11  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,539
Received 79 Likes on 10 Posts
sf7307,
in Hanoi we stayed at Sofitel Metropole (very luxe but still friendly), Hue...La Residence, HCMC....Caravelle (great location...basic kind of business hotel rooms but very helpful), Siem Reap (Residence d'Angkor...loved it!)...didn't stay overnight in HK. For details about the hotel experience, look up my trip report "SE Asia: It's So Hot". Hope this helps!

I didn't go to Hong Kong so don't know about the tailors. My husband's suit was very well made and excellent fabric (silk/cashmere blend but lightweight for summer)...my silk dress was well made, but I didn't love how it looked on me...more my fault for choosing the style. The self-belt doesn't stay at the waistine well....if it had a stiffener in it, might have been better.
barefootbeach is offline  
Old Jul 21st, 2010, 02:15 PM
  #12  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,539
Received 79 Likes on 10 Posts
sf7307,
I didn't complete my thought about Hoi An tailoring....I do think it's more of "the thing to do"....a lot of the styles you see in the windows aren't blow-away....if I had to do it over, I wouldn't have done this and gone to the beach instead! But, my husband did get a great custom-fit suit for $190...that's a great deal.
barefootbeach is offline  
Old Jul 21st, 2010, 04:09 PM
  #13  
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 26,243
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thanks bfb! Your posts (along with dgunbug's and others) have been so helpful. We're planning to make our hotel reservations this weekend, and some of our intra-Asia air (particularly the Siem Reap to Hong Kong air, since the only inexpensive carrier is Air Asia and there's only one flight a day -- Siem Reap to Kuala Lumpur to Hong Kong -- and we have to get to Hong Kong....first of all, we planned to have 3 or 4 days there, but also, that's where our trip back home starts!)

Just for comparison purposes, if you were going, say, to New York, or San Francisco, where would you be likely to stay?
sf7307 is offline  
Old Jul 21st, 2010, 04:50 PM
  #14  
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 2,767
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Barefoot - you are making me look bad posting all your pictures before I even get a chance to download mine!

sf7307 - unless you want a beach vacation, I would not stay at the Victoria in Hoi An. While the beaches are beautiful, the hotel is quite a way from town and all the activity. We did not have clothing made for us, but loved wandering the streets of Hoi An.
dgunbug is offline  
Old Jul 21st, 2010, 07:26 PM
  #15  
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 26,243
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
dgunbug, where did you stay in Hoi An?
sf7307 is offline  
Old Jul 21st, 2010, 07:32 PM
  #16  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,539
Received 79 Likes on 10 Posts
sf7307,
We haven't been to NYC in about 15 years, but the last place we stayed was The Lowell, but it was on a work trip. We would probably search out a boutique hotel that was in the middle price range.
In SF, we were last there about 5 years ago and stayed at the Petite Auberge Hotel, a boutique hotel near Union Square.
In Asia, we often stayed at hotels that were more luxurious than we'd stay in the States...but wanted the comfort factor of relying on safe food and water.
barefootbeach is offline  
Old Jul 21st, 2010, 07:33 PM
  #17  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,539
Received 79 Likes on 10 Posts
dgunbug....I haven't begun to post all my photos! I still have HCMC and the Mekong Delta...then Siem Reap and Thailand....I'm working backwards.
barefootbeach is offline  
Old Jul 22nd, 2010, 03:32 AM
  #18  
 
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 23,255
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Tailoring in Hoi An is not remotely up to the quality that can be found in Hong Kong, in my experience. People get things tailored mainly because it is cheap. Do not go with tremendous expectations. Bringing along a garment to copy will improve the chances of a good result.
ekscrunchy is offline  
Old Jul 22nd, 2010, 05:47 AM
  #19  
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 2,767
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Sf7307 - We stayed in the Vihn Hung Resort Hotel, which was only a 5 minute walk to town. It was just outside the city gate - very conveniently located. The room was large and modern, the grounds were pretty and there were two pools (the larger one is much nicer to stay near). We only swam once since the water was so warm. We found that the pools throughout the trip were not very refreshing as they were too hot (and I like warm water). The buffet breakfast was decent with lots of choices. Each afternoon around 4 pm there was a free food tasting on the lawn. Free internet service and computers were provided in a business center. Over all we thought the accommodations were quite good. The hotel was on the river and there was also the option of taking the boat into town.

Barefoot - we still need to go through our pictures from Sapa, Hue, and Hoi An before I can post them.

Ekscrunchy - While I was not planning to have clothing made, I was surprised by the clothing displayed in the windows. There was not a lot that appealed to me in either the fabrics or styles displayed.
dgunbug is offline  
Old Jul 22nd, 2010, 08:08 AM
  #20  
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 26,243
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
>>

Thanks, we're going to Hong Kong, too, so if we want to do this, we'll just wait. Thanks.

>>

Thanks, that's so helpful in understanding your reviews!

>>

I appreciate the report!
sf7307 is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
NeoPatrick
United States
82
Nov 13th, 2010 07:59 AM
thit_cho
Caribbean Islands
7
Oct 20th, 2009 03:09 PM
Craig
Asia
22
May 28th, 2009 06:52 PM
cybor
Africa & the Middle East
47
Oct 14th, 2007 07:08 AM
Kavey
Africa & the Middle East
33
Aug 8th, 2005 01:01 AM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are On


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -