Smiling faces, sparkling lights covering the tree-lined streets, ostentatious but lovely Chinese temples galore, silk and tailor shops ready to create anything your heart desires, European-style sidewalk cafes boast outrageous cocktail menus, and to top it all off, radiant rainbow lanterns glow from every storefront. Vietnam just got a whole lot better. Of the month I spent in Vietnam, Hoi An was by far my favorite city. It might have been in part to some awful experiences in the socialist north (getting ripped off, harassed, not to mention the usual sunburn and food poisoning stories) where the locals always had a quick scowl, creepy leer or grimace for a funny smiling white girl like myself; but it was most likely just because Hoi An is simply a magical place. It gave me just what I needed: relaxation, luxury, and genuine smiles. Me and my travel partner splurged and stayed at The Thanh Xuan Hotel (Long Life Hotel).  For a heavily discounted rate of $28 a night we got marble floors, fountains in the lobby, grinning staff in cute perfectly tailored silk dresses, a back garden with a pool, views of rice paddy fields, and a room complete with a balcony, air conditioning, and a jacuzzi bathtub.

Poolside brunch was included in the price. I was expecting fruit and coffee and instead was treated to fresh baked bread, customized omelets, and so much more. And the extravagances didn’t stop there. In this city for prices I could afford (I was averaging about $25 a day on accommodation, food, drinks, and travel; everything besides the occasional shopping splurge) I treated myself to Swordfish carpaccio; french wine, passion-fruit, pineapple, and fresh orange infused sangria by the pitcher; thin-crusted pizza with real buffalo mozzarella; seared tuna and mango sandwiches; and Irish coffee with real Jameson whiskey…..  To me Hoi An was an oasis of beauty and opulence. Not that I had to spend money to have a good time, just taking a walk was an adventure through the brightly colored city. We found avocados at the market! We bought a bag to add to our sandwiches and salads. We drank $0.25 beer at a small restaurant and made friends with the workers. Even the Vietnamese here dislike the Northerners that never seemed to crack a grin.

“They have sour faces. No smile!” says our grinning waitress, validating my judgment. Adding to Hoi An’s luxury feel, the city is famous for its silk production which has spurred a huge tailor market. tuareg backpackNumerous shops encompass every block, ready to create anything from a suit to a wedding dress to four inch heeled boots in any style and fabric you could want. issey miyake backpack ebayI ordered a long black wool jacket with a pink striped lining, and a sexy black and pink pinstriped vest with a Chinese collar and low neckline. costco hydration backpackIt felt strange to be shopping for winter in the hot tropical heat, but I knew as soon as the rain hit in back at home in San Francisco I would be grateful. skb backpack tackle box

Plus, for $40 how could I say no? Like anything there are legit tailors and the ones ready for a quick buck that seem to vanish after taking your money and delivering you with a new wardrobe that will fall apart faster than your old flip flops. cost of stihl backpack blowerCheck out this guide for choosing a tailor, and this one for bargaining tips.backpack vakantie griekenland Besides eating and shopping there is a ton of temples and historical houses to explore. gobelins backpackThe tight streets of the old town are shared with rice paddy fields. You can take rides up the river or bike the roads to the countryside. Every full moon is “Hoi An Legendary Night,” in which all motor vehicles are banned and the city comes alive with even more lights, food vendors and live music and performances.

The city just has a brightness and vibrancy about it that is unique. However at the same time it possesses the energy one looks for in an Asian excursion: the bustling markets, the motorbikes whizzing by carrying families and livestock, fresh phở on the street, and an indescribably feeling that you can only have when the weather is hot and humid, you are far away from where you came from, and feel simultaneously both familiar and adventitious in your temporary home. photo credits:  2, 3: clair h 1, 8, 9 : cwgoodroe 5: rimantė paulauskaitė: 6, 7: yesyesjaja 11: me *post written by Kyra Bramble. For more of Kyra’s writing head to her website.“You know you are on vacation when you have Pringles for breakfast.” We’re off on an epic 2 week trip starting in the Gili Islands of Lombok and ending of the far away eastern islands of Indonesia to see the Komodo dragons. It’s going to be one heck of an adventure, and a non-preplanned one too. Ever since our backpacking with the kids stint in Belize, we don’t plan as much any more.

We started our morning at 6:30 am, when the shuttle to take us to the port town of Padangbai picked us up. No time for breakfast, but enough time to buy snacks. We’re taking the 1 1/2 hour speed boat ride to Gili Air, stopping briefly at Gili T and Gili Meno. We’ve heard horror stories of crowded, unsafe boats, but this isn’t one of those. The boat is not full and there are plenty of life jackets on board. The interior is fresh and clean and, oddly enough, has pretty paintings of flowers on the walls.  The Sea Marlin has exceeded our low expectations and we’re riding comfortably. Miss I is napping with her thumb in her mouth while Mr. King and G sit in back and watch the 3 engines stream us across the waters to the island paradise of Gili Air (pronounced “Aye-ear”).The entire journey on the water was quite smooth. G is having Pringles and Bangbangs and bananas for breakfast. It’s what we could muster up at the dock snack stands and it’s travel delicious because it’s something we don’t eat at home.

Mr. King gets a sly look on his face as he sneaks this junk food to my children. He has such limited will power. My disapproving look acquiesces to accepting the Bangbang chocolate bar myself. If you can’t beat them, join them. Trail mix is our next course. Option 1: FAST BOAT Fast Boat from Padangbai or Ahmed direct to Gili. Padangbai is closer to Ubud and the southern beach towns, but if you’re in Ahmed already, then go from there. It’ll cost you the same. From Ubud:  1 – 1 1/2 hour shuttle to Padangbai then board the 1 1/2 hour fastboat to Gili. It’s an easy travel and a tour company takes care of all the details. You just show up. Total travel time = 3-4 hours Cost = negotiable, but not more than $60 per adult. We got a good deal and paid 300,000 rph per adult ($30) and 280,000 for our 4 yr old. Under 4 is free. That included the transfer from Ubud to Padangbai. However, each travel agent is different and we met people who were quoted a price of 1.2 million per adult!

A fair price with transfer from your hotel to the boat is $30-60 (300,000-600,000 rph) Option 2: CHEAP, but SLOW. From Padangbai, take the slow ferry for 30,000 – 50,000 rph ($3-5). This takes 5-6 hours and drops you off the coast in the southern Lombok town of Lembar. Then hire a taxi to drive to Bangsal and catch a boat to Gili (9,000 rph). Time = 10 hours Cost= Less than $20, but it depends on how many people can split the taxi fare with you. Option 3: Hate Boats? You can FLY, and then DRIVE and then BOAT. Fly from Bali to Lombok. Hire a taxi from the airport to Sengigi or directly to Bangsal and then ferry over to Gili. Time= Total time depends on the ferry schedule to Gili. In the low season there are only 1 or two boats, so if you miss those, you’ll be spending the night in Lombok. Don’t forget to include the travel time to the airport, the waiting, etc.  Our friends took this route and took 2 days to reach Gili. They spent the night in Sengigi.

If all goes smoothly, it’ll probably take you about 10 hours, including your time to the airport, etc. Cost: TOTAL = $50-70     Flight $25 – 50  Taxi = $20 Ferry to Gili $1.00 Whatever option you choose will be part of your adventure. We chose to do the fast option, since we were going to be traveling through Lombok on the other half of our journey and we wanted to just get there. The boat stops at Gili T and Gili Meno, the 2 other islands in this island chain. Gili T is a party island and a majority of the young backpackers get off there for cheap drinks and an active night life.  I bet mornings start really late on this island. Gili Meno is the quietest of the islands and doesn’t have many restaurants or accommodations. It would be the perfect place to sit, do nothing and enjoy the water and sand privately. Elizabeth Gilbert came here on her Eat, Pray, Love journey. We stay on the boat for Gili Air, a combination of being laid back, yet having enough restaurants for variety.

A tout takes us through the green interior of the island. Cows, goats and chickens graze and it feels like we are in the country until, just beyond the trees, the familiar turquoise waters reflect the sunshine streaming across the ocean. It’s a small island, but a 5 minute walk turns into 15-20 minutes with a 4 & 2 year old eager to find walking sticks that are just right for their “hike”. We have no reservations and the tout shows us a few places ($15 for a basic bamboo bungalow in the interior village & 35 on the beach). Neither of which suited us, as the smell of mold and dampness was something that we didn’t want. We’ll spend the extra money and find a nicer place. We rough it enough and when we do find a nice place for a great price, we’re uber-grateful. We wanted western comforts: a nice shower, no mold, freshly laundered sheets, a delicious breakfast, a pool and optional A/C. We stop for a bite to eat near Manta Dive Resort and turns out they have 1 room left with all of the western comforts, on the beach for $40/night.