The beach at Hoi An was surprisingly idyllic. I hadn't expected the beaches in Vietnam to rival those in Thailand, but I definitely think they do. This is nice because the beaches in Vietnam are far less developed than those in Thailand- for the time being. Hoi An had a gorgeous white sand beach that looked out over a wide blue ocean vista. Unlike Thailand, the beaches here are not bathwater-warm and protected by reefs. The water is cold (though not shockingly so) and small waves lap at the beach. We spent one afternoon lounging under sun umbrellas (the sun was scorchingly hot and burned the sand under our feet) and trying to put off the women who kept trying to sell us jewelery, fruit, tiger balm, and foot massages or manicures. Though I admit that I did buy some necklaces and, in fact, unintentionally incited a bit of a turf war because I bought from one girl and not another.

I am convinced that Hoi An is one of the best vacation spots in Southeast Asia. It has everything- a beautiful beach, fabulous restaurants (the food in Vietnam is soooo good), a very cute and historic city center (the town is a UNESCO World Heritage site), skilled tailors who can make you a whole new wardrobe in the space of just a few days, great shopping (crafts and art), and clean, affordable guest houses. Perfect.

Here's a pic of the beach and the river behind the beach: