Hoi An, Vietnam
Originally a small port within the Cham Empire (2nd ~ 14th centuries), today Hoi An is a comfortably sized familial town with art, music, and reconstructed traditional style buildings. Although town center is obviously catered to tourists, the general population is friendly and welcoming. The family restaurant owner sang us songs she composed. The homemade [...]
Hanoi, Vietnam
Capital of Vietnam Our memories of the city in early 2000: thousands of bicycles and only an occasional motorbike, sporadic electricity supplemented with lit candles at every storefront, and cheap merchandise directed only at locals. Today Hanoi is a developed urban center. Budget hotels, restaurants, and travel agents line each block, interspersed with Internet Cafes [...]
Sapa, Vietnam
Sapa is a growing town in the hills in Northern Vietnam. About 10 ethnic tribes spot the hills in and around Sapa. Each tribe has a unique dress, culture, and language. With the increase in tourism, many hill tribe girls speak better English than Vietnamese. Some sell hand embroidered fabrics, silver jewelry, and musical instruments [...]
