Today we went for a bike ride to the beach, had lunch, went back to the tailor’s for a fitting and then had some relaxing time by the pool – time to reflect on a favourite meal, activity or purchase made on the trip thus far.
After a few hours of abseiling on a large mountain known for its marble I purchased a small marble bowl for 60,000 Vietnamese Dong which is roughly $4 Australian. I purchased the bowl as a reminder of the day and the area we were in just out of Da Nang.
Connor
My favourite activity so far was the overnight train from Hanoi to Hue. It was a completely new experience and I really enjoyed the view and talking to mates.
Pat
Hoi An has been one of my favourite towns so far. It is much quieter than the big cities. But what I like even more is the old architecture, all of the buildings are really old (more than 100 years old.) It is also nice and cool because of the big river that runs through the centre. So far Big Experience has been very good.
-Will
We are on day 11 and are staying in Hoi An at the Van Loi hotel. Hoi An has been my favourite town so far. I remember a few places from when I was here last time and all of the memories are coming back. I love Hoi An as it is a great town for shopping and free time. I also love the food as it is a mix of both Aussi and Vietnamese food, which mixes it up a bit. I am loving the big experience and don’t want it to end. Miss you mum, dad, Katie and Charlie!
-James Reid
After a few days in the busy cities, Hoi An was a great change of scenery. It’s an amazing town with many old and beautiful buildings. As it is a very popular tourist destination there are many interesting things to buy and see. The food here is of a high standard and very reasonably priced. The same can be said for the tailor shops, I’ll be returning with a nice new shirt! I’m enjoying the big experience a lot and can’t wait to see more.
-Magnus
So far the most interesting things in Hoi An, other than the architecture, have been the stalls. Most specifically bartering and making the prices reasonable. In Hoi An I have had two very interesting experiences – the first was when I wanted to buy an item and was offered an insanely high price. I stated the price I wanted and then the girl selling it asked me to “open my heart, open my wallet”. I’m going to be honest, that was a selling point for me as it was so shockingly hilarious.
-Parker
Since arriving in Hoi An one night ago, we have walked around the French-influenced architecture, eaten at decently priced restaurants with good service and food, got shirts and chinos tailored and bought Vietnamese knock-offs of nearly everything, including hats, watches and t-shirts. It is a lot quieter here than in any other city, with less scooter traffic and wider streets. It is a recognised world-heritage site and is a popular tourist destination, with lots of people of European ethnicity visiting. Because it is such a popular tourist destination, everything is more expensive, but the price can always be brought down by bartering with the locals, who are sometimes very persistent in their pricing. So far the Big Experience has been really fun and I am really enjoying it.
-Tom N
So far the most fun things we’ve done in Hoi An have been abseiling and bike riding. Yesterday we went abseiling after climbing up almost 500 stairs. We got to abseil down into 15 metre high cave, which was fun because it was a small slope then a sudden drop, and we also went down a 25 metre cliff. Today we went bike riding which was a great experience because I enjoy riding my bike and have not had a chance to in ages. So far the BE has been an amazing opportunity and I can’t wait for what’s coming up.
-Taliesin G M
After feeling not too good, I was overjoyed to find that this morning all of my symptoms had disappeared. Hoi An is a beautiful place but I was feeling a bit homesick until the bike ride of this morning, which reminded me of my rides along beach road. Now that I am happy and healthy I am ready to continue our journey.
-James Saint-John
We are now only 7 days away from home and I’ve enjoyed every bit of this experience so far. My favourite part since the village has been the abseiling that took place near Hoi An and we got to abseil down a 25m cliff and 15m down into a cave. I was so excited but I was definitely not as terrified as I thought I would be. The feeling of jumping from the top of the cave was exhilarating but the hundreds of steps we had to climb wasn’t as exciting. I’m enjoying this trip and making the most of it while it still lasts. P.S. Mum, Dad and Sara can’t wait to see you soon
Sofie
We are now in Hoi An and have had lots of fun getting tailored clothes. I’m getting a blue and a white long sleeve top. I am also getting a pair of chinos. I am really looking forward to going to Ho Chi Minh City.
-Andrew
My favourite part of this trip so far had been the Mai Chau home stay. It was truly something that I had never experienced before and was a new feeling of joy and goodwill! I also liked the community feeling of the village which really brought the group closer! The Big Experience is an experience of a lifetime!
-Meghna
P.S Love you Mum, Dad and Bro!
I think that most of the experiences that I have had whilst in Vietnam have all been great. I really enjoyed Mai Chau and the people that I met there. Hanoi was really interesting with its lack of road rules and its culture. Hue, while we were only there for 20 hours, was very beautiful and the pagoda that we visited was very cool to see. We are currently in Hoi An and I have gotten a smart casual shirt made up, as well as, a pair of brown chinos. I am really enjoying this trip.
-Tom T
P.S. I miss you Mum, Dad and Charlotte.
My favourite thing I have bought on the trip is my big gore-tex jacket. It is something that I hope will last for a long time to come. It is a big red and black jacket with a small jumper inside. The food here is incredible and there is such a vast variety of different foods to eat and street vendors offer things you would never see in Australia.
Harry
One of my favourite experiences so far was the overnight train from Hanoi to Hue. It was very comfortable and great fun. We stopped off at the supermarket beforehand to buy snacks and breakfast to get us through the trip.
James C.
Vietnam is beautiful. The culture here is amazing. Already there have been so many things worth writing about, however my favourite thing has been the tailors who have created a garment for me that I LOVE! All the little trinkets in shops are sweet and so cool. It is hard to know what to buy and what not to. The Vietnamese are so different. They are so welcoming and kind. It is such a great place. I am having such a good time.
Hi parents and. Bro!
Meg
Today and yesterday we went to the tailors and decided what we wanted to get made. I,m really happy with my jumpsuit and can’t wait to wear it. I also really enjoyed the bike ride down to the beach today.
P.S. Hope everyone is well back home.
Faye
On this trip we have had the chance to experience amazing things such as abseiling, eat lots of Vietnamese food and buy many unique items. My favourite objects that I have bought are a movie poster, genie pants and the jumpsuit that I am getting tailored. Prices are very cheap here and I don’t know how I will get used to Melbourne prices again.
Looking forward to seeing everyone very soon.
Anna
Going to the tailors was such an awesome experience as the women were so professional and there was such a beautiful range of materials. I had one blurry image of an outfit and from that came two absolutely stunning pieces of clothing.
Elise
Hoi An has been amazing so far,even with the heat and busy traffic! A highlight for me was abseiling, where we made two descents of 25 and 15 meters. Admittedly it was quite scary, but afterwards I had quite an adrenaline rush.
Nicole
