Hoi-an is famous for it's tailoring. It's also quite pretty in a very tourist tacky way. The hihglight for us was undoubtedly the tailoring. We spent quite a bit of money but we had intended to do so. Although there are cheaper options when it comes to suits we opted for the top shelf fabrics and the most reputable tailors as nothing looks cheaper than a cheap suit. They are still very cheap compared to Australian prices. There isn't a whole lot to do in Hoi-an other than have clothes made and wander around enjoying the services that have sprung up around the tailoring business.

One of the highlights has to be the few brief hours every day when scooters aren't allowed in the old part of town. If you haven't been to somewhere like Vietnam or Cambodia and seen hwo invasive, loud and annoying the army of scooters that fill every street can be you probably won't understand why this is such a pleasant change. First there is the peace, the relief from the incessant noise of the horns. Then there is the lack absence of scooters blocking the footpath so you can actually walk on it for a change. You get to see the town properly, not constantly having to avoid getting hit by scooters and the children actually come out and start playing on the only spot they have to play in, the road. It feels like a place where people aren't second class citizens and that's very refreshing when you've been in SE Asia for a few months.

We really enjoyed Hoi-an but you can leave it off your tourist map if you aren't planning on buying a suit. There are more sincere places to spend you time.