Our next couple of stops in Vietnam were on two different ends of the travel spectrum. Da Lat was full of adventure, and Hoi An was full of shopping!

Da Lat

I have always wanted to go canyoning (climbing through caves, sliding down natural waterslides, etc…) and had heard Da Lat was a great place for that. So we spent our first day there repelling down waterfalls, enjoying small natural waterslides and jumping off a few cliffs (7M and 11M high) into the water below. We enjoyed it, but aren’t in a big rush to do it again. (If you know of any great canyoning places that might change our minds – let us know! We are up for the adventure. 😊)

For day two we split up. Brandon went mountain biking and I went with our friend Renee for a scooter tour around the city. The big headline here is that I managed to drive myself on a motorized, two-wheeled vehicle more than 80KM without causing any accidents or hurting anyone (myself included). Though all the gear the tour company made us wear may have helped in that cause.

The sub-headline? I ATE BUGS! Plural. Bugs. First was a silkworm pupa at a silk factory. Second was a cricket at… well… a cricket farm!

Best Response Award goes to Lara Krebs for this little ditty.

Grossed out yet? Well on this adventure I also tasted weasel poop coffee! (Weasels eat and poop out the beans and it is supposed to make it better?) Not a coffee drinker so someone else will have to explain that one to me. It still just tasted like coffee. I did buy some as a gift, but unfortunately some rats in a storage room seemed to really appreciate the taste more than I did.

We also saw a big Buddha and gorgeous waterfall. But I think the bugs and poop are more interesting, don’t you?

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Hoi An

From there we went to Hoi An, best known for custom tailored clothing where I may want to visit at least once a year. If you like shopping, you will love Hoi An! You can get whatever you want made to fit you perfectly! My days were filled with casual strolls through the city going between meals and fittings. I left with 6 dresses and a winter coat (whoops!) and Brandon ended up with 6 new shirts and 2 pair of slacks.

We failed to get pics of most of the clothing, but I will share them as they get worn. This was by far one of our favorites though.

I heard stories of people who get on a plane with nothing. No bags. No clothes. Go to Hoi An and buy everything! I wouldn’t hate that life.

Our favorite shops for women: Ao Baba and Kimmy’s (Yaly also looked good!)

Our favorite shop for men: Vanda Tailors

On our last morning, the owner of our hostel took us to a local place “Pho” breakfast. Yes — we had Pho, for breakfast! It was a delicious way to end our time in Hoi An and get ready for some caving adventures.