This Expat Life (July 2019): Hoi An & My 5-Year Expativersary
After moving abroad in July 2014, I started compiling monthly roundup posts about life as an expat in Southeast Asia and all the nitty-gritty that goes on behind the scenes here at Travel Lush. Check out my most recent monthly roundup posts April, May and June.
This summer wasn’t perfect but it was so refreshing to escape Ho Chi Minh City for a couple months. In July, I split my time between the cities of Danang and Hoi An and thoroughly enjoyed getting to know two different parts of Vietnam.
Here’s what I got up to in July:
My 5-year expativersary
Aaron and I moved to Jakarta, Indonesia, on a whim in July 2014. He received a job offer there while we were backpacking in Colombia. Three weeks later we were on a plane to Indonesia. It’s insane to believe that was five years ago. Since then we’ve lived and worked in four cities in Asia: Jakarta, Phnom Penh, Beijing and Ho Chi Minh City.
Here are some old posts I wrote that bring back the fun memories and excitement of moving to a new country (notice the very clever headlines):
Living in Asia has also given us the chance to travel to all sorts of countries around the region, from Hong Kong and Japan to the Philippines and Indonesia. It’s been a wild ride full of the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. I never realized that one year in Jakarta would turn into FIVE YEARS of expat life in Asia. And I never, in my wildest of dreams would have thought that Aaron and I would be living in Ho Chi Minh City, a place we first visited 13 long years ago as baby backpackers.
Life is crazy like that!
Moving on from Danang to Hoi An
Because I work remotely and Aaron has summers off, we spent this summer in central Vietnam. We stayed in Danang for six weeks but decided to mix things up and head down to Hoi An for a couple of weeks last month. I loved my time in Danang. With its pretty rivers, amazing beaches and delicious food it’s hard not to love Danang. But I was itching for a change of scenery.
I decided to book us in a fancy hotel (thanks, credit card points!) near Hoi An’s historic old town for our first two nights and then booked us at an amazing Airbnb in the countryside for a week. We should have extended our stay but we were too late and had to book another Airbnb for our second week in Hoi An, which ended up being a bit of a disaster. But more on that later.
Pondering the impacts of overtourism
I have mixed feelings about Hoi An’s historic old town. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a gift to be able to visit a place so full of history and beauty, but over-tourism there is a serious issue. I suppose I have a unique insight into just how dramatically tourism has changed Hoi An.
I first visited Hoi An 13 years ago. Back then, it was a touristy yet sleepy town. I remember lazily sipping coffee at the riverfront cafes, meandering the near-deserted alleyways and marveling at the village’s unbelievably photogenic buildings. I remember tourists, and I actually recall it feeling too “touristy” at the time (I was a bit of a snobby backpacker), but it was by no means crowded. Selfies, smartphones, Instagram — these things didn’t even exist when I first traveled there. A lot has changed in the past 13 years.
The reality of today’s Hoi An is way different from all these photos we see on Instagram. Hoi An is super crowded and it can honestly get overwhelming. Because of the crowds, my sister actually compared the old town to Disneyland during our visit in April. Aaron, who was my travel partner 13 years ago and this summer, was shocked by how much the old town had changed. Let’s just say, he was not a fan.
The way tourists are impacting historic places has been on my mind a lot lately. And as a traveler, travel writer and blogger it’s not lost on me that I’m part of the problem. I love that more and more people are getting outside of their bubbles and seeing the world, and I love encouraging people to visit the places that I cherish so much. But I also realize the implications this has on places like Hoi An. And while I enjoy using Instagram, I couldn’t help but cringe at all the perfectly-posed Instagram photos that were being snapped everywhere in the old town.
Exploring the gorgeous Hoi An countryside
After two days downtown, both of us were excited to escape to the countryside. We found an incredible one-bedroom Airbnb located in the middle of nowhere. It was massive, well decorated and had a shared pool. And the best part was it cost $19 a night. It was a steal. Given its obscure location, we rented a motorbike so we could get around town.
I loved every minute of living in the countryside. During the weekdays I did have to work but on the weekends we made a point to explore the area’s beaches and rural areas. I finally realized why Hoi An is a hotspot among digital nomads and expats. The countryside is peaceful and incredibly beautiful. If you’re headed to Hoi An I highly recommend renting a scooter and getting lost in the areas around Hoi An, especially if you have a thing for rice paddies and rural life.
Coping with the heat
It’s hot in Ho Chi Minh City, but the months of June and July were sweltering in Danang and Hoi An. I didn’t actually research what the weather would be like (my bad) so I was a bit taken aback. Day or night it felt like I was walking in a furnace. The times I did decide to walk around during the day it would take no time for me to be a red, sweaty mess. Even blasting the AC unit in our apartments this summer did little to actually cool things off. It’s actually a relief to be back in HCMC, where it’s a good 10 degrees (Fahrenheit) cooler.
More water issues
Remember last month when I wrote about not having water for five whole days in Danang? Well, the same thing happened to us during our last week in Hoi An. The whole situation is actually really eye-opening. I thought we were just having bad luck (and we did) but it turns out the region is suffering from a drought. The unseasonably hot temperatures aren’t helping the issue.
Water is more scarce than usual and everyone is told to “conserve” their water. We didn’t realize this. To make matters worse, the area is powered by hydraulic power plants, which means the lack of water is also impacting power. We experienced a power outage in Danang (little sleep was had that night because it was so hot) but in Hoi An the power issue seemed to be much worse for residents, including my blogger buddy Richelle.
In the two weeks we were in Hoi An we heard of three planned power outages. We weren’t impacted by them, but multiple of our friends who live there were. It’s intense to think that people have to live without water and electricity for large chunks of time, especially considering the extreme heat. Sanitation also seems like it must be a major concern. In Danang, we were living in an enormous high rise…and no one had water. That means it’s likely no one was showering or washing their hands. Every time I pressed a button in the elevator I immediately wanted to Purell my body.
Eating all the vegetarian food
I may have gone a bit big this summer when it comes to eating. Coming from Saigon, I wasn’t entirely sure what the vegetarian food scene in Danang and Hoi An would be like but I am obsessed with the food there. It’s totally different than HCMC. I actually wrote a full guide on vegetarian restaurants in Danang and plan to write one on Hoi An too. I mean, I’ve done all the research. I might as well share the wealth.
Now that I’m back home after two months in central Vietnam and stepped on a scale for the first time I realized I might have indulged a bit too much. It was so hot in central Vietnam I didn’t do as much walking as I typically do and didn’t exercise once. On top of that, I really enjoyed the food. I’m hoping to get back into an exercise routine soon. But it is the rainy season in HCMC which means it pours every evening when I usually go for a jog. Excuses, excuses.
Meeting up with blogging buds
One of the things I love about travel blogging is the community that comes with it. I met Richelle of Adventures Around Asia at a blogging conference in Bangkok in 2015. At the time, she was living in Beijing and I was in Phnom Penh. Turns out Aaron and I ended up moving to Beijing just a few months after that conference. Given the fact that I lived way out in the ‘burbs and overall suck at making plans, I only met up with Richelle a few times in Beijing, but we’ve remained in contact over all these years. Richelle and her fiancé Chris of Aussie on the Road are now living in Hoi An and I’m so glad we got it together and finally met up. It was super fun to catch up with both of them and I have no doubt that our paths will cross in a new country in the future!
Travel
This summer just flew by and I can hardly believe that I’ll be in India next week! That’s insane. I’m headed over there with a handful of Aaron’s coworkers for a friend’s wedding. I really have no idea what to expect other than the fact that I’m going to eat all the dosas…I really need to start exercising again.
Blogging
Here are my most recent blog posts:
- My Favorite Vegetarian Restaurants in Danang, Vietnam
- Cruising Through Vietnam’s Magical Bai Tu Long Bay
- 9 Fun Things to Do in Hoi An, Vietnam (I’ll be expanding upon this one soon)
- This Expat Life (June 2019): Danang & Hue
Here were my two most popular Instagram posts in July:
PIN ME FOR LATER:
How did your July shape up?
Congrats on 5 years of living abroad. It’s quite a milestone. Always nostalgic to look back at all the places we’ve lived and see how far we’ve grown as individuals. I love the way our blogs preserve memories. To me, it’s one of the best reasons to keep writing. Glad you are back in Saigon! Hopefully a blogger meet-up soon here? 🙂
Wendy recently posted…Saigon Chronicle – Week 5: Learning Vietnamese
Thanks! It’s hard to believe it’s been five years. And I agree with what you say about how our blogs preserve our memories. That’s one of the main reasons I do it. I’m heading to India next week for a week but let’s make plans after I get back!