Hoi An, Vietnam {day 1}

Vietnam, you stole my heart. 

you and your gorgeous beaches, your mysterious lagoons, and your jovial people. 

Friends, I will say that in all my travels, Vietnam has claimed a spot in my top 5 favorite! 

yes and amen, it was that wonderful! 

Hoi An was our first stop in Vietnam, and boy did I fall flat out in love. 

Hoi An is a an electric mix of french and japanese influence,

lazy beach culture, trendy shops, and a bustling food scene. 

these people know how to cook and eat! 

Hoi An was once one of the most important trading cities in all of Asia.

but when the river silted up, it became a forgotten backwater town,

keeping the city so well preserved! 

{much to our advantage!!}

Our first day in Hoi An, we hopped on bicycles and headed towards the beach. 

It.was.heaven. 

We paid $2 to rent chairs and an umbrella, and read and swam and relaxed all day.

best $2 i've ever spent!!  

That afternoon, we pedaled our way back into town,

and drank up the cities charm. 

Hoi An is one dreamy town. 

{there is even classical music playing out of speakers all around town!}  

The food scene here is out of control! 

There are tons of famous restaurants with celebrity Vietnamese chef's,

and literally you will be in awe of their food presentation. 

We had so much fun trying out a new place every night. 

On this particular day, we ate at "Morning Glory" restaurant, a city favorite! 

The ambiance was fantastic, and the food delightful! 

But truly, Hoi An comes alive at night,

when a thousand lanterns light up the city. 

it could not have been more perfect! 

Since i literally took a bazillion pictures of Hoi An, You'll see part 2 on Wednesday! {here} 

Enjoy this colorful city today!! Happy Monday Friends! 

ps- if you've missed the beginning of my travel series, 

you can see the first two installments {here} and {here}…way way more to come soon! 

love Katie 

 {the next three pictures make me so happy. 

I asked this little girl to smile, and this is what I got…perfection!} 

{You must eat at "Morning Glory" restaurant! so fabulous and run by a celebrity chef!}

see Part 2 here

{Part 2 includes where we stayed, where we ate, and what we did, so make sure to check it out!}