I had a friend many years back telling me about a place to visit in Vietnam that I would love – and that little place is called Hoi An.
Vietnam is a huge and long country, with so much to offer, from the cruises along Halong Bay, to the beef pho noodle shops in Hanoi and the rock climbing cliffs in Cat Ba. This summer (just the tailwind of the rainy season), we found ourselves in the coastal region of Vietnam at Danang, which is an incredible beachy city (3rd biggest in Vietnam). On our day break, we finally got about to make a day trip to visit Hoi An which was 1 year away by bike.
And it was a lovely experience.
So sharing a photo journey of what we saw in Hoi An and what you can expect if you can only spare a day trip to visit the place.
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The Colourful Lanterns of Hoi An
Hoi An has its picturseque moment with the lanterns covering the streets and walkways.
There is some resemblance of this place to George Town in Penang Malaysia, with its narrow alleys, low roofs, hipster cafes and colourful lanterns.
Stay till sunset and watch the entire old town transform into a night lantern spectacle.
Cafes after cafes glowing with lanterns of all shapes and sizes and colours. You wouldn’t be able to stop snapping away at your camera:)
The Hoi An River Bank
The riverbank is a beautiful iconic aspect of Hoi An. You will see multiple beautiful boats and bridges in different segments, and all of them are truly photo-worthy.
The Japanese bridge is one of the unique pretty old historical bridges, but you will need to pay the Old Town Admission Ticket to cross it.
As you wait till sunset, watch as the locals and boatmen and women start preparing their boats for the night. There will be incense burning, cleaning up their boats and fixing of old life jackets. The golden sun rays reflecting off the water at that moment is the most beautiful, so stay around to capture some photos.
Enjoy the glorious sunset and watch as the nightlife begins.
If you like night river cruises, why not consider doing the sunset fireflies river cruise in Malaysia
The night scene in Hoi An. Boats with beautiful colourful lanterns go up and down the bay inviting tourists to join them and release lanterns of blessings into the river. Can you spot these lotus flowers shaped candlelit lanterns on the water?
Feburary to April is the best weather, but also high season. We visited in September and was lucky with good clear weather all day with no rain.
3 hours by train or 4 hours by car/ motorbike.
The Hoi An Old Town Vibe
The old ancient town of Hoi An is truly beautiful.
Walkthrough the crannies and peer through the narrow streets of this UNESCO World Heritage Site to enjoy the architecture, details on the walls and little touches of each building.
Rickshaw riders waiting to pick up their next guest for a ride around the old town.
LITTLE NOTE: By 3pm everyday, motorbikes and cars are not allowed to ride through the old town.
Hipster Coffee Houses in Old Buildings
There is plenty of places to stop to grab a coffee, coconut or a fruit juice.
Our favourite was at Hoi An Roastery, which has 7 outlets around the old town. The egg coffee wasn’t as fantastic as the ones we had in Hanoi and HCM, but the ambiance of the shop was lovely nonetheless. Great for people-watching.
One of the many coffee places all around the old town of Hoi An. Look at the little decorations and touches they all have. Really popular place for students, girlfriends, couples and young people in general.
We had dinner at one of the shophouses while awaiting the sunset. Great view, though the food wasn’t the best, as they changed it drastically to cater to ‘Western’ tastebuds.
All in all, Hoi An is an incredible and pretty place to visit for a day trip.
Da Nang to Hoi An
It only takes 1 hour to get from Da Nang to Hoi An by bike/ car, and you can easily get the best of this little town’s of Hoi An’s attractions and sights in 1 full day.
Before going on your next travel adventure, consider booking Affordable Travel Insurance from US$14 onwards for that peace of mind! 🙂
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