Hoi An is a charming town in central Vietnam and is a fantastic place to spend a few days. It one of three UNESCO world heritage sites in central Vietnama and as such oozes history. You do not even need to set foot inside a museum to soak up the past that has made the town as it is. The different influences from the French to the Chinese is evident in the architecture and it is easy to imagine how it used to hustle and bustle as a trading port.
It is the place where we have spent the longest so far on our travels – though that is in part due to the fact that staying at the luxury Nam Hai meant that we did not explore as much as we would because we were sat by the infinity pool!
There are a multitude of little museums and houses of interest that you can enter upon paying a single fee for entrance to the Old Town.’ They are often put together in quite a rough way, but are interesting none the less and you can take as long or as little time over them as you choose.’ The 38 degree heat on the day we had put aside for wandering meant that we spent more time in cafes with cold drinks – but taking in the place was good enough for us.’ If you fancy a day to relax, the beach is a short ride away and you can hire bicylces to do the journey or take a taxi.
The food on offer in Hoi An is plentiful, extremely tasty and incredibly cheap!’ There are a number of Hoi An specialities, including the White Rose (a pork and shrimp dumpling), chrispy wontons (the Vietnamese answer to nachos) and Cau Lai (a tasty noodle dish).’ Many of the restaurants around the town offer excellent value set menus.’ We had a lovely 3 course meal (which included the white rose as a starter) at the Banana Leaf restaurant on the riverfront for 85,000 Dong each (high end at erm.. √Ǭ¨√Ǭ£3.50!).’ We sat on the veranda on the first floor and watched the world go by.’ We also had an excellent meal at the tiny 339, which did top quality Vietnamese food for a bargain price!
There was a festival taking place whilst we were there, which from what we could gather was celebrating the anniversary of the city’s world heritage status. I would not want to be quoted on this, though, as although many people told us there was a festival, trying to find out what was being celebrated was a touch harder with the language barrier!’ It ensured there were lots of people and lots of little shows going on, which added to the charm of the atmosphere.
Hoi An is also famous for its tailors and if you want a new suit or dress this is the place.’ I could happily have spent many dollars in the tailors and shops selling lovely paintings and homeware, however, I settled for a cheap summer dress I can wear whilst away!
This place is definately a must see on any visit to Vietnam.
‘Till next time
Harriet and Ben
Harriet and Ben’s trip is sponsored by The Nam Hai.
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