Hoi An is the stuff of dreams. Char and I were immediately struck by how rural it is! The town itself is straight out of a picture book. The atmosphere is honestly indescribable. Famous for the lantern display that takes placee every night the town offers travellers the opportunity to witness some of the most beautiful sights in Vietnam.
Getting to Hoi An…via Da Nang
So Da Nang was not originally on our list of places to visit. Char and I had planned to get a bus straight from Hanoi to Hoi An. Our small oversight was that we conveniently forgot that buses aren’t isntant. They take time to get from A to B, in this case over 17 hours! Cue a mad panic on how the hell we were going to get to Hoi An on time now we had already booked our hostel and transport on to the next destination! Following some quick, albeit panicked Googling, we ended up booking a flight to Da Nang. Followed by a £3 shuttle bus to Hoi An. Problem solved!
Dragon Bridge
If you end up travelling this route I wouold suggest walking into the city to your shuttle bus pick up point. This is not as crazy as it sounds. There is a pretty famous bridge in Da Nang that Char and I were absolutely dying to see and this was the perfect opportunity. The Dragon Bridge is stunning. Regular colour changes are so impressive as they take place scale by scale. We spent a while here watching the bridge light up and go through the rainbow.
There are also various other activities around Da Nang that would easily fill up a day or two, so if you have the time I’d advise you to stay for a bit. It is definitely a place we would return to in the future so we can truly experience it.
Where to Stay in Hoi An?
Our hostel, Beautiful Moon Villa, was located out of town. Some may find this off putting but we absolutely loved it. Our shuttle dropped us straight to the door. The hostel itself was lovely, with a cute little koi pond inside. It provides the guests with free bikes, making getting to town simple. Cycling amongst the crazy Vietnamese traffic was slightly daunting but we soon got the hang of it. The cars and motorbikes seem to give the cyclists slightly more respect than the pedestrians.
Hoi An at Night
Arriving in the centre of Hoi An on our little bikes, we were completely speechless. The quote of our stay was that we felt as if we had literally stepped into Pinterest. The lanterns are to die for! This little town has to be the most colourful, quirky and picturesque place I have ever seen.
If you’re looking for that perfect Instagram shot you’ll have to go to the night market. You’ll find rows upon rows of lanterns are just begging to be photographed. Sadly, my phone didn’t seem to be able to cope with the array of lights and colours and I struggled to take any photos that truly encompass the incredible atmosphere we found ourselves in. You’ll just have to trust me that it is incredible!
#TopTip – Go into town on a week night if you want to avoid vast crowds. You’ll thank me when you don’t completely feel like a sardine.
Sculpture Park
If you’re wanting to see something a little different you can then wander along the river bank and admire the coloured sculptures dotted along it. There are multiple different works of art to admire, some in the water, some actually on the riverbank. They really do add a little bit of charm to the town.
People Watching
Make sure to stop in a café or restaurant and have a drink or some food along the riverside and watch the world go by. Its brilliant to sit down before sunset and watch the sleepy day time town come alive around you.
Boat Ride
One thing you can not miss is to put on your bargaining hat and grab a boat ride down the river. Pretty sure we were still ripped off but you basically don’t want to be paying any more than 100,000 VND each (based on a pair). The view from the river itself is second to none, floating amongst more lanterns. Something for the bucket list for sure.
Old Town
Old Town is completely different during the day time. It is well worth visiting to see the difference. First things first, you need to head to the Tourist Information Centre and get yourself a Tourist Ticket for 120,000 VND. This gets you into five attractions of your own choice. Our choices are as follows.
Assembly Halls
Phuc Kien Assembly Hall was first up. We were blown away by the courtyard gate before we even got into the temple. Really take your time here to explore the different buildings and rooms. There is bound to be something beautiful or unusual no matter where you look.
Next was Quang Trieu Assembly Hall. This one stunned us with the ornate dragon statues and superb Japanese style garden behind the temple.
Japanese Covered Bridge
Following on, we went to the Japanese Covered Bridge. Although you can look at it without a ticket, you do need a ticket to actually cross it and visit the temple in the middle of the bridge. Multiple signs detail the history and origins of all the attractions in Hoi An.
Old Houses
Finally, I would recommend visiting one of the old houses. We chose the Old House of Phung Hung. When you step inside it’s like you’ve been taken back in time to another era. Something about this style of house really appeals to me (possibly because I watch far too much anime). It is an absolute must see.
Cycling the Rice Paddies
When you’re done exploring the Old Town you should head out on your bikes to explore the local area. We already had a destination in mind as we were heading to the beach. Our route took us past the most amazing scenery. It was quite surreal cycling alongside the rice paddy fields with loose cows wandering along the side of the dirt track. Not something we’ll forget in a hurry.
An Bang Beach
The beach itself underwhelmed me a little bit. We were ripped off for bike parking fees and it was annoyingly crowded at first glance. Once we’d walked along the beach a little bit it was far more pleasant. Both of us desperately wanted to dip our feet in but we were caught out by some huge waves that completely soaked us. This is when Char thought ‘What the hell?’ and just waded in up to her waist! Luckily, the cycle back to our hostel dried us both off.
We were definitely sad to leave Hoi An. It’s such a wonderful, quirky little place with a huge amount of character. If you’re looking to fulfil your Vietnamese Pinterest fantasies then look no further. Come and visit Hoi An!
