Hoi An is an ancient village, and now tourist town, set on the Hoai River. Reviews are from my 2024 September viist.
LANTERNS ON THE WATER
At night the shore is lined with little boats that are adorned with lanterns. You’ll get approached and offered to jump in many of them. We selected the one we liked the look of best and that offered what seemed a reasonable price. The small private boat swiftly takes off through fresh night air, giving a great view of the town and other boats sparkling with lanterns.
Once we reached a more secluded and quiet area on the water, the boat driver stopped, sat back and lit up a cigarette. We took a bunch of cute photos and enjoyed the pretty spot for a while until it felt the moment had over stayed its welcome … we sat awkwardly not knowing what to do next. Until the driver motioned us to place the lanterns on to the water and we all started to laugh, realising the confusion.
It’s cute to watch the little paper lanterns lit up by candles float away together. I’m not sure it’s environmentally wonderful [I envisioned a growing mountain of coloured paper and wax on the river floor] but nevertheless it’s a fun experience and something culturally iconic for the area.
ZEN HOUSE AIR BNB
This Japanese style wooden home with its own courtyard and mini pool is such a dream. Our host, Nhu, was extremely accomodating and kind, even giving us a list of personal recommendations [many of which are reviewed below]. The list proved very helpful as Hoi An has become a dense and busy tourist town with endless options. It’d be easy to miss all the hidden gems if you didn’t have some insider guidance.
Zen house is beautifully designed and provides a unique stay. It’s located really close to the ‘Old Town’ but is tucked away among residential homes, so you get the benefit of proximity without the chaos. There’s a kitchenette, air conditioning mosquito net around the bed, and the courtyard with a pool is so nice to have in the humid weather.
PLACES TO EXPLORE
MADAME KHANH BANH MI QUEEN
Although clearly popular with its 8,000+ reviews on Google, this place feels very authentic, relaxed and is full of locals. It’s a very causal setting with an open front, white tiled floors and small square tables.
I had the vegetarian banh mi, it was incredibly tasty and fresh. They also sell bottled Vietnamese drinks. I tried the lotus milk, which was sort of like a sweet, floral almond milk.
CONFUCIOUS TEMPLE
This temple is surrounded by quite dilapidated grounds, but the temple itself is very pretty and traditional in style. You are free to wander in and light incense, but have a donation very to contribute.
MARKETS & SHOPS
In shops and stalls there is an abundance of locally made clothes, fresh food, gimmicky t-shirts, lanterns, toys and souvenirs. We stumbled upon a beautiful photography gallery and there are other interesting exhibitions and the like to discover.
SON CAFE
Down a lane, in a cute open home-style building is this great cafe for breakfast, or just a coffee. The hosts are lovely and they do all of the Vietnamese staples.
Egg coffee [featured left] is coffee made with a sweet egg custard.
Salt coffee [featured right] is coffee, sweetened with some condensed milk and topped with a salted cream.
The banana coffee topped with fresh banana is also well worth trying.
BLUE CHIC
Tailoring is a specialty in Hoi An and it is very worth doing while you are there. We had two men’s suits custom made literally overnight. With one adjustment session included, the suits were ready in less than 24 hours. Blue Chic deliver to wherever you are staying, or you can pick them up.
The staff are no-nonsense. They will negotiate a little on price, make great recommendations for fabrics and understand the style you want at just a glance. We briefly showed them a picture of a designer suit, and they were able to emulate the style and customise it for us.
STREET PERFORMANCES
When exploring the streets of Hoi An Old Town in the evening you’ll see young boys whisk past with traditional lion costumes on.
If you find yourself in the right spot at the right time [or you hear drumbeats in the distance] you’ll soon see fireworks, traditional dances, flags – and much of it performed from tall platforms. It’s really captivating.
