Hoi An Travel Guide
Hoi An: a well-preserved ancient town overrun with tourists. To be honest, I have complicated feelings about this UNESCO World Heritage site. In place of the quaint, authentic village I came in search of, I found a Disney-like theme land for Instagram aficionados. But once I got off the beaten path, I learned to embrace the beauty and slower pace of this riverside setting. For everything I loved and dis-loved about Hoi An, read on.
THINGS TO NOTE
The Tourism Of It All
From what I’ve read, there was a time before social media-induced travel fever when Hoi An was the dreamy little lantern town I had at the top of my travel list. When I arrived, I felt almost duped, as if I had fallen into a Western tourist trap. The Ancient Town was so busy, it was often hard to maneuver around, and I’d find someone posing for an Instagram photo every couple of feet. The shops and night market sold the same generic goods and foods over again and again. While in Hanoi, I felt like the Vietnamese people took immense pride in their customer service, in Hoi An’s Ancient Town, I felt like they were just trying to push sales. In some ways, I think the flood of tourism must be good for the local economy. In other ways, I worry about the environmental and cultural impact. It often feels like there is no winning.
All that said, behind the droves of tourists and pushy salespeople, it really is a gorgeous town worth seeing.
The Heat
I’m 100% certain most of my friction with Hoi An can be traced back to getting there during an unprecedented heat wave. Temperatures reached the 90s. With Vietnam’s humidity and Ancient Town’s overcrowding, it felt oppressively hot. Not to mention most of the Ancient Town shops don’t have air-conditioning, and there’s very little shade when you’re biking through the rice paddies. The day we left, we got a little rain, the temps came down to the mid-70’s, and I thought to myself “Oh, I get it now!” Looking back, I’m not sure if I really was “meh” on Hoi An or if I was just hot.
Lantern Festival
The Hoi An Lantern Festival occurs every month on the full moon/14th day of the lunar month. From what we read, we were expecting city lights to be dimmed and a special paper lantern release ceremony. What we found was The Lantern Festival was exactly the same as any other day in Hoi An (no lights dimmed, paper lanterns are available to be purchased and released every day). The only difference was it was way more crowded. I would recommend avoiding Lantern Festival if traveling to Hoi An for a quieter experience.
Timing
On that note, I would recommend scheduling your Hoi An trip on weekdays. We found the tourism overflow calmed substantially after the weekend. If you’re simply touristing, you probably only need 2 full days/3 nights for Hoi An. You could also add a day or two for day trips. If you’re planning to get clothing tailored (more on that below), I would factor in at least 3 full days/4 nights.
WHERE TO STAY
Bel Marina Hoi An Resort
The Bel Marina was the perfect amount of resort and not resort. Perfect in that it had three perfectly temperate and pristine pools to choose from, which we relied on quite a bit during the above mentioned heat wave. Also perfect in that it was very easy to get in and out; I by no means felt like I was trapped on the premises.
The Bel Marina is located on a small island away from the main drag where you can enjoy a little more quiet and local-feeling spots. Even though it’s beautifully tucked away on the Thu Bon River, it’s still just a 10 min walk to the edge of Old Town. The resort will also loan you bikes free of charge that we found to be in very good condition.
The grounds of the Bel Marina are gorgeous, and we enjoyed watching the sun set over the river. The rooms are tastefully decorated and well kept. Highly recommend a river view room (or even a villa) if you can swing it!
FOOD AND DRINK
Xua Coffee
If you go to one place and one place only in Hoi An, make it Xua Coffee. Family-owned and located around the corner from the Bel Marina (out of the hustle and bustle of Ancient Town), this was some of the best coffee I’ve ever had. The owners make each cup with precision and… dare I say… love. Do yourself a favor and don’t take the coffee to go. Their shop is the epitome of relaxation. The glassware is as cute and carefully selected as their the homemade macrame crafts that adorn the space (and are also for sale). Before you head out of town, buy a bag (or two… or three… or a hundred!) of their freshly roasted coffee beans. I brought a bag back, and it’s truly the smoothest coffee I’ve ever brewed at home. We went to Xua once and then returned every day after.
If you go to this spot and want to thank me for the rec, bring me back a bag of coffee plz and thx!
Nu Eatery
We ate here twice and didn’t regret a single dish. Highlights for us were the dragon fruit juice and steamed buns. Located in Ancient Town.
Banh Mi Phuong
Also in Ancient Town, you’ll likely find a bit of a line (albeit one that moves fast) for this Banh Mi spot made popular by Anthony Bourdain. To be honest, I don’t think it was necessarily worth the hype, but sometimes you need a fast food, and Banh Mi is one of the few options in Ancient Town. The banh mi thập cẩm is the most popular order, but we preferred the beef. Whatever you do, do NOT go to All Day Banh Mi. I have no idea how it has such good reviews. I took a few bites and threw it out. The meat inside… did not look like meat…
Cao lầu Không Gian Xanh
Go for the Cao Lau Noodles (thick noodles) and White Rose Dumplings, both regional dishes. This spot is an Ancient Town staple.
Faifo Coffee
I’m almost hesitant to recommend another coffee shop when you have Xua at your fingertips, but if you need a pick me up while in Ancient Town, this is a solid choice. The coffee holds up despite the cafe being such an Insta-worthy destination. Highly recommend their coconut coffee, especially on a hot day.
Banana Pancakes
You’ll see these everywhere in Hoi An Ancient Town - give in! They’re kind of like French crepes, but I found them a bit chewy/stickier (in a good way! hard to describe!). We tried a few different combos, but banana/Nutella was the standout for us. Call us basic. It’s fine.
Roving Chillhouse
We didn’t eat here but used it as a destination for getting to the rice paddies by bike. The large airy space has a very chill expat/digital nomad vibe with a straight on view of the rice paddies. I’ve heard good things about the food!
THINGS TO DO/SEE:
Lantern Making Workshop
Make your own lanterns and take them home as a souvenir! There are several of these classes around town, and they typically offer a 45min and 1.5hr class. In the longer version, you build the bamboo frame. In the shorter version, you simply add the fabric of your choice to the already built frame. We opted for the 45 minute class, and it felt like just the right length/level of difficulty for us. We took this class (mostly because the instructor’s name is Lynn, and my name is Lynn). Don’t buy tickets online, just show up at the address. It’s cheaper if you pay direct and seems to cause less confusion. The teachers are generous with fixing any errors you may make, so you’re sure to come home with a beautiful product. They’ll even take a couple of photos of you with your finished lantern before you go.
Tailoring Custom Clothes
This could be a blog post of its own, but I’ll try to keep it brief. We decided to take the leap and get our wedding outfits tailored at Yaly Couture. My fiancé and I did this knowing 1) we’re planning the lowest of lowkey weddings and having custom tailored outfits from Vietnam just feels so us (travel is a huge part of our relationship) 2) my fiancé has a very specifically lanky body and wanted a floral suit, which he couldn’t find anywhere in the US. If you’re someone who cares a whole lot about your wedding, I’m not sure I would take the leap on this. Also, if you’re just looking for regular clothes, there’s a lot of stuff made in Vietnam sold in America, so why spend your time going back and forth from the tailor while on vacay?
That said, we chose Yaly because of its positive reviews. If it’s good enough for Harrison Ford, it’s good enough for us! Yaly has three locations, and I’m pretty sure they’re all equally reputable. Yaly Couture is the biggest, Yaly Couture Signature has the prettiest storefront, and we didn’t check out Yaly’s Men’s Emporium, but I think it would be a good choice for men’s suits.
Overall, we were happy with the suit and dress we received. Are they exactly, exactly what we wanted to a T? No. But are they 90% of the way there? Sure. The suit cost approximately $275 and the dress $310. Could we have gotten both of these items in the states for about the same rate? Probably. Would it be as good of a story? Definitely not. Also, there were some custom fit perks. For example, I have a larger bust for my small frame (brag), and I can rarely find corset style dresses that fit me in both places. The custom tailoring of it all made the corset top of my dreams possible!
My top tips:
Know exactly what you have in mind. Bring a photo of your concept.
Take a look at the designs they’ve done in the past and make sure what you’re asking for is something in line with those styles. If they’ve done it before, they can definitely do it again.
Don’t be afraid to push back. After my initial fitting, my dress came out smaller than I’m comfortable with. Usually I’m the type to accept a product/service as is, but I’m really happy I asked them to take it out an inch. It would cost so much more to make that kind of alteration in the states.
Pros and cons (imo):
Pros:
Customizable sizing
Choice of fabrics
Cons:
The process can be a little anxiety-inducing. You have to pay a deposit upfront and will likely stress about the outcome for the entire 48hrs while the outfit is being built (or perhaps you’re less stressed about money than I am).
You have to go back and forth to the store at specific times for fittings, which can be tricky when you want to be footloose and clock-free on your vacation.
Note: I won’t be sharing the outfits publicly until after the wedding, because, you know… big reveal.
Cycling
Choose a hotel that includes bike rentals, so you can bike out to the rice paddies and beach. It can be a little tricky navigating through the busy streets of Old Town, but you can always hop off and walk your bike if you don’t feel comfortable. While Vietnamese traffic can be chaotic, I do believe there is a certain conscientiousness to it that will keep you out of harm’s way. Once you’re out to the paddies, it will be a much smoother ride. The paddies smelled amazing, but tbh weren’t as breathtaking as I was hoping. Still worth the ride though!
Boat Rides
Built on water, you’ve got a lot of options for boat rides in Hoi An. The top three are:
Hoi An Lantern Boat Rides
The lantern-lit boats pictured above are definitely a big part of what makes Hoi An, Hoi An.
When purchasing a ticket for this boat ride, make sure to purchase it from an official ticket stand. These are located immediately to the right and left of the main bridge. There should be prices listed. Don’t agree to a boat ride from someone asking you on the street. They will overcharge you, take you to an unofficial boat away from the main area, and cut your boat ride short.
Note: while you’ll want this boat ride to be magical and romantic, there’s a good chance you’ll have a boat driver shouting to other boat drivers or yelling on the phone.
Coconut Boats
We didn’t get a chance to do this 2hr-ish excursion, but considered it many times. I’d book ahead on Viator to guarantee a tour with good reviews.
Thu Bon River Cruise
Also can’t speak on these, but they looked really pretty as we watched them sail by in the sunset from our resort.
Day Trips
Because of the extreme heat during our trip, we mostly had to spend afternoons by the pool. Had the weather been better and/or we had more time, I would’ve loved to explore:
My Son Sanctuary
Also a UNESCO World Heritage site located about 1-1.5 hours away from Hoi An. Temples built by the Champa Kingdom from the 4th to the 13th centuries CE.
Ba Na Hills
In stark contrast to My Son Sanctuary, Ba Na Hills (featuring the oft photographed Golden Bridge) was built around 2007 as a tourist attraction. What’s there to say? It’s a fake French village with a giant hand bridge. Big Vegas vibes. Not authentic, but probably funny.
Da Nang
You could do Da Nang as a day trip, but from what I saw of it on the way from the airport to Hoi An, it seems pretty big and spread out. I’m not sure a single day would do it justice.
Sure Hoi An’s Ancient Town can get redundant pretty fast, but even after 3 full days in the city, there were still things left for us to see and do. If you get to explore any spots we missed, let me know! I’d love to hear all about them.