Hoi An is a beautiful city in Vietnam, just south of Da Nang. The Old Town of Hoi An is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. From the lantern-strewn streets of Old Town to the farmers shouldering their harvest in balanced baskets, the scenes of Hoi An capture what every traveler imagines Vietnam to be. It is the country’s “must-see” destination, delivering culture, cuisine, history, and charm with the added bonus of a beach just minutes from the town center.
This enchanting town defies the insidious pace of modernization. Preserved in pristine condition are its 18th-century houses, pagodas, and assembly halls built by early Fujian, Canton, Chaozhou, and Hainan-Chinese communities. The centre of Hoi An is very small and pedestrianised, so you will be walking around most of the time. Motorbikes are only banned from the centre of town during certain times of day, so keep an eye out for them; even in the most narrow alleys. Evenings are especially busy with motorbikes two, or even three abreast competing with pedestrians for even the smallest space on the street. You can easily get around on a bicycle to most of Hoi An’s attractions, as motorcycle and car traffic is banned from the city center’s tourist area during most daylight hours. The most popular activity to do is actually quite simple; as sundown approaches until 21:30, the old town lights up with lanterns and other lights and attracts window shopping and peaceful evening walks. The majority of activity happens in the old town during this time window when the temperature is cooler, and is a great time to stroll around and explore shops, restaurants, people watch, and simply soak in the beauty of Hoi An. The street lanterns shut down approximately 21:30 and vendors and food stalls follow suit in the following hour. Almost every building in the downtown area of Hoi An that isn’t a restaurant is a shop selling one of the following: clothes, shoes, souvenirs, bags, or jewellery.
Food in Hoi An is, even by high Vietnamese standards, cheap and tasty. In addition to the usual suspects, there are three dishes that Hoi An is particularly famous for: Cao lau, a dish of rice noodles which are not quite as slippery as pho and a bit closer in texture to pasta. The secret is the water used to make it, and authentic cao lau uses only water from a special well in the city. The noodles are topped with slices of roast pork, dough fritters, and this being Vietnam, lots of fresh herbs and veggies. White rose (banh bao vac), a type of shrimp dumpling made from translucent white dough bunched up to look like a rose. Wonton dumplings (hoanh thanh), essentially the same as the Chinese kind, served up in soup or deep-fried. If you are a food lover and want a safe way to try Hoi An Street food, Hoi An local food tour is a great initiation.
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