A few days in Hoi An

The trip from Da Nang to Hoi An is just a 30min car ride down the coast. The coast is lined by every type of hotel resort, many under construction, and marble mason since there is a marble query close by. After much deliberation we chose a nice Boutique hotel equal distance to the beach and city of Hoi An. We were really happy with our choice to be away from the touristy hustle and bustle of the city but still be close enough with a 5 min grab ( taxi) ride. We splurged a little bit with the hotel 42 € a night being on the higher end of our accommodation budget but it was really worth it. The service was great, we finally had a big breakfast buffet with western items and a beautiful pool area. And what would become more important later, a comfy bed and Netflix on the TV.
The river town of Hoi An used to be an important point along the Silk Road, and you can still see its heritage in the many silk weaving and overall tailoring shops. Another thing the city is famous for is the lanterns, the beautifully kept old town is illuminated by red, yellow and many other colorful lanterns. Especially at night it creates a beautiful atmosphere. On Thu Bon river you can take a boat ride, something you might be asked every 5 minutes or so. You can also float down some candle lanterns with a wish - for a few of course. While it looks very magical and romantic on video it was so busy with tourists and the seller are so eager to get you that it lost its charm a bit to us, so we passed on that. We went off season but nonetheless this was the most busy touristy place we had been to in Vietnam. The town itself is beautiful and charming and is filled with art shops, tailors, leather craft shops and market stands - but just a bit less authentic than the north we grew to love. Every few meters people want you to look at their shop, and all small talk eventually leads to some sort of selling pitch - which grew old pretty fast. The day we most enjoyed old town was our last morning because the city was almost empty after a heavy rain. Granted we did go during a busier time as it was Autumn full moon festival, with many art performance shows, so there were likely more locals and tourists in Hoi An. Once you leave the very busy old town and nightmarket island we had a nice stroll down the river and found a lantern making workshop for Charly. Supposedly an hour of Labour turned into 2 but it was a very meditative and rewarding experience- 4€ for our very own first piece for our future apartment. At the market you would pay much more, it does make you appreciate the work that is behind those handmade lanterns. We got a cold halfway so we didn’t do the tourist Old town museum and temple hopping, but instead spent more time at the hotel, but well deserved after 3 busy weeks as it’s a holiday afterall. We have mixed feelings about Hoi An and would definetely avoid High Season, but have already plans to return even if it’s just for the amazing tailoring and Cao Lau noodles.Leggi altro