Hoi An - A Magical Place (Part 2)

Next to exploring the ins and outs of the old town, there are tons of other things to do in and around Hoi An.

On the second day, it was Amy's birthday, so we first got a massage in town before visiting My Son, which is an interesting ancient temple complex of the Champa Kingdom that is nestled deep inside the woods.

The following day, we took a free walking tour to learn more about the rich history of Hoi An, before taking it slow and heading to a few cafes and simply relax and watch life go by.

The third day started slow as well (we had a bit of rain most of the days), but in the afternoon, we went to experience the traditional basket boats. I opted to go for a wild spin in one, which was quite fun - luckily, I did not fall out, as I have seen some others do while researching the experience. On the way back, each of us floated a candle on the river, while making a secret wish.

For the next day, Amy and I decided to head to town early to do a little photo shoot of the most beautiful place, while it is quiet. Afterwards, we opted to go on a street food tour arganised by the hostel to taste some of the odd street food dishes that we otherwise would have probably never tried. Some were definitely a hit and some were okayish (no insects, luckily!). In the evening, it was time to party into and welcome the new year (one woman with a mic started the countdown from 10 seconds a whole 4 minutes too early, so we had to do the countdown twice).

On New Year's Day, we started with a traditional Hoi An-specific noodle dish (Cao Lau) prepared by our host for lunch. We then hired some bikes and cycled through the nearby rice fields and observed life in the Vietnamese countryside. It was our last full day, so we saved the best for last - a lantern boat right in the evening on the river. Seeing the countless lanterns and beauty of Hoi A from the river was really the perfect end to our time in this magical town.Read more