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Hoi An is a feast for the senses. Bursting with colour and culture you’ll be blown away by its beauty. Known for its yellow houses, sparkling lanterns and white sandy beaches, Hoi An is a must visit destination on your adventure through Vietnam.
Despite our somewhat hectic arrival into Vietnam (you can read about that HERE) all was quickly forgiven when experiencing the absolute charm of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. There is a reason everyone goes on and on about Hoi An. From the beaches to the rivers and rice fields, the cafes serving traditional food and incredible coffee as well as the shows and shopping you could easily spend a couple of weeks here and not get bored.
Where we stayed
After a couple of days in an airbnb we moved accommodation to Sea’lavie Boutique Resort & Spa. It was perfect for us and right on the beach. Included in the accommodation was breakfast and bike hire. The ladies who work here are so kind and we immediately felt at home.
What do do
1. AnBang Beach
If you’re travelling with kids you know that the down days are just as important, if not more so, than the busy sight seeing days. Kids need space to let loose, play and unwind and AnBang Beach is the perfect place for the whole family.
Only three kilometres east of Hoi An, An Bang boasts stunning clear blue water and a long stretch of white sand. Many of the beach front restaurants have sun lounges that are free to use if you order a drink or snack. We spent many days here playing in the water, body surfing, building sandcastles, making friends and eating from the beach front cafes.
Sound of Silence
This coffee shop deserves a mention because we spent so much time here and also because it was that good. In fact we loved it so much we decided to stay next door the following week! The coffee was great yes, but the area was so laid back and beautiful we just knew that an extra week in Hoi An sipping coffee and cocktails by the beach was just what we needed! Sound of Silence is a popular place for digital nomads and expats living in the community. You can sit within the grounds of the cafe or sit on the beach where they’ll bring your order to you.
2. Ancient Town
The Ancient Town is located in the central Quang Nam Province on the north bank near the mouth of the Thu Bon River. The town is incredibly charming with its bright yellow shop fronts adorned with colourful lanterns. As you explore the streets you’ll find evidence of its fascinating history as well as many shops selling locally made products and cafes offering yummy food. The streets are pedestrian friendly (minus the bike tours) which is a relief.
We spent a couple of mornings strolling around Ancient Town, shopping and stopping at cafes. Kids will love looking at all the handmade goodies and chatting with the vendors. It’s just a beautiful place to walk around. It does get really busy as the day goes on so plan to get their early.
At night the place is transformed into an even more vibrant, colourful city as hundreds, if not thousands, of traditional paper lanterns are lit then released on the river. Many people opt to take a boat ride along the river but we found watching from the banks to be just as spectacular.
3. Bamboo Circus
In the heart of the Ancient Town is the Lune Centre, the only bamboo theatre in Vietnam and it is a must see! Teh Dar, showing at the time, was brilliant. It was a performance which combined story-telling with the creative use of bamboo accompanied by live music. Imagine people bring flung from the end of bamboo poles, flipping through the air and balancing each other high above the ground. The show was a jaw dropping, powerful performance which had us completely captivated for the entire show.
4. Personal Tailoring
People travel from all around the world to get clothes made and tailored in Hoi An. We spent a couple of days pouring over magazines, perusing material choices and narrowing down our designs. It was a really fun experience for all of us but particularly the girls who got to voice their opinions and create something special.
There are over 400 tailors in Hoi An so you’ll have plenty of options. Make sure you have a few days as you’ll likely need to go back and forth a couple of times to get your outfit right. We went with the ladies at Ba Ri Tailors and were happy with our experience.
5. Cooking class
What better way to gain insight into a culture than learn how to cook their food. The Moon Restaurant in An Bang was the best place we ate in all of Vietnam so when we discovered they did cooking classes we signed ourselves up!
The owner of the resultant, Moon, is a skilled chef who cooks delicious food using locally sourced and caught ingredients. She was brilliant with the girls as she instructed them on how to make delicious key Vietnamese dishes.
6. Bike through the rice fields
Popular on the list of things to do in Hoi An is explore the country side on bikes. Our hotel offered bikes complementary as part of our stay which simplified things. You’ll find rice fields just off the main road that goes from Ancient Town to An Bang where you can watch the farmers hard at work using buffalo to plow the ground.
Bikes are great to explore the rice fields but I wouldn’t advise you head into town on them. The traffic in Vietnam, even smaller Hoi An is fairly intense. Keep along the beach and head to Roving Chill House, a restaurant overlooking the rice fields.
Honest Thoughts:
- The people are spectacular. The younger generation of Vietnam who are returning after the war are some of the most inspiring, kind and hardworking people we have met.
- Parking always made me nervous. As you drive down the street the attendants jump out onto the road and direct you to their parking space. You have to get good at confidently driving around them and parking where you want to park. If you are going somewhere specific (restaurant/shop) you should be able to park outside free of charge.
- I know I’ve mentioned this before, but its difficult not to be saddened by the amount of rubbish. Rubbish on the beautiful beaches, side of the road and along the walkways. We tried to do our bit, cleaning up the area around us, but it was just sad.
- It seems its difficult to escape the women trying to sell you something. Even on the lounge chairs at the beach there was a constant stream of ladies with baskets full of sunscreen, hats, glasses and other bits and pieces. The same ladies day after day, walking along the hot beach trying to make some money. We got to know the regulars and they’d often sit down next to us and we’d have a chat.
- I can’t imagine riding through the city on bikes. Traffic is intense with a lot of beeping. Scooters worked better than bikes because you can stay within the flow of traffic.
- I love every piece we had created at the tailors, but the process can be overwhelming with the many decision that need to be made. It also wasn’t incredibly cheap, so my advise is to get something made that you couldn’t easily buy and have a pretty clear idea of what you want.
The Whole of Us 
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