About Hoi An – The UNESCO World Heritage Site
Located south of Da Nang, central Vietnam, Hoi An is a beautiful ancient town and listed as the world heritage site as early as 1999. This peaceful town is one of the most popular destinations in Vietnam. Though a small town, it will always provide you with enough entertainment opportunities to keep you busy throughout your visit. It is home to many temples, pagodas & ancient homes that bear its very unique mark. The density of such sites is unlike any other in Vietnam.
These places carry with them the history of Hoi An itself. The depiction of its formation, its once-prosperous merchant past, its progress and how it manages to become one of today are all well documented, in words and in priceless relics. One thing you should know is that the city hosts a number of interesting festivals but they work according to the lunar calendar. It’s advisable to take your time and get your lunar date planners out to plan your trip accordingly. Lying on the coast of the Eastern Sea, it’s easy to see why this former sleepy little fishing village has blossomed into a popular tourist destination. Its enchanting historical charm has escaped being swamped by hotels and tourist trappings, yet it still provides excellent facilities for visitors.
History of an Ancient Town
A slow stroll through town reveals its gems. Hoi An has to this days well preserved its most sacred treasure, the centuries-old architecture. The town used to harbor foreign traders back in the 17-18th, and once is an important heavily-frequented trading port in Southeast Asia. The foreigners come from all corners of the world, but mostly are Chinese and Japanese nationalities. Some come and go, but many settle in permanently and etch their marks into the history of Hoi An.
Mixing together with Vietnamese design, Chinese and Japanese accents melt and create a picture-perfect Hoi An of the late 19th century, which it has somehow remained mostly intact since. The end product is an oddly strange-yet-familiar sight that exists nowhere else in the world. To this day, few descendants of the foreign traders remain but the architectural setting manages to survive the damage of time.
How to get in and around Hoi An
The nearest airport is in Da Nang which has domestic connections from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Hue with Vietnam Airlines and VietJet Air and some international flights from Bangkok, Singapore, Siem Reap, Cambodia (for Angkor Wat temples) and from Danang drive 30 km to Hoi An.
The good thing about Hoi An is that the area is suitable for pedestrians; therefore, you will mostly be walking around to check different attractions. The enchanting Old Town is closed to cars so move around at your leisure. You can opt for motorbikes but you’ll be prevented to enter the Old Town on motorbikes on two specific dates – 14th and 15th of each lunar month. That’s mainly because the Old Town hosts several activities on these dates when you can enjoy several traditional games including trống quân, bài chòi, and đập niêu. But in case you don’t know much about the town and don’t think motorbikes are a suitable option, you may want to move around using prearranged transfer services offered by Andy Tourist.
What to do & see in Hoi An.
Old Town is one important stop for everyone visiting Hoi An for the first time. There, you can check some interesting historical sites. A well-designed coupon system is in place to make it easier for you to explore the area. A ticket will allow you to check five important attractions including an old house, a museum, an assembly hall, the traditional theater and the handicraft workshop.
Merchants houses are reminders of Hoi An’s wealthy trading past. There’s a few examples open to the public including Diep Dhong Nguyen House and Tan King House.
Museum of Folk Culture is another nice choice. It will definitely be a surprise visit, especially when you check the strange-looking plaster sculptures; these sculptures are of Vietnamese peasants and give you some insight into the culture and traditions of rural Vietnam.
Cham Museum is another treat for culture lovers. It takes 15 minutes from the Marble Mountains to get to this attraction. There, you will witness an interesting collection of artifacts including some amazingly crafted statutes of female dancers.
All these places are a must-visit for first-time travelers, but you may also consider another option – opt for a group tour. This will help you explore the beautiful and somewhat weird side of Hoi An, and that’s exactly when you can pick sightseeing tour offered by Andy Tourist.
Suggested Activities in Hoi An
If you call yourself an “energetic” tourist and want to indulge yourself in a variety of activities, you are going to love Hoi An for more than one reason. A few very interesting things to do in this part of the world are:
A Street Food Tour is the first thing to start with. A visit to this place will put you in a better position to decide about the food you need to eat during your stay in Hoi An. It will also give you enough information about food that you will find it easier to pick a good restaurant while exploring the city.
Cham Island Diving is something that always attracts more thrill-seeking folks. You can find different companies organizing boats as well as speedboats tours to Cham Island where you can have a taste of some exciting activities such as snorkeling and scuba diving.
Festivals in Hoi An are quite interesting, but you have to figure the right date. You can visit Old Town on 14th of every lunar month to be a part of Full Moon Festival. Similarly, you can be a part of some other festivals like Fisherman’s Festival arranged to pray for a good crop and Mid-Autumn Festival.
Food and Nightlife
If you’re searching for a nice place to taste nice food, you are sure to hit a number of good restaurants in Hoi An. Vietnamese food is similar to other cuisines of the South East Asia region but fresh herbs are used to deliver flavor where other countries might rely on the pungency and potency of chili.
Riverside Restaurants are always more attractive for tourists because of their amazing location. Land based or floating, these dining options offer class and at the same time are surprisingly friendly. Fish is usually freshly caught the same day you dine.
Restaurants and cafes are usually open at night allowing you to enjoy the nightlife in Hoi An. It’s worth mentioning that you won’t find nightclubs in this part of the world, so you can say that the nightlife in this area is a bit subdued. But if you’re a party animal and cannot live without one, you better hit the beach.
Bars in Hoi An are along Nguyen Thai Hoc street; you can also find a few restaurants lined close to the river that don’t mind doubling up as bars. It’s also possible to find a wine bar in the center of the town where you can buy beers, spirits and cocktails.
There is no shortage of bacon in town, but cao lầu is the dish that one simply can not miss. Prices and service are rightfully on par with the latest venues in major cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh. Yet in the face of all the hurrying capitalist business going on, for some reason, somehow, Hoi An retains its quite serenity. Life just seems to flow by at an uneventful rate. People seem to slowly enjoy things as they are. While foreigners come to experience the old way, natives also come to Hoi An for a break in the hustling busy path of life.
Overall, you can call Hoi An a perfect holiday destination owing to its combination of architecture, history, cuisine and glorious beaches. You will find loads of entertainment opportunities along with enjoying vibrant nightlife close to the beach.
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