Hoi an old town. Hoi An: a romantic and cozy city of Vietnam with a rich history
Today I invite you to walk with me around the old town of Hoi An (Vietnam), get ready, there will be a lot of photos 🙂
Hoi An old town, Vietnam
Hoi An- city in central Vietnam, several centuries ago it was large shopping center Southeast Asia and an important port of the South China Sea, and now it is city open air museum, in which old buildings have been preserved almost intact, 844 of them are of historical value. Since 1999, Hoi An has been included in the list world heritage UNESCO. Hoi an - sample trading city South-East Asia 16th - 17th centuries, a city frozen in centuries 🙂
On the streets of Hoi An. There are no people, because very hot 🙂 I walk around the city, you can say alone Hoi An is also a city of colorful lanterns that romantically decorate houses, cafes, restaurants, shops, trees and city streets 🙂
The streets are decorated with lanterns 
And numerous cafes 
Huge variety of lanterns in Hoi An city Soon I will definitely write an article with all the useful information about the city of Hoi An: how to get there, where to live, how to get around, where to eat and how much it all costs, but for now let's just we walk around the old town.
One of the temples in Hoi An The city of Hoi An is so extraordinary that you can walk around it endlessly. We lived in the old town for four days and every day I enjoyed leisurely walks through the sights of Hoi An.
Slow walks through the old streets The city of Hoi An is quite small, and the old part of Hoi An can generally be walked around in a couple of hours, but it’s very pleasant to walk here, even despite the May heat of +40 🙂 It’s the same as in Lviv, I can come countless times: it’s like you already know every house, every coffee shop, every pub, but still you come and every time you enjoy the atmosphere, a leisurely walk and delicious food.
Cost of visiting Hoi An attractions
Before you start walking around the old town of Hoi An, you need to buy tickets for visiting attractions: some ancient houses, temples, assembly halls, communities, workshops, etc. In total, there are twenty-two paid attractions in the old city.
Tickets are sold here in these booths and in the information center. There are several around the old city.
Tickets are required to visit some attractions in Hoain A set of tickets to visit any 5 attractions is worth 120,000 VND (~$6). At the visit, one ticket is cut off.
The ticket entitles you to visit 5 of the 22 paid attractions in the old city Be sure to take a map-scheme of the old city there. You won’t get lost in the city, but with a map it will at least be more or less clear which house is a museum, and which is just a shop or gallery 🙂
Scheme map of the sights of the old city 
Walking around Hoi An, you often think: is it a museum, a temple, an apartment building or a shop? 🙂 
But it turns out that in the house behind a beautiful arch there is an art gallery I just noticed that the tickets say that ticket is valid 24 hours. But there is no date on the ticket itself, and I used the ticket all three days 🙂 We got excited at first and bought a ticket for 5 attractions for each. As a result, Lesha refused to walk with me in the 40-degree heat and sat out during the day in a hotel room, so I got all 10 tickets! But I must say that I have 3 tickets out of 10 left, i.e. I visited only 7 paid attractions in Hoi An 🙂
Sights of Hoi An The fact is that all the houses and temples in the old city are very similar. If you, like me, are not particularly versed in architecture, then of course there is no point in visiting all 22 paid attractions in Hoi An. It's better to just walk around the city, or even better - sit in a cafe and drink cold coffee or beer and watch the tourists 🙂 But let's not get ahead of ourselves, I'll tell you about delicious food and drink in the next article.
How nice it is to sit in such cute, cozy and romantic cafes, slowly drink coffee-beer-cocktail and watch passers-by japanese bridge
Wherever you live, but walking through the old part of the city, you will definitely come to the Japanese bridge. Japanese covered bridge - a symbol of Hoi An, it is even depicted on the coat of arms of the city.
Japanese Bridge - the symbol of Hoi An 
The Japanese bridge is depicted on the coat of arms of the city The Japanese Bridge was built by the Japanese living in Hoi An in 1593 to connect two shopping districts: Japanese and Chinese. The Japanese bridge is not a bridge over the Thubon River, but over a small stream.
The Japanese bridge connected two shopping districts: Japanese and Chinese The Vietnamese are big fans of all sorts of legends and, of course, a legend is associated with the symbol of Hoi An - the Japanese Bridge. This is a legend about a terrible huge monster that once lived in this world. The monster was so huge that its head was in India, its tail in Japan, and its body in Vietnam. When this monster began to move, all sorts of cataclysms occurred in Vietnam: hurricanes, typhoons, earthquakes. The people decided to destroy this monster by building a bridge in its weakest point. Now there is an altar for prayers on the bridge.
Japanese bridge in the evening Passage on the Japanese bridge is paid (one of the tickets is torn off). But don't worry, you can get to another part of the old town of Hoi An on a small bridge nearby 🙂 Otherwise, at first I thought that every time I walked back and forth I would have to pay for the entrance 🙂
Paid passage on the old bridge 
But there is a small bridge nearby, where you can walk from one block to another for free 🙂 Quan Kong Temple
Hoi An's oldest active temple quan cong temple) was built by the Chinese in 1653. The temple is quite small, I'm not even sure if it's worth spending a ticket on it.
quan kong temple 
Inside Quan Kong Temple This one is located ancient temple opposite the central market, next to the building Minh Huong Communal house(1820). Minh Huong's house served as a community house where community representatives gathered for meetings. By the way, representatives of the Minh Huong community still live in Hoi An.
Hoi An Central Market with tourist fruit prices 
Inside the meeting house 
Temple at Minh Huong Meeting House Museum of History and Culture of Hoi An
But in a small Museum of History and Culture of Hoi An I advise you to take a look. The museum was opened in 1989 in an old religious building. The museum stores ancient items, ceramic utensils, tools and other household items found during excavations. It turns out that the city of Hoi An is very, very old, he over 2000 years! Since the 2nd century, Hoi An has been the center and major port city of the Cham civilization, and merchants from different regions came here.
Museum of History and Culture of Hoi An 
To Hoi An Museum of History and Culture In the 15th century, Hoi An was chosen by the Chinese and Japanese, and the corresponding districts were formed in the city. The Chinese built houses and temples in their style, which can still be seen in the city today.
Chinese style houses Phuc Kien Assembly Hall
the most beautiful Phuc Kien meeting room built in Chinese style in 1757. It was intended to meet the Chinese living in Hoi An. A temple was built here in honor of the sea goddess Thien Hau.
Phuc Kien Assembly Hall 
Inside the Phuc Kien Assembly Hall 
In the temple in honor of the dark goddess Thien Hau 
Ship in the temple and pendants with wishes 
Temple interior. Very interesting paintings on the walls 
On the territory of the Chinese temple. I liked the vase 🙂 Phuc Kien Assembly Hall. Video
Cantonese Assembly Hall (Quang Trieu Assembly Hall)
Meeting House of the Cantonese Community located right next to the Japanese bridge. Very beautiful house in Chinese style, built in 1887. The interior of the temple, paintings, very well-groomed territory is impressive. There is a nice fountain with dragons in front of the entrance to the temple. Of all the paid attractions in Hoi An, Quang Trieu Assembly Hall is a must see!
Quang Trieu Assembly Hall 
At the entrance to the temple you are greeted by cute dragons 
Chinese paintings in the temple Streets of the old city
Houses in the old town of Hoi An are built in Chinese style. Basically, these are two-story houses, on the ground floor of which there is a shop or a cafe, and the second floor is reserved for living quarters.
Lovely romantic city of Hoi An Hoi An houses are painted bright yellow, and sometimes there are nice combinations of yellow and blue 🙂 Beautiful… 🙂
Hoi An's old town painted in joyful yellow 
Yellow and blue houses of the old town of Hoi An 
A beautiful combination of colors. This building houses a travel agency. Thubon river embankment
One of the most pleasant places to walk around Hoi An is the Thu Bon riverfront. It is especially pleasant to stroll here in the pre-sunset hours, when the coolness descends on the city, merchants lay out their products for sale, souvenir shops and shops open, cozy cafes invite you for a cup of coffee or an aperitif. In many restaurants from 5 to 7 pm "happy hours" - when you order one cocktail, you get the second one for free.
Promenade in Hoi An city during the day 
Evening walks around the city along the embankment 
One of my favorite cities in Vietnam is Hoi An. Thubon river embankment It starts to get dark, numerous lanterns light up, the city changes and becomes even more romantic.
It's getting dark... multi-colored lanterns are lit... tourists are occupying best places in cafes and restaurants 
Evening Hoi An. Huge red lotuses are illuminated on the river, tourists light candles in cardboard flowers along the river (for luck!) 
Evening on the streets of Hoi An Old town of Hoi an. Video
Walk with us through the streets of the old town of Hoi An, enjoy the atmosphere of this romantic city. Watch the video:
Did you enjoy walking around the sights of Hoi An? If you are planning your vacation in Vietnam, I advise you to definitely visit this romantic city of Hoi An, a city frozen in time. And next to Hoain there is a magnificent uncrowded beach, which I will talk about in the next article, so subscribe to blog updates so as not to get lost on the Internet 🙂
Hotel in Hoi An I advise book in advance. You can choose and book a hotel in Hoi An, and choose inexpensive option flight - .
If you are still thinking about whether to go to Vietnam, then I advise you to also read 🙂 :
Cheap tickets to Vietnam can be found using calendar low prices . Click on the month you need, select the appropriate dates and cost, and go to the flight booking site.
Which conquered us once and for all. It is an unforgettable combination of an old Chinese trading town with magnificent beaches. " calling card» cities are Japanese silk lanterns, which are literally at every step: from your hotel to numerous shops in the old quarter of the city.
We spent 2 days in Hoi An and would love to stay longer, because the atmosphere of this ancient Chinese town where time has stopped is unique.
It is not for nothing that Hoi An is called an open-air museum city: the atmosphere of an old merchant city is still preserved in the old center, the facades of houses have not changed for many centuries, and since 1999 the city has been protected as a UNESCO heritage. Just think: there are 844 buildings in Hoi An that are officially recognized as historically significant! Despite the fact that Hoi An itself is quite small, you can get around it all in a few hours.
Another feature of Hoi An is that there are no Russian-speaking tourists here at all: in two days of continuous walking around the city, we only heard Russian speech twice in local famous sights and never on the streets or in cafes.
By the way, about Hoi An cafe. They are so authentic that you want to sit in each of them:
Restaurants on the river bank do not turn on electricity in the evenings, and guests sit in romantic twilight, illuminated by the dancing flame of candles or kerosene:
All cafes here are very cute and creative at the same time. For example, wax is not removed from candles in this, thereby showing how long it has existed (or the connection of times, who will understand how):
People in Hoi An are kind, friendly and cultured. Every resident, apart from South Vietnam.
Hoi An in person:
The most famous landmark and unspoken symbol of the city-museum is the Japanese Bridge, built in 1593.
Japanese bridge during the day
…and at night
At that time it was of great strategic importance: it connected the quarters of Japanese and Chinese merchants living in the city. In addition to the communicative function, the bridge also served as a dwelling: it contained the apartments of the Japanese community. Of course, it would be a stretch to call them apartments; rather, they were tiny dorm rooms.
Inside the Japanese Bridge is quite a home
View from the Japanese bridge to the river
Old photos of the Japanese Bridge in Hoi An
One side of the bridge is adorned with a sculpture of a dog, and the other with a monkey. They symbolize the years in which the construction of this structure began and ended.
The bridge also has a beautiful legend, according to which the dragon Ku lived on earth a long time ago. He was so huge that his head was in India, and his tail was in the Land of the Rising Sun. His body was in Vietnam, which suffered from the strongest earthquakes caused by the movements of the dragon. People figured out the most vulnerable spot of the dragon's body, and it turned out that it is exactly where the famous bridge is now located. Having built this structure, people defeated the dragon, and the earthquakes in Vietnam stopped. And in order to pray for the soul of the killed monster, people built a temple next to the bridge.
In addition to the bridge, Hoi An has many attractions: temples, pagodas and numerous assembly halls of the city's residents. All of them are marked on the map, which is issued free of charge at the information points of the city. You can also buy tickets for attractions there. Unusually, tickets are sold in bulk, at least per person you can buy a ticket for 5 visiting objects (any), which will cost 120 thousand dong ($ 5.5). In the same information kiosk, sellers will mark the most interesting sights for you.
In addition to the Japanese Bridge (a ticket is required during the day), we visited 4 other attractions that the aunt from the news agency marked as must-sees: several temples and assembly halls,
as well as the most famous house in the city, which is still inhabited by the descendants of the ancient merchants of Hoi An.
The most famous house-museum in Hoi An, everything here is old, including furniture
In this house-museum, everyone can leave their business card, note, or just a photo with a phone. An interesting question: how did so many tourists have extra photos with them?
Severe floods often occur in Hoi An, and this house-museum, along with the others, has suffered from them more than once. Marks from the most devastating floods are visible on the wall:
Here you can also see photos of these floods, a photo of a woman saving a puppy in a basin, a very famous one:
The sights of Hoi An include a walk on local big-eyed boats along the Thu Bon River:
Lanterns in Hoi An
Hoi An is truly a city of lanterns. Mostly these are Japanese traditional silk lanterns of all colors and sizes. They are sold in every souvenir shop, every street is decorated with them, and numerous workshops on their production are held on the embankment.
At night, all these lanterns are lit and the city turns into a fairy tale:
In addition, in Hoi An there is a tradition of launching paper lanterns with candles in the evening, during these hours the river also becomes fabulous:
Video of paper lanterns floating down the river:
We specifically chose the time to visit Hoi An on the eve of Catholic Christmas. These days the city was especially, simply magically beautiful:
hoi an lantern tree
Even on the bank of the river on Christmas Eve, we met such a Catholic rooster:
Beach in Hoi An
Unexpectedly for us, in Hoi An there was a magnificent beach with clean sand and no waves in winter (important, since there are huge and dangerous waves in Nha Trang from to on the beach).
The contingent on the beach is also predominantly English-speaking, not a single Russian person was seen.
On the way to the beach there are picturesque views:
Shopping in Hoi An
Hoi An is a city of numerous artisans and simply creative people.
Every house has a workshop
Any clothes, leather shoes and bags are sewn to order here. They draw pictures and make a variety of handmade souvenirs. Judging by the reviews, you can sew a custom-made suit here for $ 100-150.
We bought only a T-shirt with a cycle rickshaw))
Souvenir shops in Hoi An are also pleasing:
Mega-creative postcards about the life of the Vietnamese
Bicycles and motorbikes
Not in Hoi An public transport, but the city is very small, so everywhere you can walk or bike. Bicycles are the most popular means of transport in Hoi An, as it is not always possible to get to the old center on bikes, but bicycles are allowed.
In principle, if you do not like to pedal, you can rent a bike in any hotel or just at an agency on the street for $ 5 per day. If the passage to the center is closed for bikes, you can leave it nearby in the parking lot and walk around the center on foot. A bike will be useful for trips to the beach, as it is about 5 km from the city center to the sea.
Hotels in Hoi An
There are many hotels and guesthouses in Hoan for every taste, color and budget. Of course, accommodation in the old center will be more expensive, for example, here is a good option:
We ourselves lived a few kilometers from the old center, such a distance did not bother: we managed to walk to the center even with a 6-year-old child in 30 minutes. Moreover, almost all hotels in Hoi An offer free bikes (or, in extreme cases, bikes for rent for $ 1). You can also rent a bike for $ 5 (we did this, because it’s hard to ride a bike with Vanya on the trunk).
We can safely recommend an excellent guest house in which we lived ourselves for living in Hoi An. This is Yellow House Homestay for $15 per night. This price includes a hearty delicious breakfast and free bikes.
Another good and very budget Homestay (from $10 per night) not far from historical center Hoi An:
Choose and book a hotel in Hoi An with the best discounts from Booking:How to get to Hoi An
From Nha Trang we decided to go to Hoi An on a night slipbus. Travel time is about 12 hours. The cost of a ticket for the Nha Trang-Hoi An slipbus is 220,000 dong ($ 10).
Our sleepbus from Nha Trang to Hue (via Hoi An and Da Nang)
Inside the bass
You can get to and , but it goes to , from there you would still have to take a bus to reverse side(about 25 km). You can also fly by plane from any city in Vietnam and not only (the airport in Da Nang is international) and take a bus or taxi to Hoi An (only about half an hour).
Hoi An on the map of Vietnam:
Let's face it - Hoi An with its restored old houses, hundreds of shops and temples - interesting place! Now a UNESCO-protected, once the main Vietnamese trading center for silk, porcelain, pepper, cinnamon and medicinal plants, Hoi An is a wonderful and unusual city. And here are the sights you can find here:
Hoi An old town
The traces of Hoi An's thriving 16th and 17th century southeast Asian trading port are today concentrated in the Old City, an open-air museum where the architecture is a unique mixture of East and West. The area's architectural heritage includes Chinese temples, a Japanese bridge, pagodas, wooden houses, French colonial houses and old canals. Although large-scale trading activity has long moved to another place, this part is still of great interest.
Two facts about Hoi An Old Town are that it is very small so it can be easily explored on foot and the traffic is quite adequate compared to other more major cities Vietnam. 
Some streets of the Old City are only allowed to be traveled on foot, by bicycle or motorbike, while others are exclusively on foot. These factors make the Old City even more attractive to most travelers, especially those coming from the frenetic Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi.
Many of the buildings in the Old City were built over a hundred years ago and are "very Chinese". Particularly touching are wooden signs with the names of shops and hotels, with gilded Chinese characters - this reflects the fact that quite a lot of Chinese have lived in Hoi An since ancient times. Traditions are still alive in the Old City. 
Even though many of the old shops have been converted into modern tourist boutiques, including countless tailor shops, gift shops, art galleries, restaurants and cafes, they have all been carefully remodeled to retain the spirit of yesteryear.
Hoi An Riverside
Hoi An's riverside (Riverside) is very beautiful, especially at night, as it is lit with strange old-fashioned lanterns, making the area atmospheric and very romantic. 
Of all the east-west streets of the Old City, Riverside is the busiest. The traditional buildings and shops of this alley have welcomed foreign merchants since the city was known as Hai Pho ("seaside town"). Currently, the street welcomes, perhaps, tourists. Seemingly untouched by time, the architecture of Riverside is up to 200 years old and is a perfect mix of Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese and colonial styles. Those who would like to see the oldest buildings should go further inland where they can find, for example, a 15th century pagoda.
My Son Sanctuary (Mỹ Sơn)
Michon is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. This is a great piece of architecture. ancient civilization Champa (or Champa), which once occupied the territory of the middle and southern parts of Vietnam. 
Michon is a complex that was a political center and a royal burial ground. The complex consisted of more than 70 buildings dedicated to Hindu gods and goddesses (for example, Shiva, the patron deity of the kings of Champa). Michon's buildings are made of red brick and sandstone, everything is very skillful and subtle - just a miracle! 
Like many historical places around the world, Michon was destroyed by time and wars and was forgotten for many years until it was remembered and restored by the French in 1898. Unfortunately, one of the last wars caused great damage to the complex - the Americans bombed this area, because they knew that the Viet Cong were hiding there (they, the poor, believed that the enemies would not encroach on the holy places, but no!)
However, most of the central complex has survived, and the destroyed parts have already been restored. 
In general, this sanctuary is reminiscent of other similar places in Southeast Asia, such as Angkor Wat in Cambodia. You should definitely visit Michon and touch the history. The temple complex is open all year round. Best time to visit - early in the morning, until it gets too hot and until people pile up.
Location: in a valley in Duy Tan, Duy Xuyen district, Quang Nam province (about 40 km from Hoi An)
Hoi An Central Market
With a soaring aroma of herbs and spices and the vibrant colors of Vietnamese silk, this market is definitely one of the attractions. The prices here, however, are overpriced, especially in the kiosks closer to the entrance, so make your way deeper into the bazaar to make the most profitable purchase.
The market sells a lot of food: spices, exotic fresh fruits and vegetables, a huge selection of fresh fish. 
The market is famous for its tailors, who can sew a suit for you very quickly, in less than a day. Souvenir shops and shops of local hunters and artisans - all this is also here. The market is open during the day, but it is better to come in the morning. They start trading fish somewhere from 7:00, as the fishermen only bring their catch - the opportunity to buy the freshest fish. Wear closed shoes to the market as the market floor is often damp and sticky, especially if you are visiting the fish section. 
And here, sometimes, it smells just disgusting (especially where they sell meat), but, nevertheless, this is still a sight! Well, yes, be prepared to bargain. The first price named by the trader will certainly be overpriced, moreover, specifically. Do we need it? We trade until we lose our pulse, otherwise we will leave all the money there!
Location: on Nguyen Hue and Tran Phu streets, on the banks of the Thu Bon river
Museum of History and Culture of Hoi An (Hoi An Museum of History & Culture)
Most of the museum's objects date back to the 16th and 18th centuries, although the exhibits represent historical and cultural events before and after those turbulent trading years. The museum has a collection of ceramics and historical photographs and drawings, a number of Cham artifacts, including bronze temple bells and gongs. 
The museum is located in the picturesque Quan Am Pagoda, one of the oldest in Vietnam (it was built in 1653). All in all, the museum's relics cover 2,000 years of Hoi An's history. 
The museum also offers interesting information heritage of this region, including here you will learn more about traditional burial rites (and look at very old tombs). Some of the exhibits have explanations in English, but are not very detailed, so it would be wise to bring your own guidebook.
Opening hours: 8:00 - 17:00
Location: 7 Nguyen Hue
I will continue my favorite part of "Vietnam Travel". Now we went to explore the center of the country and the first city was Hoi an(Hoi An, Hoi An). This is a small town on the coast of the South China Sea, just 25-30 km from Da Nang. Today you will learn how to get to Chojn, what to see, where to go and where to live. Read on, it will be interesting and again a lot of photos.
A little history of the city. In the 16th and 17th centuries, Hoi An was of great importance as an international trading center. At that time it was called Faifo. Now only the taxi service of the same name reminds of the old name of the city. Later, the center of trade moved to Da Nang, but in the heart of Hoi An - the Old Town, the spirit of the old trading city was preserved. In those days, many ships called at the port of Chojna, large quantity which was from Japan, China, Holland and India.
Some merchants stayed in Hoi An for up to six months, opened shops here, where they traded all kinds of goods. I would like to add that little has changed in the city since the 16-17th century, some sights have survived to this day.
Hoi An is called an open-air museum city, it is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are more than 800 historical buildings in the Old Town area. You can walk endlessly along the streets of the city! Correctly noted in one of the comments in my Instagram: "Hoi An is a city for girls :-)". This, of course, does not mean that men have nothing to do here. It's just that girls are more impressionable to such small, cozy, romantic and insanely soulful cities. I'm not an exception:-). Walking around the city, I could not breathe in the atmosphere, I wanted to walk in silence and “listen” at home, imagining how everything was a couple of centuries ago. The presence of free Wi-Fi throughout the Old Town indicates modernity here :-).
What to see in Hoi An?
Since the whole city is a tourist attraction, it is difficult to single out any individual attractions in Hoi An. The greatest concentration of attractions is concentrated in the Old Town area. Since Hoi An is a small town, one day is enough to get to know it, but I know firsthand that people stay here longer.
Here you can try lotus tea
You can just walk the streets of the Old Town (Old Town), or you can buy a ticket for 120,000 dong ($ 5.5) and go into some houses. In total, there are 22 most famous and popular places to visit in the Old Town (according to the bulletin). With a ticket you can visit only 5 of them. Detailed information you will receive at the point of purchase of tickets, and together with the ticket you will also receive a map with an indication and a brief description of the attractions.
Cash register
Little trick: after 19-00 entrance to the sights is free and you can visit them without buying a ticket. For example, for entering the Japanese bridge, one ticket will be torn off, and after 7 the entrance is free for everyone. We also noticed that during the day you can also walk around some houses freely during the lunch break, but I won’t say the exact time. Now I’ll tell you a little about some of the sights of the Old City:
Covered Japanese bridge is not only a landmark, but also a symbol of the city. It is he who is depicted on many postcards, magazines, notebooks. The Japanese bridge was built in 1593 and has been preserved in excellent condition to this day. It was built by craftsmen from the Japanese community of Hoi An in order to connect the Japanese quarter with the Chinese.
The bridge is especially beautiful in the evening when it is illuminated in different colors.
This favorite place for newlyweds and couples. Many come to Hoi An specifically for photo shoots.
Old houses of Tang Kee, Kun Tang, Fung Hung and many others. These are mostly private houses, whose families have been living in them for more than one generation. The sizes of such houses are small, but the owners are happy to talk about every detail of the house. You can get here on a general ticket. To visit some houses, tickets are not needed and we could easily walk there looking at the details of the houses.
There are also many temples and pagodas. Some will require a ticket to visit, but no one will forbid you to take photos of the territory.
Museum of Ceramics, Museum of History and Culture of Hoi An, Folklore Museum Thanks to these museums, you can get even closer to the culture of the city.
Wooden figurines are a great gift from Vietnam
In fact, there are many more interesting and fascinating things in the Old Town. Explore and find what inspires you. This city will definitely not leave you indifferent.
Maybe a cup of coffee?
In addition to everything, I would like to single out a large number of sewing workshops. Many tourists come here to sew suits, dresses, blouses, skirts from natural silk, linen or cotton. If the model is simple, then the work can be done in a couple of hours.
Men's suits are sewn in a day, and their cost will be from $80.
There are also many in the city shoe shops, where you can buy ready-made shoes or, again, make them to order. The cost of leather shoes starts from $ 20. I think that this is very good price for a pair of quality shoes.
Skin, lots of skin!
Oh, how much jewelry stores: one is better than the other. I could not resist and left them with new jewelry. It's not for nothing that my mother says that I am a magpie-crow
One of the shops in Hoi An will offer you a bamboo bike or a bag.
Hoi An Cuisine- This is a completely separate conversation. In numerous cafes and restaurants that light their lights for visitors in the evenings, you can taste incredible culinary delights. After all, Hoi An is a city of artists and craftsmen. And the chefs here are also artists. A unique feature of Hoi An restaurants is the cooking classes or cooking classes. You can learn how to cook the most popular Vietnamese dishes. The cost of such courses starts from $ 15 per person. You just need to ask if there are courses in the cafe and the job is almost done!
I would like to show you art galleries Hoi an. They liked me very much. My hands itched to buy one of the works, but Gleb stopped me.
Separately, I want to highlight the photo book of Vietnam. It shows Vietnam in person: from children to the elderly, as well as the nature of the country. I was very impressed with the book. The photos are insanely beautiful and, most importantly, alive. The feeling that the person is looking directly at you. If you see this book anywhere, I highly recommend checking it out.
And before useful information on how to get to Hoi An and where to live, a little evening city.
One of the many souvenir shops
Lanterns are the symbol of Hoi An.
Cozy and quiet cafes on the waterfront
Beautiful illumination of shops in the evening.
How to get to Hoi An?
As always, there are several options: plane, train and bus.
From Da Nang- by bus (2-3 dollars) or by taxi (about 10-12 dollars per car).
From Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi there are direct flights to Da Nang, from where you can take a taxi, bus or rented bike to Hoi An.
From Nha Trang can be reached by bus. A distance of 530 km on a bike will be very difficult to cover, but the bus from Nha Trang leaves at 19-00 and you can be there in the morning. We used the services of the bus company The Sinh Tourist and already at 6 am were on the spot. The nearest railway station is in Da Nang.
Where to stay in Hoi An?
The hotel infrastructure is very well developed: from budget hotels for $10-15/day to luxury villas for $500/day. We chose a beautiful villa just 2 km from the Old Town - Aquarium Villa, where the price included breakfast, free bike rental and a large spacious room with a balcony. By the way, this hotel is close to Thanh Ha pottery village. This is another attraction of the city.
Good prices for hotels and guesthouses in Hoi An are still available on Agoda.com. You can rent an AirBnB apartment. When renting on AirBnB, you can take advantage of my $21 discount on your first booking.
It is better to compare hotels through the HotelsCombined.com service, it checks prices for a dozen booking systems.
I think you have now learned more about the city and will find the opportunity and time to visit it. Follow the news in
Traveling around Vietnam on our own, we spent a couple of days in a very interesting town of Hoi An. This city belongs to the Vietnamese province of Quang Nam. It is located in the central part of Vietnam, not far from a major resort town Danang. Hoi An is located on the coast of the South China Sea, so it is suitable for a beach holiday. But just for the sake of the coast, I would not consider Hoi An. It is interesting in a completely different way - sights and atmosphere!
Hoi An is under the protection of UNESCO. More than 800 objects: temples, communal houses, ancient monuments - are of historical importance. Hoi An is called the "open air museum" for a reason.
Hoi An Vietnam
The main and longest streets of Hoi An are Tran Hung Dao and Tran Fu. The historical part of the city is located next to Hoang Dieu Street, adjacent to the bridge to Kamnam Island, where we chose our hotel. The central streets at certain times during the day and in the evening are blocked for the passage of vehicles, which is very convenient for tourists. This area is transformed into a walking street, along these streets there are shops, restaurants, ateliers, etc.
Hoi An Vietnam
It is best to come to Hoi An between March and June, as at this time it is warm and relatively dry. From September the rainy season begins, there are even small floods. In winter (November-January) it is quite cool here, especially for swimming. We rested in March 2016 - the air temperature was very comfortable, but the sea had not warmed up yet, the water was cool.
Where to stay?
Hoi An is a very small Vietnamese town that is visited daily by tourists from different countries. Therefore, it is necessary to book a hotel in advance. Hotel prices seemed slightly higher than in Hanoi and Da Nang. Most likely it is because of small size city and its excessive popularity among foreign tourists. By the way, for 2 days we did not see the Russians. In Hoi An rest mainly Europeans and Chinese.
As always, we booked the hotel on the website booking.com, based on the location and reviews of tourists. This time our choice fell on a small family hotel - Bonsai Homestay. It is located on Cam Nam Island, which is connected by a bridge to Hoi An City. The big plus of the hotel is its proximity to the historical part of the city. View from the bridge leading to Cam Nam Island.
Hoi An Vietnam
Near the bridge there is a large market where you can buy fruit. The choice of fruits is very large, you need to bargain. You can buy not only fruits on the market. There is a large selection of various spices, souvenirs, etc.
Hoi An: a romantic and cozy city of Vietnam with a rich history
Cam Nam Island is mostly inhabited by locals, so here you can see the daily life of the Vietnamese. Walking along the narrow streets of Cam Nam village, we looked at the gardens and houses of local residents. Banana palms, jackfruit trees, unusual flowers grow in almost every garden. In general, walking around the village is very pleasant and interesting.
Bonsai Homestay has a great location if you come to Hoi An not for a beach holiday, but to see the main sights. Since it is located very far from the beach, you can not walk on foot. We went to the beach by taxi (about 15 minutes by car - 100 dong (5 dollars)). But the hotel is very close to the historical center of Hoi An. Walking tour takes about 10 minutes. You can rent a bicycle at the hotel.
The hotel rooms are identical. We booked three rooms: they were absolutely identical.
Hoi An Vietnam
The room has everything you need, pleased with the very high ceilings and the large size of the bathroom. Room rates at Bonsai Homestay are $27 per night, including breakfast prepared by the owners themselves. For breakfast, you can choose one of several dishes. I advise you to opt for Pho soup (Pho-Bo), it is cooked perfectly in the hotel.
Bonsai Homestay is a small family hotel with a very nice area. The yard is decorated with a huge number of bonsai trees, flowering shrubs, orchids.
Hoi An Vietnam
Hoi An Vietnam
Hoi An Vietnam
In a cozy courtyard it is very pleasant to relax, drink tea and eat fruit. There is a small pool on site, but we didn't see anyone using it. But you can sunbathe on the sun loungers next to the pool.
Hoi An Vietnam
Hoi An has a large selection of hotels of different price categories. If you want to live near the beach, and not near the city center, you can choose the Victoria Hoi An Resort. Of course, it belongs to a different price category. Room rates start at $150 per night. This hotel is located on the first line from the beach, its territory is simply immersed in greenery and flowers.
Hoi An Vietnam
Victoria Hoi An Resort is located on one of Cua Dai's most popular beaches. The hotel has large complex spa, which is visited by tourists from other hotels. This luxurious four-star hotel is suitable for tourists who travel for comfort and tranquility. Passing by this hotel to the beach, we appreciated its beautiful territory.
Near the hotel there are all kinds of unusual bikes that you can rent.
Hoi An Vietnam
Prices in Hoi An
Prices in Hoi An are quite democratic. A hotel room with private facilities and air conditioning will cost $ 25-50, depending on the location and the number of stars. Taxi prices are the same as in Da Nang. On average, a trip around the city will cost 80,000 VND (4-5 dollars). Prices in restaurants seemed a little higher than in Hanoi and Da Nang. Perhaps due to the fact that we chose the most popular restaurants among tourists.
We were pleased with the prices for freshly squeezed juice in roadside shops - 20,000 dong for a glass of juice. The choice of fruits for juice is huge: I advise you to definitely try guanabana juice with avocado and mango and sapodilla juice. We found a great store where we drank fresh juices several times a day. In addition, they bought a lot of interesting gizmos there at reasonable prices. There is a shop on Cam Nam Island, not far from the bridge on the right side of the road. Prices for natural silk scarves, leather goods and all sorts of knick-knacks are much lower here, since the store is located far from the center.
Hoi An is the center of leather goods sales. In stores you can buy a wide variety of goods made of genuine leather: bags, purses, wallets, belts, jackets, etc. These products are made right here in numerous workshops. Even in the stores themselves, you can see how somewhere in the corner the master sews another bag. So you can buy a handmade bag or wallet in Hoi An at every step and at very affordable prices. Also in Hoi An, leather shoes are sewn: shoes, sandals, sandals, etc. We, of course, could not resist and bought a few leather items.
I have never seen so many ateliers as in Hoi An. Here on every street you can find several ateliers with a huge selection of fabrics. Masters promise to sew a variety of outfits in a day. You can choose a model from the catalog, or come up with your own outfit. Such a pleasure will cost 20 - 150 dollars, depending on the model and the chosen fabric.
Hoi An Vietnam
As in any tourist destination, Hoi An has a huge selection of a wide variety of souvenirs: useful gizmos for the home, beautiful jewelry, all kinds of accessories, kitchen utensils and just bright goods without any meaning.
Hoi An Vietnam
Hoi An Vietnam
It is better to buy coffee in other cities of Vietnam, here it is much more expensive. There are many departments in Hoi An with a variety of teas: green, black, pu-erh, mostly quite expensive brands. In the store you can taste tea, brew it in front of you according to all the rules.
Hoi An Vietnam
Hoi An Vietnam
Hoi An Restaurants
Hoi An is becoming more and more popular with tourists from all over the world every year. Therefore, here you can find dishes for every taste: both Vietnamese cuisine and European. A lot of restaurants located in the historical part of the city will not leave even the pickiest eaters hungry.
There are really a lot of restaurants. We were in Hoi An for only two days, so we only visited four restaurants.
One of them was next to the beach. Not the best option, so I will not advise. It is better to choose a restaurant in the central part of the city and pay attention to the number of visitors.
I really liked the Nhahang.bar restaurant.
Hoi An Vietnam
We noticed that it is very popular with tourists. And, as it turned out, not in vain. The atmosphere in the restaurant is very cozy: unusual paintings hang on the walls, there is a bar counter and billiards.
Hoi An Vietnam
The only downside was that we waited about half an hour for the food. Apparently the restaurant was full. It is interesting that the dishes are lowered on a special “elevator”, since the kitchen is located on the second floor. The dishes are beautifully presented, the portions are large enough, everything is fresh and tasty. Prices in the restaurant are average, for a European menu they can be called low.
Hoi An Vietnam
All cafes in the central part of Hoi An are so cozy, unusual and authentic that I wanted to go into each of them.
Attractions Hoi An
Hoi An city itself is one big attraction in Vietnam. It is a small old town where you can find interesting architectural monuments, ancient communal houses, museums and temples at every step. Of course, in general, the city looks very dilapidated, but this is its charm. Looking at these yellow-painted low-rise houses, ancient buildings and bridges, it is as if you find yourself in another era.
Hoi An Vietnam
In the 4th century AD, Hoi An was the largest port city in Southeast Asia, it was part of the state of Champa. 60 kilometers from the city of Hoi An, the buildings of this ancient people Champov - Hindu temple complex My Son.
Hoi An served as an important port and trade center for many years in Vietnam, where Portuguese, Japanese, Chinese, Dutch and other merchant ships sailed. At that time, this port was known to foreign merchants under the name Fifo. Foreign merchants sailed to Hoi An for textiles High Quality, medicinal herbs and infusions, porcelain and lacquer products, lead and other metals, wax, etc.
Archaeologists have found fragments of ceramics on the territory of Hoi An, which were made more than 2200 years ago. They are evidence of such a long development of these lands by people. Historians believe that these finds belong to the ancient Sahuyin civilization of the late Iron Age.
The old city stretches along the Thu Bon River, where you can see a large number of small boats. Tourists are offered to ride along the river on one of the boats, there are several restaurant boats. The embankment is very well maintained, the old buildings, painted in bright yellow, give it a unique atmosphere. On both sides of the river there are nice restaurants where you can drink freshly squeezed juice or a cocktail and take a break from the heat of the day.
Hoi An Vietnam
The two banks are connected by an unusual bridge, which in appearance fits perfectly into the overall picture of Hoi An.
Hoi An Vietnam
To see the main attractions, you need to purchase entry tickets. There is a certain system here: buying one ticket, you can go to 5 places to choose from: these can be community houses, museums, temples, etc. The first time we walked around the city center in the evening and did not find information centers where you can buy tickets. Probably because they were tired and did not want to go anywhere.
At the entrance to community houses and temples, you will not be able to purchase tickets, you must definitely go to special information centers. Even the passage on the ancient Japanese bridge is paid. But in the evening, for some reason, no one asked us for tickets, and we walked along the bridge without them.
The next day, we still found an information booth, where we bought tickets. The cost of a ticket for 5 visits is 120,000 VND (5-6 dollars). They also give out a map where all the sights of the city are marked.
Hoi An Vietnam
Hoi An Vietnam
One of the main attractions is the Phuc Kien Assembly Hall, built
as early as 1679. It represents the halls and pagodas, which were intended for meetings of representatives of the Chinese community.
Hoi An Vietnam
Here is the temple of Thien Hau - the goddess of the seas and oceans, who patronizes sailors. The entrance to the temple is decorated with Chinese lanterns. Naturally, since Hoi An was an important port city, Thien Hau temple is very revered among the locals. In the temple, those who wish can make a wish, write it down on a piece of paper and leave it in the “card file of desires”. The monks at a certain time select several cards at random and pray for the fulfillment of these desires.
The Chinese temple Quan Kong Temple is located in the center of the historical part of the city near the Japanese bridge.
Hoi An Vietnam
Hoi An Vietnam
The temple is very bright with a beautiful authentic facade and a cozy green courtyard. Inside the temple is big statue Taoist god of war - Guan Gong. On the walls of the temple, you can see tablets with the names of the Chinese who provided material assistance in the construction and reconstruction of the temple. Quan Kong Temple is visited by both tourists and pilgrims who perform their religious rituals here.
There are a lot of Chinese temples and community houses in Hoi An, this is due to its history. Chinese communities still reside in Hoi An.
Hoi An Vietnam
Hoi An Vietnam
Of course, we did not pass by the famous Hoi An landmark - the Japanese bridge.
Hoi An Vietnam
The first bridge on this site was built in the 16th century by the Japanese community of Hoi An. The bridge connected the Japanese part of Hoi An with Chinatowns, which were located on the other side of the river. Later in the 19th and 20th centuries, the bridge was reconstructed. But its original original form has been preserved.
The bridge is guarded by sculptures of a dog and a monkey. There is a legend associated with the Japanese bridge. According to ancient legend, once upon a time there lived a dragon called Ku. Its dimensions were so huge that the tail was in China, the head was in India, and the body was in Vietnam. And this dragon brought only misfortunes: earthquakes and devastation. The Vietnamese recognized the place where the dragon's body is most vulnerable and built the famous bridge on this site. After that, the dragon was defeated and the earthquakes stopped.
The first time we came to the bridge late in the evening. It was almost completely unlit. Despite this, the bridge was crowded with tourists. We also took a walk, this time no one asked for tickets, although the entrance to the bridge requires a ticket.
Hoi An Vietnam
The fact that it's so popular tourist town, like Hoi An, was not illuminated in the evening, we were very surprised. The time was around 8 pm. Near the bridge on the river we saw a large crowd of people. They launched flower and paper boats with lit candles along the river. It was very beautiful and romantic.
Hoi An Vietnam
As it turned out, at this time, as part of the global action "Earth Hour" on March 19 from 20:30 to 21:30 local time, everyone turns off the lights and electrical appliances. All enterprises, shops, cafes participate in this action. Local residents turn off the lights in their homes. At this time, Hoi An was surprisingly quiet and beautiful. Light fell from a huge number of lit candles, torches, fuel lamps. After 21:30 local time, the city turned on the backlight: hundreds of Chinese lanterns and lamps.
Hoi An Vietnam
Hoi An Vietnam
We read that such evenings with paper boats, candles and torches (without electricity) are held in Hoi An not only as part of a worldwide action, but every month on a certain day.
The tradition of decorating the city with Chinese lanterns of various sizes, shapes and colors has been going on for several hundred years. By the way, such lanterns can be purchased as a souvenir home.
In Hoi An, you can even visit special workshops for making such lanterns with your own hands.
Tourists, arriving in Hoi An, usually visit not only city sights, but also country ones, located in the immediate vicinity of Hoi An - Marble Caves and My Son ruins. The latter are located 60 kilometers from the city. This is what's left of the ancient temple complex the Champa people. Currently, only a small number of temples and other religious buildings have survived: most of the buildings were destroyed during the wars.
Due to limited time, we did not have time to visit the ruins of Michon, as the tour takes half a day. Picked up by bus in the morning, and brought back in the afternoon. The cost of an excursion to the ruins of Michon starts from 200,000 VND per person ($10). You can go there on your own by bike. The entrance fee to the temple complex is 100,000 VND ($5). The complex is open for visiting from 6:30 to 16:30.
The Marble Mountains are located between Da Nang and Hoi An. The most convenient and cheapest way to visit the Marble Mountains is on the way from one city to another. So we did, but I will talk about this in the next article.
Hoi an beaches
Our beach holiday in Hoi An can not be called successful. We, unfortunately, were absolutely not prepared and did not know which beach to go to in this city. We only owned general information that there are bathable beaches in Hoi An, and they are quite good. At the hotel, we called a taxi, told the taxi driver to take us to the nearest beach. We drove for about 10 minutes, after which he stopped next to a coastal cafe, where we had lunch. By the way, it was absolutely tasteless. But the mood was not spoiled by this. The weather and the beach itself were not conducive to swimming at all: a strong wind was blowing, there were waves, even fortifications were built from bags near the shore.
Hoi An Vietnam
Hoi An Vietnam
The next day we arrived at this beach early in the morning, it was completely deserted, there was no wind and waves. The water temperature, of course, is much lower than in Nha Trang, but nevertheless quite suitable for swimming. Taxi drivers are constantly on duty near this beach, so we easily got back to the hotel.
As we learned later, there are much more attractive places for swimming in Hoi An. You just had to go not to the right side of the Victoria Hoi An Resort, but take a taxi to the left side. There and developed infrastructure, and a wide sandy strip, and restaurants. In general, everything you need for a comfortable time at sea. So, there is a reason to return to Hoi An again!
Hoi An Transport
The easiest way to get around the city is, of course, by taxi. We took a taxi to the beach, called a seven-seat car to the reception. The cost of a trip from the historical part of the city to the beach is about 70,000 VND ($3). We also got back by taxi, several cars are always on duty near the beach.
If you are a confident driver of a bike or bicycle, you can easily rent them here. You can rent a bike even without a license, the cost is 5-6 dollars per day. Bicycles can be rented at almost every hotel. We noticed that a lot of tourists move around the city on bicycles. But the traffic is quite busy, so we did not dare to sit behind the wheel of a bicycle and ride in the stream of bikes and cars.
In the historical part of the city, tourists move on foot. To get around the most interesting streets, you need to spend at least two to three hours. Traffic on the main streets is limited, especially in the evening. Therefore, you can safely walk along the streets and go to your favorite shops.
Hoi An Vietnam
How to get to Hoi An from Nha Trang, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City
Slipbuses (these are night buses with sleepers typical of Asia) in the direction of Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi call in Hoi An every day. In the direction of Ho Chi Minh City, the bus leaves around 18:00. Tickets must be purchased in advance. We stayed in Hoi An for 2 days, after which we went to Nha Trang on a slipbus. We got seats on an extra bus, half of which were broken. The bus drove very slowly and stopped every few hours: every time something was repaired. Other sleepbuses overtook us with a breeze!
Summing up our stay in Hoi An, I would like to note that this is one of the most comfortable cities we have visited in Vietnam.
Three or four days is enough to explore the city. During this time, you can visit all the sights, plunge into the atmosphere ancient city, enjoy the cuisine, sunbathe on the beach. Usually tourists do not stay here for a long time, as the town is very small. We had only two days in Hoi An, but we spent this time very interesting and eventful.