This graceful old trading post will enchant and bewitch you! Hoi An is a very charismatic little town, and one of our clients' favourites in Vietnam - stay too long and you will find it very hard to leave...
The Ancient Quarter of Hoi An is an UNESCO World Heritage site that has been amazingly well preserved through the ages, to still be enjoyed today. Hoi An is best experienced on foot, wandering slowly through its small cobblestoned streets that now house art shops, galleries and curio shops. A short drive away is an amazingly quiet beach, where you can relax in warm, turquoise waters lapping the shore. It makes a wonderful location for a holiday or a Vietnam honeymoon.The Ancient Town of Hoi An is like a living museum, still in use today and proudly a World Heritage Site. There are truly some amazing treasures to see within the small cobblestone centre. The most famous is the 400-year-old Japanese covered bridge, built by Japanese traders who were living in Hoi An at the time. The preserved buildings are still in use today as museums, houses, galleries or shops; the stoney streets are free from cars, so you can walk around in peace and at your leisure.
My Son is another UNESCO World Heritage site, best visited in the early morning to avoid the heat and to make use of the perfect light for taking photographs. The ruins were built by the Champas civilisation who ruled this area of Vietnam for 15 or so centuries until the Ngyuen Dynasty came to power in Hue. Similar to the sites in Bali and Cambodia, they are predominantly Hindu in influence and dedicated to Lord Vishnu. If you cannot make it here, then there is a small but excellent museum just outside DaNang to which we can arrange a visit for you to see some of the statues and learn more about the history of the Champas.There are many Cooking Schools in Hoi An, which is renowned for its well deserved and excellent cuisine. So Hoi An is the perfect spot to learn how to cook a few dishes of this wonderful cuisine. There are some good schools and some not so good, but we have found RedBridge Cooking School to be one of the best. It is, however, very popular so pre-booking is advised. All the schools follow the same formula in which you are introduced to the local Vietnamese ingredients by the chefs, who then give detailed explanations on how best to use everything that you find in the local market. Back at school, you learn to cook a few dishes and sample them at the end of the class. The schools are in small groups and are very informal and always good fun.
There are many villages to visit in the countryside around Hoi An, and the best way of doing this is to hire a bicycle and ride off into the surrounding rural villages to experience a small slice of Vietnamese village life. The local farmers are very friendly although they won’t be able to speak a word of English, but sign language will get you through and from experience it’s a fun trip.
My Son is another UNESCO World Heritage site, best visited in the early morning to avoid the heat and to make use of the perfect light for taking photographs. The ruins were built by the Champas civilisation who ruled this area of Vietnam for 15 or so centuries until the Ngyuen Dynasty came to power in Hue. Similar to the sites in Bali and Cambodia, they are predominantly Hindu in influence and dedicated to Lord Vishnu. If you cannot make it here, then there is a small but excellent museum just outside DaNang to which we can arrange a visit for you to see some of the statues and learn more about the history of the Champas.There are many Cooking Schools in Hoi An, which is renowned for its well deserved and excellent cuisine. So Hoi An is the perfect spot to learn how to cook a few dishes of this wonderful cuisine. There are some good schools and some not so good, but we have found RedBridge Cooking School to be one of the best. It is, however, very popular so pre-booking is advised. All the schools follow the same formula in which you are introduced to the local Vietnamese ingredients by the chefs, who then give detailed explanations on how best to use everything that you find in the local market. Back at school, you learn to cook a few dishes and sample them at the end of the class. The schools are in small groups and are very informal and always good fun.
There are many villages to visit in the countryside around Hoi An, and the best way of doing this is to hire a bicycle and ride off into the surrounding rural villages to experience a small slice of Vietnamese village life. The local farmers are very friendly although they won’t be able to speak a word of English, but sign language will get you through and from experience it’s a fun trip.
