Hoi An is always ranked in the list of attractive places of Vietnam. Not only domestic tourists but also international tourists are very impressed with the peaceful beauty along with the East-West cultural interference of the old town. Coming here, whether long or short, is enough for you to feel its special charm. And all of my self-sufficient Hoi An travel experiences below will help you explore every corner and famous place.
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HOI AN TOURISM EXPERIENCE – CITY OF NAME
It is no coincidence that Hoi An Ancient Town was recognized by UNESCO as a world cultural heritage in 1998. To achieve this noble title, UNESCO evaluated Hoi An based on two criteria as follows:
- Hoi An is an outstanding physical expression of the combination of cultures through the ages in an international trading port.
- Hoi An is a typical example of a traditional Asian port town perfectly preserved.
With all cultural, human and architectural values, Hoi An Ancient Town still retains a rich and diverse intangible culture. Hoi An tourism is trying to develop tourism associated with preserving old values, interweaving more types of tourism and entertainment to refresh Hoi An in the eyes of tourists. The people’s daily life with customs, beliefs, folk art, and cultural festivals is still being preserved and developed.
Not only a World Heritage site, this place is also known as the “city of titles” when it is continuously voted with many titles such as: 2005 Hoi An Saigon Marketing Newspaper voted as the most popular destination. heart. In 2008, National Geographic magazine (USA) ranked this city as one of 110 destinations of historical value in the world. In June 2013, website Trip Advisor voted as the most attractive tourist city in the world. Hoi An is the most unique and attractive tourist destination in Vietnam (according to Wanderlust – UK January 31, 2013).
And there are many other titles such as: top 50 cities to visit once in a lifetime, 10 most romantic destinations for dating, etc. And most recently, in May 2020, Hoi An continued to be in the top 3 cities. The best tourist city in the world. That is why Hoi An is a place that everyone wants to visit even once. For what? To see its full romantic beauty.
PERFECT TIME TO TRAVEL HOI AN
Hoi An from February to April
According to my Hoi An travel experience, this is the time when the weather in the old town is extremely cool and pleasant. The weather is less rainy, dry and not too hot, very suitable for those who need to rest and relax. However, March is probably the most beautiful, because at this time the whole city is surrounded with light sunshine and cool wind. It is really ideal for sightseeing, visiting landmarks and admiring the scenery of this ancient city.
Hoi An from May to July
This time is near the end of the dry season in Hoi An, which is considered the season of sea tourism. Although the temperature can be a bit high, if you intend to visit the old town in combination with traveling to Cu Lao Cham or the beaches, this is a great time. But May – July is also the peak season, so the number of visitors will be very crowded. Families, groups of friends intend to plan ahead and book services in advance.
Hoi An from October to December
At this time, Hoi An is entering the rainy season, making your trip may be interrupted, difficult to move… However, there is a very interesting point that there are a few days when the water of the Thu Bon River rises, The whole old town was flooded with water for several days, people had to travel by boat. If you want to try the feeling of swimming by boat in the rain, flanked by old houses, ancient landscapes, … romantic, then this is an opportunity and a unique memory for you.
Hoi An tourism on the 14th of the lunar calendar every month
Hoi An is most beautiful at night and especially on the full moon night (the 14th day of the lunar calendar every month). Every 7 – 9 pm on the 14th, the whole old town will turn off all electricity and be replaced by colorful lanterns, making this place extremely shimmering and poetic. On this occasion, you will admire the full beauty of the lantern street, participate in releasing lanterns, singing folk songs, etc., very interesting.
HOI AN TOURISM EXPERIENCE SHOULD CHOOSE?
Not only Da Nang tourism combined with Hoi An, you can combine tourism with other provinces such as Hue. However, according to my observations, you should travel to Da Nang in combination with going to Hoi An in the same trip. Because both these locations are quite close to each other, only about 30 minutes by car. Most tourists will also book flight tickets to Da Nang airport first, then schedule a trip to Hoi An later.
Hoi An tourism moves from Da Nang
From Da Nang, if you want to move to Hoi An ancient town, there are 4 most popular means of transport that you can choose:
- Motorcycle
This is the most maneuverable vehicle, also very economical and active. Hoi An is just over 30km from Da Nang, with many beautiful routes, very easy to go. In which, the most beautiful and easiest route in my opinion is from My Khe beach along the road along Vo Nguyen Giap street. Run about 25km, you will see an intersection, go straight to Cua Dai beach, turn left to An Bang beach, and turn right will enter Hoi An ancient town.
- Bus
An extremely economical means of transport, but not necessarily the most convenient. From Da Nang, there is a bus route that runs directly to Hoi An, the bus runs continuously every 10 minutes. But around 5:30 pm, the car will run out of Hoi An, so if you plan to return to Da Nang in the evening, you need to pay special attention to this. Moreover, Hoi An bus station is more than 1km from the center of Hoi An ancient town, so you still have to take a taxi or motorbike taxi to go to the old town or from the old town back to the bus station. From Da Nang, visitors can also choose to take a bus.
- Private Car Transfer – Car Rental With Driver
A very good option if you go in a large group, the price of renting a 4-seater car from Da Nang to Hoi An is only about 350k / 1 way. If you want to save more, you can consider the option of going on a tour, shuttle bus, plus tickets for sightseeing and dining, only about 300k/person.
| Private Car | Sedan Max (3 Pax – 2 Baggages) | MiniVan Max (4 Pax – 3 Baggages) | Van Max (8 Pax – 6 Baggages) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price USD | |||
| Price VND | 350.000 | 500.000 | 550.000 |
Link Booking: Danang Car Rental
SUGGESTIONS FOR TRANSPORTATION IN THE CITY IN HOI AN TRAVEL
Just like in Da Nang, you can plan to rent a motorbike, taxi or rent a car to go to famous places in Hoi An.
- If you have a lot of time to see the scenery but still not too tired, choose to rent a bicycle or take a cyclo. This is a popular choice of the majority of Western, Korean and Chinese tourists.
- For locations far from the old town such as Tra Que vegetable village, Thanh Ha pottery village, Cua Dai beach, the simplest way is still to rent a motorbike, this one you should rent from when in Da Nang is the most economical.
- And if you go with a lot of people and don’t care much about the budget, it’s best to book a car. As for Cu Lao Cham, a destination with different topographical characteristics, to get there, you must prepare everything in advance, from the car to Hoi An, the ticket to the island and the means of transportation on the island, etc.
- Meanwhile, most people choose to book a group tour, because in this form, everything is packaged and the price is discounted extremely well. If you are worried about the cost of going on your own, it is no different from going on a tour.
WHAT POINTS SHOULD HOI AN TRAVEL EXPERIENCE?
As a prominent name on the tourist map of Vietnam, Hoi An owns many places from ancient architectures to beaches, traditional craft villages… If you only come here once, it’s hard to go. over. Here, I will suggest you the spots that you can combine to explore in a 3 day 2 night itinerary!
Sightseeing in Hoi An Ancient Town
On the first day, you can spend time exploring a few highlights in the old town center first, such as:
- Tan Ky ancient house here
This is an old house over 200 years old and is known as the oldest house in Hoi An. Up to now, it seems that it is still fully preserved the unique architectural features as well as the ancient beauty of the time it was built. Tan Ky ancient house was formerly the residence of the noble Le family, the house is very large with lots of space suitable for displaying ancient artifacts. This is a house of great historical, architectural and cultural value.
- Phung Hung ancient house
Although it is more than 100 years old and not as famous as Tan Ky ancient house, but Phung Hung ancient house also has its own beauty and is extremely attractive to tourists. This is also the house of the richest merchant in Hoi An in the past. With the structure of the house made of high-class wood and the beauty of East Asia, it creates a luxury, combining the ancient features to give the house a harmonious and impressive overall feature. That is what makes each visitor admire and admire when coming here.
- Cantonese Assembly Hall
Guangdong was built at the end of 1885. With a very beautiful architecture, the combination of wood, stone and cement materials creates an elaborate and sophisticated work. Along with that are the delicate motifs, bringing the beauty of a bold Chinese style. Now, the assembly hall still stores a lot of artifacts produced by very beautiful and sharp ceramics.
Address: 176 Tran Phu, Minh An Ward, Hoi An, Quang Nam
- Hoi An Bridge Pagoda
Also known as Japanese Bridge Temple. This is a tourist destination that everyone has probably seen or at least heard of. The honor of being the symbol printed on the 20,000 VND Polymer bill is enough to understand how important its meaning is. The image of Covered Bridge has long reached the world. It is located right in the center of Hoi An ancient town, crossing a small tributary of Hoai river, which seems to be the first stop of tourists on every occasion to visit the old town.
- Hoi An Market
This is the largest market in Hoi An, specializing in trading consumer goods and food for all people in the old town. In addition, this place also concentrates a variety of specialty items such as souvenirs, lanterns, conical hats to serve the shopping needs of tourists. If you want to learn more about Hoi An’s “market” culture, you should visit here to buy yourself some items and enjoy some specialties.
Places to visit far from the Old Town
On the second day, when you have gone through the Old Quarter and the nearby places, take the time to visit the more distant places. You can travel to Cu Lao Cham first, in the afternoon combine with going to the beach or some other spots.
- Cu Lao Cham Island
If compared to Phu Quoc island, Cu Lao Cham is still quite wild but still has enough services to create an experience like a great resort trip. What do you think you will be like when sitting on speedboats, crossing the white waves, enjoying the feeling of high to your mind. Then, when you arrive, you will be overwhelmed by the beautiful scenery, with the fresh and fresh space on Cu Lao island?
- Thanh Ha Pottery Village
Located about 2km from the center of Hoi An ancient town, Thanh Ha Pottery Village is a small, extremely peaceful village located along the Thu Bon River. This is a pottery village specializing in the production of popular products to serve daily life, so when you come here, you will easily feel an extremely rustic, ancient idyllic feature. To get to Thanh Ha pottery village, from Hoi An ancient town, you just go along the banks of the Thu Bon river towards National Highway 1A, through the Thanh Ha fish market.
- Tra Que Vegetable Village
Although there is not much impression about this place, Tra Que vegetable village is indeed an attractive destination, especially for city friends, who love the peaceful beauty of nature. Just like many other vegetable villages, but when it comes to Tra Que vegetable village, I feel something very special. Maybe it’s the cool space, along with up to 40 kinds of vegetables creating a cool green scene, mainly herbs.
- Cua Dai Beach
The thing in Cua Dai beach that makes me feel the most impressive is probably the rows of coconut trees stretching, soaring in the sea breeze. Many years ago, Cua Dai beach was very beautiful, the long white sand beaches, plus the turquoise color of the sea water made this place become more poetic and romantic. Almost tourists or locals love it, so much so that when it comes to Hoi An, only Cua Dai beach is found.
- An Bang Beach
This beach is more suitable for those of you who like a place with many services such as sun loungers, restaurants… It is also because of this attraction that not only people but also tourists still flock here every afternoon.” cooling”. If you are looking for a pristine beach, a quiet space to watch the sea, you should go to Cua Dai beach. On the contrary, if you are looking for a place to both relax and eat and entertain, An Bang is the number 1 choice.
- Bay Mau coconut forest
In the past, when the sea encroached on the mainland a lot, the water flow started to turn brackish, quite a lot of nipa trees grew like the second U Minh forest. Taking advantage of this beauty, Hoi An people have renovated the coconut forest to become a tourist attraction in Hoi An, naming it Bay Mau Tam Thanh coconut forest. If you have a love for the scenery of the western region of the river, like the fresh air and want to admire the art of basket dance, you must come here.
WHAT SPECIALISTS TO EAT AND WHERE TO EAT?
- Cao Lau
A special dish only available in Quang Nam region, and only the well water in Hoi An is suitable to make the sauce for authentic Cao Lau. This dish looks quite similar to Quang noodles, but the Cao Lau fiber is tougher, the sauce is also created differently. Cao Lau’s deliciousness is all thanks to the rich full-flavoured Cao Lau sauce, which accounts for 80% of the deliciousness of this dish. The remaining 20% is in the accompanying ingredients such as meat, raw vegetables.
- Hoi An Chicken Rice
In addition to Tam Ky chicken rice, chicken rice is also very famous in Hoi An, so much so that it has become a specialty. When traveling to Hoi An, you definitely have to try this chicken rice dish to not regret it. Although it is just a familiar and rustic dish, the recipe for chicken rice here is quite different, creating a fragrant aroma from near and far. The chicken rice in Hoi An is very fragrant, soft, the chicken is firm and chewy with the taste of garden chicken, the sauce is super delicious, they create a harmonious whole, very delicious and the taste is not easy to forget.
- Mot water
Water Mot is the name of a herbal drink, which is made from many healthy herbs such as ginger, tea, cinnamon, … for sweet, sour, and refreshing drink. A pretty little cup of tea, with cool water inside, and a lotus petal attached to it, making me want to enjoy it even more. I also went back to Hoi An once recently, and found that this guy has rented a fairly large space right in the old town. Customers keep calling to order continuously. Address: 150 Tran Phu, Hoi An ancient town.
- Hoi An Tea
The tea in Hoi An is the typical tea flavor of Quang country, there are many types such as corn tea, lotus tea, black bean tea, black sesame tea, bean curd tea, bean curd tea, water drifting tea… You can order 1 A cup of mixed tea has all kinds, but if you like any type, just ask the salesgirls for that type. Personally, I find that the water-dried tea is very flexible and fragrant, on hot summer days, having a cup of tea with water is the coolest.
- Tau Pho
Tofu, also known as tofu – a hot, fragrant snack that will surely attract you with its flavor that flies to the tip of your nose. As a traditional gift of Hoi An, the image of a ferry boat weaving through the small alleys of the old town seems to have become a memory imprinted in the minds of many people in Hoi An. The cool, sweet taste of tofu dish just once enjoyed will make many people remember forever.
- Spring rolls, meat skewers rolled with rice paper
If anyone has had the opportunity to come to Hoi An once, it will be easy to see that in the area where the Bai Choi folk game took place, there used to be a small burden selling spring rolls, grilled skewers of a restaurant owner. A taste of the delicious skewers here is enough of an excuse for me to come back to Hoi An many more times, just to order a plate of grilled spring rolls to eat for life. Each skewer of grilled meat is marinated with eye-catching red chili peppers, and when grilled, it’s even more delicious and attractive.
HOI AN TOURISM EXPERIENCE 2022 AND SOME OTHER NOTES
Whether you have traveled to Hoi An many times or just arrived in Hoi An for the first time, you will definitely need a lot of experience to make the trip as complete as possible. Here are a few self-sufficient Hoi An experiences that I have distilled from my own experience trips.
- The most beautiful time in Hoi An is in the morning and from evening to night, you should take advantage of these 2 time frames. In the morning, the weather in Hoi An is very beautiful, a little early morning sunshine crept in every street corner. And if those who like to feel a peaceful, brilliant and fanciful old town, they should come here in the evening, when the sunset has just fallen.
- If you have the initiative in time, you should arrange to come to Hoi An on the full moon day (lunar calendar 14th), because at this time, Hoi An ancient town holds a festival on the full moon night only once a month. On that night, the whole old town will turn off all electric lights, only lighting lanterns with other traditional lights.
- Going to Hoi An but forgetting to play traditional games such as breaking pots, learning to make lanterns… especially playing Bai Choi is a huge omission.
Above are self-sufficient Hoi An travel experiences shared with my own writings and experiences. Thank you for reading and I hope they are useful for your upcoming Da Nang – Hoi An trip! A fun trip is within reach, now just need to schedule a time to go!
