For my 30th my friend Will and I decided to host a joint birthday trip. Hội An is a city on Vietnam’s central coast known for its well-preserved Ancient Town, cut through with canals. The former port city’s melting-pot history is reflected in its architecture, a mix of eras and styles from wooden Chinese shophouses and temples to colourful French colonial buildings, ornate Vietnamese tube houses and the iconic Japanese Covered Bridge with its pagoda. With the low cost of living and direct flights with HK Express to Danang (45mins drive from Hoi An), it makes this Vietnamese city a good time to visit most time of the year.
Accommodation
There are plenty of luxury accommodations dotted along the northern coast of Hoi An, but as we have a strong group of 14 people we decided to find a place closer to the Old Town area where the action is. We managed to find the small independent hotel Hoi An Hideaway Villa and we booked the entire place out. It worked out to be around US$35 a night per room so just take my money. The hotel has 10 spacious rooms and they all lead to the communal heated pool area. Ruby the owner was super helpful and they were even able to organise a Pool Side BBQ for us. I would strongly recommend this place if you are planning for a large party. Half the rooms have private al fresco showers and the rest are indoor.
Sightseeing and Things to Do
Eco Cooking and Basket Boat Tour
Although Klook offers this tour on their website you can also book it via Ruby at the hotel. You are taken to the boat down the river then transferred to their traditional basket boat. You will be ferried along down the mangroves where they will have a performance for you. Once the tour is finished you will be lead to a restaurant where your cooking class takes place. Over all it is a fantastic experience but there are places where it did drag on a bit, especially on a cooking front.
Miss Forget Me Not
This is a tailor with some serious sassy if not rude ladies. It was so hot when we did our fitting everything got stuck. I only worn the suit once so I don't think its worth the hassle. However my friend got a loose linen jacket which he still wear.
Old Town
Hoi An, once a major Southeast Asian trading post in the 16th and 17th centuries, is basically a living museum that houses old-town architecture.Some notable heritage buildings include Chinese temples, a Japanese-designed bridge, pagodas, wooden shop-houses, French-colonial houses, and old canals. Although large-scale trading had long moved elsewhere, Hoi An has been successful in preserving and restoring its charming roots and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in December 1999. You can easily spend a few afternoons and evenings here just wonder about in the area.
Cù Lao Chàm Island Tour - Bãi Chồng Beach
You can book a day tour to one of their closest islands from Hoi An. It is nice to see a beach as there are not many in Hoi An. However if you have seen beaches before I am not sure if it is worth the effort.
Restaurants and Nightlife
The Hill Station
We walked pass this restaurant on our first night but we never had a chance to try the food here. It has a great interior and looks ideal for drinks and dinner.
Aubergine49 Restaurant
Aubergine49 is a modern European fine dining establishment situated a short distance from the UNESCO ancient town of Hoi An. They are the first restaurant of this style of dining in the area. From their locally sourced produce to their finest imported ingredients they create some interesting Eurasian inspired dishes. Don't let the pictures on the website fool you. It is not as upscale as you think it terms of the interiors.
Bánh Mì Phượng
One of the most popular places for Banh Mi sandwiches in Hoi An and often you will see a queue outside. The queue goes quickly as many people are for takeaway but they also have seating upstairs.
Morning Glory Original
Morning Glory is one of the most established restaurants in Hoi An and serves up some super tasty local cuisine. It has a few branches but the original one remains the most popular. Do book in advance if you can. Their grill meats were particularly memorable.
Pho in Hoi An
One cannot leave Vietnam without having their national dish Pho. There are plenty of places that do their own versions but this is the one we went to. This place is so local that I failed to recover the name of the place. However the map inside the image suggests that it is diagonally opposite Pho Lien in the old town area. The place was like inside someone's court yard inside a building.
Nguyen Phu Chu
This street is filled with backpackers bar. Expect students, cheap booze and all around trashiness.
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