Central Vietnam, Hoi An
Having experienced Hoi An in the evening, we took the hotel shuttle to visit the place in the morning for a different experience. Upon alighting from the shuttle, we were welcomed by the cheery ambience of Hoi An.
We walked along the main streets, checked out the merchandises in the shops and took pictures along the way.
We walked past a hotel, Vinh Hung Hotel, and thought perhaps we should stay in one for a night just for experience when we next visit Central Vietnam.
The architecture reflects a mix of eras from wooden Chinese shop houses, temples, Chinese clan houses, to colourful French colonial buildings, Vietnamese tube houses and the iconic Japanese Covered Bridge. This is the unique character and charm of Hoi An.
Then we walked past a monument in memory of Mr Kazimierz Kwiatkowsky (1944-1997), a Polish architect, who played a key role in helping Hoi An Old Town to be listed as a World Cultural Heritage in 1999. We have to thank Kwiatkowsky that we get to experience Hoi An’s old world charm.
Walking away from the main street, we reached the Japanese Covered Bridge, one of the most famous tourist attractions in Hoi An. The Bridge connects Tran Phu St and Nguyen Thi Minh Khai St, constructed in the 1590s by the Japanese community. Inside the Bridge is a temple of the Taoist God of Weather, Tran Vo Bac De.
We had an enjoyable time exploring Hoi An in the day, took lots of pictures as every street and alley was an ideal photo spot. After spending more than half a day in Hoi An, we took the hotel shuttle to go back to Furama Resort to confirm our trip to Hue for the next day.
Unfortunately, we were advised against travelling to Hue as the typhoon was going towards the direction of Hue and likely to hit Hue the next day. Having done little planning and research on this trip, we started to explore what to do and where to visit in Da Nang.
About Hoi An (Reference from Wikipedia)
Hoi An translates as “Peaceful Meeting Place”, formerly known as Fai-Fo or Faifoo, is a beautiful city with a population of approximately 120,000 in Quảng Nam Province, south of Da Nang. In 1999, the old town was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO as a well-preserved example of a South-East Asian trading port of the 15th to 19th centuries, the principal port of the Cham Kingdom.
The Lowdown
Getting There: To reach Hoi An, catch a flight to Da Nang and take a taxi to Hoi An. You can either catch domestic flight to Da Nang or direct international flight from Singapore or Hong Kong.
Address: Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai, Cẩm Phô, tp. Hội An, Quảng Nam, Vietnam
5-Day Getaway to Central Vietnam – Da Nang – Day 1
5-Day Getaway to Central Vietnam – Ba Na Hills – Day 2
This post is part of My Vietnam Travel Series, for more on my travel experience in Vietnam, check here.
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Living for Experiences 
We’re going there on Friday and I’m so excited! Do you think 7 days is enough for sightseeing (including Hue) and some rest at the beach? Thanks!
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Yes, I would think so. I assume you are flying to Hue and take a drive from Hue to Hoi An and Da Nang. Do stop by the beach and My Son along the way to Da Nang. Have fun!
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Actually we were thinking about Flying from Hanoi to Da Nang and then drive to Hoi An 🙂 We’ll try to make a stop by the My Son beach. Thanks for the tips!
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I see. Hoi An is about half an hour from Da Nang. Check out my post on my day at Hoi An and also post on evening at Hoi An. My Son is an old temple, ruins of what’s left. Along the way from Da Nang to Hue, you will also pass by a beach. Anyway, I would recommend that u fly to Hue then drive to Da Nang to optimise travel time. Check out my post on Hue, Have fun!
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I was in Vietnam in 2014. Hoi An was one of my favorite place we went to.
We did a bike trip with Great Explorations .
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Wow! That’s nice 😊 Yeah! I like Hoi An. Everyone that has been love it.
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There is this thing about Hoi An being a melting pot of culures because traders from China, Japan and southeast Asia came here to do business! Interesting how international trade was already burgeoning centuries ago! And today we need FTAs!
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Not having to look elsewhere, Singapore was a melting pot and still is. The commonality in South East Asian countries then was almost all were colonized by the Europeans – British, French, Dutch, Spanish. I suppose that facilitated trade and any trade agreement perhaps was done at that level rather than at country level like now. I have not read much on this topic as I mentioned before I am not a big fan of history. Perhaps Mel and you have more insights.
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Well trade in the 18th and 19th century was mercantilistic. This means that countries did negotiate, sorry rival empires…But they were few and the traders from China, India and SE Asia were many. So the ports flourished – such as the island formerly known as Temasek!
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