I said throughout my whole trip that Laos was a dark horse but the real surprise was actually Hoi An in central Vietnam.
Hoi An is often dubbed the “City of lanterns” or the “City of tailors” but if I were to describe it in one word I would say romantic. It had charm, character, vibrance and beauty and was overall my favourite place in Vietnam. Not only was it a city literally full to the brim of lanterns and tailors but it was also, like Venice, floating amongst miles upon miles of canals and waterways spanned by ornate little bridges and filled with colourful little canoes and boats.
A bit of history on Hoi An: it is an ancient port on the coast in central Vietnam and a mixture of various architectural styles from different eras and styles, most of which have survived the test of time and are still standing today as attractions to visitors from around the globe. Speaking of which, Hoi An, for it’s size, is extremely extremely busy. Even in the off-season when I visited, it was still teeming with thousands of tour groups, families and tourists from around the world. Most of the old town is pedestrianised yet still there is little room to manoeuvre your way around without falling into the water or getting ran over by one of the little covered bike things (I think they’re called cycle rickshaws but I think they resemble a backwards horse and carriage and are kind of like a pushchair attached to a bike?).
I imagine Hoi An being the setting of some arty Wes Anderson film, or the backdrop for a cute travel romance novel – even better, being the subject of a stunning oil painting you might find in a gallery or on a post card. Every corner you turn is like a photograph, the trees are adorned with beautifully decorated paper and silk lanterns that glow different colours in the evenings, the shops and restaurants are painted vibrant yellows, pinks and lilacs and the bridges, monuments and signposts are decorated with Chinese scripture, religious legends and traditional flowers.
It is the kind of place that you would dream of going to on a fancy date or a honeymoon and one that, if it were closer to home, I imagine would be all the rage at the moment. There was so much to do in this small town/city that I managed to spend a full two days here and still felt like I had barely even scratched the surface – especially when it comes to the sheer number of UNESCO sites in Hoi An.
Some popular things to do in this phenomenal and memorable little town include:
- Designing an item of clothing to be handmade and tailored for you in any style, pattern and fabric you desire – all within 24 hours and often less than $100!
Sailing down the Thu Bon river at sunset in a little lantern boat and placing a lotus candle into the pink sunset water (similar to that scene in the Disney Tangled film!).- Taking a bike tour out into the surrounding villages to see the rice fields, water buffalo and just get a little space after being cramped up with all the other tourists in the old town.
- Floating along the winding
waterways in Thon Van Lang in a carefully woven colourful basket boat, and if you’re lucky your guide might just do a spot of fishing whilst they’re at it! 
Touring the UNESCO world heritage sites across the city. You can buy an “Old Town Ticket” for approx. 120,000 VND (about 5$) that allows you access into up to five (?) different sites of your choice such as the Japanese covered bridge, the Tan Ky residence and the Hoi An museum. More information about this can be found here: https://hiddenhoian.com/general/hoi-an-old-town-ticket-fees-sites/
Trying your hand at making rice noodles the traditional way in a cooking workshop at one of the local charities supporting youths into work (Oodles of Noodles is a good place to go for this and Streets is their sister company where you can try local delicacies meanwhile supporting a non-profit organisation).- Taking a bus out of town to visit the nearby BaNa hills – home to a peculiar European themed theme park/resort and the instagram famous floating hands bridge. I will be doing a separate post on this that I will link below.
In summary, Hoi An is an unmissable destination to visit in Vietnam, especially if you’re looking for a lively but semi-off-the-beaten-track place to explore either by yourself or with others (I’m looking at you couples!).
thelittleworldofkaty 