Hoi An is very famous in Vietnam. A place included in the world UNESCO heritage site & why wouldn't it.
Hoi An city will take you to the roots of Vietnam & it seems it is a town of the past marking its presence in the present. Hoi An has lots of feather on its cap. Names like a yellow town, tailor capital or city of lanterns have become synonyms of this place. Traveling for the time, you will be amazed by the awestruck beauty of the place. So, not wasting any more time. Here is Hoi An Travel Guide to help you plan it in a better way.
How To Reach Hoi An (Vietnam):
Unfortunately, Hoi An doesn't have an international airport. However, not to worry Da Nang is the nearest city; 40 mins drive from Hoi An has an international airport. Thus, one can find a direct flight from major cities to this airport. You can find best offers on the flight from Skyscanner, Kayak or Jetradar or bookaway.From Da Nang to Hoi An:
If you have not planned to stay in Da Nang, then it would be better to book a taxi to Hoi An. Hoi An is some 30 odd km. So, one can reach in no time to Hoi An from Da Nang. However, if you want to stay in Da Nang, then rent a motorbike & ride yourself. Motorbikes are easily available & it is hardly any drive till Hoi An.Things To Do In Hoi An:
Hoi An is a pretty cool, stylish, clean with an old touch feel to it. The town is only meant for chilling. But, while enjoying your stay you can enjoy doing the following activities.Japanese Bridge:
The bridge is a symbol of Hoi An town. All the tourists click a picture at this point & vintage look of the bridge is mesmerizing to witness.Beach:
The nearest beach is Cua Dai. The sandy beach is good for swimming & a great place to spend some lazy afternoons. Just sit in some shacks & enjoy the afternoons while gazing at the beach.
A Walk In Ancient Town:
Hoi An is constructed around the estuary of Thu Bồn River. Walk around the old section of town during evenings & witness the glowing yellow buildings. The beauty of the town is unmatched during the evening & each lane has something unique to offer. While the buildings are mostly painted in yellow the sky are covered with colorful lanterns.Cycle Trip:
The vintage feel of the town can be only witnessed by renting a cycle. Peddle your way to unexplored & unmentioned corners of Hoi An. Each corner is beautiful & surrounded by the flowing water. Let yourself immerse in the beauty of the town. To give you a hint lush green fields, pine trees overlooking a narrow lane is the common site here.Tailor Shop:
Suit making will never get any cheaper anywhere in the world when compared to this town. There are many tailor shops which stitch suits as per your body measurement within a day. The prices are pretty cheap. So, when in town take special note of this.Street Foods:
A trip is incomplete without food & Hoi An has plenty of options for hungry buds. Street food is one of the specialties of the Hoi An & stop anywhere & eat some of the best dishes.Cooking Classes:
If interested in learning the cooking craft of Vietnam. Book any cooking class available, there are lots of options available depending on the interests of the person.
Where To Stay In Hoi An?
There are lots of options from hotels to hostels. But, nothing can beat home accommodation. if you are able to find some great home accommodation don't let it pass. Book it at the earliest, you can check Airbnb for the same. The best place to stay in Hoi An is in the old town. Check the best hostels available by clicking on the below link.Is Hoi An Worth Visiting?
The feeling of vintage Vietnam, beautiful yellow painted buildings, the estuary of the river & perfect sunsets are one of the few reasons to visit Hoi An & these reasons are enough to visit this beautiful town. One can miss Da Nang for once. But, if Hoi An is missed you have truly missed something on your trip. Hoi An is a must visit place period.
Getting Around Hoi An
The best way to commute in Hoi An is by renting a motorbike or a cycle. However, if you are scared or not comfortable to ride any of these modes of transport. Download an app GRAB. This will solve your problem of commutation.Budget For Hoi An
Accommodation:
There are many options available to stay in Hoi An. Typically hotel range starts from INR 1500 - 2000 & it can extend up to INR 3500- 4500 for a 3-star hotel. There are a lot of options available so choose wisely.Food:
The street food will cost INR 60 for a plate. On the other hand food in restaurants will cost upward of INR 100 for a meal. Food is a specialty of Vietnam & it is one of the countries where finding a vegetarian food is not an issue.Transport:
Hoi An can be covered on food as everything is at walking distance. But, if you want to save energy renting a motorbike & cycle is also an option. Bicycle rent starts from INR 100 per day & motorcycle rent starts from INR 250 per day.
The total cost for a day in Hoi An will be upwards of INR 500 considering you will spend wisely & will stay in hostels.
Money Saving Tips:
Eat Street Foods:
One of the best ways to keep the budget in check is by eating street foods. There are lots of options available. Street food offers great variety & taste of real Vietnam.Happy Hours:
During the evening, almost every pubs will offer happy hours. The drinks are cheap. This will help you to keep the price on a lower side.Rent Bicycle:
A bicycle can be rented for a day; as the town is pretty small it can be covered via bicycle. Apart from being cheap, this is one of the best ways to explore this beautiful town.Wifi:
Most of the cafes offer free wifi & connectivity is pretty reliable. Download offline map & explore the place on your own.Handy Resources:
Below are the few resources you should check before making an itinerary.Agoda: Best place to book hotels of your liking. Agoda provides the best solution & great offer while booking a hotel.
Skyscanner: Skyscanner compares various sites & sort the flights based on the rates. A great way to check flight cost. Although the only drawback is that rates are flexible. Hence, the cost might change while you are making the payment.
Jetradar: Jetradar is a comparing site which is just like Skyscanner. But, is much more accurate & much more handy in use.
Booking: Best place to book hostel rooms. There are plenty of options available & with so many properties booking becomes much easier.
Couchsurfing: Best place to find free accommodation. It is as easy as filtering people & messaging. If you will get lucky you will find free accommodation in local resident house.
Travel Insurance: There are numerous options available to get one. So, you can choose anything which suits your requirement. Make sure you read the terms & conditions before buying one.
A trip is incomplete without the pics.Buy an iphone to click some breath taking pics. Apart from a phone camera, I use GoPro an adventure camera to shoot video & click high definition photos. The product is pretty handy & captures mind blogging videos. GoPro is easy & handy to use, which makes it a must buy.
So, these are my trip essentials.