The Heritage City of Hoi An

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Hoi An: Viet Nam's Trading Port in the South China Sea

For years I have wanted to visit Hoi An and the desire grew as we heard the stories of friends who dropped into Hoi An each time they visited us in Cambodia. When part of our own family came to visit, I saw this as a great opportunity to go to a really historic region while at the same time enjoying the beaches and the ocean. History and hedonism are an unbeatable combination! So off we went and as all the flights to Danang were full because of an International Fireworks Festival, we flew to Hue and opted for the two hour drive to Hoi An.

When we arrived in Hue, it was a bit foggy and I panicked a little as I had arranged this holiday as a mid winter escape into the sun for our European family. After half the drive, the hint of despair crept in with the fog and visions of a week staring at each other and reading bad novels destroyed hope! So the drive to Hoi An from Hue was very quiet with only my guilt ridden voice justifying why we had to fly there and trying to convince everyone....especially myself... that Hue was a cornerstone in French colonial history and the beginning of the end for the US in that long ago war.

But when we emerged from the long tunnel into Da Nang...the world changed, hope was restored and the sun blessed our Van. My status of family trip hero was accepted once again and the sense of holiday gruntlement took firm hold. We arrived at our beach destination and our spirits soared as we emptied our suitcases and waded into mini-pools right in front of our two VERY affordable own villas. Spirit up, we then rollicked to the beach, praising our collective genius for having chosen a beautiful destination.

Hoi An Memorabilia

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Hoi An Life in Pictures

What a mix of the past and the present

Hoi An's Ancient Influence

A Major Trading Port in the South China Seas

Hoi An History

The Commercial Capital of the Champa Empire

Declared a UNESCO Heritage Site in 1999 but hidden by the popularity of Hue and Da Nang, Hoi An in the past occupied a very important role in the powerful Champa Empire. The Cham people had chosen this as a commercial capital and the Chinese and Japanese merchants set up camp in their trading houses wholesaling products that the Cham could then move inland to the Mekong river valley. Most of the old city has been preserved showing the homes, temples and trading houses of the Chinese and Cham traders who lived there as well as the richness in the Cham culture that dominated many parts of Southeast Asia during its pre European colonial heyday. In short, there is a lot more to Viet Nam than just the memories of defeated Empires...although if self disgust is important, Hoi An is very close to Mai Lai.

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Want to know more about Hoi-An?

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Hoi An Collectibles

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Hoi An Beyond its Ancient Heritage

A Major Beach Destination in Vietnam

This is one of the attractions of Hoi An for us as it offers not just culture, a fabulous market and amazing jungle walks, but a chance to enjoy the sun and a swim in the South China Sea. Because of this, we decided to stay in a beach side resort and drove to town whenever we felt like as it is just a very short distance through beautiful rice fields and the taxis are easily accessible and quite inexpensive.

Enjoy Hoi An Beach

Frolic in the Ocean

More Things to Do in Hoi An

Walking the Old Town

Hoi An offers many things to enjoy in a user friendly environment. The first thing we did was walk through the maze of the city and enjoy the vintage squatty houses lining the closed off streets. Most of the day there is no vehicle traffic so even Newbies to Asia are safe. There is a wonderful guide you can pick up with your ticket at the 4 Old Town booths: 30 Tran Phu, 5 HOang Dieu, 78 Le Loi, and 10 Nguyen Hue. This map guides you to the places worth visiting.

The walk is amazing as you begin to see that Hoi An combines a total dedication to separating you from your money, offering incredible custom made merchandise, with a real engagement with local culture. And the food! Terrific variety, amazing tastes and great prices. The town is clean, it is engaging and it is really fun.

Images simply stick to your mind: old women clad in their traditional trousers and practical Vietnamese hats with their wares straddled on their shoulders and faces that beg to be photographed (ask first!). Temples and assembly halls, usually Chinese, one for each family of traders like the Cantonese, the Fujian, or the Chaozhu, beautifully restored and maintained (and usually with good rest rooms). Stores everywhere with laughing girls, wanting to make you a dress or shoes in a just a few hours and with the latest fashion Mags from which to choose a style. Restaurants lining the riverside and lines of stalls selling the classic bric-a-brac, or fresh fruit or mystery snacks cooked on-the-spot, looking like donuts and tasting like Asia.

We started at the Japanese bridge, where a temple has been built in the middle. You can see the picture above this. There is a good map you can get when you pay the fee (modest) to visit the heritage sites and it guides you to the places worth visiting. You don't have to exhaust yourself on your first day.

Back to the Resort.... enjoy a swim in the ocean and come back to Hoi An for a fantastic...if sometimes noisy... dinner. Make sure you make reservations in the popular restaurants as they get full so fast.

Look at what you can do in Hoi An

You'll surely have fun

The Topmost Thing to Do in Hoi An

Which of these is your top thing to do?

Visiting Chinese assembly halls

1 point

Sample Hoi An's restaurants

1 point

Have shoes and clothes custom made

1 point

Walking Tour of the Heritage Site

0 points

Praying at the Temples

0 points

Visiting old houses

0 points

Tasting age old recipes for Hoi An dishes

0 points

Buy something from the women peddlers

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Shop till your drop

0 points

Swimming in the Ocean

0 points

Lounging in the Beach

0 points

Visit My Son, the old capital of the Cham Kingdom

0 points

Visit My Lai (Vietnam/American War)

0 points

Your Guide to Vietnam

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Meet Hoi An's Beautiful People

Yum Yum, our Friend

We were lucky to meet Yum Yum...a truly Gilbert and Sullivan character. . She has worked at the tiny Faifo restaurant right on the main street for perhaps 12 years....since she was a little girl. When she started, she spoke only Vietnamese, but she had a large tray called The Dollar Box, as everything in it was for a dollar. Each time people come in the restaurant, Yum Yum whipped up with her dollar box, the worlds brightest smile and a giggle/laugh that set everyone smiling with her. She manages the restaurant now and has built a team that makes you feel like a family in your own home. The laugh is still there as is the sense that she loves her life and is supremely self confident. Her little boy is often around after school and he shares the fun. And guess what...the dollar box is still there and out it comes when you've settled in. For a buck you celebrate a small part of the triumph of so many poor children who on their own and with a little luck, fought for and found a place in the world. We enjoyed talking with Yum Yum and after her careful and very experienced assessment of our little family team, became good friends.

Some of our memorable encounters in Hoi An

What a friendly people

Have a feel for Hoi An's culture

Celebrate with the locals of Hoi An

hoi an wedding

One morning, as we slumped exhausted into Faifo for a restorative post shopping beverage...Al Fresco...our new friend Yum Yum swooped over and invited us to a wedding for one of the girls who used to work in the restaurant. We jumped at the invitation knowing that this was the our best chance to dig deeper into Vietnamese culture as participants and not the classic tourist spectators.

Well, we had so much fun. You can look at our pictures and just imagine what was going on. Indoor fireworks....4 year olds having chicken head fights....Karayoke by the tone deaf...and the warm feeling of a large room of friends enjoying each others company...amazing. After lunch, we excused ourselves and went for a walk in town thinking that the wedding party would stay on to celebrate further. But when we reached town, we saw that the Faifo was open again the indomitable Yum Yum was out of the wedding garb...hair do tied down, in uniform and with the greeters smile firmly fixed, waving in patrons. After the wedding lunch, the whole team ran back to work . Hoi Anese celebrate well but they do work really hard.

Hoi An Collectibles

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Wedding in Hoi An

Pictures of the wedding We Attended

Interested in something to remind you of your stay in Hoi An?

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Shopping in Hoi An

Speedy Tailors

hoi an

It is fun to shop in Hoi An not only because of the exotic things you see but because they can custom tailor things for you so fast and they can convince you to buy things which never came to your mind when you entered this cultural site. We had clothes and shoes made and enjoyed the very experience of dealing with the shopkeepers. Our 11 year old grand daughter felt safe and happy staying with some of the shop staff and helping with English as we continued on our own in other shops. She felt safe going back and forth in stores on her own and really enjoyed her time. The smells and sounds of an old trading city are all around you but the shopping experience is very familiar.

And remember the food market. It is a classic Mekong wet and dry affair serving local families...so you really step out of the tourist zone for a while.

Custom made dress in Hoi An. How much?

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News on Hoi An

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Japanese woman makes second home in Hoi An
by Hoai Nam DA NANG ? Hirukawa Yuki decided to give up the fast-paced life in Tokyo to open a souvenir shop in laid-back Hoi An 13 months ago. She says she hasn't regretted the decision for a moment. And she is not alone ? she joined a community of at ...
Fusion Resorts to launch Alya in Spring 2012, Asia's first culinary resort to ...
Located in Hoi An, Fusion Alya will be a specialised culinary resort, the first of its kind in Asia, and will showcase all aspects of Vietnam's rich culinary culture, offering an array of original and inspiring food experiences included in the room ...
Free citywide wi-fi in Hoi An
Viet Nam's historic city of Hoi An, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has become the first tourist town in Asia to offer free wireless access to visitors and residents from any location in town. The VND21 billion (US$1 million) project has 400 ...
Treasures of Da Nang
The resort was built on the Hoi An beach based on feng shui principles. There, my travel companions and I (all 18 of us media folks) were chauffered to and fro in golf buggies to our welcome dinner (and what felt unsettlingly like the umpteenth ...

More Images of Hoi An

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Hoi An's Local Market

Sample Local Fruits and Dishes

hoi an food

Many of the little stalls will cook the dishes right in front of you so enjoy trying out dishes you have never tried in your life. Safe? Well, we've never had a problem and the food really is fresh. If a little gastronomic adventurism frightens you, find a KFC!

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Where do you prefer to stay in Hoi An?

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Where to Stay in Hoi An

City or Beach?

hoi an

Hoi An offers many places of various types and budgets but mostly affordable. Your decision will be whether you want to stay in the beach or the city. As for us, some family members are on their mid winter holiday so we thought the beach would be just the right place. So, off I searched in the internet and found this well rated resort with its own beach and a swimming pool in each villa. Just what we looked forward to.

Le Belhamy Resort and Spa was our home for our Hoi An holiday. With the owner personally managing it, our vacation just became one happy family get together. How did we get to know the owner? One evening, we walked around the property's huge grounds and someone approached us if we want to see the old chapel. We followed her but our son, wondering who this woman was, asked her what she does in the hotel and she unassumingly said, The Owner.

The next morning, our daughter-in-law checked out the spa and she immediately came back to draw me to take the tour of the facilities. It was impressive and the spa manager knows what she is doing so we immediately booked ourselves to try it.

What I like with this place is the attention they give the guests and the setting. One can walk in the beach forever or in the garden as the property is huge. You can cycle, too.

Our Beach Stay in Hoi An

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More on places to stay in Hoi An

Choose well

Asia's first culinary resort to open in Vietnam
Free culinary events at the hotel include cooking classes in the resorts open kitchen and learning the intricate art of Vietnamese fruit carving from an in-house pastry chef. Regular demonstrations from chefs will explore the different styles of ...
Table Tennis Championships kicks off
Chang Hoi Wa, a male team player of Macau told Macau Daily Times that ?we hope we don't have to face China, Japan or South Korea that soon, otherwise our chances would be quite slim (for quarterfinals).? But on the whole, he and his teammates, ...
Carole Greenwood Pops Up: The Nomadic Dinner-Party Pioneer is Itching to Get ...
Greenwood's most recent Orange Arrow event was billed as a night of recipes from The Alice B. Toklas Cookbook, one of the best-selling cookbooks of all time. The $150-a-ticket event was scheduled to take place at Arlington's Artisphere complex on Jan.
ART & ENTERTAINMENT IN BRIEF 7/2
... a popular emcee at upscale events in Vietnam who is dipping her toe in the movie industry's water with her first movie role. ?The soldier,? as the film is named in Russian, was shot for three months starting last February in Ho Chi Minh, Hoi An, ...

Here's the debate many Hoi An visitors have in their minds

Hoi An, Worth a Visit?

Some who went to Hoi An think it is a major tourist trap. Others really enjoyed its old architecture and walking in and our of these old houses is an experience. What do you think?

Is Hoi An worth visiting?

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Definitely worth it

Lindrus says:

Excellent shopping and cute place!

waldenthree.net says:

Hoy An linked to Baltimore Community to Commuity for friendship, trade and prosperity ! Thanks for sharing .

nort43 says:

Of course it's for tourists, but there's no trap. Just watching a scruffle of grizzled Aussie retirees scunge along the street in red faced, purple nosed hilarity is worth the price. And the shop keepers are fabulous.

No, it is just another tourist trap

 

Visiting Hoi An

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Ancient city you can easily visit while in Hoi An

Hue, the Imperial Capital of the Nguyen Lords

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Want to know about the Chams of Hoi An?

Here are books on the Champa culture

The Chams still live in Vietnam today. You can visit some of their villages when you're in Vietnam.

The Art of Champa (Temporis) by Jean-Francois Hubert

The Art of Champa (Temporis) by Jean-Francois Hubert

From 12 October 2005 to 9 January 2006, the Musee more...0 points

India Seen from the East: Indian and Indigenous Cults in Champa (Second Revised Edition) (Monash Papers on Southeast Asia) by Paul Mus

India Seen from the East: Indian and Indigenous Cults in Champa (Second Revised Edition) (Monash Papers on Southeast Asia) by Paul Mus

Paul Mus (1902-1969) - a historian of religion in more...0 points

A History of Vietnam: From Hong Bang to Tu Duc (Contributions in Asian Studies) by Oscar Chapuis

A History of Vietnam: From Hong Bang to Tu Duc (Contributions in Asian Studies) by Oscar Chapuis

The first work to chronicle the history of Vietnam more...0 points

Southeast Asia: From Prehistory to History

Southeast Asia: From Prehistory to History

This comprehensive and absorbing book traces the c more...0 points

Champa : History and Culture of an Indian Conolonial Kingdom in the far East 2ND.-16th Century A.D. by R.C. Majunder

Champa : History and Culture of an Indian Conolonial Kingdom in the far East 2ND.-16th Century A.D. by R.C. Majunder

Book I The Land The Chams and the foundation of th more...0 points

Write your Hoi An Journal

Journals to choose from

Bring a journal with you and keep your own experiences of Hoi An. It is worth going through it when your friends start asking about Hoi An. More importantly, when age settles in and memory fails you, just take out the journal and presto, you have your info right there.

Moleskine Ruled Notebook Large

Moleskine Ruled Notebook Large

This basic yet classic Large Ruled notebook is one more...0 points

Small Chestnut Pocket Journal with Handmade Paper

Small Chestnut Pocket Journal with Handmade Paper

Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markin more...0 points

Red Embossed Heart Leather Journal - Lined

Red Embossed Heart Leather Journal - Lined

Perfect as a gratitude journal or personal diary, more...0 points

Butterflies Journal (Magnetic Closure) (Notebook, Diary) (Journals) by Peter Pauper Press

Butterflies Journal (Magnetic Closure) (Notebook, Diary) (Journals) by Peter Pauper Press

Gold foil, gloss highlights, and embossing light up more...0 points

Mead Silhouette Bungee Journal, 160 Sheets (45156)

Mead Silhouette Bungee Journal, 160 Sheets (45156)

Mead Silhouette Bungee Journal, 160 Sheets (45156)0 points

Blue Embossed Dragonfly Leather Journal - Lined

Blue Embossed Dragonfly Leather Journal - Lined

Perfect as a gratitude journal or personal diary, more...0 points

Celtic Journal (Diary, Notebook) by Peter Pauper Press

Celtic Journal (Diary, Notebook) by Peter Pauper Press

The cover design of this bestselling journal features more...0 points

Markings by C.R. Gibson Brown Ruled Paper Bonded Leather Journal, Small (MJ3-4792)

Markings by C.R. Gibson Brown Ruled Paper Bonded Leather Journal, Small (MJ3-4792)

Think. Create. Record. Genuine Brown Bonded Leathe more...0 points

Green Embossed Tree of Life Leather Journal - Lined

Green Embossed Tree of Life Leather Journal - Lined

Perfect as a gratitude journal or personal diary, more...0 points

Markings by C.R. Gibson Brown Ruled Paper Bonded Leather Journal (MJ5-4792)

Markings by C.R. Gibson Brown Ruled Paper Bonded Leather Journal (MJ5-4792)

Think. Create. Record. Genuine Bonded Leather Jour more...0 points

Genuine Leather Legends Journal - Hand made in the USA, Saddle

Genuine Leather Legends Journal - Hand made in the USA, Saddle

The Genuine Leather, Rustic River Legends Journal more...0 points

Brown Embossed Carpe Diem Leather Journal - Lined

Brown Embossed Carpe Diem Leather Journal - Lined

Perfect as a gratitude journal or personal diary, more...0 points

Leather Journal - Blank -

Leather Journal - Blank - "Hand Embossed" 5" x 7" Cruelty Free Leather

Beautifully leather journal embossed with tile designs more...0 points

The Tree Of Life Refillable Leather Journal with Embossed Tree Designs, Ivory Sheets, Lined, 5 1/2x8

The Tree Of Life Refillable Leather Journal with Embossed Tree Designs, Ivory Sheets, Lined, 5 1/2x8"

This Writing Journal was made by hand with skills more...0 points

Tree of Life Journal (Diary, Notebook) by Peter Pauper Press

Tree of Life Journal (Diary, Notebook) by Peter Pauper Press

Gustav Klimt's Tree of Life graces this beautiful journal, more...0 points

Markings by C.R. Gibson Debossed Italian Leatherette Journal - Red (MJ16-6118)

Markings by C.R. Gibson Debossed Italian Leatherette Journal - Red (MJ16-6118)

Think.create.record. Debossed Italian Red Leathere more...0 points

Markings by C.R. Gibson Debossed Italian Leatherette Journal - Black (MJ16-6120)

Markings by C.R. Gibson Debossed Italian Leatherette Journal - Black (MJ16-6120)

Think.Create.Record. Debossed Italian Black Leathe more...0 points

Know Vietnam Better

Make your choice of what to read

The Killing Zone: My Life in the Vietnam War by Frederick Downs Jr.

The Killing Zone: My Life in the Vietnam War by Frederick Downs Jr.

"The best damned book from the point of view of more...0 points

Goodbye Vietnam by Robert W. Wood

Goodbye Vietnam by Robert W. Wood

This collection of fictional remembrances of a Mar more...0 points

Blood Trails: The Combat Diary of a Foot Soldier in Vietnam by Christopher Ronnau

Blood Trails: The Combat Diary of a Foot Soldier in Vietnam by Christopher Ronnau

BAPTISM BY FIREChris Ronnau volunteered for the Army more...0 points

Vietnam: A History by Stanley Karnow

Vietnam: A History by Stanley Karnow

Provides a comprehensive look at both sides of the more...0 points

Inside the Vietnam War

Inside the Vietnam War

Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 06/03/2008 more...0 points

NAM SENSE: Surviving Vietnam with the 101st Airborne Division by Arthur Wiknik Jr.

NAM SENSE: Surviving Vietnam with the 101st Airborne Division by Arthur Wiknik Jr.

An honest tour of the Vietnam War from the soldier's more...0 points

Vietnam War: America's Conflict

Vietnam War: America's Conflict

Be an eyewitness to the conflict that divided our nation more...0 points

Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War by Karl Marlantes

Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War by Karl Marlantes

An incredible publishing story—written over the course more...0 points

DAYS OF VALOR: An Inside Account of the Bloodiest Six Months of the Vietnam War by Robert Tonsetic

DAYS OF VALOR: An Inside Account of the Bloodiest Six Months of the Vietnam War by Robert Tonsetic

A nonstop maelstrom of combat action, leaving the reader more...0 points

Vietnam: War in the Jungle

Vietnam: War in the Jungle

The Vietnam War was one of the worst horrors of th more...0 points

Understanding Vietnam by Neil L. Jamieson

Understanding Vietnam by Neil L. Jamieson

The American experience in Vietnam divided us as a more...0 points

Cherries : A Vietnam War Novel by John Podlaski

Cherries : A Vietnam War Novel by John Podlaski

It's 1970 - they're 18 years old - drafted and tra more...0 points

The Vietnam War (History Channel)

The Vietnam War (History Channel)

At a total cost of more than 3.1 million lives, th more...0 points

Very Crazy, G.I.!: Strange but True Stories of the Vietnam War by Kregg P. Jorgenson

Very Crazy, G.I.!: Strange but True Stories of the Vietnam War by Kregg P. Jorgenson

AMERICAN BOYS AT WAR IN VIETNAM--AND INVOLVED IN INCIDENTS more...0 points

Dear America - Letters Home from Vietnam

Dear America - Letters Home from Vietnam

This classic HBO documentary features reenactments more...0 points

Vietnam: Rising Dragon by Bill Hayton

Vietnam: Rising Dragon by Bill Hayton

The eyes of the West have recently been trained on more...0 points

Vietnam Stories - Dreams to Nightmares by Ted Pannell

Vietnam Stories - Dreams to Nightmares by Ted Pannell

To say, 'War is hell,' is an understatement...war more...0 points

Last Man Out: A Personal Account of the Vietnam War by James E. Parker Jr.

Last Man Out: A Personal Account of the Vietnam War by James E. Parker Jr.

"I WAS AMONG THE FIRST MEN IN, AND I WAS THE LAST more...0 points

BATTLEFIELD - Vietnam: from Dien Bien Phu to Peace with Honor! 3 DVD Set!

BATTLEFIELD - Vietnam: from Dien Bien Phu to Peace with Honor! 3 DVD Set!

Battlefield Vietnam: From Dien Bien Phu to Peace w more...0 points

Outlaws in Vietnam by David Eastman

Outlaws in Vietnam by David Eastman

Ride a Huey with the Outlaws of the 175th Aviation more...0 points

Vietnam War Stories

Vietnam War Stories

Vietnam War Stories A UNIQUE INSIGHT TO THE VIETNAM more...0 points

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A Guide to Vietnam 

For you Trip to Hoi An

The Rough Guide to Vietnam (Rough Guides)

Amazon Price: $13.40 (as of 02/23/2012)Buy Now

This book helped me prepare for our trip. I enjoyed reading it.