Beautiful Hoian is the kind of place you could stay for a month and never get bored.
But if you only have a day here you can fit a month’s worth of
activities in and still feel like you’ve hit the Vietnamese jackpot. Not
only is Hoian a seriously pretty town but it’s also full of all the
things we love: delicious food, great shopping, cycling, beaches,
mountains and thousands of smiling faces.
10am Head to the Japanese covered Bridge, painted pink, with a pagoda roof—the most popular photo-op of the town where two dogs and two monkeys stand guard. Locals say it depicts the fact that the construction of the bridge started in the year of the dog and finished in the year of the monkey. On the northern end of the bridge is a temple dedicated to the god of weather where the locals pray to escape earthquakes.
11am Cross the bridge into Old Town with its low tiled roof houses ancient wells for some retail therapy. Hoi An is famous for its tailoring shops. Most of them can put together an outfit in 12 hours or less and even deliver right to your doorstep. This trade was started long ago by Chinese and Japanese traders and is still continued by over 200 shops at very competitive prices. There are also footwear shops who are master copiers. You simply have to browse a catalogue for the cut, choose a fabric and wait for the tailoring. There are great souvenirs to be had too as many talented local artists have set up workshops and galleries. Choose from multi-hued lacquer panels in modernistic interpretations, oil paintings and paintings on silk. Most shop owners are even willing to ship it to you.
12pm Hop on a bike for a ride to to traditional villages nearby: Tra Que, Thanh Ha...
2pm Hoi An is famous for its cooking schools. There are lots to
choose from. Learn how to create your own Vietnamese feast. Then eat it.
4pm Back on the bike, go for a ride to the nearby China Beach for some serious R&R.
8pm Hoi An’s has restaurants every few metres but we like to
keep real with cao lau noodles from the street stalls. Afterwards choose
a bar to kick back with a cocktail or three and watch Hoi An’s joyful
night life unfold.
10pm Come up with a wicked plan to stay an extra day so you can take a boat tour out to Cham Island.
