South East Asian Trips

Not far away from Danang (30 Km) Hoi An town is small and peaceful, the kind of place where you may get stuck for a few days, whether it is intentionasl or not. Originally known as Faifo, this antique town is bordered on its southern side by the Thu Bon River, along which there's a number of small cafes.

Despite the fact that it is now a tourist haven, the artistic atmosphere and local friendly people create an inviting environment.
Hoi An was an important port developed in 17th century and remained so for a long time. There used to be canals parallel to the streets, so merchandise could be loaded straight from the back of houses onto the boats. Hoi An's continuance as a port lasted right up until the early years of the 20 century, when the river became silted up forcing the cargo ships to call at Da Nang instead.

In the past Hoi An has been used by the Japanese, Portuguese, Dutch, French and the large remaining Chinese community where all sorts of produce and wares were traded. Remnants of these past traders' influences can still be seen lining the streets of Hoi An. There are nine different types of historical sites in Hoi An with an average age of 200 years. They include private houses, family chapels, community halls, communal houses, temples, pagodas, bridges, wells and tombs. Many of these buildings have been maintained close to their original form, allowing you imagination to recreate a prosperous trading town. The houses are small and colorful with wooden doors and two round "wooden house's eyes" above, window shutters and ornamental furniture. A pleasant change from the iron bars and metal grates of other towns.

Hoi An is full of shops selling artwork, from lifelike memorial family portraits, to stylized images of Hoi An houses and streets. Next door to the art shops are places selling souvenir statues, ceramic plates, and 'antique' bowls. At the market place beside the river, you can pick up almost anything you want. Tourists are often being lured into the markets to buy silk and to have quality garments tailor made. You can have anything from dresses and trousers to shirts and hats made for a cheap price.

Another noticeable quality of Hoi An is its relative silence. There are few cars and people do not feel the urge to use their horns every two seconds. The streets are filled with the hum of voices, motorbikes and the shuffling of thongs along the ground. Hoi An is small enough to get around on foot, and you will need a set of wheels if you are going to Cua Dai Beach, or on a day trip to the Marble Mountains or Da Nang.

A relaxing activity around sunset is to hire a boat from the waterside by the market place. Many of the locals will wait on the river and offer you this service throughout the day and night.

Some of the popular tourist attractions in Hoi An, Vietnam are

Old Houses

Phung Hung Old House built believed to be built in 1798 is the most visited among all others. This three storied house has a mix of Chinese and Japanese structural designs and used to be a shop house of merchants. The other similar Old Houses in Hoi An, Vietnam are the 200 year old Tan Ky Old House, the well preserved Quan Thang Old House and the Diep Dong Nguyen Old House. Hoian

Temples and Shrines

These are the most visited places for sightseeing in Hoi An, Vietnam. The prominent among them are the Tran Family chapel built in 1802 by the Tran family, the ethnic Chinese shrine called Truong Family Chapel, Japanese Tombs, Trieu Chau Assembly Hall and Phuc Kien Assembly Hall. Japanese Covered Bridge

Beaches, Islands and Lagoons

These are the most popular Hoi An, Vietnam tourist attractions. Among the beaches the Cua Dai Beach famous for sunbath and fresh seafood is widely visited. Cham islands , a cluster of 7 island and Hai Van Pass with hills, Thu Bon River, valleys and lagoons are no less popular,

My Son Holy Land

Located 60 kilometers from Hoi An, Vietnam this UNESCO declared World Heritage Site houses 17 temples and towers of 13th and 14th centuries belonging to the Champa people. ,

Museums, Churches and Pagodas

Some of the prominent museums are Hoi An Museum of History and Culture, Museum of Sa Huynh Culture and Hoi An Museum of Trade and Ceramics, Some pagodas and churches are also worth a visit in Hoi An, Vietnam like Cao Dai Pagoda, Chuc Thanh Pagoda, the Hoi An Church and the Cham Museum In Danang is just 15 km away

Shopping

Hoi An, Vietnam offers a good selection of Vietnam art, handicraft and clothes with more than 140 shops in the city as in 2002. The cloth market is filled with small tailor stalls that are cheaper than shops elsewhere's,

Getting to Hoi An, Vietnam

Hoi An, Vietnam is easily accessible by rail and air, another reason for it being one of the prime Vietnam popular destinations. The nearest airport and rail stations are at Danang. There are regular traveler buses running to Hoi An, Vietnam from various other cities of Vietnam.