Top 5 Things To Do In Hoi An

By John Hamilton, Director of Marketing

Hoi An is one of the most captivating destinations in all of Vietnam, with a photogenic “Ancient Town”, neighbourhoods surrounded by rice paddies and one of Vietnam’s most beautiful beaches. It’s an easy trip from InterContinental Danang Resort (40 minutes) and I visit regularly.

Here are my suggestions for your visit to Hoi An – highly subjective for sure!

Stroll the streets of the old town. Lined with cafes, shops and shop house architecture with shuttered windows and rich ochre walls, it’s small enough that you can cover the whole town in an hour.

Aside from the Japanese bridge, historic attractions worth visiting are the Assembly Halls – community centres where traders and merchants of the past met and socialized. I particularly like the Fujian and the Hainan assembly halls. The Ba Mu temple is also a deserving (photo) stop.

Rent a bike and cycle through the ride paddies. Stop at Roving Chill House for a drink (surrounded by rice paddies) or make your way to An Bang beach; my favourite beach club is the Deck House.

Eat and drink. Best banh mi: Madam Khanh, the Banh Mi Queen. Best Vietnamese restaurant: Morning Glory near the night market. Best bar: Market Terrace Bar on the rooftop of the farmers market.

Stay until after dark. The pretty town of Hoi An becomes magical – hundreds of lanterns in the streets, and on the river, lantern-lit rowboats. Start your evening at the Lune Theatre, with an on-going performance called Teh Dar that combines culture with acrobatics — very cool!