Hoi An, Vietnam: 5 Tips When Visiting Asia's Best City
Updated: Jun 17, 2020
Favorite spots in Hoi An, Vietnam
Hoi An is a very popular destination in Vietnam. This beautiful old town has survived the bombings during the war and is still authentic. Hoi An is no secret anymore. On the weekends, the small town is packed with tourists and feels like Disneyland, with coloured lights & luminous dragons in the river. But still, Hoi An is one of my favorite places in Vietnam. This bustling town, where scents of incense & bbq fill the air, has stolen my heart.
Renting a bike is a MUST in Hoi An! Most of the town centre is car free and everything is nearby. Another MUST is finding a tailor and having some clothes made! It is amazing what they can do here! Bring photos of your favorite dresses, jumpsuits or jackets and they will make them for you! I had my clothes made at a small shop called “47” inside a market: very hard to find… The most famous, best reviewed tailor in town is “Yaly Couture”. Further down in this post I will tell you more about how to find a good tailor and what to look out for.
The mysterious temples of Mi Son are definitely worth a visit. Up to this day, nobody understands how the temples were build & constructed. This place was a hiding spot for the Vietcong during the war and the bomb craters are the remains of the battle that was fought here. Unfortunately, some of the temples were partially destroyed during this time. Visit Mi Son BEFORE you visit Angkor Wat: after that, nothing will impress you anymore… I booked a comfortable tour with Tommy Tours for my visit to Mi Son.
Book an Easy Rider to travel from Hoi An to Hué. This was the BEST experience ever! Sitting on the back of a giant Honda will give you the ultimate feeling of freedom. I felt perfectly safe. During my day trip we stopped at beautiful views, visited an oyster farm and I climbed up the steps to the Marble Mountains. My driver would stop everytime I wanted to take a photo….poor guy. This was perfect to feed my Instagram! I took sooo many photos.
I think this is the best way to travel from Hoi An to Hué, or the other way around, even with a suitcase. My Suit Suit was perfectly strapped to the motor! Always check the reviews of other travelers before you book an Easyrider. Some companies are not very reliable…
Not to do: Do not let yourself be pulled into a tailor shop to order clothes, but google some reviews of good places before you place an order anywhere. Don’t let a taxi driver drop you off somewhere: he will probably get a fee for dropping you off there, if you place an order. The same thing goes for your hotel. They will recommend places to you, will get almost 40% of your order and the poor man making your clothes will probably just get a couple of dollars. Do some research before you place an order.
Tip 1: Do not visit Hoi An on the weekends. Try to book your stay during the week or stay a little longer, so you can enjoy the beautiful old town, without big groups of Chinese tourists blocking your bike…
Tip 2: If you need transport to the airport or the train station, I would recommend booking a shuttle service at, for example, Hoi An Travel. This will cost you approximately 110.000 dong, which is about $5. A hotel shuttle service or a taxi will cost you a whole lot more.