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OH Hoi An. This is definitely on my must go to list in Vietnam. It sits along the coastline, in right about the middle of the country. Being a UNESCO site there’s so much character and culture here and the overall vibe makes it feel like you are in a movie. The streets here are filled with textile clothing stores where you can get custom fitted and designed clothing for extremely cheap. There are also ample amount of restaurants and shops you won’t run out of places to go check out. The city is also very bike friendly and getting around is very easy.

We stayed here for a total of 4 nights, which I will say is enough but I honestly wish I could have stayed longer! We spent our days riding bikes throughout the streets and across the river to explore the rice paddies. The beach also isn’t too far off so a break away from town is quite good exercise. There are cooking classes and plenty of textile stores to choose where to get your custom clothes made. If you have the time, I also recommend doing a day trip to Danang which is only about 45 minutes north of Hoi An.

Location: Old Town

Getting here is a bit of a journey, but depending on where you are coming from the best way is to fly into Danang and take a cab to Old Town. It’s about a 30 minute drive.

• Nha Trang – Danang: Vietnam Airlines – $100

We stayed right in the heart of Old Town, which is a UNESCO site so many of the original buildings and architecture have been preserved. It’s a beautiful area to take a stroll, go window shopping and take in the surroundings. I highly recommend staying in this area simply because it’s in the center of most of Hoi An and you don’t have very far to go to get everything you need.

Accommodation: DK’s Guesthouse

This was definitely the most expensive accommodation we stayed at throughout our Southeast Asia trip, but for a whopping $20/night we were able to get a massive room with queen size bed and ensuite. The hostel was pretty massive and offered a lot of perks and activities. There was free breakfast every morning, water, and bike rentals. They had a pub crawl every night as well as a free bike tour, which I highly recommend. They also have activities almost every night so you definitely won’t feel left out if traveling alone. They also have a pretty sweet indoor pool with basketball hoop if you want to cool off. Definitely recommend this one!

• Cost: $20/night

Activities

Biking

As mentioned before THE best way to see Old Town and explore other areas that may be too far to walk is by biking. We got free bike rentals through our hostel but you can rent them elsewhere too. There are some islands near Old Town that you can get to by bridges if you want to get a little lost and explore. We saw some little villages filled with rice paddies and farmland. A great way to escape and explore the town.

Beach

The beaches aren’t too far from Old Town and it’s a nice getaway if you want to relax and get some sun. It’s not as nice as Nha Trang beaches but who cares when you wanna cool off! It’s about 2km from town so it’s easily bikeable. Just make sure to bring cash to park your bike.

• Cost: 2,000 VND for parking your bike

Get custom clothes made

As I said before this place is stacked with store after store of textiles and clothing options. Almost too many to even know which one is the best. Violet and BeBe were recommended by our hostel. BeBe was slightly pricier and I liked Violet better because it was a bit smaller and less chaotic so I felt like I had a bit more personal service. I got two dresses made and they both turned out extremely well, I got exactly what I wanted. I felt a bit pressured for time to get something done before I left Hoi An but she was able to get it done in less than 24 hours!

• Cost per dress: $17-$22

Cooking Class – Café 24

My goal was to do a cooking class in every country so this place was recommended to us from our hostel. It was located in a restaurant in town and compared to Sammy’s in Chiang Mai this one was much more laid back and less formal. The woman who led the class was very sweet and since it was just the two of us it felt more personal. But honestly I’d probably say skip the class and just order the food, this place was bomb!

• Cost: $7 + the cost of the dishes you make

Day trip to Danang

Danang is only about 30-60 minutes north of Hoi An via motorbike and if you have the time I definitely would recommend spending a day here. Here were some of the highlights:

1. Marble Mountain

So I didn’t know much about Danang but on the way from the airport to Hoi An we saw this sweet cave inside a mountain so decided to check it out. It’s definitely worth it; completely different than some of the other caves we have explored. There are also many different caves to see throughout the mountain with different view points to explore. Just note that there will be some pretty steep stairs and parts to climb, but totally worth the view. There is also an elevator you can take up if you don’t want to hike the whole way up.

2. The beach

The beaches in Danang are quite nicer than Nha Trang. It sits along a massive bay so there is a long stretch of sand with very few people. A nice pit stop in between Marble Mountain and Lady Buddha for lunch.

3. Lady Buddha

At the northern corner of the bay is a HUGE Lady Buddha statue that overlooks the ocean and coastline. It has absolutely stunning views of the ocean and cliffside. There are also some nice temples next to it with a banyan tree garden display at the entrance. Entry is free.

Food & Dining

Café 24

Highly recommend to go here, the food is extremely cheap and overall great Vietnamese food. The staff were so happy and friendly and overall has a great vibe. Kinda located off the beaten path but sometimes those are the best places =)

Ganesh

If you are looking for something a bit different than the local cuisine definitely go for Indian at Ganesh. It was a good thing we arrived early because this place was absolutely packed. AMAZING flavor in our dishes and had a great variety of options as well.

Banh Mi Stands

If you have been through Vietnam enough you will realize how many banh mi sandwich stands there are along the streets. The ingredients may look a little sketch but don’t let that stop you. It may be the best cuisine decision of your life! For just a dollar or two you can get a massive banh mi sandwich filled with meat and veggies of who knows what but for the price and flavor its definitely a MUST to grab on the go for lunch. Each sandwich is made differently from each vendor but I have to say I don’t think I ever had a bad one.

Nightlife

For a UNESCO site I wasn’t anticipating a big nightlife scene but I was actually pretty surprised. We went on a pub crawl that the hostel organized. There were lots of bars throughout town that were all within walking distance so very easy to get to. I recommend going through one of the crawls if you are interested in seeing as many places as you can so that way you can pick and choose your favorite for next time!