An Overview of Hoi An, an Unexpected Dreamy City Situated in the Middle of Vietnam

I had never heard of Hoi An before planning this trip and I don’t know how I could possibly miss it! This place has truly been magical and a must stop if you are visiting Vietnam.

Most of my prior travel experience includes trips to famous European cities that offer lots of fun shops, restaurants, public transport, and walkable sights. So far Asia has been entirely different from that, especially the island Koh Samui not having a lot of shops and needing a cab to get to any location. Bangkok was just so large it wasn’t walkable in the slightest. Same with Ho Chi Minh City, so now being in Hoi An and getting around easily, eating well, with shops and attractions in a close radius, it has been a blessing.

We got an adorable villa a bit outside of the old town, requiring us to either bike in or get a ride, but it turned out to not be a big deal because taxis are less than a dollar here. We have this adorable room, got to swim in a rooftop pool, and are treated to a home cooked breakfast each morning. The staff knows us by name too, and this being said it costed $13 a night per person, so $26 for the room. If you think that price is good, Izzy and I just ate sandwiches for lunch that were 15,000 dong… for reference $1 USD = 25,000 dong so that meal was less than one dollar.

We have been getting in the habit of having our favorite Vietnamese dish, banh mi sandwiches, at least once a day, typically for lunch, and then going classy for dinner. We have been very determined to eat Vietnamese food as much as we can, it is so delicious and we know that we will only get it for so long. I think I like Vietnamese food more than Thai food, I can’t explain my rationale for it, but I also think the prices make the food more desirable here as nothing hits like a $1 sandwich that fills you up for the afternoon. I also have tried the well known Pho, Cao Lau which is phenomenal, also some coconut coffee.

It’s been a full experience in this town, a completely difference place during the day and the night. During the day it's a romantic city bustling with visitors admiring the yellow buildings and orange roofs decorated with flowers and lanterns, to the night, a town glowing from the all the lanterns keeping the city bright. You have the river lively with boats and visitors riding in them, letting paper and candle boxes go to float on the surface of the river. Not to mention the many bars with live music, the night market for you to shop, or the wild food options at the carts that line the river. Two different cities in the same spot, just a few hours apart adds to the beauty and complexity of this place, a reason surely that it must be visited. Add Hoi An to your list of must visits, especially if you are planning a trip to Vietnam.