It's taken me ages to visit Hoi An. As a Vietnamese native, I've always wanted to stop by this little lantern town in the city of Da Nang on all of my previous trips to Vietnam with my family. Yet somehow never managed because none of my relatives thought it was worthy of a trip. I mean, who can blame them? Vietnam is insanely diverse from North to South, and everyone has their own opinions which part is best.
As a sucker for colorful and cultural places, Hoi An was not just a check off my bucket list of UNESCO sites to see.
Vietnam's history is quite complicated and long- but what made me really interested in visiting this ancient town was its rich influences from the Chinese and Japanese. From the temples to the traditional pagoda bridge, there were tons of obvious little details of Chinese and Japanese that this place is composed of to this day. Being here for a good three days with my boyfriend was quite pleasant and it's the number of days that I'll recommend you give this place if you're thinking about seeing it yourself.
Hoi An during the day versus night is two completely different atmospheres. Heck, I woke up at 6 am on one of the days to check out the market and when we got to town at 11 am, I could already felt the vibe and scenery change. It's this reason that I'm really glad I gave this spot a few days to fully soak it in.
The canal that runs through Hoi An is quite small and shallow, so I honestly didn't expect it to be anything spectacular at night - but once I got on the wooden boat and started drifting away, the view from the water with the paper lanterns made it felt super rustic - as if I traveled back in time.
Below is a mixture of photographs that Shun and I took during the trip (since we had our own cameras this time). We really loved capturing the colors of this place and the people. If you're looking to experience a bit of an old-world-charm Tangled, I highly recommend visiting Hoi An.
As a sucker for colorful and cultural places, Hoi An was not just a check off my bucket list of UNESCO sites to see.
Vietnam's history is quite complicated and long- but what made me really interested in visiting this ancient town was its rich influences from the Chinese and Japanese. From the temples to the traditional pagoda bridge, there were tons of obvious little details of Chinese and Japanese that this place is composed of to this day. Being here for a good three days with my boyfriend was quite pleasant and it's the number of days that I'll recommend you give this place if you're thinking about seeing it yourself.
Hoi An during the day versus night is two completely different atmospheres. Heck, I woke up at 6 am on one of the days to check out the market and when we got to town at 11 am, I could already felt the vibe and scenery change. It's this reason that I'm really glad I gave this spot a few days to fully soak it in.
The canal that runs through Hoi An is quite small and shallow, so I honestly didn't expect it to be anything spectacular at night - but once I got on the wooden boat and started drifting away, the view from the water with the paper lanterns made it felt super rustic - as if I traveled back in time.
Below is a mixture of photographs that Shun and I took during the trip (since we had our own cameras this time). We really loved capturing the colors of this place and the people. If you're looking to experience a bit of an old-world-charm Tangled, I highly recommend visiting Hoi An.
A Few Things To Keep In Mind:
Since this place is a major tourist destination, you'll find that most shops, restaurants and even food stalls will be able to communicate with you in basic English. However, for the most part, knowing Vietnamese or traveling with someone who does speak the language will give you an advantage as many vendors are known for taking a little advantage of foreigners and tourists.
The main dish of the area is called "Cao Lau" which is basically a dry version of a Mi Quang. I definitely recommend trying both of these dishes to compare which one you prefer - but do not pay more than 35k Dong for a bowl!
As a Southern Vietnamese, the dish "Com Ga" is very different for me. So, to try the central version was really interesting. I was able to stop by Madam Buoi's spot and it did not disappoint!
When in Vietnam, make sure you have as much Vietnamese coffee as you can. Hoi An has so many good and photogenic cafes on every corner. Some of my favorites are Cong Cafe, Faifo, Hoi An Roastery and The Hill Station.
If time allows, make a visit to Reaching Out Tea House. Go for the tea sample set or coffee set and make sure you get their butter passionfruit cookies!
Don't be afraid to try the street food and stop by the night market to eat on the side of the streets. They were some of mine and Shun's best meals.
The main dish of the area is called "Cao Lau" which is basically a dry version of a Mi Quang. I definitely recommend trying both of these dishes to compare which one you prefer - but do not pay more than 35k Dong for a bowl!
As a Southern Vietnamese, the dish "Com Ga" is very different for me. So, to try the central version was really interesting. I was able to stop by Madam Buoi's spot and it did not disappoint!
When in Vietnam, make sure you have as much Vietnamese coffee as you can. Hoi An has so many good and photogenic cafes on every corner. Some of my favorites are Cong Cafe, Faifo, Hoi An Roastery and The Hill Station.
If time allows, make a visit to Reaching Out Tea House. Go for the tea sample set or coffee set and make sure you get their butter passionfruit cookies!
Don't be afraid to try the street food and stop by the night market to eat on the side of the streets. They were some of mine and Shun's best meals.
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Camera Gear Used: Nikon D750 (body only) with 50mm F1/4 and 24-85mm F3.5 lens.
