Hoi An Vietnamese ‘s, perhaps even Southeast Asia’s most beautiful city. Every point you step on welcomes you with a brand new surprise. An amazing place with its food, people, nature, temples.

Old Town

The most beautiful place in Hoi An is the historical part of the UNESCO World Heritage List. Its tiny streets are full of colorful shops, cafes and temples. At night, the Old City turns into a fairy tale city, with thousands of colorful paper lanterns lit. Every month, the Festival of Lights is held in Hoi An to coincide with the 15th day of the lunar calendar. On the night of this festival, electronics such as fluorescent lamps, television and radio are not used in the Old City, the city is only illuminated with paper lanterns. Baskets of wishes lit by candles are left in the river. A complete visual feast.

Take a Temple Tour

There are many temples in the Old Town. Some are paid, some are free. Tickets for 5 entries are sold for paid temples. With this ticket, you can visit 5 places of your choice, including 22 museums, houses and temples. Even the ones that can be visited for free without buying a ticket are nice enough. You can choose according to your budget. Especially the Quan Cong Temple is a place to see.

Cross the Japanese Bridge

Another important place in the Old Town is the Japanese Bridge, a covered wooden structure. One of the symbols of the city. It was built by Japanese traders in the 16th century. The protection of the bridge is provided by the dog statues at one end and the monkey statues at the other. Crossing the bridge is free, but if you want to visit the temple at one end, you have to use the ticket I mentioned above.

Cycle Through Rice Fields

Hoi An isn’t just about Old Town, of course. When you are only 1-2 km away from the center, you come across wonderful rice fields. Since the fields are separated by tiny concrete roads, it is extremely enjoyable to travel by bike or motorcycle here. You can see birds working in the fields and feeding on rice sprouts. The only thing you need to pay attention to is the mosquito influx at sunset.

Pass by Hai Van Pass

Between the cities of Hoi An and Danang there is a road called the Hai Van Pass. A road full of bends and spectacular scenery. Since the new highway has been built, it is not normally preferred for transportation, but the road quality is still very good and one of the biggest attractions in Hoi An is to rent a motorbike and cross this road. Even if you cannot drive a motor yourself, there are many companies that rent it with a driver. Hai Van Pass is such a beautiful place that a very funny episode was made about it in the famous Top Gear program at the time.

Swim at An Bang Beach

As if the beauty of the city itself wasn’t enough, Hoi An also has delightful beaches. Although the sea is not magnificent, you should definitely visit the beaches. It is a very different environment than we are used to. The beaches, which are calm and even empty during the day, are crowded with people as the working hours are over. Moreover, those who come do not bother to wear swimsuits. They leave their bags on the beach and flock to the sea. Elegantly dressed women and young people in jeans fill the sea. When you get out of the water, you can enjoy buying dried squid and beer from the vendors on the beach. A very festive atmosphere indeed.

Have Breakfast at Bahn Mi Queen

Vietnam differs from other Southeast Asian countries in one more way. They make amazing breads. They make a sandwich called Bahn Mi with these breads. These sandwiches, which usually cost less than 1 usd, can be found everywhere, but the queen of these sandwiches is Bahn Mi Queen in Hoi An. You should definitely have a breakfast or lunch here.