Exploring the Hoi An Old Town
Vietnam has lots to offer for many tourists, and none more so than in the beach city of Hoi An. The Old Town itself is a UNESCO Heritage Site, so it always seems to be buzzing with activity. With beaches all around, it may be small, but there is plenty to keep you busy, and you might struggle to decide on what you want to see in just a day.
Morning
I’d suggest taking it really easy in the morning. A lot of visitors to Hoi An will probably be up early to have a relaxing session of yoga, but seeing as I’m not any sort of yogi, I’ll be sleeping in late and waking up to wander onto the beach. There will be plenty of resorts to pick from along Cua Dai beach that stretches along for 3km. Although most tourists will end up flocking here, you can pick from a number of activities to partake in, including jet skiing, kayaking and wind surfing.
If beaches are your thing, then you’ll definitely want to explore Cebu.
Lunch
Fusion Cafe
About 5km away near the Old Town, grab your lunch at the Fusion Cafe. This cafe doubles up as Fusion Maia Da Nang’s anchor in Hoi An, with regular shuttle buses from its main resort here. As a result, you can dine and relax here safe in the knowledge that everything available to you will be high quality, and the service from headquarters also extends out to here. They serve Lavazza coffee here, so down a quality brew along with your meal, and you’ll be ready for a full afternoon of exploring.
Afternoon
Meander outside from Fusion Cafe and you’ll be right opposite the old town. Skip past the fruit sellers and other vendors and you’ll cross the bridge. Take a moment right here to look around, you’ll do well to get better views of the Thu Bon River. It’s a prime selfie spot, so snap away, but do be careful of the bicycles and mopeds flying around.
Prepare to be asked about purchasing everything within earshot. During my own afternoon around town, I lost count of the number of rickshaw rides I was offered. A smile and “no, thank you” will normally sort you out, but it can get tiring after a while.
From crossing the bridge, you’ll come straight to a fork on your right. Take the left hand option, and soon enough, you will come up across Saigon Kitsch. There’s plenty to keep you entertained in here, including propaganda art and parodies of well known entertainment brands such as Mr. Bean (Mr. Binh) and the Mr. Men and Little Miss series. Inside, you’ll also be offered the opportunity to make your own monster doll! Indulge and you’ll be rewarded with plenty of giggles.
On the next parallel street, there’s another shop that I enjoyed browsing. Artbook is a very funky store. In here, there are plenty of coasters and posters of well known movies and anime films, but all with slight twists. Going through shelf by shelf, you’ll find books, tea bags and other household goods, keeping you busy for a good while.
Keen on seeing more of Vietnam? Try visiting Ho Chi Minh for a city stay.
Dinner
Mango Rooms
Your lunch should have been walked off by now, so find your way to a restaurant called Mango Rooms. Don’t confuse it with its sister restaurant, confusingly called Mango Mango. At Mango Rooms, you’ll get modern dishes served in a casual environment with plenty of colours to lighten the mood. The daily specials here often use ingredients fresh from the local market, so it’s definitely worth paying a visit if you want to try Hoi An’s genuine products.
Evening
After dining, it is worth hanging around Hoi An for a bit longer. Right now, you can savour the Old Town at night, including the fabulous lanterns that light up the place. Get yourself down to the market, which ought to still be buzzing with activity, before taking your pick from the bars overlooking the river to finish off your day.
