HOI AN, Vietnam - The Essential - Tours, Shopping, Food, Nightlife

Hey guys, welcome to Hoi An, one of the most beautiful, but also one of the most crowded cities in Vietnam. In this video we will show you around this cozy little city, take you to some of its main sights, sample some very interesting food, we will take a sneak peek at its nightlife, give you a crash course in massages and of course we'll do some shopping, including taking you through the whole process of buying tailor-made clothes. In addition, we'll take you outside the city to some of the most popular sites in the Hoi An and Da Nang area. And as per usual, at the end of the video I will give you a review of the hotel I stayed in during my four-day trip. So let's get right to it. Hoi An is located smack in the middle of Vietnam, on the southern side of the largest city of Da Nang. And if you come here by plane like me, you will land at International Airport in Da Nang. The best way to get from the airport to Hoi An is by taxi. And as I am a little bit lazy, I just got the hotel to arrange it for me. And for that I paid 450 000 Dong, or about 1850 US dollars. And yes, you can get it a bit cheaper if you shop around online. So let's first have a look at the layout of Hoi An. The city center is located in the Old Town, on both sides of this canal. And from my experience, the most lively area of the city is around these three streets on the northern side, and this one street on the southern side of the canal, with the An Hoi Bridge being kind of the natural center of it all. And although Hoi An really comes to life at night, let's first have a look at what kind of daytime activities it has to offer. One popular way of getting an introduction to the city is actually to sign up for a guided walking tour. Many of these groups gather every morning around the An Hoi Bridge. You can book them online, and they come in many different languages. If you want to swing it on your own though, like me, the first thing you want to do is find one of these ticket booths. And you can find one right on the An Hoi Bridge. Here you can buy a ticket for 120 000 dong, or about five US dollars. This will give you entrance to five sites of your own choosing. When you are there, it's also a good idea to just ask them which are the most popular sites. And when you have the ticket, you can just start exploring on foot, as everything in the city center is within walking distance. One popular site to visit is the beautiful and intimate Chuen Tong Temple. This Chinese inspired temple dates back to the 1650s. It might not differ that much to other temples if you have traveled a lot in Southeast Asia, but it is a nice place of worship, and also just a great place to get out of the heat, relax a little, and plan the rest of your day. Another place where you can relax a little is the traditional art performance house. This is a small and intimate theater that puts on 15-20 minutes long shows a few times every day. Here you can sample some traditional Vietnamese singing and dancing. In the center of Hoi An, there are also quite a few small museums. A couple of examples are the Museum of Traditional Medicine, and the Museum of Folk Culture. And although some of these museums might seem a bit special interest museums, when exploring them you do get the great sense of the amazing architecture in the old city. There are also many old homes you can visit in Hoi An, the most popular one being the old house of Tan Ky. Dating back to 1741, this beautiful home is named after Lee Tan Ky. This is also the house where you can learn about the floods of Hoi An, and how high the water has reached the different years. But remember that just walking around and taking in the amazing atmosphere of this town is a sight in itself. And if you get too tired or it gets too hot, just drop by any of the many coffee shops for a nice refreshment. Just a little word of warning though, there are many of these tricycle taxis in the city during daytime. And although they are probably very comfortable to sit in, they are not that comfortable to get over your ankle. So when you walk around, do have a look over your shoulder before you This also goes for the motorbikes, which roam around in the city during daytime. So in Hoi An you also have a lot of shopping opportunities. But before we look at the shopping, let's go on one of the most popular half-day trips from Hoi An. About one and a half hours by car inland, you will find the My Son temple ruins. So this trip I actually booked directly on TripAdvisor for the first time ever. And it worked surprisingly well. I got an email with all the details. And the day before the tour, I got a message directly from the tour operator on WhatsApp with a pickup time. On the day of the tour, I was picked up in this bus. And after a little pickup round, we were moved over to smaller vans for the small group tour, where our very funny and knowledgeable guide was waiting. So for this whole trip, I paid 30 USD, including lunch and a boat ride, that we'll show you soon. When arriving at My Son, you are taken in these electric cars towards the ruins. And on the way, we first stopped at a lotus farm for a little photo opportunity. And then to this theater to sample some more traditional Vietnamese performances. And I couldn't help thinking that I think I've seen some of this before. But definitely not everything. So then you're taken to the temple ruins. And for the first part, you will walk around with a guide. He will tell you that this place dates back to between the 4th and the 13th century. It was not open to the public, but only to the monks and to the king who came here to pray to the Hindu god Shiva. And mainly, the king would pray for fertility and many children. And that's why there are so many linga figures on the premises. And after the guided tour, you're free to roam around a little on your own. On our way back, we walked through a beautiful forest. We also stopped at the museum before we had lunch back by the parking lot. On our way back, we stopped at a place that makes rice paper. Just before arriving in Hai An, we moved from the van over to this boat for a 20-minute boat ride. I don't think the boat ride really added a lot to the trip. So if you're wondering whether you should choose a tour with the boat ride or not, well, this is what you get. Anyway, for the last few minutes back to Hai An, it was back in the van, after a very enjoyable half-day trip that I can totally recommend. So back in Hai An, let's do some shopping. Well, as there are many tourists in Hai An, of course you will get all the touristy stuff in the shops. As for their specialities, they have quite a lot of leather shops. The selection in the shops are very good, but they can also make stuff for you, so if you have anything special you want made, you can ask them if they can make it for you. They also have a lot of artsy stuff to put on your wall, if you like the style. And I especially liked this shop that made very detailed embroideries of Vietnamese motifs. Not cheap, but very nice. And as a guy interested in model boats, I really enjoyed this shop. They had a huge selection of especially old sail ships, but also a really cool selection of vintage wooden motorboats. And you're probably thinking there's no way you have room for this in your luggage. But no worries, they can take the boat, fold it together, put it in a box and ship it to your home address. They even have a separate price list for postage to different countries. What most people come to Hai An to buy though, is probably tailor-made clothes. And the same for me. And as I am a little bit lazy, as I already told you, I just went to the tailor that was recommended by my hotel. So how does this work then? Well, most people probably have an idea of what they want before they come here. But if not, you can walk around and get some inspiration from the clothes in the shop. They also have many very thick catalogues that you can browse through. The easiest way though, is probably just to talk to one of the staff. When you have decided what you want, it's time to decide on the fabric. And there's so much to choose from. And then it's time to find out if all those hours in the gym has paid off. And when you find out they haven't really, it's time to pay the deposit. And I think I paid about 50% up front. Then the next day, or later depending on how long you're staying in Hai An, it's back for the first fitting. And as this tailor was quite a large one, they had a huge fitting room upstairs. So I bought five business shirts to use in the office. I already used them a lot, I'm very satisfied, great fit and no need to iron. I also bought a pair of linen trousers and a blue jacket for summer use. I haven't really used them since we haven't had those two weeks of summer back home yet that we have once a year. However, the trousers felt like a good fit when standing up. But when I was sitting down, they kind of felt like they were going to rip, if you know what I mean. The jacket though felt like a good fit. So for all of this, I paid $40 per shirt, $139 for the jacket and $76 for the trousers. And yes, I probably paid a little bit more than necessary because I didn't bargain a lot. For the last day, I came back for a little refit on some of the shirts. And then a couple of hours later, back to pay the rest of the bill and pick up my clothes. In Hai An, you can of course also go shopping at night. But let's wait for that until the sun sets. Let's instead go for another half-day trip outside of Hai An, to a place at least I think is a must-see destination. It is of course the Marble Mountain with its amazing caves and its great view over the Da Nang area. So for this trip, I got a car and a driver through the hotel for about $50 for most of the day. And it turned out to be the same car as picked me up at the airport, which was nice. When arriving at the Marble Mountain, the first thing you want to do is to get your ticket, which is very cheap at less than $2. There's also an option of an elevator, but you don't really need this elevator unless you're really emotionally impaired or it's very slippery. It only takes about 10 to 15 minutes to walk up the stairs to the first attractions. So what is there to see then at the Marble Mountain? Well, they have a lot of very beautiful buddhist statues, they have small and intimate temples, and some large and impressive pagodas. The best thing about Marble Mountain though are all the caves, and there are so many of them for you to explore. And when you walk around here, don't be afraid to explore a little. I was really amazed when I walked behind this shrine and found this amazing statue inside a narrow cave. As you walk further into Marble Mountain, there are a couple of places that you should be careful not to miss. The first one being the highest peak. The trail to this peak is kind of hidden away in the back, and you have to climb some steep stairs to get to it. So I think this is the way to the highest peak, but I'm not quite sure and there's nobody here so... This must be... So the peak itself is not that nice, as it actually had a lot of empty bottles and stuff when I was there, but the view is great. The other place you should definitely not miss is the Hien Cong Cave. This cave is the main attraction of Marble Mountain, and it's also hidden away a little bit in the back. I think for me, this cave was actually worth the trip all on its own. And I must admit, I spent a lot of time in here just to soak in the atmosphere. Anyway, it was time for me to get down again. And on my way down, I kind of realized that these steps might be a bit of a challenge if it gets wet, so do take care if you're there on a rainy day. And if you're looking for a beautiful marble statue for your living room, they have a great selection across from the exit. So as I had a car for the whole day, I had time for one more destination. And I decided on one on the other side of Da Nang. Here they have a large Lady Buddha statue. And as you drive along the sandy beaches of Da Nang, you really get a good sense of the size of this landmark. The statue is located inside a large park, which also includes many other sites. Including this temple, which is the main hall of the area. Outside the temple, you can find 18 statues, arranged based on their spiritual significance. And as you move further into the park, you will get to the enormous statue, which is 67 meters tall and has a great view over the bay of Da Nang. So back in Hoi An, the sun is about to set. And you can really tell when all the boats are getting ready for the night's business. This is when it really gets crowded in the old city. But this is also when the city becomes its most beautiful, when all the lanterns are being lit. So what is there to do in Hoi An at night? Well, first of all, you can go on a 20-minute trip in one of these boats, which will cost you 150,000 Dong. If you're part of a larger group, you have the option of these boats. But then you will not be able to drive around in the city center, so it probably won't be the same experience. You can also buy one of these lanterns and release them into the water. This symbolizes the release of bad luck or negativity, and is intended to bring good fortune, health and happiness. Then of course, there is night shopping. And from what I could find, there are at least two night markets in the city center. As for the content of these markets, well, they have what you can typically expect of these kinds of tourist markets. Not really my kind of thing, but with one big exception. And that is, of course, the lanterns. And there are so many of them. Actually signing up for a course to make these lanterns are also a very popular activity in Hoi An. Another very popular nighttime activity in Hoi An can be found a short taxi ride outside the city center. Here on an island, you will find Hoi An Memories Land, which consists partly of a kind of a theme park and also a huge outdoor theater, where they put on the main attraction here, which is the Hoi An Memories Show. So to get to this place, I just booked myself a GrabTaxi, which costs less than $2. In addition, of course, you need a ticket to the show itself, and the price is 600,000 Dong. If you buy it through an agent or your hotel though, you might get it a little bit cheaper. We managed to get it down to 500,000. If you want to come to this place, you should probably plan to get there about one to two hours before the show starts, because there are quite a lot of things to see and do in the park. They have separate pagodas dedicated to different countries in Southeast Asia. They have a little bit of shopping, and of course a lot of restaurants. They also have these mini-shows that last about five minutes before the main show starts. So, we didn't really spend a lot of time exploring this park. And when I say we, it's actually because I didn't know about this park before I came to Hoi An. But my new friends from Spain, that I met on the Muson tour, were nice enough to invite me along. And we checked out some really cool photo opportunities and installations in the park. Then we were ready for the main attraction, which is the Hoi An Memories Show. This show is huge. Lots of actors, lots of beautiful lights, acrobatics, water, you name it. Some might say it's a little bit touristy, but if you haven't seen these kinds of shows before, it's definitely worth a visit. So, back in Hoi An, it's still the evening and it's still very crowded. And after walking in these crowds for a while, you might consider relaxing with a nice massage. And if so, you might think, should you choose one of those simple places that they just try to push you into? Or should you choose a little nicer spa or maybe the one back at your hotel? Well, I tried both, just for you. The first thing you should know is that the prices they put in your face when you walk by is not the real prices. You will get it much cheaper. The simple spa that I was taken to, actually just off the An Hoi Bridge, had a listed price of 400 000, but I ended up paying only 250 000 for a full body massage. It all started inside this place with a little drink and a foot bath. Then you're taken upstairs to the massage room. So, the massage was quite okay, but the surroundings were very simple. And no nice music, no aromas or anything like that. So, if you're only into the massage itself, it's quite okay. But if you want a more relaxing environment, you should definitely go elsewhere. Which I did the next day at a little cozy spa in the basement of my hotel. The quoted price for a one-hour body massage here was 369 000 dong. But as I had a voucher from the hotel, I got it for free. Not a lot of people here, but the atmosphere was very nice and relaxing. So, I just finished my massage here at the hotel. And it was very nice, very nice experience actually. Very relaxing, very nice atmosphere. Calming music, nice aromas and smells. I can recommend it. So, I also wanted to check out the nightlife in Hoi An. Or at least take a little sneak peek at it. I did a little research beforehand. So, first I wanted to visit one of the very well-known bars in the city. Which is the dive bar. But at 10 30 on a Saturday night, I thought it was really empty. So, I moved on. And although the area around the dive bar was quite nice. It seemed to me that the most lively area was on the south side of the canal. Here there are lots of places to choose from along the waterfront. One place that seemed to be packed every night was Tiger Tiger Bar. Not that the place was that special. Just a lot of people and centrally located. And basically all of the inside space was a big dance floor. Further along the canal you will find several other bars. Including Mr Bean with his own outside DJ. You also have the Bob Marley Bar. Which is right next to the Why Not nightclub. If you want something more traditional, they also have an Irish pub. But if you just want to go out and have a beer in Hoi An. There are so many small bars and restaurants to choose from. Just find one of your liking, sit down and relax. Some of them even have live music. Speaking of restaurants. My first evening in Hoi An I ended up in this restaurant. Here I tried out Sau Lau, which is actually a noodle dish from Hoi An itself. Quite delicious! Another night I went back to the Tiger Tiger Bar to have the pho, noodle soup. And while eating I watched the Women's World Cup on TV. Maybe not quite as exciting as when I watched the Men's World Cup back in Ao Nang in 2022 with a bunch of Brits. But I guess you can't have it all. At least the food was quite nice. So when I travel alone, sometimes I have such a busy schedule so I just forget to eat. And this happened one evening in Hoi An as well. So I ended up with a quick street food dinner. And I can totally recommend this grilled rice paper with meat and vegetable inside. Yes, I must admit that after three days of roaming around in almost 40 degrees Celsius, my head needed a little rest. So I ended up with a little room service, which was nice as well. As for lunches, the most interesting one was definitely the one I had with my new Spanish friends at the Hoi An Cuisine restaurant. What do you have to say to your defense? Here they have these really cool combo plates where you can sample a lot of the local cuisine. Very tasty and a lot of food. I don't even know if we are gonna manage to eat it. Yeah, I was thinking. We will get food. And from a passing salesman, I picked up this thing to bring back to my son at home. I also wanted to try out banh mi. And I heard that the banh mi queen was the best in the city. And yes, I can definitely recommend the banh mi queen if you want to try out a very tasty banh mi. The restaurant itself though was not very nice, so maybe takeaway is an option here. And yes, I just had to grab a quick lunch one day as well. And I ended up with my favorite street food. Really good, really good. But let's have a look at the hotel I stayed in during my visit. The Little Hoi An Hotel is perfectly located in the city center, but just outside the most busy area. And I can say right away that I really enjoyed my stay here. From the location, the layout of the hotel, the amenities and especially the staff, that was really helpful and accommodating with everything I needed during my stay. You can book tours through the hotel, and they even have their own shuttle bus that will take you down to the beach where they have their own separate area. As for other amenities at the hotel, they have a bar and restaurant by the entrance. They have a small swimming pool, which I unfortunately did not have time to use. They have a gym that I unfortunately did not have time to use. And of course, they have the spa in the basement that I've already shown you. In the basement, you will also find the breakfast area. For me, a good breakfast is really important. When I'm traveling, I really enjoy those 30-40 minutes in the morning where I can relax with a cup of coffee, some nice food and just plan the rest of my day. And I must say that the Little Hoi An Hotel did not disappoint at all in that area. They even have an egg station where you can get some fried eggs or an omelette of your choosing. As for the hotel room, I really enjoyed that as well. Maybe not the biggest room I've stayed in, but it had everything I needed, it was clean and it had a nice quality to it. And the room also had a balcony with a really nice river view. Well, I think that's all I have from Hoi An at this time. Hope you enjoyed it and if you have questions or comments, please leave them below.