Hoi An Ancient Town

Hoi An Ancient Town
Hoi An Ancient Town Entrance

Hoi An Ancient Town is a relatively well-preserved town that still retains its unique architecture - a fusion of indigenous and foreign cultures (mainly Chinese and Japanese with later European influences). This quaint town is located in Quang Nam Province, south of Da Nang, Vietnam, and sits on next to the Thu Bon River. Hoi An was one of the major trading centers of Southeast Asia in the 16th century, and was declared a World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999.

Tip: If you can tolerate the heat, you can rent a bicycle and take a ride around the town.

It costs 120,000 dong in admission fees, where part of the admission fees is (apparently) used in the maintenance of the town. There are a lot a tailor shops along the streets of Hoi An, so if you like your clothes to have that perfect fit, those shops might just be your thing.  Some might find it overrated and a little too touristy, but I think there was a good balance that was acceptable (enough)… just think of Sentosa (Singapore), only in old architecture which offer a glimpse into what life was life in the past at this (once) bustling port which could do with a little more maintaining for some areas.

Hoi An Ancient Town
A little glimpse inside Hoi An Ancient Town

When we visited Hoi An Ancient Town, it was scorching hot and sunny! Our guide brought us around to the major points, a tailor shop (where clothes would be ready for you in 24 hours and delivered to your hotel) and pointed out 2 restaurants where we could have lunch at – Morning Glory Restaurant and another restaurant (which I cannot remember the name of, so no guessing where we had lunch at hehe).

Hoi An Ancient Town
One of the first shops that greeted us when we entered Hoi An Ancient Town
Hoi An Ancient Town
These intricate paper craft are actually postcards! How cool is that?

The architecture of Hoi An Ancient Town brought us back in time with the (mostly) old Chinese rooftops and beams (there were also Japanese and European influences). Though we never got to visit the town at night, she (the guide) also mentioned that Hoi An Ancient Town would look really pretty at night with all the lanterns lighting up the night sky. We braved the heat (as much as we could) and walked around. 

Hoi An Ancient Town
A shop and its displays
Hoi An Ancient Town
Quint cafe
Hoi An Ancient Town
The streets of Hoi An Ancient Town
Hoi An Ancient Town
Fancy a ride on a rickshaw and get some reprieve from the hot sun? Given the hot weather in Hoi An, the bougainvilleas were vibrant and beautiful shades of pink, red and orange peppering the town

We visited an old house or two and where we could see how life was like in the past.

Hoi An Ancient Town
One of the old houses that we visited
Note: If you want to visit the major attractions within Hoi An Ancient Town, than you better not lose your entrance ticket, which is required for entry into attractions such as communal houses, temples and buildings etc… 
Hoi An Ancient Town
Your guide and ticket which will help you in exploring Hoi An Ancient Town

After all that walking and the heat, we sought refuge at Morning Glory Restaurant and had refueled our rumbling tummies. After lunch, we made our way back to the meeting point and headed back to Pullman Danang Beach Resort. [~Review of Morning Glory Restaurant coming soon~]

Want to stay in Hoi An and don't want to spend too much time travel in and out of the town? Than staying over for a night or two might just be the option for you.



I think staying for 3 days might be the maximum to fully explore the town and experience the ambiance, but I might be wrong. If you have stayed in the area before, do share your experience!
Share on Google Plus

About TravelBytez

When travel collides with a byte, a unit of information made up of bits, TravelBytez is formed: snippets of ramblings on travel, food, shopping, living and anything else that comes to mind.

0 comments :

Post a Comment