Hội An, Vietnam + Add a trip
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Getting There
Automobiles
Self-drive is not available for visitors, but this will come as a blessed relief when you see the traffic chaos. A car with driver can be arranged through travel companies based in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City or Danang.
Planes
Danang International is the closest airport to Hoi An and offers regular connections to major cities in Vietnam, including Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Nha Trang. Currently direct international flights are fairly limited, but Silk Air (www.silkair.com) offers links to Siem Reap and Singapore.
Trains
Danang is a major stop on the Reunification Express (www.vr.com.vn) connecting the north and south of the country. Nightly sleeper berths are available to and from Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang and Hanoi. First-class with air-conditioning is the choice berth.
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Local Knowledge
Dialing
Country code for Vietnam: +84; Hoi An: (0)510.
Reads
The Quiet American by Graham Greene captures the flavour of 1950s Vietnam before the American armada arrived. Greene lived his books as much as wrote them, blending journalistic experience with fiction. The 2002 film starring Michael Caine is also a must, as much of it was filmed in the streets and alleys of Hoi An.
Do go / Don't Go
Despite its location in the tropics, Hoi An experiences a wet winter of sorts as the monsoon swings in from the north-east. Typhoons regularly slam into the central coast during October and November making this a time to avoid; the city floods and the only way to get around is by boat. The winter months can be cool at night; summer months are hot but breezy.
Cuisine
Vietnam indulges the senses. While the olfactory offerings may sometimes be a little on the strong side as you wander the streets, the tastes are altogether more nuanced. Vietnamese cuisine is an aromatic adventure, defined by a combination of herbs and spices that can delight and surprise in equal measure. Rice is the staff of life, the staple with every meal, but noodle dishes are common and come in more varieties than you ever imagined.
Taxis
Taxis from Danang to Hoi An usually cost 250,000d-300,000d (US$13-US$16). There are several metered taxi firms in Hoi An and it costs about US$6 to travel to the beach resorts. Xe oms (motorbike taxis) also patrol the streets, but prices are not fixed.
Tipping
Tipping is a relatively new phenomenon in Vietnam, thanks to the arrival of mass tourism. Go with the flow and consider leaving about 10 per cent extra, depending on the standard of service.
Currency
Vietnamese dong (d) or US dollar.
Packing
Everyone has that favourite item of clothing they just can't bear to part with but, try as they might, can't replace either. Now you can. Bring it along and the legendary tailors of Hoi An will whip up a copy for you. This is not Kevin Clein, Bangkok style, but a bespoke copy uniquely crafted.
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Worth Doing
Arts
The Handicraft Workshop, located in a centuries' old Chinese merchant's house on Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, has people demonstrating traditional skills - lantern making, embroidery, sculpture and the like. There are also performances of folk music and dancing twice a day (except Monday).
And...
Every full moon (the 14th day of the lunar month), the residents go traditional to celebrate Legendary Night. As much electrical light as possible is extinguished, and houses are lit up with silk lanterns. Motorbikes are banned from the Old Town, and tourists and locals alike enjoy eats from food stalls, as well as dance, other cultural performances and games.
Shopping
Warning: Hoi An can be seriously problematic if you are a recovering shopaholic. Tailor-made clothing, hand-crafted shoes, embroidered linens, contemporary art, designer lighting... The temptations are endless. Yaly Couture (www.yalycouture.com) is one of the most successful tailors in town, with numerous branches dotted about the Old Town. Clarkson, Hammond and May were kitted out here for Top Gear.
Viewpoint
Live life on the other side of the Thu Bon River for a time. Formerly a rural village, a new bridge has plugged the An Hoi Peninsula into the centre of town. Nguyen Phuc Chu Street offers a panoramic view of the Old Town, which was miraculously spared the ravages of the American War. Check out a sophisticated vantage point from the balcony of the River Lounge, serving homemade pastries and the best Italian coffee in town. The Japanese Covered Bridge is visible and you can pick out different architectural influences among the hotch-potch of old buildings.
Something
The countryside around Hoi An is pancake flat, which goes some way to explaining the annual floods that visit the town. Explore the emerald green paddy fields, criss-crossed with canals, that stretch as far as the eye can see. Kids career around on water buffalo or take cooling dips while adults tend the fields. Timeless, magical and it won't cost you a cent.
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Diary
January/February Vietnamese New Year is known as Tet and falls on the same lunar calendar dates as Chinese New Year. Much of country is on the move for holidays or family visits, so travel during this time is best avoided. March 23 Strictly speaking, it's a Chinese festival but the whole community participates in the Goddess of the Sea ceremony. Worship and cultural displays are meant to protect the city's fisherman and help them prosper. July The Long Chu Festival (the words translate to 'royal barge') is celebrated on the 15th day of lunar July. Parades, processions and a common feast ward off ghosts and other evils. August The Mid Autumn Festival, celebrated on the 14th and 15th days of lunar August, gives thanks to the moon. The children of Hoi An are the focus, dancing, singing and playing games to celebrate.