Ahhhhh, Hoi An Old Town. Nicknamed the “town of lanterns”, Hoi An’s vibrant yellow ancient town is made up of a network of tiny winding alleys, weathered ochre buildings, circular fishing boats swaying in the Thu Bon River and rainbow lights that come to life at dark.
It’s no wonder Hoi An gets all the tourist hoopla. Am I right?!
Okay, wait. So there’s a catch.
Only a 30-minute motorbike ride from my home sweet home in Da Nang, I’ve spent quite a bit of time in Hoi An. Mayyybe too much time. What have I learned? Well, the good, the bad and the ugly. I’ve formed a hate-love relationship with this place, kinda’ like the way you probably feel about Despacito – you hate it, but it’s catchy and you can’t stop singing it. This leads us to the big question – is Hoi An worth turning up the radio for? Does it deserve to be on your travel itinerary?
Well, let’s break it down.
1. City Vibes.
THE GOOD: Charm awaits in every corner. And it’s magical.
Named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the small yellow port town has been preserved nearly perfectly since the 15th century. A stroll through its historic streets will lead you to endless cute little cafes, colorfully decorated restaurants and boutique art galleries. Hoi An is downright beautiful. No doubt about it. It’s a charming oasis away from the otherwise frenetic and high-stress major Vietnamese cities like HCMC and Hanoi. You can rent a bike, merrily ride through the flower-lined alleys, cruise past the vibrant local market, smile at the adorable elderly Vietnamese ladies wearing conical rice hats, admire the rainbow lanterns…
THE BAD: Tourist overload.
UNTIL…CRASH. Fairytale dreams shattered. Trying to avoid the masses of tourists on your bike, you swerve to the right and crash into a group of Korean tourists riding rickshaws. Your peaceful cruise through the quaint yellow streets quickly becomes a video game attempt to avoid sunburnt tourists, drunk backpackers wearing head-to-toe banana print swag, and Vietnamese ladies coaxing you to buy whatever they’re selling. Once a home to fishermen, the Ancient town is no longer for locals, but completely dedicated to tourism: souvenir shops, travel agents, overpriced restaurants and western-style sports bars have taken over the city.
2. Shopping.
THE GOOD: Did someone say custom-made clothes?
TAILORS. SO…MANY…TAILORS. There’s no data behind this statement, but I’m gonna go ahead and say it’s got the most tailors per capita in the whole wide world (challenge me if I’m wrong??). Tailors line the streets, one after the next. The good news is, if you’re looking to get some custom-made garb, this is the place for you. TIP: Go to A Dong Silk . One of the biggest and most reputable tailors in Hoi An, my friend got four beautiful suits made there, and was extremely happy!
THE BAD: Buyer beware…
CHOOSE WISELY. Most of these tailors will promise you your dream dress…and what you get? A big fat “well, uhhhhhh, I guess it kinda’ looks like the picture!.” I’ve heard the tale time and time again – a bright-eyed traveler has gotten something custom made, just to find out that it’s poorly stitched, doesn’t quite fit and just flat-out misses the mark. I fell a victim to one of these smaller mom and pop tailors, and got a blazer that was let’s just say…not what I had in mind. Sigh. Lesson learned!
3. Food.
THE GOOD: Western-friendly restaurants with amazing food!
I adore street food, but sometimes ya’ just need a nice sit-down meal. In Vietnam, it can often be pretty hard to find a comfortable sit-down restaurant. Fortunately, every restaurant in Hoi An’s old town is Western-friendly, with English menus, English speakers waiters, charming decor and even full-size chairs!
THE BAD: Tourist traps galore…
With tourists…comes tourist traps. And with tourist traps…comes mediocre food for double the price! ALERT ALERT. While there are more tourist traps than you can count, there certainly are a fair share of foodie gems to be found as well. Like any DLD (Disneyland Destination), it’s about finding the right one. You can just gracefully accept that you’ll be paying a much higher price at any of Hoi An’s restaurants, but don’t fret -it’s still pretty damn cheap!
Some restaurants I recommend: Nocturnal Artist (281 Nguyen Duy Hieu) for food made by momma in a super funky space – the walls are covered top to bottom in art made by local artists! Mai Fish restaurant (45 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai) for a finger-lickin’, spoon-slurpin’ seafood hotpot. And if you want really local – no touristy fluff, head to this AMAZING street food spot for the best “Cau Lầu” (local noodle dish) on 18 Thai Phien – get there before 11 am, as she runs out early! And for amazing tea and a foot bath in a zen space go to Cocobana tearoom (16 Nguyen Thai Hoc).
4. Locals.
THE GOOD: Many locals speak English
Traveling in Vietnam just got WAY easier. You can SPEAK! And be UNDERSTOOD! Vietnamese people are incredibly kind, caring and their genuine smile will brighten up your day.
THE BAD: Expect to get treated like a wallet with legs.
Ok, now comes the big ol’ BUT. Last weekend, I sat down at a cafe in Hoi An and started chatting with Binh, the adorable owner. A local born and raised in Hoi An, I asked him how the Hoi An locals feel that their town has been completely taken over by tourists over the past 10 years. He told me, “many hate the tourists. But they keep us alive.”
My experience with Vietnamese locals in Da Nang has been nothing but wonderful – I’m approached with kindness every day, whether an act big or small. However, I’m treated completely differently just 30 min away in Hoi An – not just me of course, but all foreigners. Get a load of this – I went to take a picture with a lady selling mangos, invited in by her glowing ear-to-ear smile. Of course, I was going to buy a mango…AND THEN SHE TRIED TO CHARGE ME 200K! That’s a whopping $9. I’m the sucker who fell for it, but still…it’s not fun feeling like a walking, talking, photo-taking wallet. But then again, can ya’ blame ’em? We took over their city…
CONCLUSION.
Does Hoi An deserve to be on your travel itinerary? Well, if you’re the kind of person that wants to dive right into authentic Vietnamese life, Hoi An Old Town is probably not the best place for you. However, if you’re in it for the aesthetics – there is no place in Vietnam as charmingly quaint as Hoi An – and sometimes, even the most hardcore of travelers need to relax and get some Western comforts! So, escape from the otherwise chaotic and crazy Vietnam, surround yourself with people who speak your language for a few days, get some prime content for Instagram and enjoy the beauty!
Here’s what 24 hours in Hoi An in 24 seconds looked like for me!
Big Thanks to Chiara at Mango Moon Photography for her stunning photos that appeared in this post!
This is sooo true for like every single tourist hot spot in the world! I’ve got a question for you: Do you consider yourself as a tourist? Because technically you are not, as you are living there?
When I worked a year in Spain, I didn’t know how to “call” myself, as I already knew pretty well the place, but still didn’t feel like quite a local, haha 😀 …
(P.S.: Those photos are spectacular!)
Hi Sophia! That’s a really great question and something I’ve actually thought about before! I definitely don’t consider myself a tourist, but I’m definitely not a local! I guess the word would be “expat”- a foreigner living in a different country to work, live, or experience another culture. Do you think that fits?? (And thanks! 🙂 )
Cheers!
Casie
I spent 5 days (I think?) in Hoi An in the middle of a month meandering from north to south of Vietnam. In some ways, it was the most disappointing stop of the trip — tourist trap indeed!
But, we had the best Bahn Mi of the trip, took an AMAZING bike tour to My Son with the nicest local and it gave us a real chance to rejuvenate. I wouldn’t go back, but I would probably tell a friend to do a 2 day visit.
As far as tailors go, I was really looking forward to this part of the trip! My two cents — simple, standard things, like men’s dress shirts, are awesome. My husband loves the 3 or 4 he got made and they fit expertly… but for me, it was only so so. I wanted to get high-end dupes — think Eileen Fisher, but I couldn’t find the quality fabric I was looking for and, in the one place that I did, it only came out okay.
Overall, loved Vietnam so, so much. Warm, but only luke warm on Hoi An.
(But I can see how, as an expat, it would be amazing. There were places to get many of the western things we all crave now and again!)
Hi Rebecca! Your experience in Hoi An sounds very similar to mine. Overwhelmingly touristy, but when you dig deeper and connect with the locals it makes it all worth it! I’m glad you got to at least experience that wonderful-sounding bike tour out to My Son! Hopefully that made it all worth it for you guys. 🙂 As for the tailors, I’m happy to hear at least your husband was happy with his clothes. My boyfriend and I had the same experience – he got a suit he adores, and I got a very average blazer. Maybe they’re better at guys, or maybe guys are just easier! Anyway, I’m so glad you guys loved Vietnam overall. Hopefully you’ll get back here one day!
Cheers from the land of noodle soups and amazing coffee!
Casie (AWC)
I am glad you’ve written this post… I had heard so much about Hoi An and I had such big expectations, however, as you say, Hoi An is a pretty little town but it is full of tourists. I definitely think that there are other pretty towns to visit in Vietnam with less tourists 🙂
I totally agree, Florence! It’s hard for me to love it the way many people do because it just feels fake to me, a bit like Vietnamese Disneyland. I hope to find other pretty towns in Vietnam while I’m living here! If I do, I’ll let you know where. 🙂
Happy wandering! 🙂
Casie (AWC)
Hi! I’m researching Vietnam because we are on a cruise ship. I am getting weary of the tourists everywhere. Is there an alternative day trip/town you could recommend. We just like to wander around. Is Hue a better choice?
I hope I’m not too late to answer this! Da Nang doesn’t have many tourists, and you can find lots of off-the-beaten-path places around and outside of the city. Are you still in Vietnam?
Hi Cassie,
Your blog is very helpful to as we are planning about a two month trip in mid-April. Like you love meeting the locals and enjoying their wonderful cuisine and culture. Presently, we are in Oaxaca City as we have been living six months in Mexico. You must put this on your list, if you haven t. Now we have decided to explore Vietnam.
Enjoy your travels!
So excited for your new adventure in Asia! Let me know if I can offer any tips 🙂
ps- was just in Mexico and absolutely fell in love! Didn’t make it to Oaxaca although it’s on the very top of my list for when I return.
Happy travels!!
Casie