"Gateway to the Old Colony" Hoi An by DSwede

Hoi An, located about 40 minutes south of Da Nang is a tourist destination. With nice beaches, restaurants, resorts, and a historic old downtown quarter, it is a picturesque and comfortable town.

Hoi An was almost completely destroyed in wars during the later half of the 18th century (1770’s). Later it was rebuilt and again became a focal port that the Chinese, Vietnamese and Japanese mainly used.

However as time passed, the river suffocated itself with silt and Da Nang eventually became the larger port and grew to be the 3rd largest city of Vietnam.

During the French occupation of French-Indochina, Hoi An was infused with a mix of European flavors and architecture since it was an acting center for the French government.

Thankfully with the cooperation of most major parties involved, Hoi An escaped relatively untouched during the American-Vietnam War.

Vendors by the City Market

Today Hoi An has become a Mecca for backpackers on their north-south trail through Vietnam. The old quarter can be walked in a day. There are a couple of day trips to make, such as Marble Mountain, the beach, etc.

Otherwise people tend to spend more time here to fill their suitcases with cheap tailor-made clothes and fill their bellies on the ample supply of both Vietnamese and Western foods. The Cau Lau is good, which is a Vietnamese version of chicken noodle soup with green vegetables.

I would have added a few of my own tips here, but I feel the two I posted are more than enough due to the over-flooding of tips on the town. No need to add further clutter.

For my general thoughts on the country, feel free to visit my Vietnam page.

(for more pictures, feel free to visit my Vietnam Gallery. If you enjoy the pictures, please leave a comment.)

• Pros:Wonderful mix of architecture and food.
• Cons:The town's central areas are very thick with tourists and becoming more expensive.
• In a nutshell:A few day trips, a tailor made suit and beaches fueled with Asian/European mixed meals.