Since the modernisation of Da Nang airport, tourism in Hoi An has definitely grown together. Since then many day trippers think Hoi An Ancient Town is everything Hoi An has to offer, but there are certainly many things to do in Hoi an!
1. Cycle to An Bang Beach
Perhaps the most underrated part of coming to Hoi An. Cycling around Hoi An is an awesome experience especially during the cool season from December to February.
There are several nice places to cycle like Kim Bong island, Cua Dai beach but An Bang beach is the most tourist-friendly route.
Along the way, do not miss Tra Que vegetable village, a farm handed down for generations. You will be welcomed by the neat colorful rows of organic vegetables, free from toxic pesticides and careful farmers in conical hats taking care of the crops.
If you are lucky, you can even buy the vegetables which are often short in supply. There are also paddy fields, dark farms and rustic cafes in the area. You can trust me that exploring these places is a therapeutic experience.
Once done, cycle to An Bang beach where you will be greeted with many seafood restaurants. Rule of thumb, choose a restaurant with the most locals, not one that tout you the most aggressively! My favourite place is “quan hai san sau”
2. Lantern watching at Japanese bridge
Built in the 18th century, the Japanese bridge was built when Hoi An was a thriving port. Originally built to protect the town from natural disasters, the bridge is today a massive tourist attraction.
Once the sun sets, the Japanese bridge and An Hoi bridge (nearby) will be lit with many lanterns and candles. The sight is so beautiful, people fly back regularly just to see it!
3. Try delicious street food
Hoi An is an amazing town for street food. Unlike busy cities like Hanoi and Saigon, Hoi An locals seldom eat out and are very price conscious. Hence, for any street food stalls to survive they have to be really delicious and very reasonably priced.
For breakfast and pre-dinner, I will recommend Tran Cao Van street. For dinner, Phan Boi Chau street near Anantara hotel is littered with many delicious seafood restaurants.
4. Cam Thanh coconut boat tours
If there is a tour i have to choose, this will be the one. It’s been a craze since it featured it many youtube videos like this airasia travel series and this Korean KBS travel series.
The tour starts of with showing how the bamboo basket boat, followed by a slow 40 minute ride across Thu Bon river. Highlight will be the disco show where somebody will spin the boat very hard. You can even sit in the boat if you are not afraid of motion sickness. It’s as if you are in an amusement park!
In my opinion, there are several attractions like My Son, Hoi An Impression or Co co bay which are complete waste of time.
So if you were short of time, do try my top list of things to do in Hoi An and I’m pretty sure you will like Hoi An just like I do.
Kieu Nguyen is the 2nd generation tailor and owner of one of the most reputable tailor brands in Hoi An - Vanda Tailors