Hoi An could be one of the most picturesque places we've been to in a long time. Being situated along the Hoai River that drains into the South China Sea,
Hoi An was quite the bustling and cosmopolitan port trading town full of Japanese, Chinese, Dutch, Portuguese, and Indians who settled here for commerce. The atmosphere quickly takes us back to those days with all the traditional architecture and quaint streets that could be a scene right out of a movie. Ironically, the silting of the riverbed and the collapse of the Nguyen Rule in the 18th century that led to the demise of this port town is also the reason this place is so well-preserved because it was virtually ignored until it was declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1999. Since then, the stream of tourists haven't stopped and probably will continue to grow.
Today, many of the original houses in Old Town have been turned into galleries, shops, restaurants, and bars for the tourists. Yet, there's still a local feel (for now) as evidenced by the bustling central market and the traditional fishing that goes on in the Hoai River and ocean. The night-scape of Old Town lit with lanterns reflecting off the surface of the river is unparalleled.
We arrived via 15-hour overnight train from Ho Chi Minh City to the nearest train station in Danang, locale for a major US military base during the Vietnam War. Now, Danang is the modern port city of Vietnam with China Beach boasting one of the best beaches in Vietnam. On our 30 minute drive from the Danang train station to Hoi An, we noticed over 7 massive resort complexes along the white sandy beaches of China Beach, including the Hyatt Regency and Crowne Plaza, with at least 5 more resorts under construction. Next time, this place is going to look more like Cancun, Mexico and will be unrecognizable.
Here's our travelogue in photos of our time meandering through the town and on the river by boat.
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| 4-berth sleeper car on train from Ho Chi Minh City to Danang. |
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| China Beach. |
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| Old Town Hoi An at night. |
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| Hoi An during the day. Lots of rain in November! |
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| Bamboo "infant seat" strapped to motorbike. Hmmmm. |
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| Lots of silk lanterns for sale and illuminating the store fronts at night. |
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| Akiko found a new friend for Ogi! So cute. Probably too young to be apart from mom. He was being fed fish stew in coconut milk for dinner! |
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| Parents waiting to pick up their kids from school on their motorbikes. |
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| Mike getting his shave on...so far, so good. |
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| ...sometimes, you get more service than originally intended. Quite certain he didn't ask for a ear cleaning, but got one anyway, which is great for Akiko because now he can't claim he didn't hear what she said. |
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| View of Hoai River that drains into the South China Sea. |
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| Fishing |
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| Fishermen casting their net into the water. |
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| Fishermen casting their net into the water. |
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| Fishermen waiting for their catch. |
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| Thy caught fish! |
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Hoi An, the custom tailored clothing capital of the world. Paid $200 for: women's pant suit with matching skirt made of cashmere wool blend and silk lining; 2 women's blouses; 4 men's shirts. Everything fits perfectly, made within 24-hours, and they will ship for ~$25. We can also continue ordering items online because they have our measurements. Wow!
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| At the tailors. Akiko's shirts on the table. This is their only ledger, full of measurements and contact info. Perhaps we could show them the wonders of an Excel spreadsheet before we leave... |
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Torrential rain causing streets to flood! Apparently, flooding is not uncommon with many buildings "showing off"
Their flood line marks inside the buildings. |
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| Kids love rain anywhere in the world! Playing ball in this torrential downpour. |
