We took a short 45-minute shuttle down the road to Hoi An, not really knowing what to expect — and it blew us away. Hard to believe this is still the Socialist Republic of Vietnam once you're standing in it: French colonial-era buildings sitting alongside far older Chinese and Japanese trading-post architecture, a river running straight through the historic centre, and lanterns strung over every street. Hoi An's Old Town has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999 — it was one of Southeast Asia's biggest trading ports for centuries before Da Nang took over, and it shows in just how well the whole place has been preserved.
The shuttle drivers always want to take you via the marble shops on the way — this is the Non Nuoc stone carving village at the foot of the Marble Mountains, a strip of hundreds of workshops that's been a stop on the Da Nang–Hoi An road for centuries. Pretty cool to wander through rows of statues, but not cheap. We stopped for 10 minutes and carried on. Wouldn't bother unless you're genuinely into this stuff.
Bars everywhere, and every single one wants you in a seat — Mr Bean Bar, Reggae Bar, Kangaroo Bar, just to name a few, most with genuinely talented live musicians. The food was amazing, and the night markets are worth losing an evening to.
If you're after leather goods or a made-to-measure suit, this is the place — shoes and suits made up overnight. I got a great pair of boots made by Sy at Forever Leather, just down the road from our hotel.
Worth picking up while you're browsing the market stalls: a Grab jacket, for around $10 NZD — genuinely useful if you're doing much scootering around in the rain. And keep an eye out for a cool bike helmet to bring home to NZ — the range and prices you'll find here beat what's on offer back home.
One thing worth knowing: if a street vendor poses for a photo with you or you strike up a chat, you're expected to either buy something off them or hand over a bit of money for the photo. Fair enough — it's their livelihood, not a free photo op.
Our hotel, the Bel Marina Hoi An Resort, was excellent — two pools, one with a swim-up bar.
Like Da Nang, we felt very safe walking around at all hours. Vietnam's tourism industry has grown a lot, and it shows — locals are encouraged to look out for tourists, and crime against travellers is taken seriously and discouraged. Love, love, love this place.