Things To Do In Hoi An – Budget Travel In Vietnam

Visit Hoi An in Vietnam to experience its UNESCO World Heritage Site old town. Hoi An is also known for its diverse food, a result of the many nationalities that continue to live here.

From the rainy streets of Hue, we were ready for our next mini-adventure: the Unesco world heritage town of Hoi An.

Our time in Hue had brought mixed feelings. The rain didn’t help, but there was something about the town that Joanna just didn’t warm to. She couldn’t quite explain why. It had all the elements of a place that she would normally enjoy but it just didn’t click with her. We were both looking forward to what Hoi An would offer.

How To Get To Hoi An From Hue

 

We had to do a bit of forward planning here. As there is no train station in Hoi An, we needed to take a train to the city of Da Nang, then continue by bus. We then planned to return to Da Nang to take a sleeper train on to Nha Trang.

The train is the best way to travel from Hue to Hoi An as it will take you over the Hai Van Pass, one of Central Vietnam’s most stunning natural attractions. If you travel by road, you will go through the Hai Van Tunnel and miss this stunning scenery.

The train takes around 2 1/2 hours from Hue to Da Nang. As you will need to take a bus from Da Nang to Hoi An, make sure your arrival time in Da Nang is not too late. Train tickets cost between 40,000 and 80,000 Dong, depending on level of comfort.

From the train station in Da Nang, it is a 10 minutes walk to the bus stop to get the bus to Hoi An. This map shows you where to get the bus.

How To Get From Da Nang To Hoi An By Bus – Scam Alert!

Whilst most bus conductors in Vietnam are honest, we had heard that this route is notorious for scams. Blog posts from as far back as 2011 commented on this so it is not as if the company can be unaware. We were still not expecting the aggressive nature of the conductor when the bus arrived.

“30,000 EACH!” he barked at us, as the bus pulled up to the stop. I told him it was 18,000 and even showed him the sign at the front of the bus to prove we knew exactly what the price should be. He refused. Two other tourists then jumped in and said, “We’lll pay. We’re not with these.” Thanks for the support, guys.

The conductor wouldn’t let us on yet the bus didn’t seem to be moving. In the end, I offered him 50,000 for the two of us and he accepted. When he collected our money, the other tourists then wanted to pay the same as us which he was NOT happy about!

Beating The Scammer On The Hoi An Bus

Joanna was not happy with this obvious rip-off and managed to find a ‘live chat’ on the bus company website. After explaining what happened, the bus company made up some nonsense about a baggage law but said they would get in touch with the conductor. Minutes later, the conductor came back to us and gave us 14,000 back! Victory to the travellers! He didn’t give money back to the other couple and, being as they didn’t back us up, we didn’t bother mentioning it either.

Avoiding The Bus Scam

There are stories of conductors asking for up 100,000 vnd from tourists and kicking them off the bus if they refuse to pay. My advice is to take a photo of the fare on the side of the bus before you get on and get the facebook messenger open to the bus company so you can be ready to make a live complaint. It seems the bus company are used to this and will help people out in real time. The bus registration is displayed above the driver so they can get in touch immediately.

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Things To Do In Hoi An

Eat Cao Lau

Cao Lau is a dish that is only found in Hoi An. It combines noodles, local greens and pork. It gets its unique taste from the water in the dish, which comes from an undisclosed well just outside the town. It is delicious and a must-try when in Hoi An.

Hoi An Beaches

We took advantage of the free bicycles from our homestay and made our way to the two beaches of Hoi An. Our journey took us through the main streets and paddy fields and fish farms. Hoi An is flat so it was an easy bike ride to the beaches.

An Bang Beach

We reached the first beach and looked for somewhere to park. Many places offered free parking if you bought a drink, otherwise you had to pay. We found a public car park where we didn’t have to pay and locked up our bikes and explored by foot.

This is the busiest, and cleanest, of the two beaches so we stopped to have some food. We made the mistake of choosing the restaurant that overlooked the beach. Google Maps informed us we had made a bad choice but we only had a sandwich so it was OK. Other reviews suggest it is not a good place to go! The view, however, was perfect.

Cua Dai Beach

Following lunch, we headed to the next beach, ‘Cua Dai’ (map). This is not as developed and there was more litter, unfortunately. It was quieter and is still worth a visit. Be aware that there are no bars or restaurants on this beach.

It was an easy cycle back to the main town following our visits to the beach. We just had to look out for the random cows! I highly recommend taking a bicycle to visit the two beaches. It was one of our favourite things to do in Hoi An.

Hoi An Night Market

Completely by accident, we discovered ‘Hoi An Night Market’ (map). This was a real stroke of luck as we were hungry but not keen on a sit-down meal. The market offered many food options. I was delighted to find ‘Chou Chou’ nuts, a French snack I’d not tasted since Glastonbury Festival many years ago. They are still delicious!

Hoi An Old Town

The first thing we noticed when heading into the old town for the first time was how busy it was. Ha Long Bay had surprised us as it was much quieter than we expected but that was not the case here. The old town was packed with tourists!

The second thing we noticed about Hoi An old town was how beautiful it is, especially at night when the lanterns give the town a magical atmosphere. French, Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese architecture nestle side by side creating a wonderful feast for the eyes. It truly is stunning.

Hoi An Old Town Tickets

Apparently, you are supposed to pay to access the old town. There are a few kiosks around but it doesn’t seem to be enforced. There are stories of people being approached on the street and being asked to show their ticket. We never paid and we had no problems. The first night, I never even saw a ticket kiosk. It seems a bizarre system and I imagine it won’t last long.

However, if you want to visit some of the attractions in the old town, you will have to pay as this is the only way you will be able to visit them.

K’Noy Cafe & Bar

K’Noy Cafe & Bar (map) is a bar located on the island that we were staying on. During my visit, there was an open mic night with 3 people playing some great covers (Nina Simone, Bob Marley, Manu Chao). Unfortunately, the music had to stop at 11 but the bar stayed open much longer. It was still serving when I left, just after midnight. It is a great bar, probably my favourite in Hoi An. Great staff and good, cheap beer.

Madam Khanh The Bahn Mi Queen

I had heard good reports of ‘Madam Khanh’ but I must admit, I didn’t think it would be anything too special. How much better can a baguette filled with meat be than any other baguette filled with meat? Thankfully, I had under-estimated the baguettes of Madam Khanh. Whilst Joanna went for the veggie, I opted for the mixed meat. It was delicious. Just the right amount of chilli sauce and crispy baguettes filled with meat and salad. The baguettes are cheap and filling. There’s no wonder this place often has queues down the street. (Map).

Is Hoi An Worth Visiting?

Our time was short in Hoi An but we still fell in love with this beautiful city. It is filled with tourists but there is an obvious reason for that; it is visually stunning. You must add Hoi An to your Vietnam itinerary.