Lantern city of Vietnam - Hoi An

Exploring the enchantments of Hoi An

Situated on the central coast of Vietnam, this UNESCO heritage is a beautiful blend of history, culture and stunning landscapes. The ancient town of Hoi An attracts tourists from all over the world with it's breathtaking beauty, well preserved architectures, vibrant markets, mouthwatering cuisines and so much more. Hoi An means a peaceful meeting place. It reflects the town's trading history from years ago. So many merchants would meet here and conduct business, exchange their cultures. So many stories being exchanged here.

Reaching Hoi An is simple enough via a taxi/cab, shuttle or bus service from Da Nang which also has an international airport. The journey from Da Nang to Hoi An is filled with picturesque coastal line and countryside views.

Once you reach Hoi An, soak in the vibrant beauty it offers from the very beginning of the town.

Some art for the soul

Every corner of Hoi An will splash some charming colors and inspires you with some creative art. I have never seen wood carving done with such intricacy. If you like custom made dresses, Hoi An is the place to be. The talented tailors here will stitch you a custom made dress in very reasonable price and within mere hours. I got traditional vietnamese dress - also known as Ao Dai stitched within couple of hours. It was one of the prettiest dresses i wore on my trip.

Historic buildings

Being a UNESCO heritage, Hoi An is home to many historic architectures such as Japanese bridge, the old house of Tan Ky that gives you a glimpse into the household of an old merchant showcasing the rich history of town's trading, assembly halls - Fujian, cantonese assembly halls and many more. To visit these buildings, you will have to buy ticket that allows you to enter a certain number of places depending upon the ticket you bought.

Boat ride to the memories island

At night Hoi An comes to life. With music being played in all the cafes, the lantern lit town is going to steal your heart away. If you don't take a boat ride to Hoi An Memories Land, you'd be missing out on such an exceptional feeling. Everyone gets on the boat with a lantern of their own which in my case was plain old candle but it was okay since there was such magical beauty around me. The boat ride felt calm with cool breeze kissing you. The view from Memory Land is spectacular. You can see whole town lit up. Honestly, it felt like there was a festival going on every day and night.

At few places we stopped to eat, the staff was so warm and hospitable. They even curated a vegetarian version of a recipe for me which was oh too yum. But at the same time there are few stalls being run by people who would not give a second thought before bringing in the racism. Well no bouquet of roses comes without the thorns.

The night market starts at around 7 and there were so many beautiful handmade things up for the grabs. Needless to say i did a lot of shopping there. Some shopkeepers were so great that they helped us get the taxi back to our hotel in Da Nang as late night it gets tricky to get the transport.

In conclusion, the stunningly beautiful experience of Hoi An is going to be the highlight of your Vietnam trip. I got some of my favorite clips here. If you do visit Hoi An, be sure to paint lanterns, soak in the vibrant beauty, eat amazing vietnamese cuisines and shop your heart out.

Some of my favorite captures from this beautiful place