Vietnam Hop Along - Hoi An
Updated: 4 days ago
In case you wonder why “hop along” in the title, may wanna check out the first blog about my Vietnam and Cambodia trip, Vietnam Hop Along - Hanoi and Ha Long Bay.
After visiting Hanoi and Ha Long Bay, which gave us a ‘taste’ of North Vietnam, we headed out to Hoi An.
After a 1-hour flight from Hanoi to Da Nang (closest airport to Hoi An) and a 45-minute drive, we arrived in Hoi An, or more accurately, a neighbouring village. For the second time that day, we were surprised, though this time in a better way. Our tour operator had booked us for the festive Christmas Eve dinner organized at the hotel’s restaurant. Since it was quite late, we headed straight to the dining room, where we were greeted by a friendly staff, a bountiful buffet, and very enthusiastic (read: loud) karaoke session in full swing. Not exactly our kind of Christmas Eve, but it was festive nevertheless!

This marked our second year celebrating Christmas in a warm climate and I admit I haven’t yet adjusted. I can’t help but feel nostalgic for snowy mountains and frosty breaths, even though the locals put in such visible effort to create a festive atmosphere with decorations and special menus.
However, Christmas morning made up for it. As I was scanning the buffet for my go-to yoghurt and fruits, a kid next to me exclaimed, “Wow, cake for breakfast!” And then, I thought, “Yeah, why not?” So, I joined in, grabbed a slice of cake and convinced myself that indulging in dessert for breakfast was totally in the Christmas spirit. I mean, who needs snow when you can have cake?
We kicked off our day with the local market. Happening daily, the market is at its liveliest in the morning when vendors bring in their freshest produce. One can find everything here – immense variety of leafy vegetables, all kinds of noodles (fresh or dry), home made snacks from coconut, ginger or turmeric, freshly caught fish, a covered food hall and, of course, souvenirs galore.
Today, tourism defines life in Hoi An, but back in the 14th to 16th centuries, this small town was an important port in Southeast Asia. It served as a vital trading conduit for the Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, and English, particularly in ceramics. The town’s beautifully preserved wooden heritage houses, temples, bridges, reflect the diverse influences left by merchants and missionaries who once settled here. All these rightfully put Hoi An on the UNESCO World Heritage designation list.
Nowadays, many of these historic buildings house quaint shops, cozy cafes, and inviting eateries, in addition to being lived in residences. Among them I noticed the abundance of custom tailor and shoemaker shops. As it turns out, these trades are becoming rare even in Vietnam, and Hoi An remains one of the few places in the country where you can have a suit or pair of shoes made to order in just a day!
The heart of Hoi An’s old town centers around Tran Phu Street, which is pedestrian-only for most of the day, aside from a few hours at lunch and dinner time. Strolling along this charming street was a real treat. Overnight rain had left the pavement glistening, giving the air a crisp, fresh feel, while patches of blue sky peeked through white clouds. It was the perfect time of day—early enough for the streets to be calm, yet late enough for shops to have already opened.
For once, my injury worked in my favour. The slow pace forced me to truly savour my surroundings - an explosive display of colours and shapes, framed by the wooden, darkened building facades. It felt less like a street and more like wandering through a beautifully curated outdoor art exhibit.
Our first stop on the Tran Phu street was at the Chua Ong Pagoda, a 17th-century Buddhist temple. Till then, all the Buddhist temples I had seen were rather simple and stoic, favouring yellow as paint colour. Chua Ong was different; it was ornated with intricate, lace-like decorations and painted in vivid pinks, greens, yellows, reds, and whites. Chinese inscriptions adorned walls, stone steles, and lacquered boards, while statues and stunning bonsai trees enhanced the courtyards.
One of the inner gates was guarded by two precious apricot trees. If it weren’t for our guide I wouldn’t have paid much attention to them as they didn’t look like much at that time of the year. I learned that they are one of the “New Year Trees”, as their yellow flowers always blossom in the days leading to the Lunar New Year; there is an art to keep these trees performing as such and the older the tree the more spectacular and precious it is (like....thousands of dollars precious).
Unlike other temples, there were some big, conical incense coils hanging from the ceiling, each holding a paper tag with wishes. Intrigued by the size of the incenses and the tags writings resembling mini-essays, I started to read some. Well, they were so specific and detailed, I could not stop myself from finding it all a bit ... amusing. Wish them the best nevertheless !
We continued along Tran Phu Street’s historical lane and stopped at the Museum of Trade Ceramics, a worth seeing not just for its collection of ceramics but also for the house that hosts it. Among the ceramics rescued from sunken boats, there were a few Japanese pieces that stood out to me for their size and sophistication.
Built in traditional Vietnamese style, the house featured an interior sky court designed for airflow on hot days. Its upper floor, serving also as a refuge during monsoon floods, had a smart and practical design – part of the upper floor was detachable, like a horizontal door, and was used along with a pulley system to lift heavy items, like furniture or even animals.
I found Hoi An’s ancient houses absolutely fascinating - beautifully designed and multifunctional. We had the chance to explore one in more detail: the Quan Thang House, a kind of live-in museum. Built in the 18th century by a Chinese captain and merchant, it is still owned and lived in by his descendants.
The two-storey house blended Vietnamese and Chinese architectural styles. Though narrow, it stretched deep inside, featuring an interior sky court complete with a fountain, a small aquarium, and a few potted plants. The fountain wall, decorated with a mortar panel depicting flowers and animals, was ornated with porcelain pieces. The front and central parts of the house were richly carved in wood - beams, doors, and panels displaying intricate craftsmanship. Upstairs, the balcony balustrade, a concrete latticework, was adding a different texture and colour to the whole ensemble.
The back of the house, in contrast, was simpler but surprisingly large, with multiple rooms and courtyards filled with vegetables, fruit trees, and all kinds of household essentials. It was there we met three generations of women from the family, all busy making fresh dumplings to fulfil restaurant orders.
As we left, an elderly man was standing outside the door. “That’s the grandfather, he’s the eighth generation” our guide, Luat, explained. He was waiting for the dumplings to be finished, so that he can deliver them to their clients. He was in his 80’s.
Next, we made our way to the Japanese Bridge, one of Hoi An’s most popular tourist attractions. The funny thing is, as famous as it is, I almost didn’t recognise it at first. See, it’s a covered bridge, so from the front, it looks more like a house than a bridge, and, as a footbridge spanning a small canal, it is rather modest in size, a lot smaller than the fancy pictures made it look like.
Built by Japanese merchants in the 16th century to connect their area to the Chinese neighbourhood, the bridge is beautifully adorned with intricate carvings at its entrances and along the roof. Painted in red, with wooden beams, accents of blue, and sparkling porcelain pieces embedded in the roof’s finish, it has a cheerful charm.
Even more impressive, the small bridge is big enough to house a Taoist temple inside! However, at night, when the town lights up, the Japanese Bridge shines like a small gem, impossible to miss then!
All the walking and the damp air, started to call for a good cup of freshly roasted coffee. We mentioned it to our guide, and he took us to a family-owned coffee grower and roastery, tucked away from the city centre.
Still on a roll with trying Vietnamese specialty coffees, I went for a hot coconut milk coffee. It had a good coffee kick, was sweet and not too coconutty, absolutely delicious. However I had to concede that was too rich for me, and kept "diluting" it with freshly brewed coffee just to make it more drinkable; I wasn't going to get defeated and I did finish it up. Such a good memory!
All refreshed, we were ready to go on with our next planned activity, a bamboo basket ride in Cam Thanh village, about 10 minutes drive from Hoi An. Traditionally, these round bamboo baskets have been used by locals to navigate narrow canals, to fish and transport goods. Unfortunately, what was once a way of life seemed to have become a heavily commercialized tourist activity, losing much of its authenticity. I only realized this when we arrived and saw the crowds. Thankfully, Luat took us to a smaller, possibly family-owned operation, where the experience felt a bit more personal.
We stepped into the round, bamboo-look-alike fibreglass basket rather skeptical.
The tour had advertised “learning traditional fishing techniques,” which turned out to be watching a guy on a traditional fishing boat throwing, from time to time, a net into a tourist-packed bay.
But, our paddler, an older lady, skilled and kind, tried really hard to keep things entertaining. On our way back, she stopped the basket, anchored it among some plants, and pulled out a stick with a short line and a tiny shrimp attached. She handed a similar stick to Eddie, who played along (he was already “experienced” from Ha Long Bay squid fishing). No crabs appeared at first, but after a few attempts, she managed to hook a spider-sized crab that quickly escaped. So, as she put it, no "yum-yum" for us. Honestly, with all the noise from tourists, I doubt any wild creature with legs or fins sticks around.
The highlight for me was discovering the water coconut. I had noticed numerous water coconut trees flanking the canals we were paddling on, but didn’t know the fruit was edible. At the end of the ride, our guide cracked one open, and we had a taste—it was fresh and crisp, more like a water chestnut than a traditional coconut.
Although at the time I was in a kind of a “huhh ???” state, now I look back with a smile and with fondness, mostly because of the warmness of people; I remember vividly the smiling and hardworking paddler, the hosts that welcome us with tea and came to thank us as we were leaving.
By the time we finished our “bamboo” basket ride, it was well into afternoon, so we headed out for lunch. Another great experience awaited us at the Thuyen Xua restaurant, where we were treated to a set menu that included 8 dishes and 2 drinks. Adding to that an excellent service and the traditional ambiance, topped up with a river view, we got more than a meal, we got an experience.
As usual, we had the evening to ourselves and set off for another stroll through the Old Quarter. By night, the city felt completely transformed. The explosion of colourful lanterns, vibrant lights, and bustling crowds gave it an almost magical vibe. Also, it felt more of a water town, as the narrow arm of the Thu Bon River was alive with cruising boats, glowing bridges adorned with lit decorations, and people setting wish lanterns afloat.
After wandering for a while, we finally stopped at a quaint restaurant. Luck was on our side and we snagged a table outside, that allowed us to delight ourselves in people-watching.
It was Christmas Day, a low-key celebration for us but a deeply fulfilling one. I was grateful to be doing what I love most: exploring the world with my bestie! All I wanted for Christmas was right there.
Next on the itinerary? We kept going south and spend two days in Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, a visit that I've recounted in this blog post.
I forgot to mention the crutches - hop along indeed! What a way to spend Christmas. I am going to look into this whole 'cake for breakfast' thing. It might have legs!