The Colorful Lanterns of Hoi An's Ancient City, Vietnam

Exploring Hoi An's Market in the Evening

From my homestay, it took me 10 minutes to walk to the ancient city. The benefit of walking was that it allowed me to observe how people actually live around the area.

As the sun goes down, the city lights up with several colorful lanterns illuminating the road.

Hoi An has to be one of the most laid-back places I have been. The ancient city is right by the river, the road is closed in the evening for people to walk, and there are countless restaurants selling the most delicious Vietnamese food in all of Vietnam.

You can rent a bike from most hostels or homestays in the area. It serves as great transportation because on one side, there is this Ancient City, and on the other side, a beautiful beach, a 15-minute ride away.

You can also hire a paddler to paddle a boat along the river and enjoy the view of the ancient city from a different perspective.

Even though it gets pretty touristy at night, you can always find a quiet street where you can relax and enjoy the atmosphere.

Houses in the area are all painted in a bright yellow color with wooden decorations from windows to furniture.

Come! Follow me, and I'll show you Hoi An!

This is why Hoi An is the most photogenic place in Vietnam. It is the combination of the architecture, the color palette, and all the lighted-up lanterns that make this place pop!

Both sides of the river were surrounded by cafes and restaurants.

I was making a mental note of cafes in the area so that I could come back the next day for a nice cup of coffee.

It only took me one evening to fall in love with Hoi An. This place was magical!

The sight of people sitting on the street, trying all kinds of Vietnamese cuisine, was quite common in Hoi An.

Hoi An is big on cheap, high-quality tailoring and, of course, lanterns.

This guy looked troubled...

As I was walking around, I stumbled upon this guy playing some sort of Chinese string instrument. What captured my attention was not the instrument, but the sound that came out of it. To my surprise, the sound was digital, and the song he played resembled modern chill-out electronica, which I like.

There were a lot of upscale restaurants in the area, but you can always find street food stalls as delicious as the food in the restaurants, but at half the price.

I ended my first evening with a visit to the famous Japanese bridge, built by the Japanese community in the 1590s to connect the Japanese community to the Chinese quarter.

Looking for a complete itinerary for Vietnam? Check out:2 Weeks Vietnam Itinerary

Bike Around Hoi An's Old Town

For my second day in Hoi An, I decided to rent a bike and go for a spin, but first things first, I needed a coffee!

I found this cozy cafe in the Ancient City called Reaching Out. What made this cafe special was that they only employed deaf and mute individuals, providing them with jobs while creating one of the most peaceful experiences a cafe could offer.

No one was talking out loud in the café; they only whispered in low voices among themselves. It was the perfect place to enjoy a nice coffee while reading your favorite books.

In order to communicate with the waitresses, you either have to know sign language or use one of these blocks of words provided by the cafe. It was pretty damn cool!

The Japanese Bridge without all the light work. I much preferred it in this form than when I saw it at night with all the crazy lights they put up.

A blind man is selling tiger balms in front of a restaurant.

This is what the ancient city looked like during the day, not as crowded, which made it a perfect place for a laid-back day.

After a coffee, I took my bike and went up towards the beach. I did not expect much since Vietnam is not exactly a country you go to for beaches, but I was surprised to see how well maintained the beach was. It was also less touristy than most beaches in Southeast Asia.

As the sun was about to set, I entered one of the numerous rice fields in the area and observed the sunset.

I just couldn't get enough of the green rice fields in Vietnam. They were ridiculously green!

I wasn't sure if I was trespassing, but here I was in a rice field, waiting for the sun to set.

Good morning, Vietnaaaam.. or in this case, Good evening, Vietnaaaam!

This is definitely my favorite photo. It captured an ordinary life of people in Hoi An very well.

Visit MySon Ruins

In the early morning, I decided to go on a tour to MySon temple, an ancient remnant of the once revered Champa kingdom. It was a long ride from Hoi An to where the temple is, and to tell you the truth, I was not impressed by it.

In comparison to Angkor Wat, this was nothing.

The temples spread out into several zones, none of which is big and well maintained.

I read somewhere that the company that was supposed to take care of the temple didn't do a very good job at it, and apparently they are cashing in quite a lot from tourism.

That said, it was still interesting to see how the temple of the Champa Kingdom resembled Angkor Wat of the Khmer Empire.

It took me only an hour to walk through the entire complex, but since I had to wait for my group to finish, I did not leave MySon until almost 2 PM. It was a gentle reminder of the reason why I would rather go alone than in tour groups.

The tour cost me only 5 USD, so I couldn't complain much. They dropped me off at the Ancient City as per my request.

Try the best Bahn Mi in the World (IMHO)!

As I walked around trying to find a nice place to eat, I stumbled upon a long line in front of this small Bahn Mi restaurant called Banh Mi Phuong.

I was curious, so I decided to sit down and order myself a Grilled Sausage Bahn Mi, a Vietnamese-style sandwich. The price was 30,000 dong per sandwich.

It was the most delicious sandwich I ever had. It was so rich in flavors; every bite was a delight. The price was so cheap that I decided to buy 2 more for my ride to Phong Nha the next day. If you are ever in Hoi An, be sure to check Banh Mi Phuong out.

I walked back to the homestay, got my transportation sorted out for the next day, and went straight to bed.

Initially, I planned to go straight to Hanoi from Hoi An, but as I learned more about the country, about the Hang Son Doong cave, the biggest cave in the world that was recently discovered in Phong Nha, a small town just north of Hoi An, I decided to stop in Phong Nha for 2 nights before I continued on. After all, it would be a shame if I did not at least check the place out.

In the next entry, we will be exploring the wonderful cave system of central Vietnam in Phong Nha National Park. This part of Vietnam is the most interesting part of all. The caves here are what make Vietnam unique for me. In Thailand, we have scenery similar to Vietnam, but nothing could compare to the caves in Phong Nha. Stay tuned as I explore the ancient caverns of central Vietnam.

Continue Reading the Next Part:A Hiking Guide to Paradise Cave and Dark Cave, Phong Nha

What to Pack for Hoi An, Vietnam?

As you may already know, I am an advocate of light traveling, and indeed, packing light for a journey like this is a unique art form. Here are some packing tips for your upcoming trip to Hoi An, Vietnam:

• Walking/Hiking Shoes: With all the walking and possible hiking during your travel, a comfortable pair of shoes is a must. I recommend the Timberland 3-Eye Classic Boat Shoes that are my go-to pair for long strolls and hikes.
• Breathable Shirts: Given the potential for hot weather, pack a few breathable shirts for your outdoor adventures.
• Shorts/Jeans: Anticipate lots of walking during your travels? Be sure to pack some breathable shorts and a pair of Levi's jeans for when the weather cools. For women, leggings are excellent for both hot and cold climates, so consider packing some as well.
• Outer Shell Jacket: An outer shell jacket is great for windy or rainy conditions. I highly recommend the Columbia Watertight Jacket (for women). It's lightweight, breathable, and even comes in a cool orange color.
• Microfiber Towel: A Microfiber towel is the ideal backpacker's towel due to its lightness, quick drying, and compressibility.
• Swim Suits: A swim trunk is a must-pack item if you are planning to visit Hoi An, Vietnam in the summer, just in case there is a body of water you can jump in.
• Camera: You should also pack a good camera for your trip so that you can capture all the beautiful experiences you might have. I recommend the Sony a7R V camera together with the Sony 24-70mm f2.8 GM II lens, which is probably the highest-performance camera and lens combination you can get right now.
• Power Bank: Keep your electronics charged on the go with a 20,000+ mAh Power Bank.
• Water Bottle: The Hydro Flask Trail Water Bottle is a great insulated water bottle to have with you in cities or on hiking trails. It is lightweight and can keep your water cold or warm for more than 12 hours. It's a total game-changer.
• Universal Adapter: You'll need just one universal adapter to plug in your electronics in any country you visit.
• Packing Cubes: Packing Cubes will help you save space in your backpack and keep all your belongings organized.
• Daypack: The Langly Alpha Globetrotter is my go-to everyday camera backpack. It's large enough to carry all my travel gear, and it comes with plenty of slots and pouches. Plus, it's stylish as hell!
• Large Backpack: You will need a large backpack to carry all of your stuff. I recommend the Osprey Atmos AG 65L backpack. With excellent weight distribution and a lifetime guarantee, you can't go wrong with Osprey.

For more information on what I pack in my backpack for this trip, check out: My Packing List: 60 Travel Essentials.

Further Reading about Vietnam

Are you looking for more information about traveling in Vietnam? Here are a few more articles that can help you with your trip to Vietnam:

• Looking for a complete travel guide and itinerary for Vietnam? 2-Week Itinerary for Vietnam.
• First time visiting Vietnam and wondering what the best places are that you should visit? Here are the 10 Best Places to Visit in Vietnam.
• Are you planning to travel to Vietnam as part of a big Southeast Asia trip? Check out our 3-month backpacking itinerary for Southeast Asia.
• Planning a trip to Ho Chi Minh City and not sure where to begin? Here are the 10 Best Places to Visit in Ho Chi Minh City.
• Looking for things to do in the ancient port city of Hoi An? Here are the 10 Best Things to do in Hoi An.
• If you are looking for an off-the-beaten-path destination in Vietnam, do not miss a chance to go caving in Phong Nha, and there is no better place to do that than Paradise Cave. Here is a complete hiking guide to Paradise Cave and Dark Cave in Phong Nha.
• Ninh Binh is only an hour away from Hanoi, and it is a great place to escape from that bustling city and be among nature. Here is the 8 Best Things to Do in Ninh Binh.
• If you love mountains, cool breeze, and rice terraces, you are going to love Sapa. Here are the 9 Best Things to Do in Sapa.
• Not convinced by my words about Vietnam? Here are 33 photos that will inspire you to visit Vietnam now.
• You can see all my Vietnam-related articles on my Vietnam Travel Guide page.