I was super keen to check out Hoi An as I’d heard about how it was a former fishing village and shipping port that was essentially frozen in time. The Chinese/Japanese traders exerted heavy influence on Hoi An in the 1600’s, but when Da Nang evolved faster with a deeper harbour, Hoi An faded away out of the trading limelight. What’s left today is a quaint little pedestrian only village that feels like you’ve just stepped into an Oriental hamlet of 400 years ago.
Hoi An is all about the UNESCO Heritage listed Old Town with all its characteristic faded yellow townhouses. With no cars allowed, it’s a lot calmer than other Vietnamese towns and the lack of any risk of being cleaned up by a little Daewoo allows you to relax and take it all in a bit more.