(This is part of my Vietnam story series. For travel itinerary & tips, check my Hoi An Travel Guide.)
The Tale of a Dreamy Evening
Hoi An is a UNESCO World Heritage City that was untouched by industrial revolution by chance. In earlier times, it used to be a major port. But during the 19th century, while its nearby places got modernized to keep up with the modern trade world, due to decline of industry in Hoi An, it was left behind with old houses and no modernization. In late 20th century, it started getting attention because of the heritage houses, its culture and especially because of the lantern festival. Today, almost the entire city revolves around tourism.
While coming back from My Son to Hoi An, I had no idea what was in store for the night. While I approached the town, I saw many roadside lanterns that looked quite nice. But the streetlights, traffic and the crowd were dominating the beauty of the same. My heart sank – since I’ve been reading about the place for quite a while – and everyone had fantastic things to talk about the place.
Once I reached my hostel, I quickly changed and decided to head out to see the lanterns. The hostel reception was extremely helpful in planning my itinerary. I followed their advice and walked down the street to the riverside. When I came out of the lane and looked to my left, all my skepticism about the place went out in a millisecond. With a street full of thousands of lanterns, heritage homes and lamps flowing down the river; the Hoi An Lantern Festival was one of the best things I ever saw in my life!
One side of the river was full of stores and heritage houses preserved as part of UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the empty spaces, street vendors were selling multiple cute gift items that were almost impossible to say no to. In another huge open area, performances were going on, ranging from dance to Bingo (or some variant of that which I couldn’t understand). I spent almost an hour roaming around before deciding to go to the other side of the river.
Once I crossed the bridge, the other side of Hoi An was a different tale altogether. The center of attraction was the night market and everything surrounding it. A mixture of street food stalls, specialty items and souvenir vendors, I felt an energy in the market. I tried on a few items that were looking unique and amazing, finishing with a coconut ice cream. You can also find small souvenirs there, ranging from greeting cards to fridge magnets, on which I splurged.
Right next to the night market alley, there were multiple bars/pubs and restaurants with open seating where you can sit and enjoy cheap beer and an amazing view of the other side of town. After a few hours of walk, I had an amazing Banh-Mi, came back to the hostel and slept.
The Tale of Beautiful Houses
Next day, after having breakfast, I went out for the actual heritage walk of Hoi An. The ticket counter right next to the famous Japanese bridge sells a combo ticket that lets you enter up to 5 of the clan houses and/or museums which need entry tickets, while most of the other places along the route are free. They also provided with the map, which helps you decide your own walking route. I planned my day accordingly, ensuring I finish the walk by sunset.
Different clans of the place had their own clan-houses, all with their own unique culture, deities and architectural style. All of them had beautiful histories, many of which are properly explained either by plaques or by people roaming around the place. While English is not very common, it’s not uncommon either; almost every alternate person will speak English since majority of the town income comes from tourism.
By noon, the temperature was up since it was mid-April, but it wasn’t unbearable. I loved the walk along the road. Two-wheelers and rickshaws added to the chaos of the market, but it was nothing unpleasant, especially when you’re from India. I stopped for lunch at a nice restaurant and had a hearty meal of Bun Thit Nuong, grilled pork with peanut sauce served with rice.
I continued my walk and ended up at the last clan house I planned to be in by 5.30. Though it was a little dark by then, on the bright side, I was the only tourist there, so I could appreciate the quietness, and had a nice little chat with two of the monks while shooting some nice pictures during the golden hour.
I ended my tour at the Japanese Bridge, back where I started, which itself is one of the main attractions of the city. Built in the Japanese style, this ancient footbridge was really beautiful, along with the reflections of its shining lights on the stream. There was a pre-wedding photo-shoot that was taking place, just like the ones I saw throughout the city during daytime as well. Given the beauty of this place, Hoi An is a great pre-wedding destination, especially for the Vietnamese people.
By the time I was done, it was dark and I was on the other end of town, so I had to walk all the way back through the walking street, which was fully lit with lanterns by then. They were having the monthly lantern festival that day (check for the dates). I again took my own time, took a stroll along the river that I already was familiar with, and came back to the starting point of the shopping center by 8.
The Tale of a Towed Away Scooter
When I reached the starting point, I couldn’t find my two-wheeler where I had parked. When I asked around, I was told that parking isn’t allowed there after 5PM since this is a walking street by night. When I asked where my scooty might be, they pointed me towards the parking lot about a hundred meters away. My heart was pounding at the thought of the heavy fine I would have to pay, knowing the pain of trying to get a towed-away vehicle back in India.
Once I got my scooty back from the parking lot, I asked how much I have to pay. To my surprise, the police officer asked me only for 10,000 VND, which is the parking fee! I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. I paid the parking fee and drove back to the hostel.
The entire fiasco took about an hour, and I was quite hungry and broke by then, having shopped much more than the limit I had set for myself. I have a lovely dinner at the restaurant in front of my hostel. I talked to a couple of other travelers staying in the hostel, and called an early night, since I had a long bike trip the next day.
How Much Did I Spend?
Here’s the rough estimate for the day (excl. shopping):
Hostel 150,000 VND
Commute 130,000 VND
Sightseeing 100,000 VND (Single entry ticket for the Clan houses)
Food & Drinks 120,000 VND
Total 500,000 VND/ Rs.1500
(To read about the distractions I got while completing the famous Hai Van Pass bike trip, aka the Top Gear tour of Vietnam, check the next story. For planning your own trip, check my Vietnam Travel Guide.)