A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Hoi An Ancient Town ( near Da Nang), Vietnam was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. It is recognized as an exceptionally well-preserved example of a Southeast Asian trading port dating from the 15th to the 19th century.
Hoi An was the most famous and bustling international trading port in Southeast Asia. Ships from Japan, China, Portugal, Spain, Holland, and France would come to exchange goods like silk, ceramics, pepper, and spices. Therefore, when planning for our trip to Vietnam, we put Hoi An down on our must see list.
We booked a hotel outside the ancient city, but within a leisurely walking distance in about 10- 15 minutes.
After unloading our luggage, we strolled around the neighbourhood checking out the city. We came across a seafood restaurant close to our hotel and had dinner there.
After dinner, we were reenergized ready to spend an evening walking. There was a lively vibe on the streets as we were passing numerous shops, cafe and restaurants. The closer we got near the water, the brighter the streets became.
Finally, we went through a narrow lane leading us right to the waterfront.
Wow, what a sight! There seemed to be thousands of lights lighting up the streets on both sides of the river.
Loud western music was thundering out from the bars full of people enjoying the drinks and music while crowds of people were shopping in stores, enjoying delicious local dishes in restaurants and sampling street food from seemingly endless food vendors.
Many more hanging out on the bight streets or just sitting down by the river enjoying the party like atmosphere.
On the river, there were numerous row boats with colourful lanterns carrying passengers on the water while others were busy lighting some small candles and sending them down to the river carrying with them their hearts' desires.
How could we let this beautiful moment past without taking part in one of these activities? We bought tickets and went down for a boat ride in oreder to be included in this magical scenery.
It was a memorable moment as we sat in the lantern lit boat taking in the sights and sounds of this pretty ancient town with the gentle warm breezes caressing our faces! However, we would have enjoyed it more if the deafening music from the bars had been a little quieter.
Well, as we say in North America: If you cannot beat them, join them. That was exactly what we did! After the boat ride, we went into one of the bars , ordered some drinks and enjoyed the lively music belted out by a young local band. The music was quite good! Really enjoyed our first day in this magical ancient town and look forward to explore the city more!
Hoi An was the most famous and bustling international trading port in Southeast Asia. Ships from Japan, China, Portugal, Spain, Holland, and France would come to exchange goods like silk, ceramics, pepper, and spices. Therefore, when planning for our trip to Vietnam, we put Hoi An down on our must see list.
We booked a hotel outside the ancient city, but within a leisurely walking distance in about 10- 15 minutes.
After unloading our luggage, we strolled around the neighbourhood checking out the city. We came across a seafood restaurant close to our hotel and had dinner there.
After dinner, we were reenergized ready to spend an evening walking. There was a lively vibe on the streets as we were passing numerous shops, cafe and restaurants. The closer we got near the water, the brighter the streets became.
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