3 Days in Hoi An, Vietnam

After relaxing in the beach city of Da Nang, I traveled a short distance to Hoi An, Vietnam. Famous for its architecture and Ancient Town, it was the perfect place to spend a few days.

Day 1 – Bars & Banh Mis

The drive from Da Nang to Hoi An only took an hour, and to get there I shared a private vehicle with two friends I had met in Da Nang. I checked into the Fuse Old Town hostel and then got a banh mi (a Vietnamese baguette) from the nearby Madam Khanh which was really good. After lunch, I got coffee from a cute cafe called The Espresso Station. I then spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing and wandering the nearby streets.

A cute alleyway leading to The Espresso Station

For dinner, I had yet another banh mi at a nearby restaurant. I then decided to be social and joined the hostel’s trivia night which was a fun time (especially since my team won). Afterwards, we went to the famous Mr. Bean Bar, which is a Mr. Bean-themed bar that exists for some reason. We also visited a Bob Marley bar and the popular Tiger Tiger. It was a fun night bar-hopping along the Old Town promenade.

Day 2 – Coconut Boats & A Cooking Class

I had a nice morning wandering around the Ancient Town, and in the afternoon I joined a cooking class. A group of us was picked up from the hostel, and our first stop was the local market to get ingredients. We then rode on “coconut boats,” which are circular boats made from bamboo. The ride was super touristy, but it was also relaxing floating along the river. At one point we had our boater spin us around in circles which was fun. We also learned how to catch small crabs along the shore.

Our coconut boat ride

Floating along the river

Once that adventure was over, we started our cooking lesson at the Bay Mau Eco kitchen. It was more work than I expected, but everything was really good! We made spring rolls, beef pho, beef vermicelli salad, banh xeo, peanut sauce, and a garlic chili dipping sauce. I was really full by the end of the class but managed to eat everything. After arriving back in town, I didn’t need to worry about dinner since I ate so much during the tour. I did, however, walk along the riverfront after dark, admiring the lanterns and all the small boats.

My vermicelli salad from the cooking class

Lantern boats along the riverbank

Day 3 – Exploring the City

I started the next day early (for me) with a walk around the riverfront during the daytime. I then tried cao lau, a Hoi An speciality dish, at Com Linh. It was good, but I didn’t think it was anything amazing. Next I stopped for an egg coffee and then browsed all the famous tailor shops that Hoi An is known for. Many people will have suits, dresses, shirts, and other clothing items custom-made here; the tailors can make entire outfits in a day or two! I didn’t have space in my luggage for anything substantial, but I did buy two pairs of linen shorts off the rack.

Cao lau from Com Linh

Tailor shops are everywhere in Hoi An

It was a hot day and I was tired from so much walking, so I had an early dinner at what I thought was Morning Glory restaurant. Apparently the actual restaurant is located upstairs, while I was seated downstairs at a place that wasn’t very good. I had heard great things about the restaurant and was disappointed I didn’t try it; I’ll have to go back if I’m in Vietnam again.

The riverbank during the daytime

I was leaving Hoi An in the evening and had booked an overnight bus for my journey to Nha Trang through my hostel. This was nice because the transport to the bus station was pre-arranged and I was picked up directly from Fuse. When I arrived at the bus station I realized that I didn’t book the VIP bus, which meant that there were three rows of seats across the bus instead of two. It was extremely cramped, but thankfully the seat next to me was empty so I could at least store my backpack there. Lesson learned – always book the VIP buses! I was sad to be leaving Hoi An so soon but had an enjoyable three days in the city.