Hoi An

The ancient and charming town of Hoi An, 15 miles south of Danang, lies on the banks of the Thu Bon River and was one of Southeast Asia’s major trading centres during the 16th century. The town’s development has been affected by a multitude of outside influences but the most significant of these has been that of the Chinese merchants that settled here. As a result Hoi An has a distinctly Chinese feel to it. With its narrow streets and low, tile-roofed houses, some of which remain intact to this day, Hoi An is a wonderfully atmospheric place to stop for a while.

Over the last few years, Hoi An has become a very popular tourist destination and is one of the most pleasant and convivial places to spend a few days relaxing and finding out about traditional Vietnamese life, or taking advantage of great value art and tailoring. You can choose to stay either in the old town itself or just outside on the coast, in one of the new boutique hotels, where you can combine being close to Hoi An with the benefit of access to some fine beaches.