Hoi An, Vietnam

Hoi An is situated on the east coast of Vietnam, a little more than half way up. Its old town is a UNESCO world heritage site because of its historical buildings, which are well preserved. No entrance ticket is needed for the area though some travel guidebooks say so. For the museums, temples etc you do need a ticket.

There are many tourists in Hoi An. Unfortunately this fact shows in the number of peddlers and beggars. This is the only place in Vietnam, where we have felt a little distressed by the presence of newspaper sellers and aggressive old beggars.

The city looks a little ramshackle in daylight, but at night it wakes up into new life. There are numerous affordable restaurants and bars around.

Hoi An is famous for its high quality tailor shops. The cheapest ones are situated in the market area; the more expensive ones are in the centre of the town. Hard competition keeps the prices down and the quality high. In “silk cloth” there is usually even as much as 20-30% real silk!