Hoi An ancient town has been known by many names: Lam Ap Pho, Faifoo & Hoai Pho. First founded by the Champa in the second century, Hoi An became an important trading port on the silk route.

     From the 16th - the 19th century, Hoi An flourished as major trading port on the silk route. Hoi An attracted ships and traders from all over Asia & Europe. The King of the Nguyen dynasty imposed a closed trade policy in the 19th century & Hoi An stagnated economically. Later the policy was lifted, but, bigger modern ships required the deeper port in Da Nang.

     Having been well-known by tourists for its Charm, History, Culture and People since the early 90s, Hoi An has gained a reputation for tourism development. Staying in Hoi An, you will have opportunities to explore Hoi An with good quality, tailored clothes, taste some Vietnamese cuisine at some local restaurants and participate in some cooking classes or enjoy your wonderful and relaxing time with a sunset dinner cruise. Making a visit to My Son sanctuary, Marble mountains or Cham museum in Da Nang are highlights on your vacations in this lovely town of the central Vietnam. 

Getting around

Hoi An is small enough that you can hoof it around the Heritage Town without difficulty, and even if you're staying up on Hai Ba Trung, it's only a kilometre walk into town itself. Bicycle rentals make life a bit easier a and extend your range -- cheap, too, at 10,000 VND per day. Many hotels simply throw in the use of a bicycle for free. There are so many motorbikes for rent, prices are good -- US$4 is pretty standard, but bargaining, especially if you need a bike for more than a day, will get you far. Be sure to check the bike out -- many are falling apart.

Getting to and from Cua Dai and An Bang beaches during daylight hours can cost as little as 10,000 VND, but most drivers try hard to charge at least a dollar. And in this case, bargaining won't get you very far. Late at night these prices go through the roof, particularly at Cua Dai. If heading to the beach on a rented bike or motorcycle, you may be stopped by a uniformed guard, who will show you where to park. From there, it's only a five minute walk to the beach. The guards seem a little inconsistent though, and we saw numerous foreigners pulling their bikes right up to the sand.
 

Train
The nearest train station is in Da Nang. Heading to Hoi An, you won't have any trouble catching a xe om willing to take you to Hoi An -- if anything, you'll likely have to fend off willing drivers. Expect to pay around $5, including a stop at the Marble Mountains on the way.

Bus
There is a bus station in town -- on Nguyen Tat Thanh at the corner of Le Hong Phong. One might assume, as we did, that you can save big by catching a regular bus rather than booking something in town. But we learned otherwise. There are departures from this station to the north and south, especially Da Nang, which costs locals 10,000 VND and foreigners 20,000 VND. But by the time you factor in a ride to the bus station, the fact that these are packed local buses that take two hours to cover 35km, that tour buses pick you up at the hotel, cost only US$3 and take just 40 minutes -- the beaten path suddenly becomes the most attractive way to go.