HOI AN
01/10/2026 - 01/22/2026
Our next stay was in Hoi An which is just 45 minutes from Da Nang. So no flights or trains or anything complicated for the transfer. We just packed up our crap and jumped in a Grab ride! We actually spent one day in Hoi An while we were staying in Da Nang so Emma and Dan could see it. We loved Hoi An. In fact, it might be our favorite town in Vietnam.
It is definitely more touristy than any of the other towns we have based ourselves in, especially the old town in the evenings – it is wall to wall people. But that’s because it’s so beautiful! There are pretty lanterns EVERYWHERE. When we did our day trip with Dan and Emma, we made our own lanterns which felt a bit like an elementary school art project. It was a bit hokey, but Grady planned it for us and we were all good sports. It didn’t take too long, so we decided it was kind of fun! Then we did a boat ride on the river to set them off. Which was great.
We also did a walking tour and saw some of the sights and history of the town. We saw the Japanese bridge which is a historic, roofed wooden footbridge built by Japanese merchants around 1593, connecting the Japanese and Chinese quarters. It features a blend of Japanese, Vietnamese, and Chinese styles, with guardian monkey and dog statues which also appear on Vietnam's 20,000 VND banknote.
We saw some other stuff that I can’t recall the details of! The big thing that was most important though was the resilience of this community! They face tsunamis every year with extensive flooding. This year was one of the worst years in history because they were hit repeatedly. Peak water levels reached about 11 feet! In spite of being totally under water, they persevere and clean it up - over and over!
We saw a show called the Memories Show which depicted the history of Hoi An. The show was set on an enormous and spectacular outdoor venue which was on a little island dedicated basically to the show. There were a bunch of restaurants and shops (all very touristy), but none of it was open until a few hours before the show. It was pretty spectacular!
Our hotel was a couple miles from a beautiful beach, so we spent a few days plunked on the beach enjoying the gorgeous weather.
One day while we were walking, we happened upon these little gems! They are little torture chambers and solitary confinement cells used for interrogation by the Americans during the resistance war.
A couple weeks back when we were in Da Nang with Emma and Dan, we made a brief stop in the Cham Sculpture Museum which showcased sculptures from Hindu temples. Some were from the My Son Sanctuary which was only about an hour away from Hoi An, so we decided to venture out there and check it out.
My Son (pronounced Me Son) Sanctuary is a complex of ancient Hindu temples built by the Champa Kingdom between the 4th and 13th centuries dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva. Shiva is both male and female (maybe a they?) and known as the "Destroyer" (of evil). They are often depicted with a third eye for inner wisdom and destruction of evil, a crescent moon, the river Ganga flowing from their hair, and a snake, symbolizing control over nature and time.
This shit was very old and very cool!
There was also a small stage and traditional performance on the grounds which was surprisingly good.
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