We definitely enjoyed walking along the beautiful streets of Hoi An, though I will admit the city turned out to be a bit of a disappointment for me (Alex doesn't feel as strongly but he's sick and making me write this post so I can say what I want!). We had heard such amazing things about the city ("Favorite spot in SE Asia," "Best part of Vietnam") that I suppose my expectations were a little high, but mostly I just felt like we'd stumbled into a tourist trap.
Yes, that is a Chinese tour group on tuk-tuks. There were nearly 30 of them and they all demanded that the drivers take their picture together.
The city is definitely charming - old, historic houses line the streets winding next to the river and at night every shop and restaurant is illuminated with paper lanterns - but it has also become a tourism hub and the authenticity that remains exists underneath many layers of commercialism.
I did love the shops selling lanterns. Not pictured: the twenty other tourists also taking pictures but not buying anything.
Ok, so at night the river views are very romantic.
View of the Covered Japanese Bridge.
Because Alex was feeling under the weather, we mostly just explored the area on foot, pausing to check out the homes, temples and storefronts. Every shop - and there are hundreds - either sells the same trinkets and souvenirs or silk and tailoring services (there are allegedly over 500 tailors in Hoi An) and every restaurant has an English and Western menu available. Walking the streets one does not encounter many locals (save for the shop owners screaming "hey buy something!") but rather herds of backpackers and tour groups from all around the world.
Despite all of this, the views are beautiful and Hoi An deserves its place as a must-see destination in Vietnam (though I would temper those lofty expectations of a town untouched by the modern world!).
Standing in front of Chua Phap Bao.
Close-up from inside the temple.
Standing in front of the Assembly Hall of the Fujian Chinese Congregation.
An idyllic scene along the waterfront.
Inside the Tran Family Chapel.
Sunset view over the river.
The "magic hour."
A total surprise - we found a quiet, local Japanese restaurant owned by a family from Osaka and enjoyed a delicious meal and paper crane-making lesson! Definitely worth stopping by Samurai Kitchen if you are craving a non-Vietnamese meal and Japanese hospitality!
Late at night the streets are quietly beautiful.
Overall I'm really glad we stopped here - the sunset and night views alone were worth it - but I think we will continue to try and follow the road-less-traveled from time to time. (We often find ourselves constantly debating the trade offs of visiting more vs. less popular destinations. On the one hand, many tourist locations are popular for a reason; on the other hand, these places can sometimes lack a truly unique cultural experience. Likewise, we have to weigh the cost, effort and time required to actually visit places "off the beaten path." We try to balance all of this when making travel decisions and so far I think we've done pretty well - there's always more to see and only so much time!)