Backpacking Hoi An

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I backpacked Vietnam in a week and also dropped-in in Hoi An, an ancient town.

This Backpacking guide to Hoi An is the love child of my travel experiences. I loved exploring the cobbled streets of Hoi An ancient town and so will you. This travel blog should give you enough ideas and tips to plan your own Hoi An trip easily.

Located in the coastal region of south central Vietnam, Hoi An is a historical city with its origin going as far back as 2000 years, the time when it was under the rule of Hindu Kingdom Champa. The remnants of the kingdom can still be seen in the ruins left behind.

Hoi An boasts of a culture which is a mix of several influences including Chinese, Japanese, and Champa. This influence also reflects in the architecture of the city. Since the beginning of the 15th century Hoi An was also an important trading port, bringing in riches for the locals and the foreign traders.

So, here are the things you need to know before you visit Hoi An, all my practical travel advice in one place:

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Tips

Hoi An has free internet. No registration needed.

There are few bars in Hoi An where you can enjoy the night life. To explore the Hoi An nightlife head to Nguyen Thai Hoc Street

The Best time to Visit Hoi An

The best time to go Backpacking Hoi An is from February till April. The weather is pleasant and there is no rain during this tourist season. I visited Hoi An in September, and while I did had see heavy rain once but it only last an hour or so and the weather was clear after that.

Getting In

Da Nang Airport to Hoi An: Da Nang is the nearest airport to Hoi An, and you can easily find a taxi to Hoi An from the airport. The Da Nang airport to Hoi An taxi fare is around $20 USD.

Getting around | Backpacking Hoi An

Motorbike taxi: I recommend you to hire a motorbike taxi to get around, it is convenient as well as one of the cheapest way. The basic minimum fare to ride a motorbike taxi is $1.

Bike/ Bicycle: For the ones backpacking Hoi An, you can also rent a bicycle or even get one free from your hotel. Since the distances are short and the roads are level, riding a bike is a good option to explore Hoi An. The bicycle rental price comes around $2 for a day, cheap!

Food Guide

Grocery – Fix your own food

First things first, if you are a backpacking Hoi An, staying within your food budget is critical. Unfortunately, unlike Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh there are no branded mini marts here, all you will find here are individually owned marts which sell items at whatever price they think is right. e.g. A half liter water bottle costs 7000 Dongs, pretty expensive if you ask me.

So, if possible as a solo traveler to Vietnam I will suggest you pack up you grocery from Da Nang where there are plenty of cheap mini-marts.

Restaurants in hoi an ancient town

Food prices are generally higher because of the whole tourist thing. There are gazillions of restaurants in Hoi an ancient town, and barring a few they all are identical.

If you are on a budget I will suggest try to find a restaurant as away as possible from the center (Japanese bridge area) and you’d see drop in prices.

If you are still wondering where to eat while backpacking Hoi An, let me assure you there are plenty of options. Here are few of the best restaurants in hoi an old town:

1. Nhan’s Kitchen – is a good budget restaurant in Hoi An. Try the trademark Vietnamese spring roll, and white rose dumpling. They also serve pizza and burger.

2. Phi Banh Mi – The go to place to have Banh Mi in Hoi An. Try the Tofu Banh Mi, if you are a vegetarian. The vegetarian Banh Mi costs 25,000 Dong, while the cheese Banh Mi will cost you 15,000 VND (~ $0.60 U.S.).

3. Am Vegetarian Restaurant – First class pure vegetarian restaurant in Hoi An, with lots of unique Vietnamese delicacies. Go for their signature dish Okonomyaki pancake. Food can be real spicy – especially the hot pot.

Things to eat in hoi an: Try Banh My and Egg Coffee!

The Best Places to Stay in Hoi An

When you are backpacking Hoi An, the first choice to find an accommodation is in the old town.

For myself, I found one of the best place to stay in hoi on booking.com. In-fact, I booked a dorm room in one of the hotel and I was upgraded to a private room with TV, A/C and all. Wondering how?

Here’s the thing, some hoi an hotels near old town might be running a scam. They let their dorms to be overbooked and when the guest arrives they ask him to take a private room for little extra (Not really! They could be expensive). Nice rip-off, but guess what?

Stick firm to your position that you already booked a hostel dorm, don’t pay anything extra even if they sound ‘helpless’. Tell them you have a valid booking and should be provided with at-least what you booked.

They would bulge eventually and offer the upgrade for free. Lesson learnt, Vietnamese are very easy to haggle and negotiate.

If you are budget for Backpacking Hoi An is generous, look for hotels/ hostels in the area around Japanese bridge. Also, make sure it is as close as possible to the river.

The area around the Japanese bridge is where the action is! Here are a few cheap places to stay in hoi an:

Best hostels in Hoi An

Hoa Binh Hostel: Female Dorm/ Mixed Dorm 6 beds – $6 – breakfast included

Hoi Pho – 6 bed mixed dorm – $5. double room – $13. booking.com/HoiPho
Tipi Hostel – Single Bed in Dorm – $7. Budget Single room – $13 booking.com/tipi
Tribee Cotu – Single Bed in Dorm – $7. Double room – $21 booking.com/tribee

Budget hotels in Hoi an old town

Cosy House Homestay: Deluxe Twin Room – $18 booking.com/cosyhome
Nha Lan Homestay – Double Room – $20 bookin.com/NhaLan

Conclusion

Hoping that this Hoi An Backpacking Guide was useful to you to plan your first trip. This travel blog was put together based on my extensive research and personal experiences.

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