|
Hoian,
once known as Faifo, was a major international port in the
16th and 17th centuries, and the foreign influences are discernible
to this day. While the serious shipping business has long since
moved to Danang, the heart of the city is still the Old
Town, full of winding lanes and Chinese-styled shophouses,
which is particularly atmospheric in the evening as the sun goes
down. While most all shops now cater to the tourist trade, unusually
in Vietnam the area has been largely preserved as is and renovation
has proceeded slowly and carefully, mercifully absent of towering
concrete blocks and karaoke parlors.
he main thoroughfare in
the Old Town is Tran Phu. Just
south of the Old Town, across the Thu Bon
River, are the islands of An Hoi and
Cam Nam.
GETTING
IN
By plane
The nearest
airport is in Danang, which has frequent connections to Hanoi,
Saigon and some flights to Bangkok, Singapore and Siem Reap,
Cambodia (for Angkor Wat). A taxi from the airport to Hoi An costs
about US$15 thanks to the cartel, but only about half that in the
other direction.
By train
There
is no railway station in Hoi An. The nearest is in
Danang, from where there are several trains a day
from Hanoi, Saigon,
Hue, Nha Trang etc. Our hotel
receptionists can book a train ticket for
you.
By bus
Traveller buses run
daily up and down the coast from Da Nang, Hue and Nha Trang. Note
the road to Nha Trang is awful and the trip takes all day; it is
much better to take a train. Sinh Cafes office is at 18A Hai Ba
Trung st., just off Hai Ba Trung, and they charge US$2 for the trip
to Hue (4 hours, twice daily).
By motorbike or
taxi
It is easy to take a motorbike or taxi to and
from Da Nang via the Marble Mountains (see below), from where you
can catch a train onwards.
GETTING
AROUND
The centre of Hoi An is very small and
pedestrianised, so you will be walking around most of the time.
Unfortunately, bikes have not been banned from the center yet, so
particularly at night keep an eye out for motorized
kamikazes.
To go to the beach, or reach some of the more
remote hotels, it is easy and cheap to hire a bicycle. Taxis are few
and far between, but can be called by phone. When busy, taxis may
refuse your fare back to your hotel from town if it is too close,
opting for larger fares. Arranging a shuttle from your hotel may be
a better option. Motorbike taxis are always an option. You can also
charter boats for about US$1/hour.
Almost all of the hotels
will rent out motorbikes at about five USD a day. It is standard
practice for them to rent you the bike with just enough petrol to
make it to the next petrol station. If you value your money, go to a
gas station, rather than the hand-operated roadside pumps -- the
markup at the latter is vicious. Use the bike to visit My Son, about
an hour away, or the Marble Mountains, about forty minutes north
towards Da
Nang.
SEEING
Old
town
Entry to all historical sites in Hoi An is via
a coupon system, where US$5 gets you a ticket that can be used to
enter five attractions: one museum, one family house, one Chinese
meeting hall, the art performance theater and either the Japanese
Covered Bridge or the Quan Kong Temple. Tickets are sold at various
entry points into the Old Town, including Hai Ba Trung
St.
» Japanese Covered
Bridge (Cau Nhat Ban or Lai Vien Kieu), on the
west end of Tran Phu Street. Hoi An's best-known landmark consists
of a covered bridge and pagoda. The bridge was constructed in the
early 1600's by the Japanese community, roughly 40 years before they
left the city to return to Japan under the strict policy of sakohu
enforced by the Tokugawa Shogunate. Last renovated in 1986. Entry
one coupon.
» Museum of Trade Ceramics, 80
Tran Phu St. The dusty displays of broken pottery in this house are
eminently forgettable, but the house itself is nice enough. Entry
one coupon.
» Phung Hung House, 4 Nguyen Thi
Minh Khai St (just west of the Japanese Bridge). Traditional
two-story wooden house, inhabited over 100 years by eight
generations - and the current one attempts to guide you around in
hope of a tip. Entry one coupon.
» Chinese meeting
halls: Numerous congregation halls, where Chinese
expatriate residents met and socialized, are dotted about the town.
They are typically named after their home region, such as Fujian and
Canton. Entry into any hall one
coupon.
BUY
Made-to-measure shirts,
blouses, dresses, suits etc. from the renowned tailors. When last
counted in 2002, there were 140 shops in the city and the number is
now well over 400. Be careful who you choose to manufacture your
clothes. As a rule of thumb, give all tailors 2 days advance to
prepare your garment and keep going back until you get your clothes
right!
GETTING OUT
» My Son -
Cham ruins in the jungle a few hours away (lots of agents offer day
trips).
» The Marble Mountains halfway to Da Nang are
well worth a stop. The hills loom out of the surrounding coastal
plain and feature a group of Buddhist temples built into caves - a
popular pilgrimage site for locals. Make sure you wear walking
shoes, as reaching many of the caves on the map require clambering
over rocks and through crevices. An small entry fee applies and
guides are available. |
