Hoi An is in central Vietnam and has a very different climate to Hanoi, which is further north. I have previously shared this link which describes the different climates in Vietnam, and if you look up for Hoi An, you will see that this region is prone to flooding from September to November. We travelled in October, and the city of Hoi An had flooded just a few days before we arrived, which made me quite anxious. Everything turned out all right , and the weather has got a lot better in the meantime (yay!).
To get to Hoi An, we took a domestic flight from Hanoi to Da Nang with VietJet, a low-cost airline. The flight was fine, but the return flight to Singapore with the same airline was not so smooth as the flight was extremely delayed, and all I could think about was the morning by the pool that we had missed.
We then took a taxi to Hoi An from Da Nang airport, which we had arranged with the hotel where we were staying. The journey takes about an hour.
Some people choose to stay in Da Nang before heading to Hoi An, but Hoi An is a much nicer place to stay. You can also do a day trip to Da Nang while staying in Hoi An. I have to admit that I wasn’t very curious to see Da Nang, as we didn’t stay for many days, but here are the most popular attractions to help you decide if you want to include Da Nang in your itinerary.
Things to see in Da Nang:
Ba Na Hills and Golden Hands Bridge – the Ba Na Hills theme park is located about 30km from Da Nang city. Set in the middle of the mountains, it was built in 1919 during the French colonial era as a holiday resort for the French. Over the years the place was abandoned until the Vietnamese Sun Group renovated the area and turned it into one of the main tourist attractions in the region. From here, you can enjoy mountain views, walk across the iconic Golden Hands Bridge, ride the amusement park’s carousels, or visit what looks like a French village in the middle of Vietnam. More details in here.
Marble Mountains – the Marble Mountains are a group of five limestone peaks with a network of caves, towers, and pagodas offering incredible views.
Lady Budha Statue – this is the tallest statue in Vietnam at 17 floors and is located on the Son Tra Peninsula.
Dragon Bridge – this dragon-shaped bridge offers spectacular views of Da Nang city. From Friday to Sunday at 9 pm, traffic on the bridge is temporarily stopped for the dragon bridge show, where the dragon breathes fire and water.
Click here for a suggested tour of Da Nang’s main attractions on Get Your Guide.
Back to Hoi An…
In Hoi An you can feel the vibe of a small village, especially for those coming from the chaos of Hanoi, perfect for relaxing, which is exactly what we did. I must admit that it was also a relief to be able to walk the streets without the stress of having to cross the road surrounded by motorbikes, as is the case in Hanoi.
Click here to read the post with tips on where to stay in Hoi An, and this post for ideas on activities and tours to do during your stay.
Although there isn’t a specific post about shopping in Hoi An, the shops that I have included in the Shopping in Hanoi post, can also be found in Hoi An.
*This post contains affiliated links, and if you make a reservation/purchase through them I may earn a small commission at no extra cost you.
