Wandering around the Ancient Town of Hoi An

From the hotel we were staying in there was a free everyday shuttle service to Hoi An. So, there was no problem with getting there at any time: in the morning, at the day time or in the evening. The ride takes just around 10 min. And definitely the town is worth visiting. The main attraction of course is the Ancient Town, UNESCO World Heritage site. In past Hoi An served as a major South East Asian trading port and the surviving buildings reflect the influences of different cultures, mostly Chinese and Japanese. No cars or motorbikes are allowed in the area so one can really enjoy wandering around the old streets.

This is a cute little town within town with its own unique atmosphere and special charm. Early in the morning the place is rather quiet, with occasional tourists only, the right time in my opinion to explore the place peacefully. There are many temples, pagodas and ancient houses there. The Old Town's architecture is really spectacular – a mix of French colonial, Chinese and Japanese but majority of these beautiful old buildings are occupied by restaurants, cafes, souvenir shops and tailors.

Ticket gives you permission to enter five of the places of your choice: one museum, one assembly hall, one old house, one temple and the Japanese bridge. We chose to go the Folk Museum but I wish we would have chosen a different one because this museum turned out to be a complete disappointment for me. The Chinese Assembly Hall impressed me with numerous bright and colourful paintings on the walls and with the gigantic dragon sculpture in the centre of the yard and the most impressive thing in the Old House was beautiful mother-of-pearl inlaid furniture.

When you get tired of walking around you can take a boat tour during which you will be able to give a rest to your legs, cool down and enjoy beautiful river scenery.

After the sun goes down the town brightens up with hundreds of lit lanterns. At this time the streets looks especially beautiful and are crowded with tourists. The souvenir sellers too become more active and from different sides you can hear their "buy something from me please".

Yes, the Old Town is a bit too touristy and commercialized to my taste but still, it is a very charming, beautiful and atmospheric place.