Hoi An

Hoi An, an exceptionally well-preserved example of a traditional Asian trading port, is an outstanding material manifestation of the fusion of cultures over time in an international maritime commercial centre.

The town is a special example of a traditional trading port in South-East Asia which has been completely and assiduously preserved: it is the only town in Viet Nam that has survived intact in this way. Most of the buildings are in the traditional architectural style of the 19th and 20th centuries. They are aligned along narrow lanes of traditional type. They include many religious buildings, such as pagodas, temples, meeting houses, etc., which relate to the development of a port community. The traditional lifestyle, religion, customs and cooking have been preserved and many festivals still take place annually.

I took that description from the UNESCO website. I figured they could explain it better than I. This was about the only truly "cultural" experience we had. That was purely our choice as the beach was so great. That being said this was such an awesome place. The buildings, people, boats, and shops all made it seem like we had stepped back in time.

The Vietnamese people were very polite and not as pushy in selling their wares as I have seen in places like Bali or China. They respected the words "no thanks" pretty well. That made walking up and down these narrow streets very easy. They do not allow motorized vehicles in most areas here so you felt free to take your time and take in the sights. There were so many cool little shops with everything from lanterns to knock off clothing to tailors and amazing art shops. You could even take boat rides and throw some traditional fishing nets as Kade did. All for a price, mind you. Luckily it wasn't too outrageous.

If you were to ever visit Vietnam I highly recommend seeing Hoi An. It was a great day and we actually wished we had a little more time to spend there.

Brooklyn looking ready to hit the rice fields. She wore that hat all day long.

I nice picture of the streets of Hoi An.

You didn't have to worry about cars, carts however...

Traditional boats on the river.

The local ferry.

Fishing the old fashion way.

Kade didn't catch anything but he had fun.

The captain let Kade drive the boat. Syd said it was a little scary.

Hoi An is known for their lanterns. There were some very colorful designs and styles.

A cafe along the street.