From Ho Chi Minh City, we flew to Da Nang and by bus drove to Hoi An.
Hoi An is located in the central Vietnam and is well known for its well preserved ancient town. In Hoi An, Vietnamese ladies still wear their traditional "Ao Dais." Its ancient past is superbly preserved in an enchanting collection of temples, pagodas, shop houses and magnificent private homes in the town's Old Quarter.
Hoi An used to be a major international port city from 15th to 17th century. But, the port has become too shallow for big ships to dock due to the sands and muds that accumulated over time from the rivers flowing into the sea at Hoi An. It now is a small fishing village.
Hoi An was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999, but it has since been commercialized with increased tourism.
We took a guided tour, that included visits to Temple, 400-year old Japanese Covered Bridge, River Walk and Ancient Town. Unfortunately, the photos taken from this guided tour have been misplaced. But the temple had a picture of Yubi, Gwanwoo and Jangbee who made a pledge for brotherhood at a peach garden. and a big statue of a dragon. The Japanese Bridge was not so impressive. So nothing much is missed. But I have borrowed a few photos from Google.
Hoi An was so crowded with Korean tourists. Overwhelmingly more than even Chinese tourists. I asked why. Because Korean Air has recently opened a direct flight from Incheon to Da Nang. That is why. Wow... But this impression continues throughout the tour in Vietnam. Koreans go everywhere.
Hoi An is called the city of lanterns. In the evening, the whole city is lit with lanterns and it is quite beautiful.
The following day, we had a quick trip to a beach nearby, called Hailing Beach, but the sand beach was quite narrow. Nonetheless, we had Tiger Beer under Coconut Trees, enjoying the sea breeze.
We joined an optional excursion on the Thu Bon River. An 81-year old man was showing off his rowing skills on a bamboo boat by circling around. Also, we watched a fisherman throwing his fish net. It was a Kodak moment. The excursion included a cooking demonstration at an Traque Organic Village and a 7-course lunch. It was a wonderful experience. Kristin volunteered to be a co-chef to make The food was quite good also. Also, we stopped over at Kim Bong Village where we visited woodworking shops.
I found a picture that shows Vietnamese fishermen using manual nets at shallow water to catch fish. I do not know how effective this fishing method is and how hard it is to catch fish this way, but the scenery was surely beautiful.
As we were passing through a Kim Bong Village, I saw a boy so absorbed into watching probably a video in a smart phone. He looked so intense and he portrayed the scene of modern children.
We stayed at a resort hotel called Hoi An Trails Resort with great satisfaction.
Hoi An was beautiful in the evening with the colorful lanterns.
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