Hotels in Hoi An
|
Luxury Hotels in Hoi
An
|
Deluxe Hotels in Hoi An
|
|
Superior Hotels in
Hoi An
|
Standard Hotels in Hoi An
|
Tours in Hoi An
Hoi An
Hoi An, 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 Da Nang, the heart of
the city is still the Old Town, full of winding lanes
and Chinese-styled shop-houses, which is particularly
atmospheric in the evening as the sun goes down. While
almost all shops now cater to the tourist trade, the
area has been largely preserved as is, which is unusual
in Vietnam, and renovation has proceeded slowly and
carefully - it's mercifully absent of towering concrete
blocks and karaoke parlors.
The 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 to the west, reachable via Hai Ba
Trung, and Cam Nam to the east, reachable via Hoang
Dieu.
Transportation
By plane: The
nearest airport is in Da Nang, which has frequent
connections to Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City 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 Da Nang, which receives several trains
a day from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hue, Nha Trang etc.
Most travel agents and hotels can book a train ticket
for you.
By bus: Open-tour buses run daily up and down the
coast from Da Nang, Hue (4-5 hours) and Nha Trang (9-10
hours).
Sinh Cafe, 18B Hai Ba Trung Street, tel:
0510.863948/916242. Can handle transfers to Vientiane
and Savannakhet in Laos and onward.
By motorbike or taxi: It's 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.
The centre of Hoi An is very small and pedestrianised,
so you will be walking around most of the time.
Unfortunately, motorbikes have not been banned from the
center yet, so particularly at night keep an eye out for
motorized kamikazes, even in the most narrow alleys.
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, of course, are always an
option. You can also charter boats for about US$1/hour.
Almost all hotels rent motorbikes at about US$5/day.
It's standard practice for the bike to have only 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, as prices at the latter
are appreciably higher. Use the bike to visit My Son,
about an hour away, or the Marble Mountains, about forty
minutes north towards Da Nang.
(Source: http://wikitravel.org) |
