How to Spend Dry Season in Da Nang and Hoi An
Although there is really no bad time to visit the central part of Vietnam (although high summer can be exceedingly unpleasant), by far the best time is the clement and dry period that usually extends between February and May. During this time warm days give way to clear and pleasant evenings, perfect for discovering the very best of what Da Nang and Hoi An have to offer.
Xuyen Trung, Cam Nam, Cẩm Nam, Hội An, Quảng Nam, Vietnam
Hoi An is one of my favorite travel destinations in all of Asia. Sure, it’s undeniably touristy, but it’s also quite laid back and relaxed - nothing like other South East Asia tourist hotspots like Chiang Mai, for instance. Hoi An has a wonderful beach, gorgeous old town (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and some of the best food on the planet - surely well known to AFAR readers by now. Hoi An is also a great place for shopping. Of particular interest here are tailored suits and dresses, but the city also has a neat little cottage industry of lantern makers. There are quite a few scattered throughout the city, with some of the best being found on the southern side of the river. That’s where I came across this atmospheric little shop. If I ever have a hipster wedding, I’ll be buying my lanterns in Hoi An. Prices are, as all things in Vietnam, wildly negotiable.
19 Trần Phú, Cẩm Châu, Hội An, Quảng Nam, Vietnam
Markets throughout the world yield beautiful travel photos of meats and produce arrayed in dazzling patterns of eye-popping color. The market in Hoi An, Vietnam, is no different--in parts. But this fish monger was hard at work cutting up the day’s catch, reminding us that this is really all about putting fresh food on the plate.
