The prettiest town of them all...

Hoi An is unlike any other city in Vietnam. It certainly has its own distinct look, rhythm, and ambiance, all of which creates this sort of quiet charm that is difficult to not become enchanted by.

Hoi An was once a major trading port along the Silk Road, bringing in traders from all over Europe and Asia. This past is reflected in mix of influences in architecture and the large number of international visitors that still flock to this city every day.

The architecture in Hoi An is its most distinctive feature. A fusion of Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, and French, it is quite difficult to not walk through Hoi An and stop every few steps just to admire at the uniqueness of every building.
What I really love about the architecture in Hoi An is the faded facades that decorate every building, giving the entire town an old world feel. Faded yellow is an especially popular color here. Around evening, when the sun is about to set, the whole town is illuminated to a golden yellow.
Paper flowers cascading from windows add to the sweet charm of this town. The local economy is centered around artisanry that caters to the booming tourism industry here. The artisanry found here is a leftover of its days as a major trading port. You can find very high quality handmade clothes, tourist knick-knacks, incense, furniture, etc. and watch it made in the process...This man is carving a special type of tree that can't burn (forgot the name) to make into furniture.
Hoi An is especially famous for its handmade silk lanterns. Nowhere else in Vietnam can you find lanterns as finely made than in Hoi An.

Shoes....It is hard not to come by a shoe store in Hoi An. They're on every street, in addition to an entire block dedicated to handmade shoes. Handmade! I was so enthralled with purchasing a pair (or more) of handmade sandals and cute leather boots. Usually, you come in a store, select from the hundreds of styles (all up to date to the most modern of European fashion, of course), have your feet measured, and the very next day...voila! Your very own handmade pair of cute sandals. UNFORTUNATELY, I was only in Hoi An for a few hours and didn't have time to place an order.

Handmade sandals run about 200,000 dong ($10). Very cheap considering the craftsmanship put into customizing every pair.

In addition to custom made shoes, there are hundreds of tailors in Hoi An that can whip up an outfit in a number of hours, custom fitted to your body for a third of the price one would pay back home. And because Hoi An is an international town, the fashions on display here are geared toward Western tastes (mainly European). Hoi An really is a shopper's paradise. I was beating myself up for not being able to stay in Hoi An longer.

A walk through Hoi An's old town is like a walk into a place captured in time. Because of very strict restoration laws and having been completely untouched by the ravages of war, Hoi An remains relatively as it was during its heyday. This is very rare in Vietnam, where rapid development is changing the landscape of the entire country (which has been especially unkind to precious historical sites).

Hoi An also succeeds where many tourist towns in Vietnam fail--it is able to capitalize on the tourism but not become captured by it. Hoi An doesn't feel touristy even though foreigners may outnumber locals in the street. This is because Hoi An has always been an international city, so the shops and international flair is only fitting given its history.

A visit to Hoi An is necessary when in Vietnam. A few days walking through its old town, through narrow alleyways, lounging along the river bank is a really nice way to escape the hustle and bustle that Vietnam is becoming. I wish I had more time there to explore and absorb the charming ambiance of this sweet little town.

These schoolchildren I passed were just too cute. They were yelling out "Hi-lo! Hi-lo!" to all the passerbyers.
Sun setting over the river. Sigh. Bye Hoi An.