VIETNAM – HOI AN

FEBRUARY 26, 2026

Our day tour to Hoi An started with a brief stop at WATER MOUNTAIN, the largest of the five limestone peaks making up the MARBLE MOUNTAINS. It was very brief. Our guide pointed out the pagoda on Water Mountain then ushered us into the marble factory and gift shop.

The traditional Buddhist sculptures were exquisite. Others were very contemporary and something I wouldn’t mind owning.

The best part was watching a man actually starting on his project. He proudly pointed out how he sketched the figure first and was about to chip away to expose it. He pointed to a sculpture nearby and motioned that he had done that.

Our next stop was the BASKET BOAT ride. We got into these colourful, round bamboo boats with our female paddler who took us through some tranquil canals.

When we exited the canals there was a carnival atmosphere of young men spinning boats almost to the point of tipping over. Loud music was blaring as they danced and spun in time to the music. Everyone around cheered and clapped. It was crazy good fun!

HOI AN is an ancient city, dating back to the 2nd century BC. It grew into a major international trading hub between the 15th and 19th centuries, attracting merchants and settlers from various regions of China, Japan, and Europe. The fusion of cultures and architectural styles blended seamlessly. Many of these structures remain exceptionally well-preserved.

The JAPANESE COVERED BRIDGE is a footbridge leading into the old town. It was built in the 16th century and is on the back of the 20,000 dong note.

The streets were pedestrian, with the only vehicles being bicycle tuktuks.

Many buildings still house the descendants of its original owners as well has the businesses they have run for generations. This original Japanese-style home specializes in embroidery.

We had some free time to wander the streets. Instead of shopping, we had some ROLLED ICE CREAM. The vendor poured the liquid ice cream mixture onto a cold plate then added the flavour I wanted (nutella) and proceeded to smash and chop it together until it was evenly blended together. Then he spread it thinly across his cold plate. It quickly hardened into a thin layer. He took his spatula and scraped up strips of ice cream. The strips rolled as he pushed the spatula along, creating little sausages of ice cream. It was just ice cream, but the presentation was magnificent! Sorry, I ate it before I could take a picture.

The highlight of Hoi An is the lanterns. They are EVERYWHERE!

At sunset we took a boat ride on the Thu Bon River to take part in the LANTERN TRADITION. There were hundreds of boats on the river. We were given a little paper boat with a candle. We set our little candle-boat free, along with the thousands of others. Every boat was a light attracting the gods to notice our wish as we set it free. It is a lovely tradition and quite a sight to behold.