Hoi An
Slowing Down and Taking It All In
Hoi An feels different the moment you arrive.
After the openness of Da Nang, everything tightens up. Smaller streets, older buildings, a town that feels like it’s been preserved in time.
Hoi An itself is a relatively small old town, surrounded by rice fields, rivers, and coastline, which is part of what makes it so unique.
It’s slower.
Not just in pace, but in the way you experience it.
Staying in the Rice Fields
We didn’t stay in the old town itself.
Instead, we based ourselves out in the rice fields just outside of Hoi An, and it ended up being one of the best decisions we made.
Quiet, open, and a completely different feel to the busier parts of town, but still only a short scooter ride into the old town or out to the beach.
That proximity to everything made life really easy.
We hired a scooter through our accommodation, which gave us complete freedom. Old town, beach, cafes, random exploring… it was all within reach.
Our accommodation was incredible. Easily the best we had in all of Vietnam. Green Areca Villas.
For most of our stay, it felt like we had the whole place to ourselves. Just us, maybe one other guest here and there, and a pool that quickly became part of our daily routine.
Breakfast by the pool, slow mornings, nowhere to be.
It was one of those setups you don’t really want to leave.
First Impressions of Hoi An
The old town is what draws you in straight away.
Lanterns hanging overhead, yellow-walled buildings, narrow streets filled with people wandering without any real rush to be anywhere.
It’s busy, but not chaotic.
More of a steady flow than the intensity you feel in bigger cities.
You don’t need a plan here. Just walk.
Wandering Without a Plan
Hoi An is best experienced slowly.
Walking through the streets, stopping when something catches your eye, finding little cafes tucked away from the main paths, watching the river as the boats move past.
There’s no real need to tick anything off.
Just being there is enough.
Lanterns and Night Markets
When the sun goes down, Hoi An changes.
The lanterns light up, the river reflects everything, and the whole place takes on a completely different feel.
Night markets, street food, music, people everywhere… but still somehow relaxed.
It’s one of those places where you just want to keep walking, even when you don’t have anywhere to go.
The Kids’ Little Business
Back at our accommodation, the kids ended up creating one of the more unexpected highlights of our time in Hoi An.
They set up a little shop out the front of the villas.
The owner gave them a few things to sell, and before long, locals were stopping by, having a look, and actually buying from them.
It started as a bit of fun, but they took it seriously pretty quickly.
By the end of it, they’d made a couple of hundred thousand Vietnamese dong and were absolutely stoked with themselves.
One of those simple moments that ends up meaning a lot more than you expect.
The Hygge Farm Experience
Not too far from where we were staying, we spent time at a place called The Hygge Farm.
It’s a volunteer workaway where people from all over the world come together to live, work, and share experiences.
We spent about a week there, working alongside people from different countries and backgrounds, and it ended up being one of the more meaningful parts of our time in Hoi An.
What stood out most was how welcoming everyone was, especially towards the kids.
They didn’t just include them… they took the time to teach them things, involve them, and make them feel part of it all.
Emmett even picked up a few guitar lessons while we were there, which he absolutely loved.
It was one of those experiences that goes beyond travel.
Something real. Something you don’t plan. Something you just become part of for a little while.
Travelling as a Family
Hoi An worked really well with the kids.
Staying out in the rice fields gave us space, while the old town and the beach gave us plenty to explore.
The scooter made everything simple. Easy to move between everything without overthinking it.
Some days were quiet. Pool, breakfast, slow mornings.
Other days we were out wandering, exploring, or heading down to the beach.
That balance made a big difference.
What Stood Out
The mix of it all.
Busy old town. Quiet rice fields. Easy access to the beach.
Simple moments like breakfast by the pool, mixed with nights walking through lantern-lit streets.
And those little unexpected experiences… like the kids running their own shop or spending time at Hygge Farm.
Looking Back
Hoi An isn’t just about the old town.
For us, it was everything around it as well.
Where we stayed. How we moved around. The little moments that filled in the gaps.
A small town surrounded by rice fields, rivers, and coastline, with just enough going on to keep things interesting without ever feeling overwhelming.
And for us, it ended up being one of the most enjoyable stops in Vietnam.
Explore Our Time in Hoi An
👉 Follow our day-to-day experiences in our Hoi An & Hygge Farm daily journals
👉 View our Hoi An & Hygge Farm photo galleries