When I planned my first visit to Vietnam last year, I ignored the usual advice to hop between destinations like Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Phu Quoc.
Instead, we traded the chaos of transit for the depth of staying put and spent our entire 11-day trip based in Hoi An.
What started as a practical compromise for traveling with our 9-year-old daughter turned out to be the perfect introduction to the country.
The region packs so much variety into one place that I never felt like I was missing out by skipping the rest of Vietnam. In fact, I'm already itching to go back.
I could spend my mornings at the beach and afternoons exploring cultural attractions
Committing to a single destination eliminated the friction that additional travel can create. Within 45 minutes of landing at Da Nang International Airport, we were checking into our hotel, Lasenta Boutique.
The property overlooks nearby rice fields and has a pool that our daughter enjoyed. From this base, everything felt effortlessly accessible.
With Grab rides (sort of like the Southeast Asian equivalent of Uber) costing just a few bucks, navigating was easy and affordable. The hotel also provided free bicycles, which are a popular way to explore Hoi An's cycle-friendly roads.
Taking things slowly, we split our days between swimming at An Bang Beach and wandering through the city's ancient town to explore streets defined by mustard-yellow walls draped in vibrant pink and purple bougainvillea flowers.
Although we had the option of day trips to the Marble Mountains or visiting Ba Na Hills, we were so content in Hoi An that our only excursion outside the city was to visit the region's top theme park, VinWonders.
Instead of spending our trip in transit, we could immerse ourselves in everything Hoi An had to offer while still leaving plenty of time to relax.
Some of my favorite memories came from Hoi An's food scene
Hoi An's food scene is incredibly diverse. We loved that we could enjoy global comforts like Mexican food and burgers one day, yet try out regional dishes the next.
Everyone raves about bánh mì, but for me, cao lầu noodles and cơm gà chicken were the dishes that kept me coming back for more, right alongside the hotel's poolside cocktails.
We also hunted down the famous Mót iced tea, which tasted so fresh that it was no wonder everyone online had been raving about it.
The undisputed highlight, though, was the coffee. After enjoying countless coconut and condensed milk coffees at trendy rooftop cafés like Faifo Coffee, I became hooked and now regularly import Vietnamese coffee to my home in Japan.
The craft villages gave me a deeper appreciation for Hoi An's culture
Although Hoi An's ancient town is beautiful, its traditional craft villages truly sold me on this city.
At Thanh Ha pottery village, local artisans guided our hands to shape small vases, and we watched as they used air fryers as genius miniature kilns.
At the silk village, we tracked the craft's lifecycle from silkworms to looms before building our own bamboo-framed silk lanterns. They aren't masterpieces, but they now hang in my home, carrying memories that store-bought items never could.
We also tried wood carving at Kim Bong carpentry village, and tasted cinnamon bark that was being ground into paste to make incense sticks.
I came home with a suitcase of handmade treasures, including bronze candle holders from Phuoc Kieu village. Unlike generic trinkets forgotten in a drawer, these are pieces we display and use daily.
The most unforgettable moment, however, belonged to the Hoi An Memories Show, where we watched 500 talented performers bring centuries of trading history to life in a stunning outdoor amphitheater.
I found Hoi An surprisingly easy to visit with a child
Before arriving in Vietnam, I worried its (famously) chaotic traffic would make sightseeing stressful with kids.
Instead, Hoi An was surprisingly easy to navigate. The ancient town becomes pedestrian-only during some peak hours, letting us wander without constantly dodging motorbikes.
Many of Hoi An's hands-on experiences, like cooking classes or lantern-making, are also child-friendly, allowing our daughter to become immersed in the local culture rather than just observe it.
What really sets the town apart as a great family destination is the incredible warmth of the people. Hospitality is clearly woven into the culture here, from hotel staff who took the time to braid my daughter's hair, to seamstresses who chatted with us like old friends and shared local tips.
I'm sure there are countless places across Vietnam worth visiting, but for us, Hoi An has set the standard against which I now compare almost every trip we take.
As we closed our trip with an evening along the Thu Bon River, watching the colorful lanterns drift by, I knew it wouldn't be our last time here.
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Kerri King is a travel writer and media creator from Aotearoa, New Zealand, currently based in Japan. She specialises in regional Japan, covering traditional crafts, cultural festivals, family travel, and rail journeys across the country. Alongside her editorial work, she creates visual storytelling content for travel and tourism brands on social media.
