After a few days in Da Nang, it was time to shuttle down the road to Hoi An.
It was a $6, 45-minute ride from one Airbnb to the next, which is pretty wild when you realize both cities are this close and yet feel completely different. Da Nang has that big, modern, melting-pot energy. Hoi An leans slower, softer, and more storybook. It’s perfect when you start craving calm—or when Hoi An’s tourist buzz sends you back the other way.
Right now, I’ll call it a tie. Hoi An is winning on pure laid-back charm.
In Da Nang, the anchor is the Dragon Bridge. In Hoi An, it’s the river.
And that river is something else.
I’ve seen it on YouTube, but nothing prepares you for it in person. Hundreds of boats drifting by, glowing lanterns floating across the water, reflections dancing everywhere. It feels unreal—like stepping into a moving painting.
Hoi An is definitely in Vietnam’s top 5 for me:
Phu Quoc, Da Nang, Nah Trang, Hanoi, and Hoi An in no particular order.
Here are a few videos to give you a sense of it.
But honestly? Even those don’t quite do it justice.