Hoi An: An Authentic Vietnamese Shopping Haven
Hoi An Tailoring
Clothing
Hoi An’s tailor market is chaotic in the best possible way: a maze of fabric rolls stacked to the ceiling, buzzing sewing machines and charming tailors calling you over as you weave between stalls. It is overwhelming at first, but there is something addictive about flicking through lookbooks, scrolling Pinterest for outfit inspo and then watching your dream dress or linen co-ord come to life in a matter of hours.
Prices are far cheaper than at home, and it is worth every moment of looking for inspo, feeling the fabrics, getting measured up, and the fitting days, all to get the most perfect clothes after. The real excitement hits at your first fitting: standing in front of the mirror in a perfectly fitted piece that exists because you imagined it and feeling totally amazing in it.
We chose to go with Mrs An 90, inside the tailor market. She works on a much smaller scale than other popular tailors in the market, and she was just amazing, acting like our Vietnamese grandma!
Leather
As well as incredible clothes tailoring, there are also plenty of bespoke leather shops dotted around the town, which can create anything you could ever desire. I bought a brown suede studded shoulder bag - you could customise every element of it from the type of leather to the finish of the studs. It was incredible to see such craftsmanship.
Where To Eat
Hoi An Cuisine Restaurant
The name of the game here is sharing everything family-style. We had the most delicious spread of local foods: fresh pork and prawns pring rolls, crispy rice paper rolls, pork rice noodles in a sweet brothe and more. It was extremely affordable, and with the decor, open kitchen and lovely staff, it felt like we had entered a Vietnamese family home.
Nourish
Now this was incredible, with an aerial pilates gym in the back, this cafe is a backpacker/digital nomad paradise. This is the best brunch place in all of Vietnam! I had an egg dish with pesto, feta and roasted tomatoes in a hot skillet with thick, crunchy sourdough toast, all washed down with an iced salt coffee.
Buttercup
The perfect way to begin any day…it is right in the middle of town, so perfect before going to the tailor market. They also have a sister cafe called Rosie’s, which is totally worth a visit too.
Roving Chillhouse
This pretty little cafe is nestled in the middle of the rice paddy fields and has the most calming atmosphere, which hit me as soon as I walked in. Sitting here with a wellness juice and a good book is a must for a moment of chill amid the chaos of travelling.
Mrs Kahn, the Banh Mi Queen
This was the most incredible Bahn Mi I have ever eaten, and I think about it every day. In this tiny restaurant in the back of Hoi An lies Mrs Kahn’s restaurant. In true Vietnamese style, she opens when she wants. It is all a chance whether you get to eat here, but you are rewarded with the best food.
What to Do IN The Land Of Creativity
Lantern Making
The best way to experience the Hoi An lantern culture is by creating your own lantern! I went to ‘The Lantern Lady’ where we laid our chosen silk onto lantern frames, adding our own tassels.
After this, taking a cruise on the river to light your own lantern and make a wish for the future as you lay in onto the water is a magical experience. I felt like I was in that scene in Tangled where they release the lanterns into the air.
Coffee Classes
Whilst in Vietnam, you have to take a traditional coffee-making class. We chose to take ours here in Hoi An, where we learnt about the history of coffee in Vietnam and how to make our favourite drinks.
Throughout the 2-hour class, we made traditional black coffee, traditional white coffee using condensed milk, egg coffee with happy water in it, iced salt coffee and iced coconut coffee too! I was absolutely buzzing by the time we left!
Cooking Classes
Whilst in Hoi An, we really were getting all our lessons in! From lanterns to coffee to cooking.
To begin our day, we met our group at the hostel and walked to the food market where we picked up fresh meat, veg and herbs, learning about all the different spices and ingredients which are popular in Vietnamese households, but not in the West. The market opens at 5 AM for all of the locals to pick up their food before the day heats up.
Before the class began, we learnt about the process rice goes through to become what we actually eat, as opposed to being a dried grain.
In the class, we learned how to make fresh spring rolls, summer rolls with prawns, pork and tofu in them with a peanut dipping sauce. Next up, we made banh xeo, aka Vietnamese sizzling pancakes. which is made by frying rice milk, turmeric, spring onions, pork and shrimp with steamed bean sprouts. You then eat it inside rice paper, and it was unlike anything I had had before. Finally, we made a beef noodle salad, and in the process, we learnt how to flambé our steak - this was super exciting.
Coconut Boats
Bobbing along the delta in a coconut boat whilst wearing traditional Vietnamese hats is a great way to see a new side of Hoi An. If you fancy, you can also get spun around in your boat whist gangnam style blasts from a nearby coconut boat - a truly unique experience. While on the cruise, you also will get to go crabbing - again, this is quite a random exprience but I loved it!
Hoi An really stole my heart, being in a place so full of culture, love and creativity was wonderful.
