About 45 minutes from Da Nang lies tiny village that is so utterly charming that leaving it out of your tour of Vietnam should not be considered an option.

Sometimes called the "Venice of Vietnam" because of the narrow canals that cut through part of the town, Hoi An seems to have been accidentally left here by some ancient long-forgotten people. Founded by Japanese traders in the 16th century, Hoi An became Central Vietnam's most important port and trading center. Many of the buildings have barely changed in five hundred years. Rows of tile-roofed shop houses memorialize a century of Portuguese traders, while others look as if they were lifted straight out of China.

Many homes here have been in the same family for hundreds of years and have become private museums that you can visit for a small fee. There are several fascinating old temples worth seeing as well as the covered 17th Century Japanese Bridge that has become the icon of Hoi An.

Hoi An is still a small town, only recently discovered by foreign visitors. Bicycles are the transportation of choice here. Although it is easy to explore the narrow streets and ancient bridges and temples on foot or by cyclo, you can rent a bicycle for about $2 a day or a motorbike for about $5 a day.

What many consider to be Vietnam's most magnificent beach is only a four kilometer bicycle ride away. You could be awakened by the sounds of motorbikes and bicycle bells just after four in the morning as many Hoianese head there for their daily swim. It seems like a crazy thing to do, but pale skin is considered attractive so people stay out of the sun during the day.

As you peddle into the darkness towards the beach you will be surrounded by what seems like hundreds of other two wheeled vehicles. It is pleasantly warm and strangely silent except for bicycle chains humming in unison. It is terrifying at first. Along the way you discover that green is a scent as well as a color. The perfume of the rice and water coconuts in the still morning air is like nowhere else on earth.

The number of people on the beach before dawn may strike you as rather bizarre. They talk in whispers, as if they are taking care not to wake the rest of the sleeping world. The water is as smooth as glass. Many swim silently while others watch from the beach, share a bit of gossip, and bury granny up to her neck in sand.

Around six o'clock the sun rises behind the islands in the bay. It is like a fabulous explosion on the horizon. Not long after, the place is deserted. Banana pancakes, a local specialty you will never tire of, are waiting for you at your hotel.

Except for a few tourists, the beach is empty throughout the day. Beach lovers can crawl into a shaded deck chair for the entire day. Cheap food and cold beer appear at the wave of a hand. Late in the afternoon (especially on Sundays), many of the townspeople return.

If you tire of the beach, take a half-day trip to the nearby village of My Son and the fantastic ruins of the sacred Cham city of Amaravati\ in the shadow of Cat's Tooth Mountain. Nestled in a lush green valley, this fourth century city is like a miniature Angkor Wat. The trip takes the better part of a day and can be arranged through any hotel.

Anyone who enjoys shopping will have yet another reason to fall in love with little Hoi An. Scores of little shops here offer an astounding assortment of local handicraft items at bargain prices. A third of the population seem to be tailors and shirts can be made to order in a matter of hours for next to nothing. Suits take a day. At night, Le Loi Street is lined with glowing ricer paper lanterns in unusual shapes and vibrant colors. You can have them made overnight in an astounding array of sizes, shapes and colors.

In a town filled with great places to eat, BoBo Cafe at 18 Le Loi Street is my pick as Hoi An's best. Their menu includes plenty of fresh seafood, fruit drinks, local specialties (try cau lau and "white rose") and vegetarian fare. Located on one of Hoi An's most colorful little streets, the open-air dining room is attached to a home that has been in the same family for more than two hundred years. The nearby Mermaid Restaurant at 2 Tran Phu is also very good and worth trying.

At night Westerners enjoy Tam Tam Café, a beautifully decorated upstairs restaurant and bar at 110 Nguyen Thai Hoc. Contemporary music, ceiling fans, rattan furniture, frosty drinks and billiard tables make this a comfortable spot for a relaxing evening, although few locals come here.

Far more interesting are the party boats that depart during Spring and Summer months from the quay along the river opposite Mr. Ly's restaurant (inquire locally for directions). Garish colored lights and blaring music remind you of a floating carnival ride. The cost is only about two dollars, not including drinks or food purchased aboard. These boats are a favorite with local Vietnamese, who drink, sing and dance very freely as boats glide through the incredible darkness of the river at night.

Copyright © 2000-2007 Douglas Thompson. All Rights Reserved.