HOI AN TRAVEL GUIDE

Hoi An is a beautiful city in Vietnam, just south of Da Nang. The Old Town of Hoi An is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Understand

Hoi An,once known as Faifo, with more than 2,000 years history, was the principal port of the Cham Kingdom, which controlled the strategic spice trade with Indonesia from the 7th to the 10th century and was a major international port in the 16th and 17th centuries – and the foreign influences are discernible to this day.

The culture & heritage is mostly from the Cham people whose kingdom originally stretched from Hue South to Phan Thiet (South of Nha Trang) – the Champa’s most likely originally from Java. The original Cham political capital was Tra Kieu, the commercial capital was Hoi An and the spiritual capital was My Son (Hindu). The Cham people were Hindu, and by the 10th century the influence of Arab traders to Hoi An resulted in some converting to become Muslims.

The second major influence was from the Chinese, firstly from traders but especially the escaping Ming Dynasty armies who after settling in Hoi An for some years moved further south and created Saigon as a major trading port.

The third and last major influence of culture & heritage was from the Vietnamese and is fairly recent and only came after the Cham lost control of this area. For a tourist wanting Vietnamese culture & heritage,Hue is a much better destination than Hoi An (but the weather is much rougher too!).

While the serious shipping business has long since moved to Da Nang, the heart of the city is still the Old Town, full of winding lanes and Chinese-styled shophouses, which is particularly atmospheric in the evening as the sun goes down. While almost all shops now cater to the tourist trade, the area has been largely preserved as is, which is unusual in Vietnam, and renovation has proceeded slowly and carefully – it’s mercifully absent of towering concrete blocks and karaoke parlours.

The culture & heritage that UNESCO World Heritage Site status for Hoi An Ancient Town was trying to preserve has long since gone because these things happen. Since 1999, when UNESCO WHS status was awarded, there has been a massive increase in “mass” tourism – with the result that most houses have been sold by the community to speculators and shop owners to be used for commercial purposes. The community, and with it their culture and heritage, has gone and in their place are shops, restaurants, art galleries, etc. There are literally hundreds of tailor shops in Hoi An catering to ever reducing numbers of Western foreign tourists.

UNESCO Biosphere Reserve status also applies for Hoi An Ancient Town, but in reality this status, like many other UNESCO statuses, is not being cherished by site management.

The main thoroughfare in the Old Town is Tran Phu. Just south of the Old Town, across the Thu Bon River, are the islands of An Hoi to the west, reachable via Hai Ba Trung, and Cam Nam to the east, reachable via Hoang Dieu.

There is some controversy as to whether or not you have to buy a ticket to simply enter Old Town. As of April 17, 2014, it is in fact true that tourists are required to buy this ticket. Still, the details of this ticket are not always clear.

An “it’s ok to rip off the foreigners” attitude is pervasive throughout Hoi An (much more so then in most Vietnamese cities). Cyclo drivers charge 300,000 Dong ($15 U.S.) for a ride that would cost less than 20,000 Dong ($1 U.S.) in other cities of Vietnam. Restaurants in the Old Town area are VERY expensive, charging four times what most restaurants would charge and serve portions that are half of the typical size. Finally, Hoi An is known for clothing, with more than 600 shops catering to a very limited pool of tourists.

Buy

One tourist trap all shoppers in Hoi An must know is that almost everybody earns commission from referring buying customers to shoes and tailor shops. The standard commission rate paid by tailor shops to every receptionist, door boy, taxi drivers, hotel bus drivers, staff of 5 star resorts or any random stranger is 35%. Some of those “highly recommended” stores can appear popular, crowded and even offer cheap prices, but in reality are only pure shop fronts that leverage on cheap but low quality outsourcing.

Custom made Suits

Few tailors namely Vanda Tailors, Yaly Couture and Thu Thuy have their in-house production and do not outsource. Most tailor shops are not actual tailors but more of store front owners. In every tailor shop, you can choose the colour and material, and dictate every part of the style. Measurements are taken and the specifications are either sent out for fabrication at a factory or workshop outside the city or rarely made in-house.

The suit is usually complete by the next day, though for best results there is then a second (or even third) fitting, when they adjust the suit to more accurately suit your body and tastes. Most shops will keep tailoring it until you are satisfied.

If there are no tailors working in the shop or if the store is not able to show you the details or components that goes inside a suit, most likely the tailor store front is outsourcing and do not have their own production

While outsourcing is economical for store fronts as the shop only pay a set price for each item made, many tailor shop owners that outsource have no idea about the construction techniques, the consistency, the interior details such as threads, interlining, canvassing, shoulder pads, buttons etc. The quality that is put out is obviously variable, uncontrolled and as a general rule quite low. The actual tailors want to maximize profit and use the cheapest materials available to make the end product. Corners are also cut as payment is made per piece; the more pieces you stitch, the more money you earn, which obviously compromises quality.

There is typically no elaborate, multiple fitting and re-fitting process with most of these tailors. If not specifically requested, you will most likely only ever deal with shop owners who outsource the actual tailoring work to sweat shops in the outskirts of town, and who may not even know how to or care about translating your fitting requests to the actual people doing the work. Outsourcing tailoring work also means that shop owners have a strong incentive to minimize additional fittings and rework as it will cut into their profit margins.

Caveat emptor – and remember where you are: there is no trade association, Office of Fair Trading or similar to complain to if you are not happy.

If you do insist on getting something done, below are a couple of hopefully helpful tips how to approach the situation. Getting tailored clothes done in Hoi An can be a fun and budget-friendly experience, just be sure to know what to expect and how to minimize the risk of being taken advantage of. Come prepared with a healthy dose of scepticism when listening to the sales pitch and make sure that the shop’s interests are aligned with yours. Make sure that you have leverage to get refitting work done until you are happy (see below). Do not just rely on sweetly smiling shop assistants and their promises – there is usually a clear inverse relationship between the friendliness of their tone and how much money you have already parted with:

-Pre-pay as little as possible: Paying a significant deposit takes away the only leverage you have with shop owners to facilitate multiple ‘real’ fittings with tailors present. Shop owners will ask for significant or even full pre-payment to ‘cover upfront costs’, ‘buy cloth’, ‘pay staff’, ‘cover urgent hospital bills for the ill grandmother’, etc. Customers should resist this as much as possible. While it may not be easy to get the prepayment down to zero (not impossible, though), never pay more than ~25%. If the shop refuses, simply walk out and find a more reasonable one. Paying more will greatly reduce the shop’s incentive to deliver a product which you are truly happy with: Deposits are never returned if the customer is not happy with the product. If you decide not to buy a substandard piece but have already paid most of the price, the shop will simply sell your clothes to the next customer, after some alterations, and keep your money – effectively selling the clothes twice.

-Stand your ground and ask for rework if you are not fully satisfied. Politely, but clearly and repeatedly state that you will not pay for the piece if rework is not done to your satisfaction (note, however, that this will only work if you have not already paid a significant deposit – see above). Don’t hesitate to deliver this message in a confident voice, especially if other potential customers are within earshot. Also, insist on having the tailor doing the actual work present at all fittings. Make this clear on your first visit. If unhappy with the results of fittings, insist on going to the tailor’s workshop for final alterations until you are happy. This may be resisted as workshops are typically squalid affairs which shop owners don’t want their usually Western clients to see (Yes, your tailored clothes are really only that cheap because you are taking advantage of extremely low wages in Vietnam.).

-Know what you want, bring samples of what you like and check every piece thoroughly: It is always a good idea to know in advance which ‘specs’ you want for your custom clothes (collar shape, cuff type, monograms, etc for shirts, for example). Bring a list if necessary. If you have something more unusual done and order multiple pieces, have them do one piece first and check that you like what you see. It helps a lot to bring a piece of your clothing where you like the cut or which has some obscure detail you would like replicated. Do not assume that local tailors are familiar with the intricacies of bespoke tailoring and the myriad of options and customization available which a more traditional tailor is familiar with and can advise you on. It is also a good idea to have the shop confirm to you in writing what you have ordered, including all the specs and prices you have agreed upon. Finally, when you receive the product make sure to check that all the details have been done as agreed – on every piece.

-Quality has its price, including in Hoi An: If you go for the cheapest shop or cloth on offer you will be disappointed. Choosing a good suit is not just about comparing prices. Workmanship and what goes into the suit can largely vary. This does not mean, however, that you should not negotiate. It’s part of the experience.

-Bring enough time and don’t go for the 24h-suit (unless you want to look like a clown): You will need at least a few days for proper fittings. Let the shop owner know that you have enough time to come in multiple times. A negotiating tactic may involve being vague on your departure date – once more unscrupulous shop owners know when you need to leave they might string you along and not invest their time and money for proper fittings.

-Obviously, shop around* , do some on-line research or get personal recommendations before making a financial commitment.

-Get a receipt and keep it: This can be helpful if some eager customs inspector at your home airport decides to query you about how much your custom made clothing has cost as he may suspect that you are above the duty-free limit.

Cloned clothes

Hoi An has a long tradition of copying and then rapidly making up new garments for travellers.

You can bring in clothes (or even a picture of clothes) that you want copied to any tailor shop and they will try to imitate it. You can often choose the type of fabric and the colour for the copy. You can bargain for a better price, especially if you are getting multiple copies.

Bargaining when having custom clothes made: Custom clothes will cost more than ready-made in Vietnam, but should not cost anywhere near as much as in North America/Europe/Australia. You should aim for a fair price, with which both you and the shop owner are happy. If you are not happy with the price, you can go to one of the multitude of other stores in the city; if they are not happy, or feel you are being unfair in your negotiations, there is a chance they will not try as hard to make sure you are satisfied with the result.

When you first see the exterior of the Hoi An Cloth Market, a squat building that has seen better times, your first inclination will be to make like Usain Bolt and, well, bolt. Especially when you spy the mouldy green interior walls. But resist that impulse and bravely make your way through this warren of small stalls.

Custom made shoes

All the shoe shops in Hoi An will make custom shoes for you. The greatest concentration of shoe stores is along Hoang Dieu street, where there are at least eight (small) stores in a row. You can ask them to make you a style that you see there, or one in a catalogue or picture. You can choose the material, colour and type of base. While some shops may work from conventional sizing, most will simply trace an outline of your foot and take some measurements. As with the custom clothes, the fabrication is usually done a little outside of town, or at least in an area with lower rent costs.

Eat

Food in Hoi An is, even by high Vietnamese standards, cheap and tasty. In addition to the usual suspects, there are three dishes that Hoi An is particularly famous for:

·         Cao lau, a dish of rice noodles which are not quite as slippery as pho and a bit closer in texture to pasta. The secret is the water used to make it, and authentic cao lau uses only water from a special well in the city. The noodles are topped with slices of roast pork, dough fritters, and this being Vietnam, lots of fresh herbs and veggies.

·         White rose (banh bao vac), a type of shrimp dumpling made from translucent white dough bunched up to look like a rose.

·         Wonton dumplings (“Hoanh Thanh”), essentially the same as the Chinese kind, served up in soup or deep-fried.

The Central Market is a large building whose interior serves primarily as a place for food vendors. The vendors offer food all day starting in the morning. Seating on stools, eating a bowl of Cao Lau with wooden chopsticks, and sipping the ice cold “White Coffee with vinamilk” is an adventure. However, be warned that it is standard procedure for all food vendors to approach you immediately on entrance and try aggressively to have you sit at their stall.

If you wish to avoid choosing, a particular stall that serves Cao Lau has garnered the praise of Anthony Bourdain and is generally known as one of the best places in town. It can be identified by said label placed on the pillar behind the stall. Prices will vary atrociously, as shopkeepers swarm over you to sell you things, or even shove plates of food before you. Just keep declining politely and return the food if you don’t fancy it. Keep small denominations of dong with you, as you probably won’t get change if you give them US$. Also, confirm the prices before you partake of the food. Prices range from about 7000-20000 dong for a bowl of Cao Lau noodles, and 5000-7000 dong for a coffee. The baguette is a nice snack, and should not cost more than 10000 dong. You can point and say yes or no to the vegetables and chilli that they will add. Mineral water is around 10000 dong for a big 1.5L bottle.

Walking along the river at night, you will find a lot of pubs. Beer is around 30000 dong. Cocktails are around 20000-50000 dong. There are some bar foods available, such as fried prawn crackers for around 15000 dong a plate. Just walk into any pub and have a seat. Keep an eye out for “fresh beer” signs in some bars and restaurants; they sell very chilled glasses (probably half pint) of beers at the ridiculously cheap prices of 3000 to 5000 dong. These beers are produced by Viet A Breweries and are quite good. Do also look out for “Happy Hour” boards too.

Avoid the riverside cafe called Cafe Can. The cafe has the worst reviews of any in town. Customers complain about appalling service.

Drink

·         An Hoi Island, which is the western of the two islands that connect to Old Town, lights up with bars in the evening replete with colorful lanterns and blaring modern pop music. They stay open until after midnight, and cater specifically to the foreign crowd. They are all located on a single strip along the north side of An Hoi overlooking the river, so it is easy to spot which ones are full of people and which ones are more quiet, depending on your social preference.

·         Sunflower Hostel – Located east of old town and about a 10-15 minute walk, it is primarily a hostel. However, as one of the most popular hostels in Hoi An, it also serves as a drinking venue that is filled with backpackers that want to mingle and drink until the wee hours of the morning.

·         Casual open-air bars – There are many places to casually drink in quiet, relaxed venues all over Old Town. In particular, along the south end of Le Loi street, and all along Nguyễn Thái Học street are many of these types of bars. Mango, Tam Tam, Q Bar, Before and Now, are examples of bars along these streets that seem to be slightly more occupied than others (at least in the off season).

·         Volcano Club – a rather empty club (at least in July 2014) that is situated on the north side of Old Town, but is one of the few drinking establishments that is a club rather than a bar.

·         Why Not? Bar – a small bar located on the east side of town.

·         Zero Sea Mile Bar – while blogs on the internet sing the praises of this nightclub that oversees the Cua Dai beach (and according to several false reports of it temporarily being closed for renovations but now open), it has been permanently closed and is no longer in existence as of July 2014. Despite conflicting information on the internet, its closure has been verified in person by and no replacement venue has taken its place. In other words, there are no discotheques in the beach area, as Zero Sea Mile is touted as being the one and only. Don’t believe any locals that tell you otherwise, as some still genuinely believe it is still in existence based on heresay.

·         Cafe Bonsai – The place seems more about growing bonsais but for me they had the best Vietnamese coffee in town. You find it going South East on Dinh Tien Hoang, it is about 70 meters (left hand) after the intersection with Hai Ba Trung.