Hoi An is an expanding country town surrounded by paddy fields farmed mainly by women in ‘coolie’ hats growing rice, verdant fields full of herbs and vegetables worked by water buffalo and a river where fishermen use methods unchanged through generations.
It has beautiful beaches and an old port overlooking the East Sea. But the real attraction of Hoi An is it’s historic Old Town dating mainly from the 15th – 19th centuries, it possessed the largest harbour in S.E. Asia back in the 1st century. The Old Town is recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site and offers our visitors outstanding sightseeing opportunities with a rural twist.
Hoi An is some 70km from Chan May port and can absorb your day with ease, so my Xuan Tu private excursion is a full 8 hours long and includes a snapshot of modern Vietnam as we journey through the vibrant city of Da Nang on way into Hoi An.
We start our day by greeting you shipside at Chan May port, and in our modern air conditioned vehicle with my professional driver we drive past beautiful Lang Co bay and through Hai Van tunnel emerging into the outskirts of Da Nang. We drive through the centre and along the seafront of Da Nang bay onto ‘Million Dollars Road’, passing My Khe Beach voted as one of the ‘top-10’ world beaches by Forbes magazine.
To summarise – a great company, great tour guide, great locations and the best day we had on our holiday where we visited several ports in 14 days. Highly, highly recommended and very good to deal with – book with confidence….thanks to all involved
– client TripAdvisor review
Arriving in Hoi An we cross the Thu Bon River to Cam Kim Island where you will experience the AUTHENTIC Viet Nam: visiting a carpentry village with its apprentices, wooden boat builders and local homes where families still make rice paper, noodles and woven mats by traditional methods – you WILL be invited to try your hand! In this part of our tour you will be welcomed as friends by locals who speak little or no English and lead a basic lifestyle little changed over the years.
Returning to Hoi An we embark on our short walking tour of this charming Old Town, including visits to a temple, old houses with a mix of Vietnamese, Chinese, Hindu, Japanese & Portuguese influences, some dating back to 1780 and not forgetting the famous Japanese Bridge built in 1719. Hoi An is a shoppers paradise and not all are its famous tailor and shoe shops! Look out for Hoi An’s famous lanterns which adorn its streets and buildings, these are a good souvenir of your visit here from the lantern shops. The Central Market is a perfect choice to see local food too – during the day you will be offered either a typical Vietnamese lunch at an excellent local restaurant or snacks along the way if required. This is something we will discuss on our way to Hoi An as we are conscious you will have dinner on-board when you sail!
We must eventually say goodbye to this most pretty of Vietnam’s towns and, at the end of your memorable day retrace our steps and return you safely to port in plenty of time for your ship’s departure.
My ‘Hoi An Private Shore Excursion’ fee includes;
‘Meet & Greet’ at Chan May port
a full 8 hour private guided tour in English
all entry fees, boat fees & the Old Town renovation fee
cold, bottled mineral water
moist towellettes
use of a modern air conditioned vehicle & my professional driver
donations to rural families visited which are used mainly for children’s schooling & shoes etc
My fee excludes;
any meals & drinks taken during the tour (bottled water is free of charge)
