Tucked away at the far end of Hoi An’s riverside Bach Dang Street is a labyrinthine network of small alleys that take you into the ‘real’ markets, with only a sprinkling of ye olde tourist tat. This is where serious local customers come to buy everything from a screwdriver to a manicure; it’s a slice … read the full post

Hoi An may very well be most known for its tailors but if you really want to get something designed that’s going to last longer than the first wash then jewellery is a very safe and surprisingly affordable option. Scattered among all the tailors, shoe makers and spas you will find a multitude of tiny … read the full post

Hit the streets of Hoi An for anything from a tailored suit through to a banh mi and you will be thrown into a state of confusion over what really is a fair price. With very few traders working to a fixed price it’s not too uncommon to sometimes feel like you’ve been had. Ask … read the full post

If you have a proper look around Hoi An you can’t fail to notice that the tailor shops win hands down in terms of numbers, with restaurants coming in a close second, shoes third and sneaking in at number four a whole new wave of spas. It would seem that this is a town for … read the full post

After an evening stroll through the old town its fairly likely that you’ll fall in love with the iconic Hoi An silk lanterns that set an ambient glow outside every restaurant, tailor shop and hotel; if that doesn’t get you, then a quick glimpse in the direction of the night market will. And just like … read the full post

A few years ago market traders and food stalls were pushed out of Hoi An‘s old town in a bid to clean up the streets, leaving traders relocating outside the guarded boundaries of the pedestrian-ised zone. Then the Quang Nam authorities cleared the old central market and provided a new “cleansed zone”, in which a … read the full post

by Anna Heimbichner Hoi An is home to possibly the world’s highest concentration of tailors per capita, who will stop at nothing to get you to buy clothing you think you need. Having clothes custom made for you can be highly tempting; I certainly wanted to give it a shot. I met travellers who visited … read the full post