Hoi An

We took the free shuttle to Hoi An since there were only 5 Furama residents on the bus – a Japanese family and a young Scandinavian couple. It was about a 25-minute ride along the coast. We were shocked by the number and size of the hotels/resorts in construction along the way. Clearly, they plan to convert this piece of coast into a prime tourist location. Hoi An is a small former fishing village where old (mostly 16th-17th century) merchant houses and tea rooms were converted to gift stores and restaurants. The town has a feel of a touristy beach community without the beach. It’s like a Vietnamese showcase for foreigners. The guidebook says that it’s like a Vietnamese pavilion in Disneyworld and it’s quite an accurate description. The most interesting part are the 5 Chinese assembly halls and the Japanese covered bridge. It was 100 degrees and no air conditioning anywhere. We wilted in the heat.