Of all the trips we’ve taken as a family, this Vietnam adventure is hands-down one that we are SO GLAD WE DID. It was hot, sweaty, and a bit very stressful at the time. There was a vomiting baby and lots of logistics to sort through (navigation, transportation, etc). But this country and its people are incredible. We loved the food, the architecture, and the natural landscape. Once the COVID-19 era has passed, I would highly recommend adding Hoi An, Vietnam to any Southeast Asia Itinerary.
Why visit Central Vietnam?
There are 3 major regions that tourists visit when heading to Vietnam for the first time: North Vietnam (Hanoi, the capital), South Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City aka former Saigon), or central Vietnam (Hoi An/ Da Nang). Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are both bustling, hectic cities with tons to see and do.
Our Backstory: We visited Vietnam while living in South Korea. The flight was about 5 hours from Seoul to Da Nang. We hadn’t heard much about Hoi An before living in Asia but multiple friends raved about how worthwhile and unique the destination is. They were so right!
I’m glad we visited a big city (Hanoi), but central Vietnam was a completely different vibe. Hoi An in particular felt slower paced. Don’t get me wrong– there were tons of people around. But less rushed, generally. I loved every second of it! Many of the great beach destinations are located in central Vietnam, too.
Hoi An vs. Da Nang?
You are likely to first stop in Da Nang when arriving in central Vietnam, since that’s where the airport (DAD, see map below) is located. In Da Nang OR Hoi An you’ll be able to spend time right on the water at a beach, enjoy delicious Vietnamese food, and check out some very unique architecture.
Da Nang is known for having more established and touristy resorts that cater specifically to families. I see a lot of value in established resorts that cater to families; that’s exactly what we did when we toured Phuket, Thailand with our little guys. It all depends on the type of trip you are looking for. Da Nang could entail chilling at the resort OR exploring the downtown area! You can tell on the map there’s more streets, more action. It’s more of a city, with some cool bridges, attractions, and museums to tour… and even some ancient ruins!
Many families with young children (a few of my good friends included) choose to stay put in the Da Nang area. They had wonderful things to say about their trips.
Hoi An is where you will find Hoi An Ancient Town: the cultural heart of the area (think: canals, lanterns, a variety of old architecture). We were too curious about Hoi An and its’ sights & sounds to pass it up. We took the baby & toddler and headed down south for more of a choose-your-own-adventure type trip. Here are 8 things to do & eat with your family in Hoi An to get the juices flowing (pun intended) for your own itinerary…or to help you decide if Hoi An is somewhere that will be a good fit for your family.
When to go?
As is common in Southeast Asia, the weather in Hoi An is divided up by rainy and dry seasons. Rainy season is Sept- January, so I’d steer clear of those months. The dry season is February- July. I would highly recommend visiting Hoi An in February or March….because it gets progressively HOTTER as the months go on! We toured in April and… yikes. I grew up with humidity and heat but this was next level. Especially with a baby, the heat can be really hard to deal with. For best luck with sunshine (but not unbearable heat), plan your trip for February or March. (Source).
Where to stay?
Picking a hotel when traveling with babies and toddlers is serious stuff in my eyes. Especially when you’re traveling abroad! I always try to stick to hotels that have most (if not all) of my favorite hotel features for young families. Ex: I am pretty opposed to sleeping somewhere without a crib for my wiggly 10 month old!
We found our hotel on booking.com (which allows you to search based on features and price), but a Google search provides a good starting point, too.
The good news is…hotels in Vietnam are priced very reasonably. We only paid $45 USD per night for a hotel that included: an outdoor pool, complimentary breakfast, and two conjoining rooms. That was in 2019, but a quick search verified you can still find very similar results now.
The name of the hotel was Maison Vui Boutique Villa (not to be confused with the Maison Vui Villa) and was run 100% by Vietnamese locals. The staff was so friendly and helpful. It was truly family-friendly, and we could choose our breakfast entrees each morning. A staff member would scoot off to a local bakery to pick up fresh baguettes to serve with eggs, fresh fruit, juices, or banana pancakes (crepes). The landscaping was gorgeous- so green and lush. It felt like an oasis amidst the heat. I highly recommend this hotel if your family visits Hoi An! Not sponsored– just loved the service here.
The only major drawback? The location wasn’t ideal for visiting Hoi An Ancient Town. This hotel was pretty far north from anything touristy (7 min journey on car or scooter but an hour walk by foot). If you aren’t planning on a car service of some kind or renting a scooter, I would recommend staying somewhere closer to the main sights.
Getting around?
Walking/ Touring:
The good news is there aren’t any big hills in Hoi An, so in that sense it’s relatively stroller friendly. Many of the smaller side streets are pretty uneven, but our rickety umbrella stroller did just fine.
We used our Ergo to baby wear our 10 month old most of the time, but that did get pretty hot…so he’d take breaks in the stroller, too, while my toddler would walk.
Safety Heads-Up: Watch out when crossing the street! Many busy intersections have no stoplights or stop signs. It’s a free-for-all….but it works! Cautiously, but steadily, walk right out and join the crowds while holding tightly to your little ones for dear life. Don’t wait for your “turn” or you’ll be there all day.
Also: Note the convenience store in the picture (above, right). That’s about what you can expect to find when you are in search of diapers, snacks, etc. We bought some bug repellent here. I would strongly recommend bringing essentials (a decent amount of diapers, bug spray, sunscreen, snacks, first aid items) with you!
Point A to Point B:
Our hotel provided a driver to pick us up from the airport and take us back to the airport at the end of the week. Do not assume that a carseat will be a feature included, even in vans provided by the hotel. Bring yours from home if you want to guarantee having one.
Around town, very few people are driving cars. The large majority of locals use scooters. We did that, too, to cut down our commute from the hotel to the main sights. We had no problem finding a small storefront that rented scooters out per-day. They even had an adorable helmet for my toddler son. I wore the baby in the Ergo (on my front) to make sure he was strapped in well. Obviously this is a different country with different norms and standards. Always do what you feel comfortable with. The low speeds didn’t make me nervous, personally.
If you do rent a scooter, I’d take a picture/make a note of 1) the location you rented from and 2) your scooter’s license plate number. A gazillion people park theirs in random lots and it can be hard to find yours at night!
Talk to your hotel (preferably before you arrive) to get a sense for their suggestions/options/the best way to get around town in that specific neighborhood.
For a myriad of reasons, a scooter might not be the route for you. There are private drivers, GRAB cars (Uber equivalent), taxis, and bikes to rent too!
What if I don’t speak Vietnamese?
We don’t speak any Vietnamese. It wasn’t a problem. We stayed pretty close to the touristy areas, but even off the beaten path a bit we were able to communicate alright. This is largely due to the locals’ knowledge of basic English, the good signage, and the use of nonverbal communication. That said, it’s best practice to have learned some survival phrases & be ready with a translation app or language guide book to facilitate communications in the country you are visiting as a guest. I want to acknowledge how privileged my family is that we happen to speak English- a language commonly spoken all over the world.
Is Hoi An Family Friendly?
Yes. It caters well to tourists due to the UNESCO World Heritage sights and large influx of holiday-goers throughout the year. Regardless, Vietnamese culture really seems to value young children. We never felt like a nuisance in restaurants or on the street. Shop keepers, restaurant workers, and people we would meet genuinely seemed to like kids.
That said, it’s not like Disneyland where every path is clearly paved (literally and figuratively). You’ll need to get creative with your itinerary and transportation logistics in order to make it work well for your family. There aren’t large kids museums or anything like that in Hoi An itself– but there are local playgrounds you can find, and plenty of hotels have pools (two universally acknowledged Kid Win activities).
It was possible to find high chairs in some of the casual & more established restaurants, but I wouldn’t necessarily count on that. Speaking of food…
How is the Food?
Absolutely delicious! I liked Vietnamese food before this trip, but I left loving it. The best part was how toddler-friendly it felt:
- tons of noodles
- tons of rice
- easy to avoid spicy foods
- tons of fresh fruits
I know toddlers can technically eat basically anything, in theory. The reality is that there are certain types of foods (white/tan carbs, familiar, sweet, etc.) that are more likely to be consumed by your toddler without a fight…especially when you’re already in a brand new place and everyone is wired from odd hours of travel. Being able to find multiple options wherever we went makes the dining experience so much easier!
However, that’s not to say that the food was in any way bland. In fact, the flavors were so fresh and unique. Tons of lime, cilantro, lemongrass, mint, onions, and more. Our entire family enjoyed most every meal, I’d say. The presentation was beautiful, too.
Many restaurants in Hoi An provide menus with photographs, making it very easy to find what dish you’d like.
You could easily find: spring rolls (fresh and fried), bahn mi sandwiches, beef noodle dishes, pho, dumplings, rice dishes, fresh fruit juices, fresh fruits, and salads.
Our Toddler’s Favorite Parts:
- walking along the side streets with roosters
- swimming in the hotel pool (obviously)
- the banana pancakes (crepes) for breakfast each morning
- scootering around town
- seeing the boats on the canal in Hoi An Ancient Town
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