Hoi An Lanterns, Cycling & Local Life

First impressions of Hoi An: beach, tailors and the old town

We arrived in Hoi An after driving down from Hue, with a stop at an oyster farm on the way to learn how cultured pearls are made. From there, it was onto An Bang Beach for lunch at a little spot called Phin Lounge: sea views, sand, and that lovely feeling of slowing down.

After lunch we checked into our hotel in town and went on an orientation walk through Hoi An’s old town. This is where the city’s reputation hits you properly:

• Low, ochre‑coloured buildings with wooden shutters
• Lanterns already strung up above the streets, even in daylight
• Old merchant houses and assembly halls tucked behind carved doorways

We popped into Yally, one of Hoi An’s best‑known tailors, to look at fabrics and designs. Having clothes made to measure here is practically a rite of passage: dresses, suits, shirts, you name it. Even if you do not commission anything, it is fascinating to see how quickly they can turn an idea into a finished garment.

That first evening we met up with the group for dinner at a local restaurant beside the river and watched the boats go by, lit with lanterns. Hoi An makes a very good first impression.

Cycling through Hoi An’s countryside: rice fields, herbs and water buffalo

The next morning we swapped city strolling for two wheels and headed out on a cycle tour of the Hoi An countryside. If you only do one daytime activity here, make it this.

Riding through the rice fields

We pedalled out of town and almost immediately found ourselves surrounded by rice paddies:

• Narrow paths between flooded fields
• Water buffalo wallowing contentedly in the mud
• Farmers working in wide conical hats against a big open sky

It was very hot, but the gentle breeze as we cycled made it far more comfortable than walking would have been. There is something incredibly peaceful about moving at bike pace: fast enough to cover ground, slow enough to really see.

I did an instagram reel to show a bit more about the cycling    Hoi An Cycle Tour

Visiting a herb and vegetable farm

Our first main stop was an open vegetable farm where local families grow herbs and vegetables on government‑allocated land to sell at Hoi An’s markets.

We learnt about:

• How they rotate crops to keep the soil healthy
• The traditional watering methods, with big metal watering cans swung from a shoulder yoke
• The different herbs, including Thai basil and lemon basil, which we got to taste straight from the beds

Trying to water the crops the traditional way was a workout in itself, and a lovely reminder of how much physical effort sits behind the fresh herbs we take for granted on our plates.

Rice wine and banana wine

Further along our route, we stopped at a small family house that produces rice wine and banana wine. This is very much “backyard distillery” territory:

• Large jars bubbling away
• Equipment that looks simple but has been honed over generations
• Labels that are more about family pride than slick branding

Of course we tasted both. They are strong, but in that warm, slow‑burn way rather than an instant knockout. It is not about becoming an expert in Vietnamese wine; it is about seeing how locals use every part of what they grow.

Making our own spring rolls

Food crops up everywhere in Vietnam, and Hoi An is no exception. Before our next big activity, we had a chance to make our own fresh spring rolls using rice paper and local ingredients.

There is something satisfying about:

• Rolling your own snack
• Realising how simple the ingredients are
• Then sitting down to eat them, knowing you played a tiny part in the process

It also keeps energy levels up nicely for what comes next.

Basket boats and coconut palms: fun, touristy and still worth doing

You cannot talk about Hoi An’s experiences without mentioning the famous basket boats, or thung chai. These round woven bamboo boats used to be purely practical: cheap, easy to repair, and used for fishing and ferrying people across the waterways.

Today, they are firmly on the tourist circuit, especially in the water coconut forests outside town.

Our basket boat ride

After cycling to the pier, we climbed into our basket boats, two or three to a boat, each with an oarsman or (in our case) an oarswoman.

We drifted:

• Through water coconut palms, their fronds arching overhead
• Past other boats where people were singing, laughing and generally having a great time
• In and out of little channels that felt cut off from the main river

Our oarswoman was an absolute character. She sang back and forth with the other boat ladies the whole way, laughing and calling out, and the atmosphere was infectious.

At one point, the boat handlers showed off by spinning the baskets in fast circles. It is part party trick, part arm workout, and definitely not friendly to delicate stomachs, but you can always ask them to go gently.

An honest verdict

I will be honest: the basket boat area is touristy and commercial, and it was very hot when we went. There are music speakers, lots of other visitors, and a fair bit of “show”.

But it is also:

• Fun
• Memorable
• One of those “you have to do it once” experiences in Hoi An

I am glad we did it. The key is to go in with the right expectation: this is not a quiet, meditative paddle; it is a lively, slightly bonkers slice of river life.

Back by boat and bike

To finish the day, we loaded the bicycles onto a larger boat and sailed back towards town, watching the countryside slip by from the water. Then we cycled the last short stretch back to the hotel.

By the time we got back, we were hot, dusty, happily tired and convinced that cycling is one of the best ways to understand Hoi An’s local life.

Hoi An lantern‑making workshop: chaos, glue and magic

If the cycling day shows you Hoi An’s rural side, the evening lantern‑making workshop reveals the heart of the town after dark.

Determined to swim first

Before the workshop, I was determined to tick off one more personal goal: a swim in the South China Sea. We took a taxi out to An Bang Beach, and I plunged into what turned out to be the warmest sea I have ever swum in. Simple, joyful and oddly emotional: a quick call home to Mum while my hair was still wet made it even more special.

Then it was back to the hotel to change and head into town for the lanterns.

Learning to make silk and paper lanterns

At the lantern workshop, we learnt to make:

• Silk lanterns using bamboo frames
• Paper lanterns that you later set adrift on the river with a candle and a wish inside

The reality of the class was wonderfully unglamorous:

• Sitting cross‑legged on tiny stools
• Bamboo frame in one hand, silk in the other
• Glue on absolutely everything it should not be on

Our instructor was very strict. It felt a bit like being back at school: the slightest mistake was gently but firmly corrected, and the young locals helping out made it look utterly effortless.

My lantern looked like it had had a bit of a week by the time I was finished. The silk bunched where it should have been smooth; the glue had left little marks. It was far from perfect.

But when we held them up, lit from inside, they glowed, and that was more than enough. Imperfect, slightly wonky, but ours.

If you ever find yourself in central Vietnam, I would absolutely say:

“Book a lantern workshop. Go slow, laugh at yourself, and take the wonky lantern home anyway.”

I did an instagram reel on the lantern making experience which can be seen here  - Lantern Making in Hoi An

Hoi An after dark: river of lights and floating wishes

After the workshop, we carried our creations to the river and boarded small boats. This is where Hoi An really turns the magic up to eleven.

Setting wishes afloat

Each of us had a small paper lantern with a candle inside. Before placing the candle, we wrote a wish on the paper: private, public, silly, serious, it did not matter.

Out on the water:

• The river was busy with boats, but somehow it still felt peaceful
• Hundreds of lanterns were already drifting past, tiny points of coloured light on the dark water
• The old town on both banks was bathed in the glow of hanging lanterns, reflections rippling on the surface

We lit our candles, made our silent wishes and gently set the lanterns adrift.

It is hard to describe how beautiful it is:

• The mix of colour from the boats and the shore
• The hush as people watch their wishes float away
• The way the river seems to carry everyone’s hopes together

For me, it was one of the most unique and moving experiences of the entire trip.

Soaking it all in

We ended the evening with a drink at a riverside bar, watching the lights float away and the whole scene play out again and again for other visitors.

Hoi An after dark is “something else”:

• Every bridge and balcony strung with lanterns
• Street vendors selling paper boats and little trinkets
• Families, couples and groups of friends strolling, eating, laughing

Yes, it is busy and touristy, and you will not have it to yourself. But it is also utterly charming, and the kind of memory that will still make you smile years later.

Why Hoi An deserves more than a quick stop

Between the cycling, the basket boats, the lantern workshop and simply wandering the old town at night, Hoi An proved to be far more than just a pretty riverside photo op.

It gave me:

• A better understanding of rural life, from herb gardens to rice fields
• A close‑up view of local crafts, from noodles and wine to lanterns and tailoring
• One of the most beautiful evening experiences I have ever had, watching the river fill with light

If you are planning a Vietnam itinerary, I would suggest:

• At least two full days and nights in Hoi An
• One day focused on cycling and countryside experiences
• One evening for lanterns and the river
• Extra time if you want clothes made, beach time, or simply a slower pace

Hoi An is the sort of place that rewards lingering.

And if you would like help weaving Hoi An’s lanterns, cycling and local life into a wider Vietnam journey that suits your travel style and pace, I would be delighted to help you design it. Some places you pass through, but Hoi An is one you feel – especially when your fingers are sticky with glue and your lantern is glowing anyway.

Mot, hai, ba, zo… and here is to your own wish floating down the Thu Bon River one day.

The full blog can be seen here  Two Weeks in Vietnam on a Small Group Tour

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