Hoi An’s label the ‘Ancient City of Vietnam’ is an apt description for this wonderfully charming destination in central Vietnam. UNESCO seems to agree, having awarded it World Heritage status in 1999. Wandering through its protected old town core, visitors are transported back to the 16th century when Hoi An was Vietnam’s most important trading port.

Nearly all of Hoi An’s charm is contained within its old town, featuring 844 buildings and structures that are protected as landmarks. Its narrow streets and hidden nooks are ideally suited for foot travel, and marvellous restaurants and interesting shops appear at every turn. The unique fingerprints left by merchants from China and Japan still resonate throughout the city’s architecture and craftsmen such as the ubiquitous tailors still ply their traditional arts.

Hoi An is a town where time unravels slowly, a rarity in modern Vietnam. The main attraction here is simply wandering past historic homes, ancient temples and the lazy Thu Bon River. Lingering at a sidewalk café lets you soak in scenery as school children skip home and beautiful women in traditional ao dai dress stroll gracefully past, and the local markets are as real and vibrant as anything in Asia.

Cua Dai Beach is a short bike ride away if you need to feel the breeze of the South China Sea, but otherwise a visit to Hoi An is all about the culture. Take a cooking class, tour a centuries-old home and marvel at the ornate detail of the temples. Try to plan your visit with a full moon, as the whole town turns off the electrical lights and reverts to the old days of candlelit lanterns.

Due to its booming popularity as a travel destination, Hoi An boasts an impressive range of accommodation. Upscale resorts are the trend, but construction in the old town is strictly limited by UNESCO. Competition among the hotels is fierce so you can find some great value deals if you shop around or book online in advance. Cua Dai Beach is lined with decent mid-range hotels, while just north of the old town there are plenty of nice places around Hai Ba Trung Street. The high-end lodging is located about five kilometres from town along the coast.

Getting directly to Hoi An isn’t always straightforward, but that is what helps keep it so mellow. There’s no airport here, but nearby Danang handles a fair amount of international and domestic air traffic. Trains also flow through Danang from all over Vietnam, while coaches serve Hoi An directly from Danang.

Since Hoi An is in central Vietnam, it has a tropical climate with reliably warm temperatures averaging between 25°C and 30°C. The year is broken into distinct wet and dry seasons, with the hottest days experienced in June and July. The dry season runs from February to May, providing lots of sunshine and warmth. This is the best time to visit Hoi An, when it is peak tourism period.

The annual monsoon plays a big role in Hoi An’s weather. The rainy season lasts from September to January, when heavy rain showers continually move over the city. Sunny breaks in the weather occasionally brighten things up, but this is considered Hoi An’s low season for tourism. On the up side, temperatures are at their coolest in December and January. A distinct lack of tourists also gives the city more ambiance.