Hoi An used to be a crowded international trade port in the 9th – 10th century with many traders from all over the countries came for business and exchange goods, this thing created the diverse cultural and rich history for this city. Nowadays, Hoi An is not a bustling port anymore but changing to a tourism city with the old town was mixed between Japanese, Chinese, and Portuguese architecture in every corner of the streets, the UNESCO World Heritage Site recognized the culture & heritage of Hoi An. Traveling to Hoi An definitely will bring a different wave to your family with many unique activities that you can do with your kids in this old town.
From https://familytravel.com.au/
The weather in Hoi An is quite simple, with only two seasons: the dry season and the rainy season. In the rainy season, you may not be able to go everywhere since it may rain in the whole day and sometimes also have flooded in 1-2 days. Therefore, the best time to travel Hoi An should be in the dry season from February to August with 2 period times of temperature. Between February and April, the humidity is low, and the weather is perfect for your trip to the town with the sun bright is not too intense and hot, then you can enjoy many outdoor activities with fun. From May to August, the weather is warmer and more sunlight, but it will bring you a lot of beautiful pictures in the middle of the old town with the perfect yellow background, only avoid to get out at noon since it may cause you a heatstroke. Remembering to drink more water and bring along the bottled water with you when walking outside from 11:00 am – 2:00 pm at this time.
Now, let check it out for some exciting activities that you can do with your kids in this town!
1. Basket boat in the coconut forest
From http://dragoneyestravel.com/
Have you ever seen the basket boat? Basket boat used to be the main transportation of Vietnamese from the period of the French colony. Nowadays, this basket boat only is used by some of the fishermen groups and for travel. It will be unique when you can experience the basket boat in the coconut forest when you are in Hoi An. Your kids will have a wonderful time when your family sits together in a basket boat, floating on the way to go inside the coconut forest and explore the Vietnam villages. If you are confident, you can paddle your very own boat and have fun with your family on this trip. Let’s give you kids a day discovering the local life of farmers when you pass by lush paddy field.
2. Hoi An Memories Show
From https://fayfay.com/
When your family is traveling to Hoi An, you should not miss Vietnam’s largest art show where 500 performers take over the outdoor stage in their traditional ao dai costumes and modern staging techniques. This show bringing to the audience a view of traditional of 400 years of Hoi An and explore the history of the town. The show is held inside the Hoi An Impression Theme Park. You should buy the admission ticket to the theme park too. Inside the theme park have the pagodas, temples, and shrines that you can spend an hour to discover this place before the show. Capture some photos of spirituality places inside the park with the background of Hoi An 4 centuries ago.
3. My Son Sanctuary
From https://www.sondoongexplore.com/
My Son Hindu Sanctuary is one of architecture, and ancient civilizations that are popular in the center of Vietnam was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is a cluster of partially ruined temples that have long been abandoned, though once a thriving religious site of the early Champa tribe. A trip to this place will bring your family to rewind back to thousand of years ago to live in stone sculptures of Hindu deities and towers amid the tropical jungle. The kids may not be interested in some stories about this place, but there are many quaint structures that you kids may see them for the first time.
4. Lantern making class
From https://adventureswithnienie.com/
Hoi An is more gorgeous at night with a hundred lanterns hanging from house to house, and this is traditional of this town. This lead the job of lantern-making appeared in the town too long to nobody could remember when it started. Therefore, why don’t you try to attend a class of lantern-making with your kids to explore how this wonderful lantern can be made and bring them home like a unique souvenir of your trip. The teacher can speak English, and you can learn from them the experience on how to create your lantern with an oriental design style.
5. Vinpearl Land Nam Hoi An
Hoi An used to be a small town with the villages, and old streets are look quite nostalgia. For those who have ever come to Hoi An will not imagine that there is a theme park around here with many exciting things for the whole family. If your kids are quite boring with outdoor activities you can bring them to this place and give them a day with a thrilling amusement park – Vinpearl Land Nam Hoi An that combines both cultural experiences and wildlife discovery with 5 different zones in the park plus over 95 exciting indoor games for visitors of all ages to enjoy! This amusement theme park has many things to explore besides the exciting games. Your family also can visit river safari – the first and only wildlife sanctuary in Vietnam, Folk Island’s Handicraft Village – where you can try yourself to do pottery with your own two hands.
6. The heritage city and countryside
Vietnam is popular with wet-rice agriculture and the scenes of Vietnam villages in the middle of the lush paddy field. This is a chance to show your kids how charming the countryside landscape. You can explore the town by yourself or book a tour that they can send you to discover the tangible and intangible heritage of this well-beloved city in Vietnam. From the villages with yellow rice filed to the old town with well-preserved 15th to 19th-century architecture will provide your family a trip to explore the traditional and history of the town, were used to be the busiest port of South Vietnam.
7. Cyclo around the old street
From https://fayfay.com/
Cyclo or rickshaw are popular transportation in Vietnam many years ago. However, this vehicle was destroyed in the 20th century. Vietnamese do not use them anymore and only can see them in the tourism industry. Therefore, this may be a rare opportunity that your kids can see this vehicle in Hoi An with a city tour on a cyclo. If your kids under 5 years old, they can accompany in one cyclo with you on the trip. Otherwise, one person on one cyclo is the best arrangement. The feeling when you sit on a cyclo is quite quaint that can’t describe, they will send you to go through the old street to see everything in the road from Japanese Bridge, a 300-year-old Chinese temple to a 200-year-old Vietnamese merchant’s house. Don’t forget to take a lot of photos with your loved ones on a cyclo!
8. Vietnamese Cooking class
When mentioned about Vietnamese cuisine, we can’t describe all about their culinary background in a few sentences or some specific food because they have various cuisine and variety taste different between each region along with the country. Hoi An is in the center of Vietnam, and the taste of its foods also different between other areas in the country. Therefore, you can check out a cooking class in Hoi An to explore more about their cuisine and spend quality time with your kids to learn some of Vietnam’s unique culinary heritage. You also can combine with a market tour to understand more about the local life, how to choose the excellent ingredient before the class, this experience is quite suitable to do with your kids or for the whole family too!
9. Tam Thanh Mural Village
From https://sailingstonetravel.com/
Tam Ky is a quaint city that just takes one hour from Hoi An by car. This is the newest tourist attraction of Vietnam that was recently transformed into a living gallery that features the local culture and communities of the country. The Tam Thanh Mural Village is a fisher village is at the seaside and quite sparsely populated, but they attract the tourists by many paints on the wall of houses in the village. Almost the paintings were made by Vietnamese and Korean artists who combine the art from Korea but still keep the traditional culture of South Vietnam. Don’t miss this chance to see all the paintings on the walls at this village and take many photos with your family to full fill your family album.
10. Cham Island
If you think that traveling to Hoi An only can walk along with the old town, playing at Vinpearl Land Nam Hoi An and taste the foods is enough for a perfect trip, you will regret it when missing Cham Island on your journey. What can you do on Cham Island – which is part of the Cu Lao Cham Marine Park, a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve? You can go snorkeling and swimming and get to see abundant and thriving coral reefs up close. Your kids can get a chance to see spectacular rare marine life and animal sightings. Either your family can pass by the fishing village to buy some souvenirs or take many photos as you want to save the best memory of this trip.
Hoi An is a quaint city with fresh air, nostalgia streets mixed between the Japanese, Chinese, and Portugal culture in their architecture in each corner alley. This city is quite suitable for a family trip to escape from urban life busy, game station, or the electronic devices that your kids may like to play every day. You can refer to some recommendations above and plan your wonderful trip to Hoi An with your kids. The town has plenty of things that you can do with your family in 3 or 4 days.