First, the facts
So what’s so special about Hoi An anyway? If you’ve ever been to this small, coastal town 30 kilometres from Danang, you wouldn’t ask. The city used to be a trading centre in the 16th and 17th century, and through the years, have been influenced by the Chinese, Dutch, Japanese, Indians, French and Spanish. The legacy that remains is an old town with narrow streets lined by wonderfully restored architecture that combines many of the cultures the place has experienced through the years.

The scale of Hoi An’s old town is perfect for walking. The shophouses are very similar to the Peranakan version found throughout Singapore. In fact, Tran Phu Road, one of the main shopping and eating drags in Hoi An does feel very much like a denser, narrower version of Melaka’s Jonkers Street – without the traffic, of course.

Places to see
As pretty and exotic as Hoi An is, there is much more to do than appreciate its architecture. Those who like to visit tourist attractions can assemble at the Cantonese Assembly Hall an ornate building built in 1885 where a dragon structure in the centre courtyard let’s you know you’ve arrived. The Japanese Covered Bridge near one end of Tran Phu Road is one of the most photographed spots in all Hoi An. Called Lai Vien Kieu in Vietnamese, this bridge dates back to the 1600s and is often attributed to the town’s Japanese community.

Cut to fit
Unbeknownst to culture vultures, Hoi An is the place to come to have clothes tailor-made. Everywhere you turn, you can’t help but come across a tailor. Yaly Fashion Town (358 Nguyen Duy Hieu Street, +84-510-3914995, yalycouture.com), though, is reputed to be the best in Hoi An. It definitely is the largest. Yaly occupies a two-storey building and makes anything you can dream of. Best bets are men’s shirts and suits (they’ve got excellent fabrics that range from hardy cotton to fine wool and silk), and traditional Vietnamese ao dais. But if you can think it up (especially if you have a picture of a design to show them), they can sew it up.

Shop till you drop
The main shopping street in Hoi An is Tran Phu Road. But the roads parallel and perpendicular to it offer equal enticement to spending money. Apart from tailors, you’ll find many arts and crafts shops selling lacquer wear, lanterns, cushion covers and jewellery. There are a few places offering semi-antique items, but one would be careful when treading along those lines. You’re in Vietnam so there are also many galleries of works from local painters. Don’t like what you see there? We’re sure they can paint something up for you if you give them a day or so. Of course there are t-shirts and cheap clothing to be had anywhere and everywhere you turn. As a guide, don’t pay more than US$2 for a cotton T.

Eat, drink, and lounge
In my opinion, shopping shouldn’t be the main thing to do while in Hoi An. The best way to soak in the atmosphere is over a meal, or a drink. It is in this respect that the town really shines. A meal at Mango Mango (45 Nguyen Phuc Chu, +84-510-3911863, www.themangomango.com) is a must. Chef-proprietor Duc is himself an attraction. Born in Vietnam, he left as a teenager during the war on a boat, and ended up adopted by a Mexican-American family in Texas. His travels later in life saw him going through South America, Europe, New Zealand, and finally to Hoi An where he married a local and has settled down. Don’t expect typical Vietnamese fare at his fusion establishment on the far side of the Thu Bon. He combines some Southwest American influence to his Asian sensibilities and has devised a menu brimming with confluences of flavour and daring. Sit upstairs if you have the choice, and watch Duc in action in his open-concept kitchen-cum-dining space. This is probably the most happening dining room in town.

Other places worth kicking up your feet for a drink or a meal include Bazar (36 Tran Phu, +84-510-3911229, www.bazarcafe.net), a café and restaurant opened by Federico Barocco with its pretty courtyard and jazzy bar, or Tam Tam Café (110 Nguyen Thai Hoc, +84-510- 3862207, www.tamtamcafe-hoian.com) a bar and restaurant located in a two-storey French colonial house. Another nice spot is The Cargo Club Restaurant and Hoi An Patisserie (107/109 Nguyen Thai Hoc, +84-510-3911227, www.hoianhospitality.com). Though the menu in the restaurant on the second floor (try to get a table on the balcony overlooking Thu Bon) comprises half-decent western and Vietnamese dishes, it is the delicious pastries on the groundfloor café where you’ll likely find its calling.