Since Vietnam headed to the top of the travelers to see list how much has Vietnam changed.
In the late 1990's Hoi An was a sleepy fishing village on the central coast just a couple of hours drive south of Hue where most people only stayed a day before or after connecting with the Reunification Express and Hanoi.
Back then the only decent accommodation was the Hoi An hotel and the central market was a collection of stalls covered with bits of canvas and the like.
Now things have changed. The original stalls have been replaced with buildings and the market covers several blocks with the essential utilities such as water and electricity. There are now plenty of Hotels and restaurants stretching from the historic covered bridge to the beach.
Hoi An still has its historic Chinese houses and from the middle of the morning to the early evening bustles with the sound of thousands of feet as the tourists try to climb over this 2000 year old settlement.
The best way to see Hoi An is to get up early in order to miss the regular crowds that arrive by coach and wander around viewing the local residents going around their everyday business. The area to the east of the central market is a quieter area as the streets have retained their peaceful atmosphere and is known as the colonial quarter. This area was established by french traders in the early 1900's who resided in grand villas on the blocks between the river and the road. The authorities have recognized the value of the architecture and at minimum the front facades are to be retained and restored.
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