Hoi An

Waking up at the Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai (roughly $950 USD per night) just outside Hoi An meant stepping directly onto pristine soft sands before taking a chauffeured vintage sidecar into the Ancient Town. As the morning mist burned off, Hoi An revealed its hypnotic saffron-yellow shophouses, French colonial wooden shutters, and cascades of fuchsia bougainvillea drooping over weathered clay tile roofs.

My first mission was custom tailoring—an essential Hoi An ritual. I stepped into Bebe Tailor on Tran Hung Dao Street, where I selected Italian double-faced silk and Scottish linen for two bespoke pantsuits and an evening gown. Within 24 hours and two quick fittings (costing around 7,500,000 VND total), the garments were stitched with bespoke precision and hand-delivered directly to my villa. It felt like Paris couture speed-run with authentic Vietnamese warmth.

Food in Hoi An is intimately tied to its ancient trade history. At Morning Glory Original, I feasted on Cao Lau noodles (85,000 VND)—thick, chewy noodles kneaded with water drawn from the mythical Ba Le well, tossed with spiced pork slices, fresh mint, and crunchy pork crackling squares. Later, at Banh Mi Phuong, Anthony Bourdain’s famous endorsement rang true: a crispy baguette slathered with paté, grilled pork, pickled papaya, and aromatic herbs for just 35,000 VND delivered pure bliss.

As dusk settled, the town banned all motorized vehicles, and hundreds of silk lanterns illuminated the cobblestone alleys in shades of ruby, saffron, and indigo. I boarded a small wooden sampan on the Thu Bon River (150,000 VND), lighting a handmade paper lotus candle and letting it float into the dark river alongside dozens of glowing wishes. Sitting by the water with a glass of crisp chilled Riesling, listening to acoustic folk melodies drift across the bridges, Hoi An cast an unbreakable romantic spell.