Written by Robert Brett
Before this holiday was planned (not by me, I hasten to say: it came ready-made as a hugely generous birthday present), I had never heard of Hoi An. And you may not have either, but you should include it in any trip to Vietnam.
For such a small place, it packs quite a punch: an old trading port that in the 17th and 18th centuries welcomed Chinese and Japanese traders, and still bears their marks today in its architecture and culture. Miraculously undamaged in the Vietnam War, it has been recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Uniquely in Vietnam, its historic centre is pedestrian only.