The Nam Hai Hotel Hotel, Hoi An is located 30 minutes by car from Danang International Airport and 15 minutes from the picturesque town of Hoi-An. This town is a river port 30 km south of Danang and is known for its unique character that transcends time. The Nam Hai Hotel features 60 One-Bedroom Villas and 40 Pool Villas, all offering views of the South China Sea and featuring large bedrooms and living spaces, en-suite bathtubs, walk-in closets and luxurious bathrooms. Other amenities include flatscreen LCD television, iPods and docks, in-room bar, and wireless Internet access. The Nam Hai Hotel Hotel is self-contained luxury, meeting a guest’s every need on-site with a spa and numerous recreational facilities, such as tennis courts, beachfront swimmings pools and a library. Please use our secure online booking form to make your reservation at Nam Hai Hotel in Hoi An, Vietnam.

Hotel Features

Facilities

• 24hr room service
• airport transfer
• babysitting
• bar/pub
• bicycle rental
• business center
• concierge
• laundry service/dry cleaning
• meeting facilities
• restaurant
• room service
• safety deposit boxes
• shops
• tours
• Wi-Fi in public areas

Sports and Recreation

• garden
• gym
• kids club
• massage
• outdoor pool
• sauna
• spa
• tennis courts

Internet in Rooms

• internet access – LAN
• internet access – LAN (complimentary)
• internet access – wireless
• internet access – wireless (complimentary)

Car Park

• car park

Hotel Policies

1. Please note that Local Residents Rate is valid only for local residents and a proof of residency (Vietnamese Identification/ Vietnamese Local Residence card/ Vietnamese Working Permit) is required at check-in. Failure to produce the document will result in normal rates. Tourist visa is not accepted.

Useful Information

1. Check-Out – 12:00 PM
2. Internet Usage Fee (local currency e.g. 100 JPY) – 0
3. Number of Rooms – 100
4. Time to Airport (Minutes) – 35
5. Year Hotel Built – 2006

Benefits of the Hotel Feature package

• Placement before all non-featured hotel listings
• Above the fold placement
• Limited to 5 slots only
• Colored listing for maximum visibility
• Customized page with your choice of details, promos, information, etc
• Listing included in the Featured Hotels menu area

Advertise in ‘MyHoiAnHotels.com’ and or contact us now!

A tour of Hoi An is easily the highlight of any trip to Vietnam. It is a historic, charming and mystical town that somehow remained practically untouched by the passing of time. The experience is surreal, as though tourists were warped back to the 17th Century when Hoi An was bustling in sea trade. It used to be the most important port in Southeast Asia as Vietnamese sailors aggressively sailed to Indonesia, Thailand, China and Japan and engaged in a successful silk and spices trade. Eventually, the popularity died down as other ports developed, especially nearby Da Nang. As Hoi An’s economy stagnated, nothing much happened to the city as though it got suspended in time.

Today, it is a popular tourist town for its amazing landforms (specifically the Marble Mountains), city artifacts (specifically the Japanese Bridge) and archeological treasures (specifically the My Son Hindu Sanctuary). There is a number of hotels, restaurants, bars, shops, and picturesque old houses to keep the tourist interested. The town center is very pedestrian-friendly. There is no traffic and the roads are closed to any form of transport during festivals and town events.

After immersing in the many historic landmarks that Hoi An is known for, it is time to go for a swim. The nearest beach is the tranquil An Bang Beach, only 2.5 kilometers away. Getting there is a leisurely walk or a short bicycle ride though Hai Ba Trung St.

An Bang Beach is known for its pristine sandy shore, although the waves are strong and not exactly pleasant for swimming. Yet, just wading along the shoreline and relaxing on the beach to enjoy the South China Sea breeze is very inviting. An Bang Beach is also popular for its row of restaurants. There are at least 12 restaurants serving delicious and aromatic Vietnamese sea foods that are cooked fresh. The three most popular restaurants are La Plage, Phatties and Soul Kitchen.

Further to the northeast side of Hoi An is Cua Dai Beach, about 5 km from the town. Many consider this as the best place to go swimming, sunbathing, diving, parasailing and other sea sports. It is popular for its 3-km-long white sand beach that seamless disappears into the blue waters. Cua Dai clearly competes with the best beaches in the world. It is much crowded and less peaceful than An Bang.

And then there’s the popular China Beach from the old TV hit show about the Vietnam-American War. American soldiers used to have their R&R here. Today, everybody is welcome to enjoy this beach that stretches from Hoi An all the way to the Son Tra Peninsula.

Swimming in Hoi An and enjoying other water activities along these three major beach destinations is just one of the many reasons to visit this historic, mystical town when in Vietnam.

Eco touring is short for ecologically friendly touring, which means no gasoline is used and no harmful chemicals released into the atmosphere. There are five varieties of eco touring: Basket Boat, Fisherman, From Farmer to Fisherman, Sunrise Tour and Sunset Tour. These will give travelers a glimpse into the daily lives of Hoi An locals

The Basket Boat Tour takes visitors to the Coconut Water Palm Paradise for a hands-on experience of how the Viet Cong hid cleverly behind the coconut water palms during the Vietnam-American War. They traveled along this canal on tiny basket boats. Tourists will try their hand rowing through the canal on round basket boats called Thung Chai. This is an actual boat used by local fishermen today. Included in this eco tour are hotel pick up, boat transfers, basket boat racing, snacks with cold beer or soda, insurance and plenty of time to relax.

Next is the Fisherman Tour, a unique tour package that allows tourists to become a local fisherman for a moment. A tourist gets to experience firsthand lifting the day’s catch from the river onto the boat, riding on the basket boat, spread the fishing net to catch fish, and so on. Local fishermen get all the fun, despite the hard work. Every night they get to see the lovely Hoi An full moon and the glittering lanterns that look like stars at sea.

Another tour, the From Farmer to Fisherman package, takes a tourist to the most beautiful countryside sceneries. The tour includes a bicycle ride through a pool of water buffalos, rice paddies, vegetable plantations, and a farming village. Tourists are given a chance to talk and interact with the local people. From there, they move to the river to experience how it is being a fisherman. Fishing and farming are the two most important activities of Hoi An locals; hence, this eco tour is the best way for a foreigner to really understand the local Vietnamese way of life.

Next is the Sunrise Tour. Local fishermen spend the entire night fishing at sea and heads back home just before the sun shows up. This is a fisherman’s favorite time of the day, as he comes home to his wife bringing along fishes, crabs, shrimps and other sea animals. The wives then take their catch to sell at the Hoi An central market. The Sunrise Tour allows tourists to go through this experience for real.

Finally, the Sunset Tour takes tourists to the Coconut Water Palm Paradise on a basket boat to watch the magnificent sunset while enjoying a cold beer or soda. This eco tour is very relaxing, memorable and romantic. The Coconut Water Palm Paradise, 5 km from Hoi An, promises peace and quiet, a fitting end to eco touring in Hoi An.

The most popular local delicacy is Cao Lu. This is rice noodles with sliced roast pork, dough fritters, and sprinkles of fresh herbs and greens. The texture of the noodles is more like pasta than the usual Vietnamese pho. The secret to the unique texture and softness is the water used for broth. According to local cooks, authentic Cao Lu uses only water from a specific well in Hoi An. Water from any other water source just won’t do. This means the Cao Lu in Hoi An is unique in all of Vietnam.

Second most famous is White Rose or Banh Bao Vac. It is a regular shrimp dumpling but bunched to look like a cluster of roses. It is made from white dough, hence called “white rose”. It’s definitely worth eating for its flavorful taste and at a very cheap price. The best white roses are sold on Hai Ba Trung Street.

And the third most famous local food is wonton dumplings, similar with the Chinese, since there is a strong Chinese influence all over Vietnam.

A dining experience in Hoi An is very cultural and exotic. Tourists are advised to do the following in order to make the most of their dining experience.

Wake up early in the morning, go to the Central Market when it is full and busy with local buyers, and have a local breakfast while sitting on makeshift wooden stools. Ask for a bowl of steaming Cao Lu and sip with ice cold “white coffee with vinamilk”. This is a local staple, while using wooden chopsticks. Eat among the locals and be ready to be swarmed by vendors selling all kinds of stuff and other kinds of exotic foods. You do not need to try everything since it is still early in the morning.

To add more adventure to your already very exotic breakfast, ask for chili and more vegetables to be sprinkled onto your bowl of Cao Lu.

A bowl is about 7000-10000 dong (US$0.34-49), and the white coffee is from 5000 to 7000 dong (US$0.24-0.34). You might also want to add a piece of bread worth 10,000 dong. Bottled water is also 10,000 dong (1.5-L bottle). Never drink from the tap.

In the evening, hit the riverside and drink a bottle of beer with the locals inside one of the well-lit pubs. A bottle costs about 30,000 dong (US$1.46). Drink beer or a few other cocktails (20,000 to 50,000 dong) while eating fried prawn crackers. A night like this will surely complete your cultural experience in eating and drinking in Hoi An. But if an exotic breakfast and wild evening drink is not for you, there are several restaurants and cafés all over Hoi An that are difficult to miss.

Hoi An is 30 km away from Da Nang, the fourth largest city in Vietnam; also a few kilometers nearby is Hue, which used to be the Imperial capital. Before Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and any other Vietnamese cities were recognized internationally, Hoi An was already using the rivers and seas for international trading. Archeological finds reveal that the Sa Huynh people, early settlers in this part of the country, used boats to carry items and commodities to nearby lands. Hoi An was doing very well until Da Nang entered the scene in the 18th century. For some reason, Hoi An stopped its trading activities in favor of Da Nang and other Vietnamese ports, and since then, Hoi An froze in time, only to be discovered recently as a well-preserved historical city that is worth its title of UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Hoi An has rows of centuries-old houses and buildings. The Old Town is made up of museums, ancient conference halls, well-preserved antique homes, temples and cobblestone streets. Cruising along the Thu Bon River is the best way to sea and enjoy this ancient city and its surrounding areas.

A typical boating and cruising tour includes a pleasurable dining experience on a cruise ship that moves along breath-taking river views. On the menu are authentic Vietnamese sea foods, including freshly caught prawns and fishes, topped with fresh tropical fruit for dessert. There is also sweet music and an observation deck. A leisurely cruise normally lasts for 2 hours and would typically cost US$30 per person. This is inclusive of cocktails and snacks, insurance, river information, a cruise over the Thu Bon River, three main courses, dessert, and tons of memorable experiences to bring home.

Other cruise packages take travelers to the famous My Son ruins, the local market and other important sites along the river, and would last for a satisfying 7 hours. A Hoi An-My Son-Local Market Cruise includes an English-speaking guide, tons of photo opportunities, traditional Cham dance presentation, cooking lessons on board, dinner, and plenty of food. A cruise of this kind costs US$60 per person.

(My Son Sanctuary is a UNESCO World Heritage Site Hind ruins, perhaps one of the most important attractions in Quang Nam province.)

Finally, the coolest way to experience the splendor of Hoi An and Thu Bon River is by swan boating. Swan boats are one of a kind. They are passenger boats with giant swan heads, eyes flickering at nights, and glides on the river while playing “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” at double speed. This is clearly the most creative way of boating and cruising in Hoi An.

First, the two-story Phung Hung house is a clear and living example of old Vietnamese architecture. One does not need to consult history books to know about Vietnamese architecture because a real one is still standing today. The ancient architecture made use of eighty columns of precious woods and standing on a lotus-shaped base, a wide façade, a Yin and Yang roofing style with convex and concave designs, square veranda pillars, and a combination of Japanese and Chinese architecture. The four-sided roof and floor is a Japanese-inspired design while the round turtle-shell-like roof on the upper floor is Chinese-inspired. Inside the house are handicrafts, an old-style cupboard, and antique objects that reflect the traditions and culture of Vietnam.

This traditional house made completely from wood has been inhabited over 100 years by eight generations. It was built in 1780 and has a tubular shape. Today, it is still a regular residence. The owners welcome visitors to see their home, guide them around, and hope to get a tip at the end.

The family now lives on the ground floor, which used to be a shop for selling cinnamon, salt, pepper, silk and glassware. The second floor is where the family worships their ancestors. They have a family altar that should always have a bowl with seven marble dices. The owner uses this to determine when to leave whenever they are going on a far-away journey.

Second, this ancient home is an important site primarily because it is within the Old Town. Located on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai street inside the ancient town of Hoi An, the Phung Hung House is among living relics and age-old landmarks. It is beside the Hoi An Book Shop and near the magnificent Japanese Covered Bridge, which is connected to an equally stunning pagoda. There is no entrance fee into the Phung Hung house and all the other ancient homes inside the Old Town. The houses are part of the coupon system, in which tourists only need to pay entrance into the Old Town worth US$5. Walking through and around the Old Town is free of charge, but the coupon allows a tourist to enter five tourist attractions, which include the Phung Hung house.

Hoi An’s Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which means preserving it is for the benefit of mankind, while the Phung Hung House was declared a National Historical and Cultural Site in 1993.

The Champa Kingdom, culture and people vanished after the Vietnamese conquered their territories. The Cham people gave up their identity and assimilated with the dominant Vietnamese, who also drove away the Chinese after these foreign invaders ruled the country for some time. It is believed that for some time, the Chinese plundered the Cham villages and forced the people to pay taxes.

The greatest and only recorded achievement of the Cham people is the construction of My Son Sanctuary, which was originally made up of 70 monumental towers standing on square or rectangular foundations. Built completely from baked bricks and sandstone, it is believed that the three parts of each tower represent something: the base represents the world and people, the tower or main structure the spirit world, and the lotus-shaped tower head the realm between the physical and spiritual worlds.

About My Son Hindu Sanctuary

Ancient ruins always catapult the thoughts of viewers to the world that was, to how the ancient people used to live, and to what happened along the way. Standing within the My Son ruins creates a feeling or vibration that is similar when among the ruins of the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, Machu Picchu in Peru and Angkor Wat in Cambodia, which seem to have a connection with My Son.

The compound used to be a majestic, holy valley made up of Hindu temples, burial grounds, and monuments with Sanskrit and Cham inscriptions. It is believed that the first tower was constructed in the 4th Century by Bhadravarman, the Champa king. He called the temple Bhadresvara, which was a combination of his name and Ishvara (Shiva), the Hindu god. For generations, more towers were added and the site was considered sacred until the Vietnamese took over in the 14th Century. It was left neglected and untouched since then, until it was discovered by a French scholar in the 1930′s. In 1999, it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Today, only 25 of the original 70 towers remain standing but with varying degree of ruins. Sadly, the destruction of these towers was not brought about by years of aging or of natural causes. They suffered from the guns, bullets and heavy shelling of American soldiers who suspected that the Viet Cong was hiding among the towers. US forces believed that the sanctuary was Viet Cong field headquarters, but this claim was never proven. Next to the thousands of lives that were lost from the war, the My Son Sanctuary towers were the most precious casualties of the Vietnam-American War.

History of Hoi An

According to archaeological finds and excavations, the Sa Huynh people, early settlers along the Thu Bon River, began trading as early as the 2nd century. The trades flourished through the centuries and by the 16th Century through the 18th Century, this was the busiest port in Southeast Asia. It was also through this harbor that Christianity reached Vietnam around this time. By the end of the 18th Century, other ports in Vietnam began to flourish as well, including the nearby Da Nang port. Since then, Hoi An decreased in popularity and economic significance until it slowed down to a halt. This standstill allowed the city to preserve its original appearance at the turn of the 19th Century. This is the only town in Vietnam that was able to preserve its early appearance.

The Old Town of Hoi An city is on the north bank of the Thu Bon River. The houses and buildings here are in the old architectural style of the 19th and 20th centuries. There are rows of ancient pagodas, temples, meeting houses, and homes, and other interesting relics such as the Japanese Covered Bridge and Bale Well. Among the centuries-old buildings is where the Museum of Trade Ceramics is located.

About the Museum

The museum follows the traditional Vietnamese architectural style, with two stories, a courtyard and an anteroom that are all open to the public. On display are more than 430 ceramic artifacts, mostly coming from China, Japan, India and the Middle East, dating back from the 8th Century to the 18th Century; ancient pottery pieces from the Chinese Tang Dynasty (7th-10th Centuries), 7th-10th Century Middle East, and 15th Century Vietnam. During these times, Hoi An was known as Fai Fo, which means “seaside city”. Its main international trade included pottery from China, Japan and Thailand, according to the archeological finds. Some antiques on display have been salvaged from a ship that sank to the bottom of the sea in 1733, while most have been unearthed by archeologists all over the city of Hoi An.

Today, the main industry in Hoi An, other than tourism, is fishing. The sea still plays a very important role in the lives of the local townsfolk. The goal of the Museum of Trade Ceramics is to prove that this humble, sleepy fishing town used to dominate international trade in this part of the continent. The artifacts on display could not have arrived in Hoi An if the city did not play an important role in international trade through the centuries. Visitors may enter the museum daily from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM upon purchase of a ticket into the Old Town.

The Sa Huynh people were the first settlers along the Thu Bon River and the first to have traded through the Hoi An port. They have begun trading with sea merchants from China, India, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Middle East. Hoi An’s old name was Fai Fo and news of its popularity as a leading Asian port reached the Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, and French people.

Archeological finds and ancient artifacts prove that the Sa Huynh people learned how to use ceramics and metal wares – especially bronze and iron. The museum displays centuries-old weapons, tools such as axes, and pieces of jewelry. Also, the Sa Huynh culture gave importance in burying their dead and so they developed an artistic genre that involved their funerary rituals and rites. Some people think it is strange that a museum would highlight tools and ornaments related to ancient burial sites, including jar coffins. On display in the museum are over 200 jar burials that have been unearthed from more than 50 burial sites all over Hoi An.

An example of the burial sites is the one in Hau Xa, which is part of a 5-km sand dune that extends from Hoi An all the way to Dien Ban, and along the Northern bank of an ancient stream, which the local people refer to as Ceramic Stream because of the number of ancient ceramics found in the area. The burial site at Hau Xa was discovered in 1989, and excavations therein continued until 1994. Discovered here through the years were Champa ceramics, ancient porcelains, ceramics from the Sa Huynh and Champa cultures, square-compressed ceramics following Han designs, glass beads, and a bronze leaf of the Buddha tree. This excavation site yielded valuable information on the burial rituals of the Sa Huynh people.

The Museum of Sa Huynh Culture displays about 216 articles that are mostly dating back to the 1st century. All the artifacts are from the villages of Hau Xa, Thanh Chiem, An Bang and Xuan Lam. There is none like them in all of Vietnam. Tourists may visit the museum by buying a coupon that allows entry into the Old Town. Walking along this ancient town is free, but the coupon allows entry into any five of the 18 tourist sites within the town. The coupon is worth $5.

On top of the Museum of Sa Huynh Culture is the Museum of the Revolution or military museum, which houses war artifacts, old war currency, photos of war heroes, and old weapons. A visit to this building is hitting two birds with one stone.