City of lanterns

Hoi An is at its most atmospheric at the time of the full moon when the bright lights are switched off and replaced with strings of silk lanterns lit by tea light candles. The Old Town’s streets are packed with revellers soaking up the party mood of this monthly festival.

If there’s no full moon while you’re here, you can still enjoy a trip on the river on a small sampan boat from where you can launch your own candlelit paper lantern, a traditional way of honouring one’s ancestors in Vietnam.

The Night Market on the island of An Hoi, reached by boat or over a footbridge from the old quarter, is a lively affair with souvenir sellers jostling for space with street food carts. You can also pick up one of Hoi An’s signature lanterns, which make for a great, easy-to-carry souvenir of your trip.

There’s a tasty range of street food on sale – try a rice pancake filled with an array of different ingredients. The riverbank is lined with bars which are great vantage points to watch the waterborne world float by and revel in the view of the Old Town illuminated by thousands of twinkling lanterns.