Hoi An

Hoi An needs 2 days: the old town, with 16th-19th century Chinese and Japanese merchant facades and the covered Japanese Bridge, on one, and full moon night, when electric lights are switched off and the whole town is lit only by silk lanterns, on the other. February-April avoids heavy rains and occasional flooding from the Thu Bon river. It's inexpensive, though the local tailoring -one of its big draws, with custom suits made in 24 hours- can add to the spend. It was one of Southeast Asia's most important trading ports between the 15th and 19th centuries, with Chinese, Japanese and European merchants coexisting in the same urban core, and that mix left a unique architecture declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999.