What’s it like to move through life at the pace of a bicycle or a bamboo boat? How does one spend a day when they’re not rushing from place to place and deadline to deadline? The answer to these questions is waiting for you in Hoi An, Vietnam. Discover the simple pleasures of rural life when you surround yourself with vegetable gardens, rice terraces, fishing boats. In Vietnam, ‘slow living’ isn’t just a buzzword — it’s a bonafide way of life.

Discover the beauty of Hoi An, Vietnam — from the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ancient Town to trekking Marble Mountain, there is fun, excitement, and adventure to be found in the city and the country. Get a new suit made my local tailors, admire French architecture, then learn how the nation came to have a French influence, sample delicious street food, buy an authentic silk lanter, and more.

Take The Slow Route and Live in The Moment

This amazing excursion takes you on a guided tour of Vietnam’s Hoi An region; your photo opportunities will be almost endless, but we highly encourage you to spend most of your time soaking up the scenery off-screen. Here, farmers can be spotted riding water buffalos. Ducks swim amongst rice paddies. Locals greet you as if you were an old friend. Meanwhile, in the scenic background, fisherman cast their nets into the water with a grace and ease that doesn’t betray the years of experience behind their effortless movements. This may just be the pinacle of idyllic rural living…

Your full itinerary consists of the following activities:

• The tour begins with a pick-up from your hotel. Your first stop is Jack Tran’s Bicycle Station in the countryside. Your gentle, yet invigorating, excursion takes you to a local farming village that is situated near picturesque roads.

• Don’t just admire the farmers, get to know them and share in their way of life! Hoeing amidst the soil, lovingly watering the herb and vegetable gardens, riding water buffalo through the fields — it’s the full agrarian experince.

• Once you’ve discovered how sustenance is provided by the land, it’s time to lean how the sea feeds the community. Board Jack Tran’s boat for a voyage to the point where river meets sea. Here, you will learn how traditional fishermen cast their nets, and you’ll even have the opportunity to give it a go yourself.

• Another tradition you’ll take part in? Paddling a bamboo basket boat; your journey will take you past serene riverbanks dotted with coconut palms. Seemingly calm and tranquil, you’ll learn how the region once hosted grueling conditions that both local and foreign soldiers were forced to endure. On a lighter note, you’ll take a walk through the jungle and participate in a mock battle with mud attack, for fun (pleasantries aside, this activity will alsoopen your eyes to the pitfalls of battle).

• Time to return to your boat for a delicious meal and an ice cold beer or soft drink, as you set sail for land once more. When you dock, it’s time to disembark for the final time, and shuttle back to your hotel.

Experiencing It All

Nature, culture, history, cusine…this tour exposes you to almost every facet of rural life. This vacation, choose a tour that merges education with adventure and authenticity with relaxation. Ask your Anywhere Local Expert to add the Jack Tran Fishing Community Ecotour to your travel itinerary today!

Sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses, towel and extra clothes, camera.

Transportation, English speaking guide, bicycle and helmet, life jacket, and food.