I spent 17 wonderful days in Hoi An and it was easily my favorite city in Vietnam so far. One strange thing I discovered was that people tend to either love or hate Hoi An, without much in the middle. I have some guesses as to why some of these morons seem to dislike the place, and they are mostly centered around where you stay in the city.

Normally I will pay a premium to stay in a central location. I’ll be happier with a 1-star hotel in the city center instead of a 3-star hotel a ways out of town, even if they are the same price. I normally just don’t like staying in far-flung suburbs and feeling like it’s a major trek to reach the area that I’ve come to see in the first place, but in Vietnam, at least for me, I’m changing my mind on that.