Hoiana Resort & Golf Is Celebrating The Return To Travel

Hoiana Resort & Golf, which is set in the ancient town of Hoi An, is celebrating the return to travel with a host of special experiences, from culinary to golfing.

- Bibienne Yeoh and Mindy Teh

It's easy to fall in love with Hoi An's myriad charms. Bright, warm smiles are plentiful here and the UNESCO World Heritage Site's post-pandemic recovery is nothing short of remarkable. Already, its famous night market is heaving once again with visitors, both local and international, who explore the many colourful stores that line its meandering, lantern-festooned streets. Potentially cacophonic scenes are tempered with Bach playing through hidden speakers. By day, laughter and Vietnamese techno music have returned to the boat rides helmed by affable fishermen looking to supplement their income, their spinning skills on the boats on full display and recorded on the many mobile phones whipped out for the occasion.

At Hoiana Hotel and Suites - the first in a series of luxury resorts under the Hoiana Resorts & Golf banner a traditional lantern-making session is under way. Its attendants, locked in a friendly but intense competition, are set on winning handpainted masks from the master lantern maker. A surprise win comes in the form of a simple mother and daughter motif that the lantern maker finds heartfelt, while another participant's use of silk scraps sees a three-dimensional creation postmodernists may well appreciate.

The lantern-making session is part of the hotel's signature event called Made In Hoiana, which showcases its many offerings and encourages guests to live the moment while celebrating the return of travel to Hoi An. It is this delicate balancing act between local heritage and modern finesse that the resort intends to uphold and the lantern, Hoiana's chosen motif, is symbolic of this.