Ultimate Guide to Living as a Digital Nomad in Hoi An

If you’re a digital nomad shopping for your next remote home, there are a few destinations you’ll have no doubt heard about.

Chiang Mai, Canggu, Medellin and Lisbon are probably some of those places. Most of these will usually rank in the top 10 or even top 5 on Nomad List as places to live as a nomad. 

Back when I was getting myself set up as a digital nomad, I chose to call the beach resort town of Hoi An in Vietnam my home. I lived as a digital nomad in Hoi An for two months. At the time it felt on the cusp of becoming one of the next hotspots for location independents.

For my first month, I rented a spare room in the home of a lovely Vietnamese family. They cooked me banh xeo Hoi An, took me out for karaoke nights, and celebrated my 30th birthday with me. 

My second month was spent in a flatshare with a fellow digital nomad in Hoi An, organised via my Workaway placement. I’ll always remember that house as the place that I unearthed a frozen gecko in the freezer and spent a fearful evening wrestling with a Huntsman spider. Apologies to arachnophiles out there, but spiders the size of my palm give me the creeps.

Giant spiders aside, Hoi An isn’t a bad shout at all for both fledgeling freelancers and established digital entrepreneurs. 

Based on my personal experience of living as a digital nomad in Hoi An, I’ve written the following to help you decide if this might be a place you fancy calling home in the future. 

Pin It for Later…

What’s Hoi An like?

Hoi An as a midway stop-off between the rugged north and tropical southern climes of Vietnam. Backpackers and nomadic types drift into town and end up staying for much longer than planned. More or less everyone I met in Hoi An had ended up extending their stay by weeks, months, years…that struck me as a good sign. 

This is a touristic city known most famously for its Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Picture a mix of wooden Chinese shophouses blended with colonial French buildings in an idyllic riverside setting. By night, the streets are alight with those iconic lanterns that are symbolic of Hoi An. Strewn throughout the town and around the riverside, they glimmer alongside glistening floating candles. If you do move to Hoi An, you can indulge your inner tourist by hopping on one of the wooden boats that cruise you along the water. 

Once a month, Hoi An observes the Full Moon Festival. Come 8 pm, all artificial lights are switched off so that the lanterns alone can illuminate Hoi An. Motorised vehicles are banned in the Old Town, so besides the chatter of diners and clinking of cutlery, it’s very peaceful. 

As you head further afield, you’ll find more space opening up. Hoi An is surrounded by lush emerald paddy fields which are cycle-friendly. You can pay a visit to the Tra Que Vegetable Village, where most of the town’s veggies are grown organically. Cycle a little further and you’ll reach a long, golden stretch of coastline. Popular beachside hang-out An Bang is only 5 km from the Old Town. 

Back in town, you can cross over the Thu Bồn River to explore the sleepy island of Can Am.

10 Things to Expect as a Digital Nomad in Hoi An

Sitting very pretty on the humid coastline of central Vietnam, Hoi An is a great town to kickstart your location independent lifestyle. I arrived there after spending a few weeks exploring Hanoi, Sapa and Ninh Binh. Whilst those areas are great for exploring, Hoi An was the clear winner as my digital nomad base in Vietnam. 

Next up in my guide to being a digital nomad in Hoi An: 10 reasons why I recommend the town.

Specifically, why I think it’s a suitable fit for new digital nomads.

Hoi An has a low cost of living

First and foremost, as a newbie digital nomad in Hoi An – you’re going to want to keep your living costs down. This was definitely the case for me – launching a new business and/or changing career direction feels scarier whilst on the road.

The good news is that living as a digital nomad in Hoi An comes with a very low cost of living. 

Food, rent, transport, fitness and leisure; all are extremely wallet-friendly. 6,000 VND fresh beer anyone? That’s 20 pence, fellow Brits. I don’t want to bang on about how affordable Hoi An is and I avoid using the ‘c-word.’ But, simply remember that Westerners can expect to live very comfortably in this city. With that in mind – and here are the rest of the reasons why Hoi An is awesome. 

The food, oh the food

Hoi An is the culinary capital of Vietnam for a reason. The city is home to a wealth of international restaurants as well as delectable Vietnamese specialities unique to this region. Indulge in local dishes cau lầu (pork, bean sprouts, lettuce and herbs with noodles) and bánh xèo (Vietnamese pancakes). My favourite Vietnamese eateries in Hoi An include Cafe 43, Minh Hein Vegetarian Restaurant and Bon Restaurant. 

There are also a lot of international restaurants where the food is so good you’ll literally feel like you’ve skipped countries. Some of my favourite international food haunts are Ganesh (Indian), Mix (Greek) and Circle (American-style burgers). 

There are heaps of delicious, nutritious vegetarian and vegan eateries in Hoi An. Right in the heart of Old Town you’ll find some vegan buffets where you can pile your plate high. To the north of the city, I highly recommend Am Vegetarian and Tam Quang Minh – both cater to vegans. At the beach, you can treat yourself to something more gourmet at the Fisherman Vegan. In nutshell, Hoi An is one of the few places in South East Asia where plant-based eaters can thrive. 

To get your daily fibre fix, there are usually kindly vendors selling fresh fruit at the side of the road. Besides that, nomads who prefer to cook at home can stock up from a wide choice of markets, including Ba Le, Tiger and Central!

(You might gain a few extra pounds in Hoi An. But, did you know that Hoi An is also one of the most popular places to get clothes tailored? This way, you can go get new clothes made to accommodate those extra pounds).

Keeping fit is a piece of cake 

Once all that cơm gà starts to take its toll – you’ll be pleased to know that it’s easy to keep strong and healthy in Hoi An. Or -the way I see it – work up an appetite to eat even more. 

Hoi An has a number of gyms available where you can burn off the bahn mi. I purchased a membership to Superfit Hoi An Fitness & Yoga. Per month, at the time of writing it costs 700,000 VND (£25) per month. They have a large studio comprising all your cardio needs and a generous free weights area. Superfit has a great schedule of classes which are free for members. Their Zumba class will make you sweat and leave with a big smile. It was at the gym’s yoga class that I managed my first-ever headstand in yoga. 

Nomadic yogis will be pleased as punch in Hoi; there is a booming yoga scene. Check out expat favourites Nomad Yoga or Annen Yoga or browse this handy guide to yoga by Hidden Hoi An. 

Coffee culture

Charcoal latte anyone? Vietnamese coffee is some of the best in the world. I could slurp on cà phê đá all day (indeed, I have done). Hoi An has heaps of coffee shops, which cater to classic Western tastes as well as experimental coffee sippers. 

Most of the coffee shops have excellent wi-fi and plugs, and are digital nomad friendly. The staff in Hoi An’s coffee shops deserve an entire blog post written about them. Every single cafe I drank, ate or worked at was staffed by genuinely kind, warm, lovely staff. They’d remember faces (and sometimes my name) even a week or so between visits. 

I often co-worked with a buddy from my Workaway job. But, after she moved on I flew solo and I never felt worried about leaving my laptop whilst I nipped to the loo. A classic conundrum for location indies. 

Watch this space for my full guide to Hoi An’s coffee shops, but until then – here are my favourites:

• Sound of Silence: located at the sleepier end of An Bang Beach with ocean views and beach access
• Espresso Station: the number one cafe for innovative coffees!
• Moc Lan Cafe: a serene riverside cafe with more of a local vibe that was usually very quiet
• Hi Phin Cafe: stays open later than other cafes in town and has very strong fans to keep cool in the heat
• 85 Celcius Coffee & 11 Coffee: right next door to each other, both with great views across the river and Old Town

But you don’t really need my list. Wander around the city and see which menu takes your fancy – there’s plenty of cafes in town and they’re all fabulous.

Incredible massages

Hunched over a laptop all day swigging cà phê đá doesn’t do the shoulders any favours. Fortunately, Hoi An has an antidote for that. The city is overrun with massage parlours and spas to suit all budgets.

For the full luxury treatment, head to the White Rose Spa. This is where I celebrated my birthday, courtesy of my lovely friend Molly, and I couldn’t have had a more zen start to my thirties. I can also vouch for Citrus, Beauty and Magic spas (yes, I have a weakness for massages). 

All of these joints offer really good packages if you want a more thorough dose of R&R. 

See, do, explore 

The whole point of being a digital nomad is to see the sights! There’s more than enough to keep you occupied in and around Hoi An. 

As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Old Town alone is rich with historic architecture and museums to potter around. You’ll need to purchase the visitor ticket for 120,000 VND before you can access the museums, mind you. 

Some of the other things you can do in and around Hoi An include:

• Visit the neighbouring city of Da Nang by bus or motorbike
• Take a Vietnamese cooking class
• Make your own lantern
• Book a snorkel or dive trip around the Cham Islands – you can arrange it at Dive Bar over a beer
• Explore the UNESCO World Heritage site of the My Son Sanctuary  
• Motorbike along the Hai Van Pass to Hue. Do this independently with your own motorbike or book a tour if you prefer 
• Go basket boating (read more about that over at National Geographic!)

Hoi An is also in a strategic position for taking long weekends to other cities and provinces. Do your bit for the environment and take night trains and buses from Da Nang rather than flying.

Digital nomad in Hoi An community

Nomadic social butterflies will be pleased to know that there’s a community of expats and location indies waiting to welcome you in Hoi An. 

There is one co-working space, the Hub Hoi An, which is very popular and located among the beautiful rice fields.

As a newbie digital nomad, the cost of coworking spaces can be intimidating. They were (and still are) for myself, so I never signed up and therefore can’t vouch for how good this place is, besides from all the praise I heard.

If the fee is too much but you want to make some digital nomad buddies in Hoi An, there are other options. You can also choose to work in a cafe popular with location indies. For starters, try Dingo Deli or Rosie’s Cafe which are usually humming with laptops. 

I also recommend joining a local Facebook group such as ‘Hoi An Digital Nomads’ and ‘Hoi An Expats and Locals’. Find out what events/meet-ups are going on and rock up. The yoga studios are also a good way to meet other expats and nomadic types. 

Beautiful, beautiful beaches

A short motorbike ride (or a longer bicycle ride) out of the Old Town and you have the glorious An Bang Beach. This is a long, sandy strip of beach with perfect swimming conditions. The whole beach is flanked by beach restaurants and bars where you can either work or, (even better) not work. 

It does get busy, but as the beach is so large you can always find a secluded spot.

Be careful when approaching the beach entrance. A group of women will practically rugby tackle you to try and get you to park in their designated pitch. But if you take a left or right down the smaller paths, you can park at a beach restaurant instead. You’ll just need to buy food and drink from them. 

For a much quieter experience altogether, head to Cửa Đại Beach instead but you might want to take your own food.

Hoi An’s laid-back nightlife 

If you’re looking for wild nights out, then this is where Hoi An falls a little short in comparison with other digital nomad hotspots. But whilst it’s not the place for necking buckets of Vodka Red Bull, Hoi An is great for a casual drink and some live music. For newbie nomads this isn’t necessarily a bad thing as it means less hangovers, and less dong spent on beer. I personally really like this more pared-back style to a night out but then again, everyone has their own preferences.

The An Bang nightlife scene is decent. The Fisherman Vegan Restaurant hosts regular events and there’s weekly live music at Soul Beach and Soul Kitchen. On the higher end of the scale, you’ve got the Shore Club Bar & Restaurant and the DeckHouse. These are more the kind of place for a fancy meal, but I think they sometimes have music. 

Meanwhile, the Old Town has a few contenders for partying. There’s an (infamous) strip of backpacker bars by the river where you can buy budget cocktails and balloons. Promo staff usually lure you in with offers of free shots. Tiger, Tiger, Mr Bean’s and Moe’s Tavern are the big players. Further down the road, Tiger, Tiger 2 stays open past midnight (but only until 2 am, before you get too excited). 

I recommend the Dive Bar for a more chilled (but pricier) evening of cocktails and upbeat tunes. Plus, you can book your snorkelling and diving to Cham Island whilst you’re there!

Whilst I doubt the party scene at Hoi An will ever catch up to Thailand’s raucous standards, you can still have a jolly night. 

Accommodation in Hoi An

Housing in Hoi An is super affordable for digital nomads. Depending on your budget, you can arrange a homestay, house-share, rent your own house or apartment, or even stay long-term in a guesthouse. 

If you arrange to rent the spare room of a Vietnamese family, expect to pay around 4,000,000 VND (£140) per month. That’s what I did for my first month – the owner of the guest house I stayed in when I first arrived in town hooked me up with his in-laws. The family were an absolute joy to live with and made my time in Vietnam so special. 

A couple of house-shares that I explored were priced at a similar rate. 

Alternatively, if you want more privacy you can rent a place for yourself. There are lots of options in the 6,000,000 – 9,000,000 VND (£200 – £300) range per month. 

Check out the Hoi An property groups on Facebook, or ask around in hostels or cafes. There are always rooms going, regardless of what time of year you move to Hoi An. Unless a bunch of people read this article and move to Hoi An tomorrow (unlikely), you can expect to find plenty of options.

So, those are my reasons why Hoi An is a great shout for newbie nomads in particular. And now, a few more essentials to cover about living as a digital nomad in Hoi An.

Is Hoi An safe?

On the whole, yes, I would say that Hoi An is safe. Personally, I never encountered any freaky moments during my two months in Hoi An. And I was frequently out and about alone at night, cycling home from restaurants and whatnot.

However, after I left, I did hear several first-person accounts of assaults on female tourists. So, I’d urge female travellers to be cautious. But aren’t we always having to do that anyway, regardless of whether we’re in our home city or abroad – and sick of being reminded? Okay, that’s a rant topic for another day. 

The organised taxis have got a shady reputation too apparently (something else that went right over my head). I never once hailed a taxi but did occasionally take a Grab (Southeast Asia’s equivalent to Uber). I’ve never felt unsafe in a Grab anywhere in Southeast Asia and Hoi An was no different.   

And finally, watch your valuables in the Old Town and Night Market. Again, it never happened to me but I have heard it’s a hotspot for pickpockets.  

Healthcare in Hoi An

Luckily, I never needed to visit a doctor whilst I was in Hoi An. So I can’t give a glowing recommendation (or grumpy review) for anywhere. But, as I’m a bit of a hypochondriac, I did read up on healthcare in Hoi An. 

There are clinics in town where you can see a GP about minor concerns. I would recommend asking your guesthouse manager or landlady/landlord for the closest recommendation. Or, consult those Facebook groups I mentioned. Hoi An’s international Pacific Hospital is the best place to go in the event of an emergency, so I’ve been told. Touch wood you’ll never need to confirm that.

Alternatively, you can drive to nearby Da Nang (30km away) for something more specialised or for elective medical care. The city has a number of hospitals that tick all the boxes of a Western hospital’s standards – you’re in good hands.

Considerations of being a digital nomad in Hoi An

Nowhere is perfect…

From a personal perspective, I will just mention a few considerations about living as a digital nomad in Hoi An. 

• The cost of the co-working space may not accommodate all budgets. Although, don’t forget about the terrific coffee shops and you’ll probably have excellent wi-fi at home as well. 
• This might have changed, but during my time in Hoi An, the town felt much more popular with couple-nomads. Sometimes this makes socialising more restrictive, especially if you’re not joining the co-working space. So it is something to bear in mind if you are a solo nomad.
• Be mindful that Hoi An has extremely hot summers and equally extreme wet seasons. In June and July, 38-40 degrees is common. Come October, flooding is not uncommon so be sure to discuss any risk to your accommodation when house-hunting. 
• As with many Southeast Asian cities, Hoi An is prone to the occasional power cut. This was never a problem for me – but those who must be online at set times should keep an eye on planned outages. 
• Especially during high season, Hoi An’s old town and the beach can be extremely busy given that the city is a total magnet for tourists. For some nomads, such crowds aren’t so desirable. 
• Whilst most nationalities can obtain a visa easily for Vietnam, the cost of extending visas in the country is notoriously expensive. You will need to factor in the cost of extensions or keep on top of your visa runs if you plan to stay long-term.

Final musings 

Thanks to my own pleasant experiences, I can vouch for Hoi An as a destination for newbie digital nomads. Or even, fully-functioning ones.

I have mentioned a few negatives that might affect your decision to live in Hoi An as a digital nomad. But, overall I would say that the pros do outweigh the cons.

If you decide to experience life as a digital nomad in Hoi An – good luck! I boldly named this blog the ‘Ultimate Guide to Living as a Digital Nomad in Hoi An.’ If I’ve left  a gaping hole somewhere, please do leave a comment or send me an email and I’ll update or advise as best I can.

Featured image courtesy of Steve Douglas on Unsplash