Hoi An's lantern-lit old town is Vietnam's prettiest stage set, and the food lives up to the scenery: cao lầu noodles made — so legend insists — with water from one ancient well, white rose dumplings and bánh mì that food writers cross continents for. Take a market-and-cooking class along the river, then cycle to An Bang beach to earn dinner. Order at Bánh Mì Phượng early; the queue is long for good reason. February to April is mild and dry.
Featured in Ten tropical escapes where the food is half the point · Tropical