Worldschooling in Hoi An: Our 5-Year Vietnam Journey from Accident to Intention

We never planned to become long-term worldschoolers in Vietnam. What began as a one-month visit in 2020 turned into a five-year love affair with the country, multiple community experiments, and hard-won wisdom about what actually works for families.

Table of Contents

• Our Vietnam Evolution: 2020-2025
  • The Accidental Beginning (2020)
  • The First Worldschooling Community (2021)
  • The Search for More Communities (2022-2023)
  • The Reality Check (2023-2024)
  • The Return and New Beginnings (2024-2025)
• Cost of Living in Hoi An, Vietnam (2020-2025)
  • Accommodation and housing
  • Utilities: Electricity, water and internet
  • Food
  • Transport
• Our Worldschooling Accommodation Evolution
• Should We Worldschool in Da Nang or Hoi An?
• The 2025 Hoi An Scene: Current Reality
• Who Should Consider Worldschooling in Hoi An?
• Planning your Vietnam Worldschool adventure
  • Visas
  • Best time to join Worldschooling Hoi An
• Frequently Asked Questions

Love worldschooling content? Check out our worldschooling guides and Vietnam family travel resources.

Our Vietnam Evolution: 2020-2025

🗺️ Our Worldschooling Journey (Brief Overview)

Over the past 5 and a half years, we’ve worldschooled in 15+ countries, from Vietnam to Bulgaria to New Zealand. We’ve joined communities, learned what works (and what doesn’t), and discovered that Hoi An offers the perfect balance of community, affordability, and family-friendly living for long-term worldschooling families.

Read our complete journey timeline here - coming soon!

The Accidental Beginning (2020)

We never planned to start slow traveling and worldschooling in Vietnam. Our journey unfolded as a result of the 2020 travel restrictions.

Our Initial Plan vs Reality

We’d planned to stay only a month in Vietnam. However, we continued to extend our stay in this amazing country because neighbouring countries weren’t open and we weren’t keen on returning to our ‘home’ country that we hadn’t lived in since 2011.

Finding Our Rhythm

After our first six or so months travelling Vietnam, we slowed right down. We landed in Phong Nha and stayed four months, then got cold, so moved down to Phu Quoc for three months. Then we started thinking about community and what we could do longer term that would be better for our three children.

The First Worldschooling Community (2021)

It was 2021, and at the time, our children were ages 4, 12 and 13. Most travel families had moved on. New families couldn’t enter Vietnam, and there weren’t many options to leave Vietnam either. We discovered the original Worldschooling hub in Hoi An which was run by a family who lived in An Bang Beach. With two girls around the same age as my older children, they had a very awesome set up. Activities were planned and it was a ‘choose your adventure’ style community.

My older children joined in on art classes, sewing, woodwork, surfing, skateboarding, lego, volleyball, and beach hang outs. It was a special time for us. We enjoyed six months from March to August joining with the 2021 worldschooling Hoi An community and it was an experience that spurred us to seek other worldschooling communities.

💬 What Our Kids Say About Worldschooling in Hoi An:

“It’s cool to be here because the beach is nice, and the food here is good. It’s good to meet other teens who understand this worldschooling, travel lifestyle.” - Noah, 18

“The worldschooling community here is great because there a lot of nice kids here, and a lot of sports that I like, such as volleyball, basketball and soccer.” - Elijah, 9

“I like it here because it feels like home to me.” - Aaliyah, 17

The Search for More Communities (2022-2023)

It was this experience that led us to return in 2023 after spending time in Turkey, Greece, Spain and Bulgaria. While in the Bulgaria Families community, we heard of another family setting up a Phu Quoc hub that anyone could join, so we decided to return to Phu Quoc, and had the rough idea that we would re-join the Hoi An Worldschooling community.

The Reality Check (2023-2024)

When we finally made it to Hoi An, we discovered the original Worldschooling Hoi An family had made plans to move to Australia, and most of the 2020 community had already left. For a couple of months, we saw families who came through from Phu Quoc and other South East Asian countries, but by mid summer, most had gone again.

We felt isolated, and, by this time, our teens were craving more of a home base. As the rainy season approached, we made a plan to make our home base in New Zealand (spoiler alert, this plan didn’t last, read about it in my post When the Teens want a home base blog).

The Return and New Beginnings (2024-2025)

After quickly recognising New Zealand wasn’t going to work for the lifestyle we were now in love with, we started making more international plans with some of the families we’d met along the way. Then we heard whispers about a Canadian family we’d met first in 2023 at the Phu Quoc hub, and then again in Hoi An afterwards. They’d also gone through the ‘go home to realise they didn’t want to be home’ phase, and had decided to return to Hoi An to develop a worldschooling community base.

As we departed New Zealand in September, 2024, we were filled with excitement that a worldschooling village would form in Hoi An, one of our favourite parts of the world.

After our whirlwind trip around the world, we landed in Japan in January 2025. I locked in a Hoi An home base, and we travelled again back to Phu Quoc to warm up, followed by Hoi An in April 2025.

Cost of Living in Hoi An, Vietnam (2020-2025)

One really fantastic thing about living in Vietnam in general is the cost of living for the quality. We’ve lived in many places around the world, and An Bang Beach, Hoi An is one place we will continue to return to.

Accommodation and housing

As far as housing goes, you can realistically find two bedroom properties from around 10,000,000 vnd ($580 AUD / $660 NZD / $380 USD) per month. For a three + bedroom house, usually you can find something starting around 15,000,000 all the way up to 40-50,000,000 per month. There is a lot of variety here.

While food prices haven’t skyrocketed as we noticed in other countries, the accommodation cost is still creeping up more than what it was during the years we were here from 2020-2023. This is because tourism has returned and land lords can rent for more than previously. For example, in 2021, we were able to rent a two-bedroom by the beach for 8,000,000 vnd. Now, that same place is likely to be closer to 13-15,000,000 per month.

⚠️ High Season Warning: If you arrive in the high season, around June or July, it’s possible there may not be many houses available for families. During this time, you can expect to pay significantly more for accommodation and there may be very little choice. We do have contacts, both agents, and staff at The Pearl Resort, and know families getting some very good prices compared with the housing supply over summer months. Reach out if you would like to stay longer term and are stuck!

Utilities: Electricity, water and internet

In most cases, your monthly lease amount will cover your water, and internet charges. You’ll likely need to cover your electricity bills. Depending on the house situation, how much aircon you use and if you have a pool, this cost can also vary greatly. We have paid less than 500,000 vnd a month for electricity in a house with lots of shade and no pool, and closer to 6,000,000 a month in our house in the height of summer with a pool and running 4 airconditioners.

💡 Pro Tip: To keep your electric bill down, take notice of the hot water switches and only turn them on for ten to fifteen minutes before you shower. This can raise your bill a lot if you leave the hot water boiler switch on!

Mobile phone and data

Mobile phone costs in Vietnam are incredibly affordable. I pay 130,000 VND per month for my mobile plan, which includes unlimited calling, SMS, and 150GB of mobile data (5GB per day). This is more than enough for most people’s needs, including video calls, streaming, and general internet usage.

Electricity outages and backup options

During storms, sometimes the electricity will go out. Generally, the outages don’t last too long. However, in a major catastrophic storm, you may lose electricity for longer than usual.

We’ve always managed to get by with mobile data. From time to time, the electricity company works on the lines. In these cases, electricity may be out for most of the day.

If you get stuck, there are usually places around with generators that you can work from.

Food

Food is always really affordable here. We don’t cook very often because it’s usually not really worth it. There are plenty of excellent places who cook local meals that feel home cooked for excellent prices. In the areas surrounding the Old Town (Cam Chau, Cam Thanh), you will find some of the best prices for food anywhere in Vietnam, you can easily find pho and cau lau for 20-30,000 vnd. You can take a look at some of my Hoi An food recommendations here.

Near the Old Town and along the beaches, you can still find bargain food, but you’re likely to find prices a little higher. In saying that, you can still get a nice bowl of clam porridge for about 20,000 vnd. I’ve got a great guide for the best spots to eat in An Bang here.

Transport

Getting around in Vietnam is really easy. As a foreigner, you won’t be able to rent a car, but you will be able to rent motorbikes (check your insurance cover as international drivers licenses are not recognised here), or e-bikes. It’s very common to hire a private driver, or use Grab (a ride hailing service) to travel.

🏍️ Vehicle Rental Costs (2025):

• Motorbike hire: 1,500,000 VND per month
• E-bike hire: 1,000,000 VND per month

Costs around Hoi An for example: An Bang to areas in Hoi An generally will be around 60-100,000 vnd. The price varies depending on where you’re going and weather. If it’s raining, you can expect to pay more.

Hoi An or An Bang to Da Nang is generally about 250,000-300,000 vnd one way. You can often get a deal if you need to travel there and back in a day.

If you need to go further, I highly recommend getting a private driver. You can find out more about this in Everything you Need to Know About Travelling to Hoi An: The Ultimate Family Guide.

Bicycles

Most homestays offer bicycles. Keep in mind, if you are travelling with smaller children, it’s advisable to use a child seat. Many children (including my own), have caught their feet in the spokes of the back wheels. Some were badly injured, our Elijah was very lucky to escape with bruising. Read more about this story in Everything you Need to know about Travelling to Hoi An.

🚲 Bicycle Purchase Costs:

• First bicycle: 1,000,000 VND
• Second bicycle (2025): 1,500,000 VND

Our Worldschooling Accommodation Evolution: How Our Housing Choices Changed

When we initially arrived in Vietnam, we had planned relatively fast-paced travel. We opted for homestays and guesthouse style accommodation. As we arrived into Da Nang and travel restrictions kicked in, we realised we would likely need to start choosing longer term options.

Our first stay was two interconnecting rooms in a beautiful villa on the edges of the rice paddies in Cam Chau. We loved this location, with easy travel to the Old Town, and access to Ba Le Markets for local food.

We then discovered some wonderful beach villas available, and after our month in Cam Chau, moved to An Bang Beach. This place captured our hearts and we realised this was our place. We stayed in two great beach front villas, sadly, one no longer stands, the other now has long term tenants. Our new home is just around the corner from these places.

Back in 2020, I was trying to work on this travel blog, but since big bloggers weren’t making an income, it seemed like a bit of a silly place to start. I had to pivot to a remote job and this also changed the way we choose our homes. These days, we look for comfortable accommodation, in quiet areas and a place to work. I usually aim for 4* accommodation when we’re away from our base.

When we’re in An Bang, we have our home base that has my full remote work set up, the kids toys, our bikes and things we like to return to.

🏠 Accommodation Tips for Long-Term Rentals:

If you’re looking to rent longer term in Hoi An or An Bang, here’s some things to consider:

🔊 Noise Considerations:

• Check for karaoke - living next to loud parties is not fun
• Chicken noise - if you’re a light sleeper, you may want to look out for chickens, we have them next door, I am a light sleeper, but they don’t seem to bother me too often. We make it work.

🏠 Property Quality:

• Mold and leaks - look out for mold and leaks. In one of our houses we think there was black mold that the owners may have painted over and our baby was constantly sick.
• Flooding areas - keep in mind that many of the houses in Vietnam do leak, so finding something without leaks can be a challenge!

📍 Best Areas to Consider:

• Popular areas in Hoi An: Cam Chau, Cam Thanh, Cam Ha (look out for areas that may flood near rivers and islands).
• Popular areas near An Bang: Tra Que, Casamia Calm and Tan Thanh.

Should We Worldschool in Da Nang or Hoi An?

A lot of people ask, ‘Should I choose Hoi An or Da Nang?’ and a lot of the people who say, ‘Choose Da Nang’, are people whose only experience in Hoi An is staying in the Ancient Town / Old Town area.

Here’s how I explain it:

If you like laid back, relaxed, small village vibes, then you will definitely prefer Hoi An over Da Nang. You would opt for areas like Cam Chau or Cam Thanh if you want to be amongst rice fields or An Bang, Tan Thanh or Tra Que if you want to be close to the ocean.

The only time you’re not going to enjoy Hoi An is if you base yourself right in the main tourist centre of old town. You’ll like that for about a week (or maybe even less), which is fine if you’re just passing through. But for longer stays you’re just not going to love this as your base.

If you prefer city life, access to mega marts and want to be close to all the malls, then choose Da Nang. It also has a beach, and you’ll likely be able to get an apartment in one of the tall high-rise buildings overlooking the ocean.

The 2025 Hoi An Scene: Current Reality

What can I tell you about the worldschooling Hoi An community in 2025?

📊 Community Statistics (2025)

Family Demographics:

• 30+ families currently based in Hoi An
• 6-10 teenagers (ages 15-18) in the teen community
• 15+ children in the 7-12 age group
• Multiple toddlers and younger children
• International diversity: Families from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Chile, Argentina, UK, US, and more

Community Growth:

• Started building in October 2024
• Peak season: 40+ families (June-August)
• Off-season: 20-25 families (September-May)
• Average stay: 3-6 months per family

In 2025 we’ve enjoyed a fantastic community since April. Families began arriving around October 2024. There are at least 30 or more families based here with children of all ages. We have a teen community with at least 6-10 teens ages 15-18 and truckloads of toddlers and kids in the 7-12 age group. My kids are happy to have friends they can connect with.

There are plenty of activities happening. There are two groups here you can enter into. Both offer a selection of activities for a range of age groups. There are classes for art, martial arts, writing, badminton, basketball, soccer (football), volleyball, dance, and almost everything else you can think of. For the parents, there is a regular mums night which I love, hot herbal baths, sauna, plunge pool (and ice baths for those who are brave). The dads are plenty active with regular meet ups for pickleball, dad spa nights, and they have a guys night out.

💰 Activity Costs in Hoi An (2025):

📝 Educational Activities:

• Writing workshops: 100,000 VND per class
• Chess: 50,000 VND per class

⚽ Sports Activities:

• Soccer (football): 2,500,000 VND (full program)
• Basketball: 150,000 VND per class
• Volleyball: 150,000 VND per class
• Badminton: <100,000 VND per class

🎮 Community Activities:

• Games meet ups: Free
• Teen meet ups: Free

A highlight for us is that most families we’ve spoken to are here for a long time. I meet families staying here for a few months, which makes my heart happy. It’s much harder to make connections with the families that are on rapid fire gap years and only have a week or ten days in one place. That gets tiring, as most anyone on the road more than a couple of years will tell you.

Once you’ve travelled for a few years, you crave a lot of slow travel. It’s easier, more natural and you’re not forever in decision fatigue. Constantly planning where to go, visas, accommodation, booking transport: it get’s tiring after a while. And to constantly do that for more than six months is just draining.

I’m always grateful for having our brakes slammed on in 2020 because of all the restrictions. It’s turned us into very slow travellers who prefer lengthy stays to soak up a place. Of course, from time to time, we will speed up a section, but we are always looking forward to slowing down after a few weeks on the road!

Who Should Consider Worldschooling in Hoi An?

What we discovered since setting off around the world in February 2020, is that each family has different needs. For us, we know we like to travel slowly. This helps all of our family members adjust.

After visiting Europe, we realised we enjoy Europe, but it’s too far away from our parents and siblings, so we don’t want to permanently base that far away.

We finally made it to Central and South America, and we realised we didn’t like how far it felt from our families who live in New Zealand and Australia. We also didn’t appreciate the cost for what we perceive to be a lower standard of living (based on our time in Martinique, Dominican Republic and Colombia) than we experience in Vietnam. Factor in the safety factor, and we realised just how special Vietnam is for us.

For your family, if you’re looking for a lower cost of living, with a wide range of accommodation options, great laid back worldschooling community that is more of a community than an organised hub, Hoi An is well worth a look. It’s one of the best communities we’ve lived in during our almost six years abroad.

Planning your Vietnam Worldschool adventure

Visas

There are two main visas depending on the passports you’re travelling from. Regardless of what I’ve written below, ALWAYS double check as visa requirements here are known to change relatively frequently without much notice. The best source for information is the Vietnam Immigration Website. For more detailed visa information, check out our Vietnam travel guide.

1. Evisas are up to 90 days with single entry ($25 USD) and multi-entry ($50 USD) option available. Apply at evisa.gov.vn
2. Citizens travelling on some passports may be able to travel visa-free. In most cases it will be 45 days on arrival, with some exceptions (from Chile? You get to enjoy a 90 day visa waiver and I’m so jelly).
3. Phu Quoc special visa is 30 days. Note this is only available when you fly directly to Phu Quoc from another country. If you need to enter via Saigon or Hanoi, you’ll need to check which visa option is best for your passport. If you fly directly to Phu Quoc from another country, you’ll also need to fly directly out of Phu Quoc to another country. You cannot apply for a Vietnam visa within Vietnam.

You’ll need to allow at least three business days to process an e-visa, allow for more as often it works out to four business days. If there are issues, you’ll often need to pay to start again, or pay a visa agent for an urgent service.

If you want to apply for a new visa, generally, you will need to leave the country for at least a week. In some cases, you can hire an agent and do a land border run. It’s a long day where you’ll travel overland to the Lao Bao border, pay for a Laos visa, then return to Hoi An all in one day. I have done it only once, and that was once enough for my family!

Airport Entry Points

When you fly into Vietnam, if possible, try to make your international entry point Da Nang International Airport. This is because you’ll find the immigration queues here reasonably quick and simple. If you have to enter via Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) or Hanoi, be prepared for longer waits (around an hour is likely).

⚠️ Important Ho Chi Minh Airport Warning: If you’re entering via Ho Chi Minh (Saigon), be extremely wary of taxi scams at the airport. Only use Mai Linh or VinaSun taxi companies, and if possible, it’s safer to have your accommodation arrange a transfer. Grab cars are also a reliable option. The taxi scams at Ho Chi Minh are notorious - we know people who were harassed and subjected to intimidation tactics when they refused to pay inflated fares demanded by scam taxi drivers.

Alternatively, you could use a Fast Track Service. I haven’t personally tried this service, but I do notice some very good reviews.

Best time to join Worldschooling Hoi An

To be fair, the climate isn’t our favourite thing about Hoi An. The best months of the year are from mid to late February until the temperatures start heating up in May.

The summer months can be very hot with very little rain. If you come during the months of May to August, you need to find a place with airconditioning. And if you’re like me and want sanity, a pool is a good choice.

I love September in Hoi An. The rains generally start, but they aren’t too persistent. You’ll get a mix of cooler days, but also still have a lot of hot days.

In October, it’s officially typhoon season. In the years we’ve been here at this time (2020, 2023 and 2025 is off to a wild start), it’s been pretty wet and a decent number of typhoons have rolled through.

Contrary to what many people believe about Vietnam, it does actually get cold here in the central regions. From October to February, it will be cool. You’ll likely want socks (and if you’re like me, slippers), jeans, warmer jackets and decent shoes (gumboots might be a better idea).

The community that arrived in October 2024, says that it wasn’t too wet that year. However, February was unusually stormy.

The community is around pretty much all year. In the extreme heat of summer there will be a few less activities to do. Some families will take off for a month or two to escape the heat. There’ll be beach meet ups until the typhoons destroy the beaches, and when the beaches return, so do the beach meet ups.

There are a range of sports opportunities that are completely independent of the worldschooling community and these are run almost all year round. Some will pause from time to time, but you’ll need to contact the individual coaches who live here about these activities.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Hoi An safe for families?

Yes, Hoi An is generally very safe for families. We’ve lived here for extended periods with our children and found it to be one of the safest places we’ve traveled anywhere in the world. The local community is welcoming to families, and the worldschooling community provides additional support.

What’s the best time of year to visit?

The best time is during the dry season (February to August). The rainy season is from September to January and sometimes this can feel hard to leave the house. Flooding can occur. However, at the moment, we see a dedication to keep activities running as long as it’s safe to travel to the meet up locations.

Do I need to speak Vietnamese?

While it’s helpful to learn basic Vietnamese phrases, many locals speak English, especially in tourist areas. The worldschooling community is primarily English-speaking, so you’ll have plenty of support.

How do I find accommodation?

Start with Facebook groups like “Hoi An Rental Property, Houses & Apartments for Rent” or contact local agents. We also have contacts who can help families find suitable long-term rentals. Check out our Hoi An family accommodation guide for detailed recommendations.

What about healthcare?

Hoi An has good medical facilities, and Da Nang (30 minutes away) has excellent hospitals. Many doctors speak English, and healthcare costs are very affordable compared to Western countries.

Tip: make sure you have insurance when you travel!

Related Vietnam Family Travel Resources

• Ultimate Hoi An Family Guide
• Vietnam Travel Guide: Essential Tips for Family Travel
• Best Family Stays in Hoi An
• Hoi An Family Food Guide
• Phong Nha Family Adventure
• Phu Quoc Family Activities

Worldschooling and Alternative Education Resources

• Learning While We Travel
• The Social Life of Unschoolers
• Amateur Homeschooling Travel Mishaps

---

Ready to start your own worldschooling journey? Check out our complete Vietnam family travel resources and worldschooling guides for everything you need to know about educational travel with kids.