About the Hoi An Coconut Village
An Overview
Hoi An Coconut Village (or Cam Thanh* Coconut Village, Cam Thanh Water Coconut Village, or Cam Thanh Village) is a portion of Hoi An’s countryside 5 km east of the Old town. Near Cua Dai Bridge, it’s surrounded by four waterways including Thu Bon River to the south and De Vong River to the east. Around its hamlets, travelers can see historical buildings, tranquil rice paddies, fishing nets, households producing handicrafts and above all, lush palm groves. The best-known tourist attraction here is Bay Mau coconut forest, nicknamed “Little Mekong Delta ”. An experience on a basket boat there can’t be missed. Moreover, there are many other ecotourism activities to participate in this undisturbed rural land.
*Cam Thanh means “wealth and serenity” in Vietnamese. It’s also the name of a 9,4-km2 rural commune, home to 9,452 people.
Local Culture in Hoi An Coconut Village
Hoi An Coconut Village’s inhabitants have many crafts to earn for living, such as weaving fishing nets, making basket boats, producing coconut objects, building houses by palm and harvesting edible bird nests. The last tradition is from 15th century, and now the know-how about it is passed down by different generations of Tran and Ho clans. A temple for worship of first harvesters (ancestors) is built in the middle of rice paddies near the palm forests. On 10th day of 3rd lunar month, commemoration ceremonies are held. Also having a long history, the craft in making buildings by palm is only in Cam Thanh. There are 30 families continuing it at the moment. Collecting the leaf is in the first and sixth lunar months yearly, and then, 11 stages need to be completed to build a house or restaurant.
Activities in Hoi An Coconut Village
Basket Boat Ride in Bay Mau Coconut Forest
Basket boat ride to discover palm forests is the most popular activity in Hoi An Coconut Village. It’s a unique experience in which travelers not only see a strange landscape at home but also have a chance to know better local life. Firstly, moving around on a round boat which fishers use daily to access shallow, hidden places to catch fish. Keeping the balance, rowing and spinning (dancing) are what they’re masterly. In the cruise, the rider shows how to catch small crabs by the rod, fish by the net, and make an origami by palm leaf. Passengers are allowed to try the catchings by themselves, with instruction from locals. Absolutely, there is lots of fun on the water before landing.
Vietnamese Cooking Class
On the ground, travelers can book a cooking class to learn Vietnamese food recipes and then taste them. It’s provided in many basket boat tours around the village. The earliest-established school is Thuan Tinh, isolated in a palm oasis to the east of where tourists often go to. It’s founded by Uncle Thai, an overseas Vietnamese who first arrived at Hoi An in 1995 and has loved it since then. Now, his business organizes two classes daily: the half-day and the sunset. The 5-hour class can start from morning or afternoon (often at 8:45 or 11:45 a.m), costing 910,000 VND. Four delicious dishes are taught. The sunset tour begins at 4 p.m and costs 610,000 VND. Compared to the longer ones, this option features a cruise to view sundown, and an opportunity to dine out in such a calm atmosphere at night.
Taboo Bamboo Workshop
This is the only handicraft workshop in Hoi An Coconut Village. It’s headed by Tan, a local young man whose passion is inherited from his father and grandfather. Under his instructions, travelers can make a bamboo object by themselves from scratch and bring it home as a wonderful souvenir. It’s highly recommended to prepare an idea in advance. The experience begins with a visit around Tan’s studio where he exhibits his own creations like house furniture, buggy, and more. All levels of skills, experience and ages are warmly welcomed.
Touring around a Bicycle
Hoi An Coconut Village is the destination of many bicycle tours (from Tra Que village or the Old town). Meaning that riding around it is also an interesting experience. Following back roads, travelers will see small, tranquil hamlets surrounded by green gardens, rice fields and palm groves. It’s a chance to see different slices of local daily life and capture them with the camera. There may be farmers working in the paddy with beloved buffalo or herding a flock of ducks, fishers catching fish on the rivers or going fishing by the shore, women cutting the palm leaf and drying them on roads, and so on. In the late afternoon, the rider can break with a killer sunset view.
Watch Sunrise and Sunset
Cua Dai Bridge near the Coconut village is perfect to witness both sunrise and sunset. Thanks to its location and height, from its sidewalks, viewers can marvel at a brilliant scene of Mother nature when the sun rises and falls. In the early morning, it’s possible to expect a golden sea and river dotted with moving fisherman boats and purple Cham islands. This is one of the most iconic sunrise moments that all photographers want to capture. At the end of day, the best disappearance on the earth is showcased. The organish sun goes below the horizon where mountains of the My Son Sanctuary stand, minute by minute. During it, unspoiled islands and the delta are extremely serene. Sometimes the peacefulness is broken for a while by boats cruising downstream.
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