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Islands in Vietnam
Photo: DuyenPaul, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
The Cham Islands (Cù lao Chàm) are off the Central Coast of Vietnam. Approximately 9 nautical miles offshore and to the east of Cua Dai Beach, Hoi An, Quang Nam Province. This covers an area of 235 km2 which includes eight islands and surrounding waters. There are eight islands in the Cham Islands: the largest and only inhabited island Hon Lao (covering an area of 1,317 hectares with a hilltop elevation of 517 m), Hon Cu, Hon Kho, Hon La, Hon Dai, Hon Lo and Hon Tai.
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Pick up at hotel at 07:00, transfer to Cua Dai beach harbour by an air-con bus. Cruises to the Cham Islands board at 08:00, travelling by wooden boat for 1¼ hours or by speed boat for 30 minutes. On arrival, there are visits to Hai Tang Pagoda, the boat shelter, a local market at Bai Lang, then cruise to Bai Chong for swimming and snorkelling to see the coral reef before having lunch at a local restaurant on the island. Relax for a while after lunch and get ready for cruising back to Cua Dai Beach harbour. Departure is at 15:00 and transfer back to your hotels.
Homestay Bai Huong offers sustainable tours to the fisher village in Bai Huong. Offer a 2 day tour, with snorkelling trip, trekking, and cultural exchange with the home stay families and the local people.
PADI dive centre offering full range of services on the island from Hoi An: PADI courses, scuba diving and snorkelling, simple excursions and private cruise by wooden boat and speedboat, camping under the stars and home stay in authentic fisher village.
Home stays inside private village homes at Bai Huong village. Daily rates USD120/person. All vegetarian meals included and return boat. Cham Island Day tour USD90. 08:00 departure. Snorkelling, swimming, vegetarian lunch. Also traditional Vietnamese sailing vessel, 10.5-m Ghe Nang, for cruises and sail training all year around the Cham Islands.
Because of the extreme shallow water conditions at the river inlet to the ocean, which has an average depth of only 900 mm, breaking swells from September–December (during NE monsoon season) makes the Cham Islands…
Read in the guideMost tourists travel on a boat with a dive operator or ferry company. Travel between the two villages and the beaches between them is best done on foot.
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