The Thu Bon River side of Hoi An has a variety of islets and islands. They remained under different dynasties therefore there are many historical monuments and attractions in the islands. Cam Kim island is connected to the city by beautiful bridge that makes it easy to access. You can plan a wonderful bicycle trip to drive on the amazing quiet roads, lush paddies and the coconut palms grown in the water. There are many bicycle trips offered in Hoi an which take you to different places whereas your time is distributed among a lot of places. While biking to the Cam Kim island the first passage is from An Hoi islet by crossing the town and river. Cam Kim bridge is located in the southwest of An Hoi islet. Different islets and islands are connected through bridges in Vietnam. The most beautiful thing are the wooden canoes and the fishermen casting their fishing nets into the river. You can enjoy the perfect rural experience in the fishing village on the island. The local ferry service was used before the construction of the bridge that is closed when the bridge became properly operational.
Another wonderful profession of the village people is wooden carving. You can see a variety of wonderful things in the island. The villagers are friendly but language is the reason of communication gap.
Exploring The Cam Kim Island
Hoi an is famous for its vibrant charms and the mix of historical monuments, villages with the modern markets. However, as you move to the areas away from the city center, calmness start increasing. The islands, villages and countryside of Hoi an is very calm and beautiful. You can only find vibrancy in the Bars and clubs of those areas. The activities to do in the Cam Kim island.
Stunning Places to Visit
Cam Kim island and An Hoi islet are just a bike ride away and that makes you get indulged into the beauty of surrounding. The Bon river makes the bicycle ride more amazing with its cold breeze and environment. You will not find any traffic noise at this relaxing place because the vehicles are prohibited at this place. The wonderful pristine location has lush green rice paddies and corn field that you can park stop and explore by parking the bicycle or motorbike anywhere.
Rice Paper Making
Reach the end of the bridge to Thon Thanh Nhi and follow the path until a small shrine appears with the sign ‘Cau Cam Kim’ Then the right lane turns into a wider road. Slow down to see something new and interesting. You will find a lot of rice sheets drying under the sunlight against a bright mint wall. Park your bicycle and interact with the locals to learn about the craft of making rice paper. The couple who live there makes delicious rice cakes. You can have a cup of tea with rice cakes. They teach the complete procedure of grinding rice and making paper along with finishing. You will immediately fall in love with this lesson and a special treat in the form of Banh beo.
Boat building
Bike further to reach the ferry dock and small market of the Cam Kim island. You will find a variety of handicrafts and other things in the market. The huge fishing vessels, the small boat yards and people shopping in the market make the entire surroundings very lively and vibrant. This place is also wonderful to enjoy a pleasant evening that becomes more beautiful due to the lights. You will find a number of builders constructing boats. They welcome the visitors to lend them a hand in building the boat. This is a great chance to experience something new.
Kim Bong Carpentry Village
You can also visit the Kim bong Village located nearby. A lot of tourists know about this place and they love to explore the wonders of carpentry. There are carvings of Buddha sculptures in different forms and styles, dragons of different styles and the crafts with the mother-of-pearl. This is an amazing place to get some unique souvenirs and gifts.
Rice fields of Kim Bong
When you move to the east of the carpentry village, you will find yourself in the amazing large place of rice paddies. The road is a scenic spot where you can sit and grab a drink. It will give you a chance to explore the natural wonders and inhale some fresh air.
Historical Monuments
The road alongside the sea reaches a large cemetery having colorful headstones and hand crafted shrines. This place is a very stunning option to enjoy. After having an overlook, you can move further alongside the edge until you reach a large monument. There are rows of stone towers and fuschia headstones. The stone towers have vines crawling above them and you can find some farmers tilling the ground.
Calmness and Relaxation
When you return along Duy Vinh, there are stunning fields. You can end the day of exploring the Cam Kim island by going on the calm and relaxing path. This is the perfect place to enjoy the serenity in the natural surroundings.
Things to Expect at the Cam Kim Island
The Cam Kim island is the perfect peaceful picturesque place. You can expect some amazing things from the place while planning a trip.
- The calm surroundings away from the crowded and noisy places. There are no trucks, cars or any such kind of vehicles on the island.
- The place is mostly untouched and unexplored so you will not find tourist crowds at the place.
- You can explore the island along with the nearby attraction in a four to five-hour bicycle trip.
- There are lush green fields, rice paddies, ferry dock, clear waters, boat making workshop, carpentry village, small market and a lot of other wonderful things on the island.
- Ride the basket boat and explore the nearby coconut forest and greenery.
- Enjoy a nice lunch with the hot bowl of Vietnamese noodle dish, Mi Quang.
- The last stop of the Cam Kim island is the Wine factory there you can enjoy the traditional local rice wine.
Some tips about the Cam Kim Island
- Keep your sunblock to avoid getting skin burned from sunlight. Also take a rash cream if your skin is sensitive.
- Comfortable clothes and shoes to make the exploration of the island easy.
- Female travelers should not wear short skirts. A pair of trousers or pants is a good option.
- Buy the tickets in advance especially during the peak tourism season
- Child Tickets should be purchased for kids from 4 to 8 years. 0-3 year tickets are free.
- Kids bicycle do not have training wheels and they are for the 6+ kids. However, you can get the child seat on request.
- The round trip is of 10km so make sure that you can cycle this much.
- Consult your tour agent to get some additional information.
Cycling tour of Cam Kim Island
You can get a bicycle on rent from the Hoi an market. Never forget getting a helmet. The complete distance of the round trip is around 10kms so get the bicycle if you can drive that much. You can start the trip early in the morning so during the afternoon you can ride alongside the cool riverside. The rice paddies and fields become cool with the pleasant breeze. You can enjoy the boat ride and have fun in the mid-day. You can meet local artists and buy their handmade crafts.
If you think that you cannot drive that much then you can get there through the ferry. It drops the passengers at the market of Bach Dang. You can also take different boat tours if you want to have a boat travel fun while watching fishermen doing their daily chores. If you think you cannot plan the proper trip by yourself, then you can ask a tour company in Hoi an to join a group tour.
Cam Kim Island Tours
Cam Kim island is the most beautiful option to start your adventure. You can cross the river by a small boat from Hoi an. When you book a tour by the help of a company in Hoi An, you get a chance to interact the local life more closely. The companies are mostly run by the locals who know the place very well. You can meet some local families who run restaurants and make delicious traditional noodles and homemade rice wine. You can also get a handmade colorful straw sleeping mat. The tourist guide stays with each group to answer the questions about customs, history and lifestyle. They also guide about the farming methods and the daily house hold chores of the locals.
Hoi an Private Car tour
- You can book the cycle tour with the Hoi an private car. The charges are 660,000 VND that includes:
- Pick and drop from the hotel
- Guide who speaks and understand English
- Mountain bikes which are perfect for driving on the village trails, river sides and wooden bridges
- Traditional lunch with a local family at their restaurant
- Water bottle (do not forget bringing your snacks)
- Rent for the Local Ferry
The tour does not include the expenses for shopping, snacks and tips for restaurant staff or guide. Complete duration of the trip is 4 to 5 hours for Tra Que and Can Thanh Village. The roads for the cycling trips have very little or no traffic.
The general tour itinerary for Cam Kim island
Tours mostly start at 8 in the morning when the companies mostly pick up the tourists from their hotels. Generally, the itinerary is similar for the cycling trip.
- First stop is the small wooden boat trip where there are wooden boats making workshops going on. This is the same stop where the rice wine and wood carvings are available.
- Second stop is the interaction with the local families. They show the process of rice paper, noodles and sleeping mat making. The most interesting thing is the interaction and chat with the local families while learning things.
- Third stop is the return boat to Hoi an. After getting off the boat the tour guide takes the visitors to the old town. This is listed in the UNESCO world heritage site. You will see a variety of places which belong to ancient time and have a rich trading and family history.
Cam Kim Bridge for Traffic
Thu Bon river has this connection between the Cam Kim community and Hoi an city. The steel bridge is almost 3meters wide and 620 meters long. This is only for two wheelers due to that it is a perfect option to enjoy the bicycle or motorbike ride. The Cam Kim village residents do not need to cross the river for their daily activities because of the bridge.