Not too far from the city of Hoi An, you will find that there is a quaint area called Cam Thanh Coconut Village. You will find Cam Thanh Village approximately five kilometers to the southeast of Hoi An and it is a cultural area that every traveler like yourself must explore during your time in Vietnam.
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As you arrive at Cam Thanh Coconut Village, you will see that there are seven hectares filled with water coconut trees. Each individual hectare is owned by one family, which is more unique that what you will find in other areas of the country and the world.
(Cam Thanh Coconut Village)
When it comes time to explore Cam Thanh Coconut Village, you will find that you have two options available to you. You can take a boat ride there for a tour, which costs approximately 30,000 VND per person or you can simply arrive there on your own and walk around for free. If you choose to arrive on your own, you can ride a bicycle or take one of the many taxis from where you are staying in Vietnam.
While you can wander around on your own, we recommend taking one of the basket boat tours. The reason for this is that the boat tours will allow you to see so much more of Cam Thanh Village. If you have never seen a basket boat before, the looks of one may surprise you. These boats are round and usually measure one meter or longer across. They are made from bamboo frames, which are all linked internally before being tied to the outer basket.
(Cam Thanh Coconut Village)
The caulking material used to keep these basket boats waterproof includes buffalo dung, pulverized resin, and lime. Wood oil is then applied on top as a varnish to protect all the materials below.
All basket boats are quite light, but they are incredibly stable, so you never need to worry about one of them tipping over when you are inside. Your guide will propel the basket boat you are in around with a paddle, using a pulling motion.
(Cam Thanh Coconut Village)
During these basket boat tours, you will learn more about the water coconut ecosystem, as well as how the locals of Cam Thanh Village spend their days. Your guide may show you how to paddle the basket boat you are in and may even allow you to paddle for a little bit if you wish. One of the best things about these tours though is every guide shares their own personal fishing traditions that they learned from their ancestors.
One of the most mesmerizing parts of your Cam Thanh Coconut Village tour will be when you are in the middle of the beautiful water coconut forest. A feeling of calm will be present, and you will appreciate every moment you are there, away from your ordinarily busy life.
You will have ample opportunities to grab a coconut when you are out on the water and the guides will show you how to open one to devour the juicy insides. If you want to enhance your knowledge even more, you can always take a cooking class at one of the local restaurants. There are multiple tours available in Cam Thanh Coconut Village that combine a cooking class with the tour of the water coconut forest.
The best time to visit Cam Thanh Village is from the month of February through the end of April. While the weather is quite warm during these months, the area is not yet seeing the extreme heat wave that it does during the summer. If you must, you can plan your visit from May through July, just be aware that the temperatures begin to climb to what can be considered unbearable highs to some. Any visit after July takes you into what begins the rainy season. While you can still enjoy a visit to Cam Thanh Coconut Village during August and September, know you may be dodging raindrops at the same time. The rain is more prevalent in the months after that, so we do not recommend visiting from the end of October through March, unless you want to take a chance that most of your plans will not work out.
If you want to spend a good part of your time in Vietnam out in nature, you must add Cam Thanh Coconut Village to your list of things to do. It is so easy to explore Cam Thanh Coconut Village on your own, but you will get so much more out of your visit if you are with a tour guide. Therefore, we recommend that you plan your time in Cam Thanh Village carefully, so you do not miss out on any of the beauty this area is known for. This is one of the most stunning areas near Hoi An and it is so easy to squeeze in with everything else you plan to do during your time away from home.