A Mini-Guide to Discover Cham Island

Discover Cham Island; an incredible destination off the coast of Hoi An. Cham Islands is an archipelago and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, formed by 8 islands and located within 45-minute boat ride from Hoi An in central Vietnam.

These islands are best explored on a Day Trip and through an organized trip from Hoi An. Snorkeling and diving are the 2 main activities to which traveler would accept to do when it comes to what to do in beautiful Cham Island.

Beaches

Cham island has several beautiful beaches to get drenched and enjoy the idyllic sea. The most popular beach is Ong Beach. Here you will find many restaurants and small beach bar which is more crowded when its high season. You can go for parachuting and or other water activities. 

If you’re looking to relax at the beach, I'd advice you to head to the beach after 3 pm as this is the time that most of the tourist boat leave the island so you can relax and get yourself sun bathed at the beautiful beach. Xep Beach or Bac Beach are two of my favorite beaches which I recommend you to at least take a walk along the nice sandy shore.

Explore Cham Islands

One of the best things you can do when you are in Cham Island is to visit all the different islands in the archipelago. You can rent a private boat for $ 27 or an island tour for $ 5. This tour will take you to several islands around Cham Island. You will visit the most beautiful beaches in Vietnam, where you can dive among the beautiful corals. You can jump off the boat, swim or relax and enjoy the amazing sea view.

The excursion also takes you to the "swallows cave". The island of Cham is known throughout Vietnam for this bird. Local people sell their nests, which can often yield thousands of euros per kilo, to rich Vietnamese who use them to make different types of food. Keep in mind, however, that you can only book this excursion from Cham Island and not from Hoi An.

Accommodation in Cham Island

If you have a little more time to spend on the Island, then i recommend you to stay on the island instead of a day trip for only diving and or snorkeling. Most of the accommodations are those of home-stays offered by local families which costs around 7 to 10 US$ per night. The locals are very friendly and openhearted which turn your stand a pleasant experience. A good way to explore the rest of the island is to rent a scooter. With the scooter you can drive all over the island and visit all the beautiful beaches and attractions. Staying on this island also gives you the opportunity to dive from here. Cham Island Diving Center is the most famous diving school.

How to get to Cham Island?

The fastest way to get to the Cham island is by speedboat from Hoi An only. This takes around 20 minutes and costs around 20 dollars for a round trip. Other option is the slow boat that is cost a little cheaper and around US$ 12 departing Hoi An river several time a day. The slow boat is not really recommended as it takes about 2 hours to take you to the Cham Island, so the best option is the speedboat. However, booking a tour worth of US35 to cham island isn’t that costly and it might be an option as well. See Day Trip to Cham Island

What to do in Cham island

• Visit the Marine Museum: The perfect place to learn about the history of the island and get to know the local culture better. Admission is free and the museum if open from Monday to Friday from 8 am to 5 pm.

• Enjoy its incredible beaches: Hon Lao is the only island where tourists can step in as the other islands are military islands and visiting isn’t allowed. The other absolutely non touristic islands which you can enjoy the sunbathing on warm waters including Ong Beach, Xep Beach, Chong Beach or Bac Beach. 

• Snorkeling: The waters surrounding the Cham islands are perfect for snorkeling. You will have the option of being able to hire a boat trip around. The prices of these tours are not fixed, you must agree the price with the fishermen.

• Visit the Hai Tang Pagoda: Located in the western part of the Cham island, Hai Tang is the most important temple on the island which is a place for the worship by the locals.

• Enjoy delicious BBQ at night: The main activity of local people is still fishing. This makes every night the restaurants on the island offer delicious seafood and fish BBQ at fairly cheap prices.