Cham Island is an island group existing of 8 small islands. It is situated about 15 kilometers from the coast of Hoi An. The islands
Beaches
The island has several amazing beaches. All with crystal blue water and good for snorkeling. The most popular beach is Ong beach. There are many restaurants here and during high season you also find a big floating playground. You can go parasailing or do one of the many other water activities. If you want to have the beach all by yourself, then go there after 3pm, because most of the day tours are leaving the island around that time. If you don’t want to see other tourists, you can also go to Xep beach or Bac beach. At the last one you can find many caves.
Island hopping
One of the best things to do is on Cham Island is island hopping. You can rent your own longtail boat for around $27 or go on a island hopping tour for $5. This tour will bring you to several islands around Cham Island. You visit some of the most amazing beaches of Vietnam, where you can snorkel in crystal clear water, with beautiful coral and a lot of different fish. You can jump from the boat or just relax and enjoy the view. The tour will also bring you to a small cave where swallows live. Cham Island is well known for this type of birth. The locals sell their nests, worth more than 1000 euro per kilo, to rich Vietnamese, who use it for different kind of food. Pay attention, you can only book this tour on Cham Island and not on the mainland at Hoi An.
Staying on Cham Island
We recommend staying on the island more, than just doing a day trip from Hoi An. Most accommodation exist out of homestays. It will cost you around $6 to $9. The people on this island are very friendly, so staying with these locals will surely be a good experience. Renting a scooter is a good way to explore the island and visit the amazing beaches and viewpoints. Staying on the island will also give you a good opportunity to go diving. Cham Island Diving Center is the best known diving company.
How to get there
There are daily boats and tours going to the island. The fastest way is by speedboat from Hoi An. It will take just 20 minutes and cost around $15 for a return ticket. $2 more if you need a pickup from your hotel to the harbour, which is 9km from the centre. The slow boat is around $10 for a two way and departs from the harbour close to the centre of Hoi An. The boat is only a little bit dodgy and It takes around two hours to get to the island. If you don’t have enough time, you can go by day tour, which cost around $25.
If you don’t have time to stay multiple days on the island, going by tour is the best option. During this tour you go to several spots for snorkeling and relax on one of the most beautiful beaches of Cham island.