You’re maybe interested in: Cam Thanh Coconut Village Hoi An Tour
Hoi An has many amazing natural wonders and attractions. The best thing about the city is that the Provincial Government gives proper attention to the maintenance to the normal villages and areas. They keep on promoting their natural attractions to improve the economy of small areas by providing them tourist attention. Cam Thanh village is becoming famous due to the sightseeing and ecotourism. The travelers love to explore it on bicycle and many companies are promoting it by arranging tour for the visitors. The traditional houses are well maintained to make the tourists enjoy the everyday life of locals with their guidance. The Bay Mau coconut forest is a very popular attraction among the tourists. This forest is located near the Cam Thanh village that is 5km to the ancient town of Hoi An. The major activity of the forest is rowing and exploring the natural beauty. The area is the home to many marine and plant species along with coconut. The visitors can join the local fishermen to experience some traditional fish catching techniques of the village people. There are many amazing activities to enjoy at this beautiful natural wonder like trying freshly caught and cooked seafood such as shrimps and crabs.
(Coconut forest Hoi An)
Why Coconut forest Hoi An and Cam Thanh Village are special?
The Bay Mau forest has been grown from the past 200 years by the generations for Cam Thanh village people. They were bought by the immigrants from south west and became a perfect specie to grow in the soil of this area with the perfectly available natural water resources. They were grown for a few hectares initially then the forest expanded to over 100 hectares by itself and still growing stronger. The coconut bushes keep on growing by themselves in this area. Cam Thanh village respect and care for this because this forest protects them from the sea floods and guards the UNESCO world biosphere reserve of Cham Islands. This forest is also a home of many marine species that live among the forest areas. The entire areas look like the Mekong Delta whereas the only difference is the type of boat used to travel at both places. People who visit Cam Thanh village can explore the Bay Mau coconut forest in the basket boats known as Thung Chai.
(Coconut forest Hoi An)
This place remained the home for many local families and the shelter for many soldiers during the war. Now this is a very famous tourist attraction that provides seafood to many local areas. You will learn a lot of traditional things and the importance of the protection of ecosystem at this place. The fish, birds, beautiful trees and local people doing their important chores make the scenery complete and stunning.
What to explore in Coconut forest Hoi An?
The main thing you learn is the rules of fishing and the experience of usage of cast net or round net. You will also see the routine life of fishermen and their families. The local fishermen love to share their knowledge and techniques with the tourists. You can also learn about the ecosystem of wet land. The activities you can enjoy at the Cam Thanh Village and coconut forest are:
Buffalo riding
You will see a lot of water buffalos in the village which roam around in the areas of the village. You can ride one with the help of local and see the beautiful and peaceful village. If you do not want to ride the buffalo, then you can get some nice clicks with it as the memory of a typical village visit.
(Coconut forest Hoi An)
Try local farming
The local farmers of the Cam Thanh village grow rice and catch fish. You can have this interesting experience by helping them in the fields, picking vegetables, plow and catching some fish from the fields. This will be an amazing and memorable experience of life. There are many home stay options, villas and guest houses in the village where you can stay if you want to enjoy some sunsets and sunrises of the coconut forest.
You can also get this ecological experience by staying among the local community and knowing them a bit more. Visitors can ride the basket boat in the small channel to see the coconut forest. You can see the water dipping the roots of the coconut palms and the fishes swimming in it. There are many seafood and vegetarian restaurants which also offer cooking classes for the traditional cuisines. You will find tour companies which make the trip into cooking tour and eco exploration trip.
(Coconut forest Hoi An)
How to get to Coconut forest Hoi an?
The ancient town of Hoi an is almost 7 km away from Cam Thanh village. You can get there on bicycle or book a taxi. There are different ways to get to the Bay Mau coconut water forest. You have the choice of selection among a road or by water. The water trip starts from the Bach Dang street pier near the Hoi an market. The boat will follow the Hoai River and go along the flow of river towards East. The boat travels 5 Km to reach the destination.
If you want to go by road, then the Tran Phu Route takes to the Nguyen Duy Hieu and the right from the intersection will take you to the Tran Nhan Tong Street then after 4 km you will reach the forest. Travelling by boat is more interesting and quick to get there.
Reasons to Visit the Coconut Forest Hoi an
Changing the environment
You can get to a totally new environment and surroundings. This is a very unique place to explore because of the eco system. You can ride the basket boat and learn to row it. Keep this place on the top of your itinerary to visit with your family and friends, you will never regret. This place really worth visiting.
New area to explore
This is a new place of Quang Nam province and Hoi an city. You will feel the natural freshness in the atmosphere. You can eat fresh coconuts, learn making the decorative crafts with coconut palm leaves, play interesting local games and add the new place in your travel stories.
(Coconut forest Hoi An)
History of Bay Mau Coconut forest
The forest has a very rich history of the days of French resistance and war. The Bay Mau forest was used as the base area for the shelter of different officials of the Quang Nam provincial party. They were devastated by the enemy but stayed strong and gathered motivation by the green tall trees of coconut.
During the American resistance, the place had fortifications, obstacles in the road and the system of trenches for the Vietnamese. They created layers of fences and placed bamboo stakes and mines to prevent the Americans from invading into the areas.
The Bay Mau forest remained very close to the heart of the soldiers and it is associated with the victories and glory of the Army. The people of Hoi an respect this place a lot because it gave shelter to their national heroes.
Best time to visit the Coconut Forest Hoi An
The climate remains reasonable so you can visit the place around the year. However, there are details of monthly climate so you can plan, pack and decide accordingly.
February to April:
It is a very reasonable time to visit Vietnam and you get a chance to explore most of the parts of the city. The weather in the coconut forest area becomes very cold but pleasant so you can bring something warm to wear. Pack your shoes accordingly so you can explore the areas without hassle.
May to July:
You can plan a nice huge trip of lanterns and festival fun along with the trip of coconut forest and Cham Islands. This is the perfect time to visit Hoi An. The climate is very hot at major parts of the city but at the village it is very mild and pleasant.
August to December
The August of the lunar month is the highly recommended time because it is the fruit season and the forest is on its full harvest. You can explore the areas and enjoy the fruit. The months of November and December are not recommended at all because of the heavy rainfalls. The travel to Cham islands is also restricted by the expert travelers especially in November.
What to eat in the village?
The main traditional dishes of this area are Quang noodles, Nam O fish salad, fish ball noodles, Xeo cake, mixed rice cake, Hoi an chicken rice, Cao Lau, wonton and many more dishes. You can enjoy delicious cuisines made from the freshly caught seafood of the forest. There are many restaurants in the area of coconut water forest. The food at this area is a bit expensive so if you are travelling in a limited budget then you can bring your own food from Hoi an to avoid buying from the restaurants. If you are visiting for a limited time, then bring snacks and water, enjoy the place and go eat when you get back to your accommodation. You can catch some relaxing and beautiful moments at this place so plan accordingly to avoid getting out of budget in travel.
Bay Mau Coconut Forest Hoi An Price
The entrance ticket price of the Bay Mau forest is 30,000 VND per person. The ticket includes the exploring of eco system and landscape along with the production and display areas of traditional bamboo and coconut, fishing and other activities.
You can have the best travel experience among friendly locals and relaxing atmosphere. You can enjoy the traditional games, make coconut leaf crafts and many more. The best way to get proper information about the forest and village is to consult a tour company. You can either make a guided tour or just book from the company. Compare the prices and ask them about the things included in their charges.
What to bring to the Coconut Village?
There are several things you should bring with you.
- Camera and its cover (you can keep it safe because there is a lot of water)
- Umbrella or raincoat (if you are travelling in rainy season)
- Comfortable shoes (that can be used in water as well)
- Anti-rash and anti-allergy cream (it’s a forest and sometimes people are allergic to some plants)
- Snacks and water (or food if you do not want to buy expensive food)
- Other essentials like tissue papers, sanitizer etc.
- Trash bag to keep the garbage in the bag and throw it in the dustbin
This place is the perfect combination of plantation and water. You will be fascinated by the beauty of the area and riding the boat. Enjoy the place as much as you want but remain a sustainable tourist to avoid harming the ecosystem.