Island hopping
Published/Last edited on 21st September, 2017.
If you limit yourself to Hoi An’s historic town and the beach, you’re missing out. The town’s Thu Bon River has a vast network of islands and islets perfect for two-wheel exploration. Until recently, Cam Kim Island was only connected to the mainland by ferry. But a new bridge makes it even easier to explore. Cycle down quiet roads, past lush paddies and waterways fringed with water coconut palms.
Many Hoi An bicycle tours take you to the various islands and show you the best spots but for a less formal approach, hire your own wheels and go for an exploratory cruise.
To get to Cam Kim Island, first cross over to An Hoi Islet, just across the river from town. In the southwest corner of the An Hoi is the Cam Kim bridge. It doesn’t take long to be swept over by a sense of rural calm as the sound of motorbikes disappears, and the most activity comes in the form of fishermen on wooden canoes casting nets into the water.
Once you cross the bridge, you have many options. Turn right and head west along the river until you see signs for Thuy Ta Song Que– follow them through a labyrinth of lanes that end up at a house peacefully situated at the terminus of an inland waterway. They’ve built a wooden dining hut overlooking the water and it’s a pleasant spot to have a drink. You could easily waste hours here relaxing – there’s a boat with life jackets that they let guests use for free. They also serve food and we enjoyed a snack of cucumbers fresh from their garden. If you’re in a group, why not organise a lunch feast? No English is spoken, so have a Vietnamese speaker call them in advance to prepare a farm fresh chicken: T: (0935) 350 959; (0934) 994 949.
South of this spot, in the northwest corner of the island, is Triem Tay village, first settled at the start of the 17th century and home to around 150 families. Clearly an attempt was made to set up the village for tourists – there are signs at every corner pointing you to sights of interest, there are maps and info placards throughout and we even found a ... Travelfish members only (Full text is around 900 words.)
Log in to Travelfish
Please sign in to read the rest of this page. The full text is around 900 words.
Become a Travelfish member
Choose from $5 week-long through to a lifetime membership.
Reviewed by
Cindy Fan
Cindy Fan is a widely published travel writer who has featured in leading international publications including TIME, The Independent, and The Australian. Between jaunts around the world, when in Southeast Asia, she calls Laos and Vietnam home.