Photo: Instagram @jacobhestonvibes
Cham island is a cluster of eight islands off the Hoi An coast, belonging to Tan Hiep Commune, Hoi An city, Quang Nam Province. From Cua Dai Beach of Hoi An city, you need to travel by boat for about 18 kilometers to reach the clusters of Cham island.
The eight islands of Cham island are: Hon Lao, Hon Dai, Hon Mo, Hon Kho Me, Hon Kho Con, Hon La, Hon Tai, and Hon Ong. Hon Lao is the main and the largest island, which also makes it the most populated and the most active. In Hon Lao, there are seven beaches:
Photo: Instagram @Hubhoian
Cham island is recognized as the second marine park of Vietnam and is the incorporation between the Vietnamese Government and Danish Government (the first is in Nha Trang city, Khanh Hoa Province). The Cham Island Marine Park consists of eight islands and 5,175 hectares of water surface with 165 hectares of coral reef, and 500 hectares of seaweed and seagrass beds, in which hundreds of sea creatures reside.
Located in the central Vietnam East Sea, Cham island is affected by the tropical monsoon climate, which means the best time to visit is from March to August. In March, the climate becomes humid but sunny, and the sea is tranquil, until August. In other months, it begins to rain heavily, the island is frequently attacked by storms. You should notice these special occasions when you enjoy traditional festivals of the locals: On the 14th and 15th of each lunar calendar month, Hoi An citizens light up the night with a tremendous amount of lanterns. Hoi An city at night becomes more wrinkled as the lanterns throw lights and colorful shades to add dimension to this already beautiful city. 
Photo: Instagram @voi_ii
Pro tip: The night of the 14th shimmers and shines more than the 15th because some lanterns are taken down the second day.
Photo: Instagram @miaraya
From Hoi An city, there are three ways to get to Cham island:
Cham island doesn’t have any resorts or five-star hotels. The main accommodation options here are hostels and homestays. This just goes to show that Cham island hasn’t been exploited for tourism, it still retains its untouched beauty. The price varies from around 50,000 to 100,000 VND per person, or 150,000 to 200,000 VND per double room. I recommend these accommodations: Tam Hien’s Homestay Address: Bai Ong Beach, Cham island Contact: (+84) 120 618 3516 Bich Van’s Homestay Address: Ong Beach (Bai Ong), Cham island Contact: (+84) 169 500 7779 Huynh Van Tri’s Homestay Address: Lang Beach (Bai Lang), Cham island Contact: (+84) 974 994 189 Thu Trang’s Homestay Address: Lang Beach (Bai Lang), Cham island Contact: (+84) 985 237 941 Lan’s Homestay Address: Huong Beach (Bai Huong), Cham island Contact: (+84) 510 386 3822 Hiep’s Homestay Address: Huong Beach (Bai Huong), Cham island Contact: (+84) 986 651 448
Photo: Instagram @orangelol92
This museum is the first place you see once you set foot on Cham island. You will learn about the history of the island’s establishment, the traditions and customs of the locals, the festivals, and special sea creatures of this land. Address: Ong Beach (Bai Ong), Cham island
The Cham people dug this well about 200 years ago and it still provides fresh water. The architecture of this well is similar to other Cham wells in Hoi An city, which have a pipe shape, a surrounding square base, a square pillar marking each of the four corners, and annular arrangement of bricks. Though it’s been 200 years, this well has never been dry, even in the driest season, say the locals. It is also named Xom Cam Well (the well of the forbidden village) because it is located in Xom Cam. Address: Xom Cam Village, Cham island
Hai Tang Pagoda is used to worship the Buddha, Bodhisattva, local god, and sea god in order for the residents to practice Buddhism and pray for their safety and prosperity. It was first built in 1758, 200 meters away from its present location. Due to a destructive storm, in 1848 locals moved it, rebuilt it, and redecorated. Hai Tang Pagoda is at the foot of the west mountain of Hon Lao island, facing a small valley, the only paddy field of Cham island. Legend has it that a ship carrying many wooden pillars from the north to the south of Vietnam stopped at Cham island but it couldn’t move anymore because of the strong storm. Then, a person entered Cham island to pray, and the God of the Sea told him that the wooden pillars should be used to construct a pagoda on this island. Thus, the crew and locals together built the pagoda and named it Hai Tang Pagoda. Hai means the sea, Tang means Tipitaka, the Buddhist holy books storing words of the Buddha. The name Hai Tang means this pagoda possesses the teaching of Buddha as much as the sea. Address: Hon Lao Island, Cham island
Locals usually call this market Cu Lao Cham Market. It’s right next to the pier. You can buy seafood, wild animal meat, and souvenirs. Travelers often buy half-dried cuttlefish to bring back home. Because seafood is fished near the island, it’s very fresh and cheap. Address: Cham Island Pier
This temple was constructed in the early 19th century to worship the founders of the bird’s nest business and to protect the god of this business. It also worships the gods of the sea, just like Hai Tang Pagoda. Every year on the ninth and tenth of March in the lunar calendar, locals celebrate to pray for a new harvest of bird’s nest. Address: Huong Beach (Bai Huong), Cham island
Photo: Instagram @johnhiguera10
In addition to hostels and homestays, you can go camping on your own to enjoy the wild environment of this island. I recommend going with a group of friends and being well-prepared before camping. In Bai Ong and Bai Huong you can use the services offered by locals. Otherwise, Bai Bim and Bai Xep are the best choices for those travelers who love enjoying open spaces and wild nature.
You don’t have to know how to swim or dive to take a sea trekking tour! All you need to do is wear a functional hat and walk to the sea. Sea Trek Vietnam offers this service. This service is for people ages eight to 80. You also don’t have to practice before walking five meters under water. The beauty of schools of fish and the coral reefs will surprise you immediately. Sea Trek Vietnam Address: 160A Nguyen Duy Hieu Street, Hoi An city (you have to contact them before going to Cham island.) Contact: (+84) 905 958 528 or (+84) 979 637 651
Snorkeling gives you the chance to observe the colorful coral reefs of Cham Island Biosphere Reserve. Most of the tours to Cham island offer snorkeling, but you can also go by yourself easily. At the island pier, you can buy a ticket to go snorkeling with full equipment and also a guide. The price is about 200,000 VND. 
Photo: Instagram @rascar_cappac
Every year, more and more people visit to go snorkeling and destroy the coral reefs, diminishing the biodiversity of Cham island. Therefore, you should not do any harm to the coral reefs and refrain from touching the beautiful corals to protect the biodiversity. In fact, this is also against the law!
As I mentioned above, Hon Lao is the main island of the Cham cluster, in which almost all activities happen. Around Hon Lao, the other seven islands are just as beautiful as Hon Lao. To travel from Hon Lao to other islands, you need to hire a boat. Normally, a boat can carry up to ten people and the owner will drive you to visit Hon Ba, Dao Yen (salangane island), and Bai Bim.
I already mentioned the seven beaches of Hon Lao island and each beach’s characteristics. In a nutshell, you can enjoy the sea water in Bai Xep, Bai Chong, and Bai Bim. All of them are approximately 20 meters wide, and 100 to 300 meters long. You can comfortably immerse yourself in the immensity of the sea and have fun with the cool sea water. I hope this article will help you discover the wild beauty of Cham island. I wish you an interesting time of exploring the sea and all it has to offer!
