Vietnam: Honeymooning on the Cham Islands
Casey and I are always looking for an escape from the over crowded touristy areas…after a few days in Hoi An, we were getting a little bit overwhelmed by the tourism. We had read a small little blip about the Cham islands, just a ferry ride away from Hoi An and we were intrigued enough to set off on this little escape.
Our Honeymoon to Vietnam began December 27th 2019 and we stayed until January 18th 2020. We visited the Cham islands for a week in January, and every blip that we had read about the Cham islands suggested that January was a terrible time to go and would be rainy/cold. This was not our experience whatsoever - we arrived to the most charming island full of kind local Vietnamese, no tourists, empty beaches, and sunny weather. Please make sure to check with locals and the weather forecast before you go - as there are plenty of stories of visitors arriving and not being able to leave for a week or more due to poor weather and choppy seas.
Getting to the Cham Islands
Before departing, make to visit an ATM to take out enough VND for your entire trip. I don’t remember ever seeing an ATM on the island, and everyone only accepts Cash (even for Homestays). Make sure to plan ahead!
First things first - there are two ways to get to the Cham islands. By speedboat which is about $30USD per person. It will get you there quite quickly and it is the route that most tourists take. If you are leaving from Hoi An, you will have to take a taxi to the pick up point which will cost you at least an additional $10USD.
The other option is the local ferry…which is the route we took. It costs $7 USD per person, and takes about 3 hours. It’s a peaceful boat ride and was a lovely experience in and of itself. Definitely plan out which route you are taking a few days before you go, as there are only one ferry a day and a few speed boats. The local ferry is very local and down a little hidden alley which is about a 10 minute walk from the main old town in Hoi An…we stopped in at Hoi An Silk Marina Resort And Spa the night before to ask them where the pickup was - we then walked over to scout it out (the pickup point is down a little ally right next to this resort) so we new exactly where to go in the morning. Pickup is between 7AM and 7:30AM.
You also have to pay an entrance fee to the Cham Islands - which I believe ends up being $3USD.
Taking the local ferry was a fun experience! There was only 7 tourists onboard (including Casey and I), and we were directed to the top of the boat for the ride. There were probably 25 local Vietnamese on the main level of the boat, most where napping during the ride.
Arriving on the Cham Islands
There are two villages on the island. Bai Lang is the main village, and then there is a smaller village - Bai Huong. The local boat drops everyone off at Bai Lang. There is a little commuter boat that you can hop into directly from the local boat and zip over to Bai Huong - which is what we did! It is a beautiful ride, and you will be mesmerized by the beautiful color of the water.
We booked a stay at Mama’s house on Airbnb on Bai Huong. Once our Ferry Boat arrived - “Mamma” was waiting for us at the dock with a big smile. Unfortunately, the accommodations where very disappointing - no windows in the rooms, our sheets were dirty, poor locks on the door…we decided to walk around, and right around the corner we found Lâu Thu Homestay - which was absolutely stunning! I think this homestay is definitely the most charming and lovely on Bai Huong and we had a delightfully authentic experience. We were so happy we decided to move!
Our Experience on the Cham Islands
The Cham Islands truly was one of the highlights of our honeymoon. There are not many places you can visit in the world where you can go with stunning blue sea water, incredible local culture, and no tourists. I am sure the island is much busier in the summer months - but for us, wow…this was perfect. The Cham Islands might not offer you a luxury experience, and the homestay pickings might be slim…but we were searching for an experience where we could connect with locals and relax..and this trip delivered.
We explored the island on a little manual scooter that we rented for $7 (including gas), it was rickety but it was oh so so sweet. We found so many hidden beaches that were absolutely beautiful. We hung our hammock on a couple of palm trees and relaxed for hours with the ocean waves gently lapping the shores.
It was fun to watch locals use the water bowls to paddle out to their boats. We saw monkeys playing on roofs, a 5 foot long snake crossing the road, fishermen fishing, local children playing soccer as the sun was setting. Everything felt like a dream.
