The people of Con Chim Island say that having tourism brings in extra income, which is certainly good, but what's even better is having regular visitors, eliminating the feeling of the village being deserted like before.
From the end of December of the previous year into January of the Year of the Snake (2015), the households involved in tourism on Con Chim Island hardly had any time to celebrate Tet with their families. Tourists arrived continuously, requiring attentive service. "Tired but happy!" - both hosts and guests said.
Welcome guests like family.
Since 2019, when the people of Con Chim hamlet (Hoa Minh commune, Chau Thanh district, Tra Vinh province) started developing tourism, I came to experience it and immediately fell in love the first time I set foot on this islet surrounded by the Co Chien River.
This Lunar New Year of the Year of the Snake, a group of 15 people of all ages followed me to Con Chim Island. They laughed and complained about being tired from eating, drinking, playing, and taking photos… it was indescribable. I believe that after 5 years, I'm not the only one who loves this tourist destination.
A must-see check-in spot at Con Chim Island.
The ferry docked, and after checking in at the "Con Chim Community Tourism Destination" welcome gate, we rented bicycles from Ms. Sau Mai's house to get around the island. She welcomed us like family, happily wishing us a Happy New Year, and then gave each of us a conical hat to wear to stay cool and to make our photos look lovely. It was such a heartwarming feeling!
The whole group cycled to the village cultural center and immediately checked in at the inscription on the wall: "Back at Con Chim Island, the locals only have their hearts," as if responding to the sentiments expressed by the island's inhabitants.
Every house here gave us a treat. We were truly exhausted from eating and drinking. At every house, we were offered drinks—sometimes hot tea, sometimes iced tea, and even butterfly pea flower tea. At Bé Thảo's coconut garden, each person got to enjoy a fresh coconut.
The vibrant bougainvillea hedge leading to Nam Lien's house makes tourists stop to take pictures.
Speaking about the traditional snacks on Con Chim Island, Ms. Chi An said, "If I knew there were so many options, I wouldn't have eaten breakfast today, would I?" Start your day at the traditional Southern Vietnamese kitchen with a refreshing bowl of sương sâm (a type of herbal jelly), and savor some candied ginger. Then, visit Ms. Loan's house to enjoy some wild honey with a drizzle of lime juice, followed by a sip of hot tea – truly delightful! Finally, head to Ms. Ba Sua's house to enjoy the steaming hot, pressed rice cakes wrapped in coconut leaves, dipped generously in rich, creamy coconut milk – you'll eat until you can't stop!
They were all food lovers. The lunch menu, consisting of six tempting dishes—mangrove flower salad, steamed snakehead fish with gourd, steamed shrimp, chicken braised with ginger, boiled vegetables with dipping sauce, and mangrove fruit hot pot—was quite appealing. Yet, as soon as we cycled past Sáu Giàu's pancake shop, everyone stopped by and devoured a dozen large pancakes in no time.
Tourists are excited about the "F1 racing track" on Con Chim islet.
Before heading to the ferry, ending their day out, the group stopped by Ms. Nam Lien's house. Each person enjoyed a bowl of sticky rice with coconut milk, crunchy roasted peanuts, and a drizzle of coconut milk and fragrant ginger syrup – a treat they would regret not trying. The young people also stopped at a household to buy shaved ice with milk.
Playing games is tiring, but it helps release energy so we can keep replenishing with food and drinks. Last time, I went to Con Chim Island in March, when the crabs raised in the ponds were ready for harvest, so I got to experience crabbing. This time, the whole group went shrimp fishing.
The folk games at Mr. Thanh's house were the most interesting. There's only one "F1 Crab Race Track" on Con Chim Island in the whole world. People took numbers to choose their crabs to race, then excitedly cheered them on as they crossed the finish line. The women, over 50 or 60, remembered their school days playing games like stickball, jump rope, and hopscotch… now they had the chance to test their strength and dexterity. The boys competed with the women, seeing who was better at throwing cans. Laughter rang out throughout each game.
The more you play, the more photos you'll take. The great thing about Con Chim Island is that, besides the flower-filled, coconut-shaded alleyways in the hamlet, each house has a few "chill" spots for visitors to take photos and create lasting memories of this place.
Even better, the service prices on the islet during Tet (Lunar New Year) are the same as on regular days, and are jointly managed by the households, so visitors don't have to worry about prices on Saturdays, Sundays, or other holidays.
The entire island is being developed for tourism.
Surrounded by a river and intertwined with mangrove and water coconut forests, this islet was named Con Chim (Bird Islet) by the locals because, viewed from above, its shape resembles a large bird swooping down on the river's surface, and also because when the settlers first came to reclaim the land, they saw many birds and egrets here.
It wasn't until 2010 that Con Chim officially became a separate hamlet, with 54 households residing there.
The roads in the hamlet are shaded by coconut trees.
The people of Con Chim Island say their homeland has two seasons: freshwater and saltwater, not dry or rainy. Based on these natural conditions, the people raise aquatic animals in combination with rice cultivation. The total natural area of the hamlet is 62 hectares, of which 34 hectares are used for aquaculture and rice cultivation, while the rest is residential land and planted with fruit trees and shade trees.
Visitors who come here from November to March (the saltwater season) will see many ponds for raising shrimp, prawns, crabs, and fish. From April to October (the freshwater season), visitors can admire the rice fields from their vibrant green to their golden ripening. Therefore, don't be surprised when Con Chim Island looks different; remember to consider the time of year you visited.
Taking advantage of the vacant land, the locals plant rows of coconut trees to provide shade, and create flower-lined roads to enhance the beautiful scenery. The mangrove and nipa palm forests are preserved, creating a peaceful space where birds and egrets still flock to the mangrove trees in the morning and evening.
Mr. Nguyen Van Pha (Tu Pha Homestay) shared that the people cherished what nature had given them during the arduous pioneering days, and therefore they consciously preserved their livelihoods by jointly managing the river around Con Chim islet to protect water resources, aquatic resources, and the protective forest.
Visitors experience splitting coconuts with Mrs. Nam Lien and her husband.
Following the principle of "harmonizing with nature," the locals use organically produced seafood, rice, vegetables, and other natural products (mangrove, water coconut, shrimp, river fish, honey) to prepare dishes and drinks for tourists. They also create specialties that visitors can take home as souvenirs, such as honey, shrimp paste, coconut jam, water coconut jelly, dried fish, and fermented shrimp paste.
While visiting Con Chim Island, we not only witnessed the hospitality but also felt the sense of community among the local households, the solidarity and mutual support that created a unique experience for tourists, leaving them with fond memories of their trip.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich Van, Director of the Con Chim Community Tourism Cooperative, shared that from the Community Tourism Destination Cooperative (in 2019) with 12 participating households and one tour guide, by November 2024, the cooperative had 50 members, including 5 tour guides. Previously, Con Chim only welcomed tourists for sightseeing and experiences, but now 5 households have built homestays with 27 rooms, meeting the needs of tourists who want to extend their stay.
To maintain the beautiful landscape, members participate in general cleaning and caring for trees and flowers along the roadside twice a month. Each household has two trash cans placed on the main walkway and must sort their waste. Households in the tourism service supply chain have the right to be creative in decorating the destination and providing a pleasant experience for guests. Households providing entertainment must keep the volume low to a comfortable level between 11 AM and 1 PM and refrain from performing from 10 PM to 5 AM the following day to ensure a peaceful environment for guests to rest.
Enjoying sticky rice cakes wrapped in banana leaves at Aunt Ba Sữa's house.
The households are very aware of the importance of maintaining the beautiful image of Con Chim Island in the eyes of tourists, so there is a high level of consensus in complying with regulations. The locals say that while tourism provides additional income, it's certainly enjoyable, but even more so because they have regular visitors, eliminating the feeling of isolation and the deserted village they experienced before.
Ms. Sau Giau said that back then, during the off-season, she didn't know what to do, but now, after tending to her shrimp and crab ponds or rice fields, she focuses on growing vegetables, picking out pests morning and evening to ensure she has clean, delicious vegetables for tourists to enjoy with their banh xeo (Vietnamese savory pancakes).
On Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, Con Chim Island is usually crowded with tourists. Many children and grandchildren from far away come home to help their parents serve the visitors, which is a joyful sight. For example, during the recent Tet holiday, on the first day, Con Chim Island already had over 100 visitors, and the number increased daily, reaching 400-500 by the fourth or fifth day. Thanks to the coordination of the Cooperative Management Board and the smooth cooperation of the tour guides, even with the large number of visitors, there was no chaos.
Learn anytime, anywhere.
Some young people born and raised on Con Chim Island, who are helping their parents with tourism, have demonstrated management and creativity skills, capable of turning their parents' side jobs into professional careers in the future, such as Nguyen Thi Dieu, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Tu Pha; and Nguyen Duong Khang, son of Mr. and Mrs. Nam Lien.
Both the elderly and the young people on the islet are taking advantage of every opportunity to attend training courses to improve their skills in organizing the destination and perfecting service. Con Chim islet is showing signs of "taking off," and will surely bring tourists new and memorable experiences.
Source: https://nld.com.vn/con-chim-di-thuong-ve-nho-1962502222105238.htm
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