Although there is still nearly a week left until the April 30 holiday, all rooms at Monkeyland Homestay (Bai Lang village, Cu Lao Cham) are currently fully booked. Mr. Nguyen Nhat Thanh - owner of Monkeyland Homestay admitted that this was expected, because recently, guests have registered to stay overnight on the island quite often, especially on weekends.
“They stay mainly to rest, swim or rent motorbikes to go around the island. Some go fishing in basket boats, dive to see coral, experience traditional crafts such as net weaving, making banh it, watch hammocks made from parasol trees, and learn about local people’s lives,” said Mr. Thanh.
While in the past, most visitors to the island came back in the same day, now it is easy to see tourists walking around and eating in the village. Mr. Thanh estimated that at peak times, about 300 visitors stay in Cu Lao Cham. On the mainland, this number may not be large, but for islanders, it is very important because it helps generate additional income for people through trading activities, providing food services, etc.
The entire Tan Hiep island commune has about 45 homestays and accommodation establishments (over 200 rooms), mostly concentrated in Bai Lang and Bai Huong villages, mainly operated and managed by local people. A survey of some accommodation establishments on the island shows that since the beginning of the year, the number of overnight guests has increased steadily. At Ngo Khanh homestay (Bai Huong village), the rooms are usually fully booked on weekends. On the occasion of April 30, all rooms were fully booked. Similarly, at Truong Kep, Hai Long, Tam Tho homestays, etc., there are always regular guests registering to stay.
Besides the affordable room rates (about 350 - 700 thousand VND/room/day and night, depending on the location in the village or sea view), the peaceful scenery and fresh air are the factors that attract more and more guests to stay on the island.
Mr. Laurent, a French tourist, said that the reason he and his wife chose Cu Lao Cham for a long stay, in addition to the beautiful, pristine scenery, fresh air, and peace, was the important factor of wanting to directly experience the life and culture of the local people.
“Cu Lao Cham is an ideal destination for me to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and understand more about the life and culture of the people here. They are so gentle and simple. Even though I have only been here for a few days, I feel like I am already a part of the island community,” said Mr. Laurent.
According to statistics from the first 3 months of 2025, Cu Lao Cham welcomed over 36,000 visitors (over 17,200 international visitors). Although, compared to the same period last year, the number of visitors decreased due to the weather, which prevented ships from departing. In return, the number of visitors staying was relatively good with about 1,400 registrations (over 1,250 international visitors), the average stay was 3 days, with some visitors staying on the island for 15 days.
According to Ms. Pham Thi My Huong - Chairwoman of Tan Hiep Commune People's Committee, in recent times, the locality has implemented many activities and solutions to develop products, services, preserve traditional craft villages... to increase experiential activities, helping visitors stay for many days on the island.
In addition to swimming, diving to see corals or visiting historical sites, visitors also have the opportunity to enjoy local cuisine with rustic, typical dishes or participate in night activities such as experiencing squid fishing with locals, watching the stars at sea, listening to locals tell stories about the sea and islands, unique customs and practices of the community...
“ Tourism accommodation activities will help create more livelihoods and bring income to local people. This is also the most effective way for the locality to share benefits with the community,” said Ms. Huong.
Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/khach-tay-luu-tru-dai-ngay-o-cu-lao-cham-3153513.html
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