Stay on Cham Island

Experience the scenery at Cham Island. Photo: BC

I was born on an island. After living on the mainland for a while, choosing to return and settle permanently on Cu Lao Cham Island made me appreciate even more what my homeland has to offer.

2024 marks the 15th anniversary of Cham Island being recognized as a World Biosphere Reserve. This period also signifies significant progress in the campaign to "Say No to Plastic Bags and Single-Use Plastic Products" in Cham Island.

A green, clean, and healthy island in the eyes of friends from all over the world. We islanders are proud to introduce these qualities to visitors.

The sun rises from the east of the island. This is where all the island's winds are directed. The moment the first blue rays of light appear on the horizon until the sunrise is the most magical moment of the day that the islanders want to show visitors. The locals call this island Lao. Lao Island has a spearhead shape, where most of the residents' boats are anchored.

Experience the tranquility of the island.

The small islands are named after their shape and the vegetation they have. In the spring, the roads along Bai Xep, Bai Lang, Bai Huong... are ablaze with the vibrant red of blooming paulownia flowers.

I often tell visitors that nature has bestowed many wonders upon Cham Island. With mountains on one side and the sea on the other, the tiny red paulownia flowers bloom peacefully amidst the sea and mountains, unaffected by rain or sunshine. The scenery along the paulownia flower-lined road is like a painting created by the blue sea, the sky, and the cliffs.

From the paulownia tree, the women of our island have a craft of weaving paulownia hammocks. The meticulousness and uniqueness, from the materials to the techniques, and the centuries-old stories behind each hammock thread, are sacred treasures that the women of the island want to keep as their own.

The paulownia hammock is a symbol of life for women on the island, originating as a resting place for the men of the household after long voyages at sea.

Every house on the island has a paulownia hammock strung between two trees in front of the house. In 2023, the craft of weaving paulownia hammocks became a National Intangible Cultural Heritage. This title has become a source of pride for the traditional craft preserved by the women of the island.

Go snorkeling to see the seabed at Cu Lao Cham.

In mid-April, the island becomes bustling with the commemoration ceremony for the founders of the swiftlet farming industry – one of the sacred customs practiced by the island's inhabitants. It is an act of gratitude and remembrance of the ancestors who contributed to the development and exploitation of swiftlet nests on the island, as well as a prayer for peace at the beginning of the new year and a reminder to protect the island's resources.

I returned to Cu Lao Cham after several years working on the mainland. Coincidentally, my husband is also originally from the island. My father-in-law is knowledgeable about almost everything on the island; he practically possesses the entire treasure trove of local folk knowledge.

From the craft of making tea from forest leaves, to farming and rice cultivation on the island, to the art of painting on bamboo, he is knowledgeable in all of them. That's why, when I returned to the island to become a local tour guide, I always wanted visitors to Cu Lao Cham to experience the depths of this land – where the people live and cherish the island with all their hearts...

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