An Instant Connection
I escorted Diem’s bà ngoại (grandmother) home to Vietnam some years ago, which would transform my life in ways I could have never imagined. Upon landing in the central coastal city of Da Nang, I met Diem in person for the first time. She was quiet, accommodating, concerning, kind, understanding, and beautiful. We made sure grandmother made it home to the village, and Diem and I left for a unique adventure of our own. Hanoi, Hai Phong, Hai Long, Da Nang, and Hoi An. We spent the winter exploring Vietnam.
We eventually made our way to the family’s ancestral home in An Lao, where the magic of existence and our experience carried on. To spend Lunar New Year in the traditional village of the family was life-changing. It was, in its way, transformative. By the time I returned to the US, my relationship with Diem had evolved into something beyond anything I had ever expected. Finally, I found my soulmate, my fellow adventurer, my companion in this crazy world that is life.
Wedding Bells
Many know that we were married within the year, and I began to split my time between Vietnam and the US. We were married in July of 2019, and we began exploring the world together. Thailand, every corner of Vietnam, and only the pandemic have slowed us down. Our choices for our Anniversary, one year in marriage, were unobtainable. The interior of Borneo was our original plan, but we had to alter our course. We settled for an undiscovered gem in view of our apartment, but a million miles away.
Cù lao Chàm
Cù Lao Chàm, or the Cham islands, are a UNESCO marine biosphere off the coast of Vietnam in the South China Sea. Remote, isolated, pure, and not the most accessible place to get to. It seemed an easy option to experience somewhere unique and unforgettable and not have to travel very far. You can see the Islands from our patio.
You would think that being so close would be an easy and regular place for us to visit. After all, it’s actually in the Hoi An city district, and we go there pretty regularly. But the Cham islands are different. There is no bridge or regulated public transportation to the island, and other than a day tour on a speedboat, there is only one way to access it.
Limited Access
The only way to access the island with your motorbike, foreigners can’t rent motorbikes on the island, is to board a daily ferry. It departs the docks in Hoi An every day during the dry season at 8 am. It takes about an hour and a half to cross the sea and reach the ports at Cham. The ferry hangs around until 11 or so, then heads back to Hoi An. So if you miss the ferry, well, that’s pretty much it.
Access to the island is heavily restricted during the rainy season. The Islands sit offshore directly in line with the mouth of the Thu Bon River. The monsoon season with its heavy storms makes passage out of the river mouth, where the Hoi An port sits, virtually impossible. Many tales of visitors to the island becoming stranded for weeks waiting for good weather and passage back to the mainland. It’s a place that is right there but a world away.
Our Trip Begins
It was the day before our Anniversary when we packed our bags and headed south to the beautiful little town of Hoi An. Voted the best city in the world by Travel and Leisure, it is a dream to visit Hoi An so frequently. It is just a beautiful little charming city steeped in tradition and history. I’ve written several posts about Hoi An so that I won’t be redundant here.
We made our way to the old quarter across the central bridge to our hotel for the evening. Tucked behind the main street that lines the river, it was a great location, affordable, and very comfortable. My first order of business in Hoi An always involved food, and we ordered a couple of Banh Mi’s from another famous sandwich shop Madam Khanh, the Banh Mi Queen. It’s hard to choose the best Banh Mi in Hoi An. Banh Mi Phuong, the shop made famous by Anthony Bourdain, is phenomenal. But today, we only wanted to walk, and it was on the other side of town. That and Madam Khanh delivers.
Settling Into the Moment
As I devoured my sandwich, the clouds rolled in, and it began to rain. Diem and I sat in quiet, reflective, taking in the scene. Has it been a year? How quickly time slips away. It has been a fantastic year. One of the best years of my life. It seemed that it was only the beginning. Our book had only finished its first chapter. What promise our future holds.
Eventually, the rain stopped, and we decided to head out for dinner—a celebration of our Anniversary and the beginning of another beautiful year. We strolled a few streets down to the river as the roads began to fill in the cooling afternoon. It wouldn’t be long before the lanterns and bamboo canoes would start to light up the night. We found a balcony overlooking central Hoi An and settled in for a quiet romantic dinner under the Indochina moon.
A Traditional Dinner
Diem ordered an assortment of local dishes fit for a king. Incredibly fresh shrimp spring rolls, crispy wood mushroom rolls, and a delicious chilled mussel salad with mint and rice crackers. We ordered a couple of tigers and enjoyed watching the city come alive as day turned into night.
After dinner, we joined the crowd and walked the riverside streets. It’s always so beautiful seeing the paper lanterns float down the river among the bamboo canoes filled with couples enjoying a romantic outing—the Venice of Vietnam, as it were. Amid the festivities, we lazily made our way back to the hotel. Morning always seemed to come early, and we had a boat to catch.
The Dock
We rose relatively early. I was excited to get the day going, so we settled our bill and headed towards the dock. As I mentioned before, the port sits at the mouth of the Thu Bồn river. The path to the pier, and it was a path, wasn’t the easiest thing to find. But we found a helpful man sitting next to the river who pointed us in the right direction.
The dock was minimalist. There were only three boats docked. Two ferry’s alternate days to the island, and one of the speed boats used for the day-trippers that fill the island at midday. The boat was loading as we arrived, and the atmosphere was even more exciting than anticipated.
The Boat
The boat itself is a stripped-down traditional boat known as a Chinese Junk and is typically spotted by the unique shaped sails that filled the bays and waterways of Asia in the last few centuries. Today they are mostly stripped of sails and motorized, though some have retained them for aesthetic purposes. As we pulled up to the boat, it was abuzz with activity—the boat doubles as a supply ship for the island. Any goods or people that wish to go or are needed on the island must go on this daily ferry.
We found the captain and negotiated our passage. As usual, I got the foreigner’s tax. Diem and our motorbike fair combined were about 75% the price for my passage alone. Additionally, I had to pay for a special pass to access the island, a protected marine and nature biosphere. However, it still wasn’t too bad. I think we spent the equivalent of $10 total. The crew loaded our motorbike down a 2×10 plank, and we settled in the front of the boat.
The Journey
It was quickly apparent that the ferry’s primary functions were supplies as the boat was stuffed with everything an isolated community would need for 24 hours. There is no going to the grocery store where we are headed. If it is not found on the island, then it is not acquirable—everything from vegetables, live chickens, meat, and lots of beer. Anything a village needs to operate is on this boat. With a passenger load of maybe 30, we pulled away from the dock and made our way into the river channel.
We lazily floated past several traditional fishing rigs that hung above the water like giant spider webs—blowing gently in the breeze and caressing the water’s surface. At the very edge of the river’s mouth sat a small flotilla of boats. It turned out to be a mobile gas station, and we pulled up to top off before going out to sea. Then, with a full tank and clear skies, we made our way out past the coastal edge and into the open ocean.
Slow Going
The boat wasn’t winning any speed competitions, and we lazily bobbed our way towards our destination. Da Nang spread out and then faded out into the distance, and slowly the island archipelago grew in size in front of us. The big island, known as Hòn Lao (Pearl), is the largest and only inhabited island of the eight island archipelago.
Slowly the smaller islands of the chain, Hòn Dài (long) and Hòn Mồ (tomb) slipped past us as we inched towards the small fishing village. As we came closer towards Pearl island, the water shifted from a deep pacific blue to a tropical turquoise. Smoke rose in the island’s distance, and a real sense of its isolation began to be realized. Finally, after a pretty harrowing journey, the dock materialized before us, and we settled in against the port.
Arriving In Paradise
Several Islanders had gathered at the edge of the dock. With their pull carts and mini trailers on motorbikes. They had come to collect their goods from the ferry. It was low tide, and the boat was well below the edge of the dock. We had to sort of climb out. The cases of beer, produce, and even the chickens were unloaded first. The locals gathered their orders and made their way back down the pier to their homes and businesses.
After what seemed like a lifetime in the penetrating sun, our motorbike was finally unloaded, and we hopped on. We made our way down the pier and towards the inn. The island does not have any chain hotels, restaurants, or even gas stations. All of the businesses here are run by locals and their families, and it gives the island a very intimate feel. The island has two permanent communities. Bai Lang, the village we are in now, has an estimated 2,400 permanent residents. And Bai Huong further south with an estimated population of 400.
The Inn
We made our way to the end of the dock and turned north onto the main road. Only 30 yards or so from the pier, our inn was in a beautiful location. The environment was very laid back as the family met us at the entrance. The house lady gave us the key and, leaving our shoes at the entrance to the stairway, made our way to the second floor.
The room was far beyond my expectations. Overlooking the bay, with a balcony and a large window, we mostly kept open. No refrigerator or television, just the smell of the ocean and a fantastic view. It was perfect. We had just arrived at our mini-vacation home for the next few days, and we were already spoiled. We ordered a couple of beers and sat on the balcony for a while, just taking in the scene. There was quite a bit of exploring to do over the next few days, but now it was time to freshen up from the boat ride and have a little anniversary dinner in paradise.
Click here for more posts on the best city in the world 2019 per Travel & Leisure.
Or Click Here for a short video of some highlights in Hoi An and the journey to the island.
