Hoian Thanh Van

Hidden attractions and a way of life

As visitors to this quaint town explore its surroundings further, they are likely to discover the secrets of this historic spot. One of them is a coconut forest.

Just three kilometers away from the town, the Bay Mau Coconut-Palm Village in Cam Thanh Commune is a lesser-known tourist destination that is becoming increasingly popular among visitors to Hoi An, especially among those who like first-hand experiences of life in the Vietnamese countryside.

The green palms, growing along the banks of Thu Bon and Truong Giang River, form a “forest” in the marshland, serving the village with refreshing breeze and cooling cover.

The dừa nước (roughly translated as “water coconut palm”) grow in soft mud and slow moving tidal and river waters.

Visitors can row a basket boat by themselves or leave the oars in the hands of skilful locals, enjoying the fresh air and picking up water coconuts along the way. Those inclined to do so can bring fishing rods, pick a spot and park themselves there until the sun gradually sets, bringing the day to a glorious end.

After a rowing trip through the palm groves, a sumptuous dinner of fish or shrimp awaits.

The forest now covers an area of 58 hectares, protecting a diverse seaweed ecosystem where various crustacean species thrive, supplying locals and visitors with fresh shrimp, crab and other seafood.

The next stop after the forest exploration is a craft village where most houses are built with palm leaves.

Villagers say their traditional craft of making palm-thatched houses was all but extinct a few years ago, with most of the inhabitants quitting their jobs because there was no demand for their product.

Over the last two years, however, it has revived thanks to rising demand from newly-built beach hotels and resorts in the country. One feature of modern life is that it turns aspects of a previous life into cultural and aesthetic attractions that people are willing to pay extra to access.

The craft has since improved the livelihoods of villagers, many of whom are now well-off.

Once a place where Vietnamese militia and guerillas took shelter during the resistance war against the French, the Bay Mau palm forest is considered a national historical heritage.

Hotel review: Thanh Van in Hoi An « Small steps: A travel blog

We stayed at the Thanh Van in Hoi An for our first night in Hoi An for the first night in Hoi An. Sadly, we hadn’t booked anything, so our first choice (the Hoang Trinh – reviewed separately ) wasn’t available.

The Thanh Van looked nice enough; lovely foyer and a clean and fresh looking pool in the courtyard, but our room (#300) was everything but lovely: It was ridiculously humid, something our air conditioning unit could have solved – if the power to it wasn’t cut whenever you leave the room and have to take your room key with you.

The room was also rather noisy (traffic noise), and we were attacked by a billion tiny ants. Not a major nuisance, perhaps, but not really what you’re expecting from any hotel.

I’m sure the hotel is lovely and all (and for $20 you can afford to be wrong – and the breakfast was excellent), but make sure you look at (and smell…) the room before you agree to staying there.

Our second hotel (Hoang Trinh) was only $2 more expensive per night, and was fifteen times nicer.

Southeast Asia on a shoestring

Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos & the Greater Mekong

South-East Asia on a shoestring

Ancient town of Hoi An, International Symposium held in Danang on 22-23 March 1990

Vietnam