Located roughly 12 miles from Hoi An Ancient Town, Cham island has been a pride of local residents over decades for its pristine beaches and the rich fauna spreading over the entire island and embracing its seacoast.
I found my way to the peaceful island on a bright day in June. The fast-speed ferry danced on the top of the wave, white bubbles of water all over the ferry floor surface. When Hoi An faded away in the cloud at the horizon line, I began to see different shapes of the island. The old sailor pointed to a cluster of eight islands and told the weird names (even weird to Vietnamese people) of each granite masses of land. After 30 minutes leaving the stunning coastline of Hoi An, we reached Hon Lao – the largest and main island of the cluster.
The Island welcomed us with a big carton sign saying “Please accompany us by using no plastic bag while staying at the island”, which, at that time, was successful in attracting people notice, but not so many people really believed. “How could they spare plastic bags from all activities? Infeasible!”.
I spent the whole morning wandering around the outside edge of the island. Visitors can choose the motorbike tour to see the historical sights on the island yet I decided to stroll the quiet lanes at my own pace so that I can see more of the local side of the island. I follow the visitor map (in Vietnamese and English) to visit the Cham Island Marine Museum which exhibits the history island's establishment, the traditions and customs of the locals, the festivals, and special sea creatures of this land. The next spot was the Ancient Well which was dug 200 years ago. Legend is that the Holy Spirit of the Well can fulfill the wish of a relationship for anyone who drinks its water or any mother who wishes to have a baby.
The sign “No plastic bags” can be found at many places to keep reminding visitors that here they boycott plastic bags. I went to a market just by the water with the “hope” to unmask the truth, how can buyers bring fresh fish and seafood home if they don’t have plastic bags. To my surprise, the vendors expertly wrap fish slides into paper or banana leaf then give them to the buyers. Some lady even attaches the fish with a string (by a hook) then held the string. They do it like a habit, without any resistance and hesitation. That was a thing I could never see in a typical market in my city where even a piece of onion needs a plastic bag to keep it inside.
In the afternoon I booked a tour operator which offer to take me around the eight islands to view the aquatic life and reefs. The crystal clear waters and marine life make it a popular spot for diving and snorkeling. After an afternoon full of diving and swimming, I came back the market near the pier that I visited in the morning to buy some seafood and took them to my hostel where the host offered me that she could cook what I bought with low price (later I found down that the total money for the food and bought and the cooking fee was more than what I could have paid for a restaurant), the seafood dishes came out piping hot and juicy.
The sunset said goodbye to the last ferry back to land and most of the outside visitors had left the island, Cu Lao Cham appeared in its true form – a fishery island. The remaining residents were mostly kids and the elderly. Boys and girls who reach the labor age seem to move inland looking for further education and job opportunity. Meanwhile, in their home island, their grandmothers gathered at one’s house and knit fishing net, their grandfather played Mahjong in groups and their younger brothers and sisters danced and sang out loud old kid songs. The air was filled with so much joy and the sky was brightened up by hundreds of stars which were also try to candlelit the city sky and lose their glittering effect because of electric lights.
The next morning I woke up listening to birds singing and taste salty air immediately reminded me that I was staying in a place far from land. To be honest, although it was just 15 kilometers away, I still felt like life was so different here. I unwillingly walked to the pier to catch the canoe back to Hoi An, deciding that I would come back soon for more camping and diving, or just to sit still and watched old ladies bring fresh fish home without a plastic bag.