Cam Thanh Coconut Jungle and the Basket Boat Ride
Cam Thanh coconut jungle near Hoi An: what the basket boat ride is like, what to wear, morning or afternoon sessions, and how to combine it with a cooking class, the Marble Mountains or My Son.
By AmGo Travel5 min read
The Cam Thanh coconut jungle is one of the easiest and most fun half-days around Hoi An: a maze of water coconut palms just outside town, where you sit in a round bamboo basket boat, try rowing it yourself and watch local boatmen spin their baskets on the water. This guide explains what the basket boat ride is like, how to combine it with other sights, and which session to pick, from the AmGo Travel team in Hanoi's Old Quarter, who plan trips across central Vietnam.
What is the Cam Thanh coconut jungle?
Cam Thanh is a village a short drive from Hoi An Ancient Town, on the waterways where the Thu Bon River meets the sea. Its "jungle" is a forest of water coconut palms growing straight out of the shallow channels, and the way through it is by thung chai, the round woven bamboo boat that fishermen along the central coast have used for generations.
A visit is not a wild-jungle trek. It is a gentle ride along quiet green canals, with time to take photos, try the oar and laugh as your boat turns in circles. The highlight for most people is the basket boat performance, when a local boatman spins his basket at speed on the water.
What the basket boat ride is like
- Who rows: a local boatman paddles you through the palms, and you can take the oar and try rowing yourself.
- Safety: life jackets are provided on the half-day basket boat tour, and the water in the channels is calm.
- Will I get wet? Usually only a splash. Wear clothes and shoes that can dry quickly, and keep your phone in a pocket or a small dry bag.
- Sun: bring a hat and sunscreen. There is little shade on the open water between the palms.
- Rain: a light raincoat is far more practical than an umbrella in a basket boat.
Ways to visit Cam Thanh
You can visit the coconut jungle on its own, but most travellers combine it with something else. These are the combinations AmGo Travel runs, all with hotel pick-up in Hoi An (and some from Da Nang):
1. Basket boat and cooking class (half day). Visit a local market with the chef for about 30 minutes, ride the basket boat and watch the performance, then cook and eat a 7-dish Hoi An meal: papaya salad, Hoi An spring rolls, rice pancake, grilled eggplant with onion fat, grilled clams and egg, and fish in a clay pot with steamed rice, with fresh fruit for dessert. The coconut jungle entrance fee is included. This is the best choice if you want Cam Thanh to be the main event.
2. Cooking class plus Marble Mountains and Monkey Mountain (full day). Cam Thanh and the cooking class in the morning, a break of about an hour at your hotel, then the Lady Buddha on Monkey Mountain, the pagodas and caves of the Marble Mountains and Am Phu Cave in the afternoon. Back in Hoi An at about 6:00 PM.
3. Da Nang, Cam Thanh and Hoi An by lantern light (full day). Monkey Mountain and Linh Ung Pagoda, the Marble Mountains and Non Nuoc stone carving village, the basket boat in Cam Thanh, then a guided walk in Hoi An Ancient Town, dinner and a flower lantern release on the Hoai River.
4. My Son Sanctuary and the coconut jungle (full day). The Champa temples of My Son, a boat on the Thu Bon River, Cam Thanh and Hoi An Ancient Town with a lantern release after dinner. Read our My Son Sanctuary guide first if you are deciding between morning and sunset visits.
Morning or afternoon?
The half-day basket boat and cooking class runs in two sessions:
- Morning from Hoi An: 8:20 AM to 12:20 PM, with lunch. From Da Nang the pick-up is at 7:30 AM and you are back around 1:00 PM.
- Afternoon from Hoi An: 1:20 to 5:20 PM, with dinner. From Da Nang it runs from 12:30 PM to about 6:30 PM.
The morning is cooler and the market is at its busiest. The afternoon suits late risers and leaves your morning free for the Ancient Town before the crowds. Pick-up is free from hotels in Hoi An city and Da Nang city; hotels further out (for example in Thang Binh or Duy Xuyen district) pay a transfer surcharge.
Cam Thanh or another eco tour?
Cam Thanh is not the only basket boat village near Hoi An. Tra Nhieu has its own nipa palm forest and adds crab fishing, and Tra Que is a vegetable village rather than a boat trip. If you are mainly choosing a cooking class, our Hoi An cooking class comparison puts all three side by side.
Plan your Cam Thanh visit with AmGo Travel
- Half a day, food lovers: basket boat and cooking class.
- One full day, sights and food: add the Marble Mountains and Monkey Mountain.
- One full day, history: combine Cam Thanh with My Son Sanctuary.
For more ideas in the area, see the Hoi An destination page.
FAQ
How long is the basket boat ride? It is one part of a half-day tour that also includes a market visit and a cooking class, and the whole half day takes about four hours from Hoi An.
Is the basket boat ride suitable for children? Yes. The water is calm and life jackets are provided. On the half-day tour, children aged 1–4 travel free when sharing a seat and meals with their parents.
Do I need to book the coconut jungle ticket separately? No. On the tours above, the Cam Thanh coconut jungle entrance fee and the basket boat ride are included.
Can I be picked up in Da Nang? Yes, for the half-day basket boat and cooking class (minimum 2 guests from Da Nang) and the full-day Da Nang, Cam Thanh and Hoi An tour.
Where can I book a Cam Thanh basket boat tour? With AmGo Travel, a Vietnamese team of trip planners and guides with an office at 61 Hang Ga, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi. Book at amgotravel.com or on WhatsApp.
Send AmGo Travel your Hoi An dates and we will suggest the session that fits your days.
