Cam Kim Island has located 1.5 km from Hoi An City, on the south side of the Thu Bon River, being one of the four suburban communes of Hoi An.
Cam Kim is surrounded by tributaries of the Thu Bon River. During the high water season, this river has deposited fertile alluvium for the village. Therefore, all year round, the green trees cover the village.
Cam Kim Island
- Address: Cam Kim Village, Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province, Vietnam
- Opening hours: 24/24
- Entrance ticket: None
- Estimated exploring time: 1-2 hours
Although Cam Kim is not too far from Hoi An, it used to be difficult to travel to. So until now, this place still keeps a peaceful and rustic landscape. You will find cool green covering the whole village.
When walking further through the village roads, you will encounter fences of green trees, vines, and flowers beside lush gardens.
Most of the crops are corn, so corn sweet soup is one of the tasty local dishes in Hoi An that are very popular with diners. In addition to this sweet soup, there are also boiled corn, corn milk, or grilled corn which is quite interesting.
Tourist information to explore the island
1. How to move to Cam Kim
In 2016, a small steel bridge connected the two banks of the river. The traffic to this place seems to be more convenient. However, the bridge is only designed for small vehicles, bicycles, and motorbikes.
In 2021, another bridge, called New Cam Kim Bridge, crosses the river connecting Cam Kim with the northern bank of Thu Bon river, near Thanh Ha pottery village. Moving from Hoi An city center to Cam Kim is now quite convenient; cars, taxis, motorbikes, and bicycles can all go back and forth quickly.
However, the Cam Kim ferry from Hoi An ancient town, near Hoi An Central market, to the Kim Bong carpentry village of Cam Kim village is still chosen by many local people. Maybe, the boat trip is too familiar to the locals, so they haven’t soon given up the habit that they have been attached to for a long time.
The ferry ride takes about 15 minutes from one shore to the other. The ticket price is quite cheap, so it is still suitable for the locals to go up and down. For tourists, this transfer can be an exciting experience if you want to travel to Cam Kim from the old town. Floating on the ferry with many motorbikes and bicycles, seeing the scenery here is also quite interesting for a ferry trip.
2. The best time to visit
Time of day to Cam Kim village from 4 pm to 5:30 pm. You will see an unusually peaceful scene, and sometimes you can see the children of the village playing football and playing on the lawns.
During the time of year, during May, June, July, August, the temperature is quite high, it can get up to 40 degrees Celsius. From December to February are the months with the lowest temperature of the year, sometimes only still 14 degrees Celsius, and it may rain suddenly. But the number of days with low-temperature backgrounds is not long, each cold wave is only 2-3 days.
The most wonderful is March and April every year when the temperature is relatively stable, not too hot and not too cold, very suitable for exploring the life of people in Cam Kim island.
3. What to see and do on Cam Kim
3.1 Cycling and enjoying the peaceful scenery
The best means to explore Cam Kim is by bicycle. You can go on the small village roads, being into the life of the locals. The green rice fields and cornfields will help you relieve stress and bring a sense of peace and relaxation.
Take a deep breath of fresh air, take a leisurely ride on a bicycle, life here will accompany you.
3.2 Explore Kim Bong carpentry village
Kim Bong carpentry village of Cam Kim commune is right at the wharf, near the Thu Bon river. This place has produced many talented woodcarvers, meeting the development needs of sculpture and decoration for old houses in the center of Hoi An ancient town.
Coming here, you can see the artists sculpting beautiful wooden statues, charming paintings, and artistic portraits. At the same time, do not miss the place where the wooden boat-making is located next to the river.
3.3 Visiting the family temples
The clan temples can be places to keep the spirituality and spiritual life of the family in the village. The houses of the clan are beautifully decorated, showing respect for the deceased, “remembering the person who planted the tree”.
Although these temples are not as big as in Hue, in Cam Kim you will see their own holiness, the sincerity in the way of worship, and the lifestyle of the people here.
3.4 See classical house architecture in the rural
Like the peaceful villages in Vietnam, Cam Kim Island still retains simple beauty waiting for you to discover.
Classical rural houses of Vietnam still abound on Cam Kim. The houses are not high, have a terracotta tiled roof, and many main doors and windows. They are simple and close to nature, showing the open-minded life of the locals.
Noticeable things to know when visiting Cam Kim
+ If you want to take a ferry to Cam Kim, go to the wharf near Hoi An market in the old town, and prepare a small amount of about 10,000 VND to 20,000 VND. The fare for a one-time ferry ride may be less, but the ferryman is happy if you give them 20 thousand for one time.
+ Cam Kim Island is very close to the center of Hoi An, but this place has not developed much, so it is very hard to find restaurants and eateries serving tourists. Most of the small eateries and cafes just cater to the locals.
+ During the summer months from May to Aug every year, it is very hot. In the small village roads, trees can be thick, thus blocking the wind. You will feel hotter when the sun comes up. Pay attention to the appropriate travel time.
+ The last ferry from Cam Kim back to Hoi An is usually 7 pm. But the boat time maybe earlier depending on the weather and the number of passengers. You should ask the ferryman when the last ferry is today if you want to take the ferry from Cam Kim back to Hoi An.
+ You should be careful to avoid oncoming vehicles because of small village roads. At the same time, you should pay close attention to the children or local people coming out of the houses or through the intersections.
Exploring Cam Kim Island will be one of the most exciting activities to do in Hoi An on your list. Do not miss this peaceful place when you want to know more about the countryside of this city!