Cham Islands guide: snorkelling, homestays and when the boats run

Day trip or one night: decide before you book

The national tourism site describes the archipelago as eight islands 15 kilometres off Hoi An's coast, and says day-trippers come for snorkelling, diving and the beaches, while an overnight stay lets you see the sleepy Bai Huong fishing village and the island's monuments. That is the real choice. A day trip is a fixed programme: boat out in the morning, a snorkelling stop, lunch on a beach and the return crossing in the afternoon. It suits anyone who mainly wants to see the reef and is happy to share it.

An overnight changes the island. Once the last speedboats head back to Hoi An, the national tourism site says, the silence is almost total. Accommodation is in beachfront homestays and simple eco-lodges rather than hotels; the Hoi An World Heritage Conservation Centre notes that the island has no upscale hotels and that its homestays have basic facilities. Bai Lang, where the boats land and the island's market sits by the pier, is the practical base. Bai Huong, further along the coastal road, is smaller and quieter. Ask your host about meals, fans or air-conditioning and how you will get from the pier, and expect patchy Wi-Fi.

Whichever you choose, keep the day after free on the mainland. Cham is not a place to visit on the morning of an onward flight.

Crossing from Cua Dai, and when the sea says no

Boats leave from Cua Dai pier on the coast east of Hoi An. The national tourism site gives about 25 minutes by speedboat and about 90 minutes on the traditional wooden boat, which it recommends as the more leisurely, scenic way across. The Hoi An heritage centre puts the islands about 15 kilometres from Cua Dai, about 23 kilometres from the Old Town and about 45 kilometres from central Da Nang, so allow for the drive to the pier; organised day trips usually include hotel transfers.

The season matters more than the timetable. The national tourism site says the islands are virtually inaccessible from October to February because of rough seas, and that March to September brings calm water. Even in summer, the authorities close the crossing when the wind rises: on 16–17 July 2026, Nhan Dan reported, a sea ban on the Cua Dai – Cu Lao Cham route left more than 300 visitors stranded on the island for two days, and boats were barred from leaving in winds above level 5. If you stay overnight, have a spare day before anything you cannot move.

There is a fee to enter the reserve. When we checked on 2026-10-03, Tuoi Tre reported that a Da Nang People's Council resolution set the Cu Lao Cham Nature Reserve visitor fee at 70,000 VND per person per visit from 10 June 2026, collected by the reserve's management board, with exemptions including children under 16, students and people aged 60 and over, and free entry for everyone at Tet, on 29 March, 26 May and 2 September. Organised day trips often include it in the price; check before paying separately.

Snorkelling the reserve without harming it

The marine park protects more than 300 species of coral, according to the national tourism site, and day trips from Hoi An mostly snorkel around Hon Dai and Hon Tai, two of the smaller islands. Underwater visibility, the same page says, is at its best from June to August. Divers see more than snorkellers, and the site also mentions sea-walking with oxygen helmets for those who want to stand on the seabed. The heritage centre describes a 45-minute glass-bottom boat or basket-boat trip over the reef for anyone who would rather stay dry.

Bai Ong is the beach most visitors end up on: the Da Nang tourism portal describes it as the favourite stop, with restaurants, freshwater showers and the starting point for snorkelling and other water sports. Bai Xep, Bai Lang and Bai Huong are quieter places to swim and sit.

The reef is the reason the reserve exists, so treat it that way. Do not stand on or touch coral, do not take shells or feed fish, and wear a life jacket if you are not a confident swimmer. The island also banned plastic bags in 2009; the national tourism site says arrivals are checked at the pier, so pack in a cloth or paper bag and take your rubbish back to the mainland.

Hon Lao on foot: market, pagoda and the old well

Hon Lao is crossed by one winding coastal road, which the national tourism site suggests exploring by bicycle or on foot. The heritage centre lists the Tan Hiep market, the island's only market, right by the Bai Lang pier, for fresh and dried seafood, and the marine conservation exhibition, which it describes as visitors' usual first stop when the boat docks and a short introduction to the reserve, the island's customs and its sea produce.

Hai Tang Pagoda, built in the mid-18th century at the foot of the forested western mountain, is the monument to seek out; the national tourism site describes it as a spiritual anchor for fishermen before they go to sea. The Champa well, about 200 years old, is said never to run dry. The Da Nang tourism portal lists both among the island's national relics, alongside a temple to the founders of the swiftlet-nest trade, and two crafts recognised as national intangible heritage: harvesting bird's nests and weaving hammocks from the ngo dong tree.

Those ngo dong trees flower red along the road from Bai Lang towards Bai Huong in July and August, the heritage centre says. If you stay overnight, walk the road in the late afternoon, when the day-trippers have gone and the light is softer.

A workable day and a workable night

This is an editorial suggestion, not a timetable. Check the weather and the sea forecast the evening before, and confirm with your operator on the morning of travel.

• Day trip: hotel pick-up in Hoi An, the speedboat from Cua Dai, a snorkelling stop at Hon Dai or Hon Tai, lunch and a swim at Bai Ong, a short walk at Bai Lang to the market and the conservation exhibition, and the return crossing in the afternoon.
• Overnight, day 1: the morning boat, snorkelling, then check in to a homestay in Bai Lang or Bai Huong; walk to Hai Tang Pagoda and the Champa well in the late afternoon and eat with your host.
• Overnight, day 2: an early swim before the first boats arrive, a ride or walk along the coastal road, and an early afternoon boat back, with the following day kept free on the mainland in case the sea closes.