This is how most of us got here-- through the homestay program run by Vanessa Weiss.
Or at least, that's how we signed up. Getting here on the other hand turned out to be a challenge.
First we had to figure out where the Public Ferry dock was-- which when we got there, a bunch of locals were getting off with their motorbike (hence we assumed we were in the right spot) and the boat driver said it would cost 50,000 dong to get to Cham Island. However he then proceeded to drive to a large double-decker wooden ferry boat that was loaded with the locals and various foods like live ducks, and that boat captain demanded 150,000 dong (locals pay about 40,000 dong). It took over 2 hours to get to the main island (you have to go to Bai Lang Harbor first) and the seas were a bit rough (we were definitely pitching a lot). We then reached Bai Lang where luckily, our hostess was waiting, but we weren't allowed to get off the still pitching boat (harbor tides were quite strong) and after watching her run around (she was looking for another family she was supposed to pick up), she told us to get onto the smaller boat tied up next to the ferry. Once we were all loaded, a few men proceeded to load a huge freezer onto the roof of the tiny boat (I was quite afraid that we were going to capsize at some point), and then off we went to the fishing village located about 15 mins away (and it cost 30,000 dong to ride that little boat one way).
I had no idea it was a UNESCO site, until I saw the faded sign....
Or at least, that's how we signed up. Getting here on the other hand turned out to be a challenge.
First we had to figure out where the Public Ferry dock was-- which when we got there, a bunch of locals were getting off with their motorbike (hence we assumed we were in the right spot) and the boat driver said it would cost 50,000 dong to get to Cham Island. However he then proceeded to drive to a large double-decker wooden ferry boat that was loaded with the locals and various foods like live ducks, and that boat captain demanded 150,000 dong (locals pay about 40,000 dong). It took over 2 hours to get to the main island (you have to go to Bai Lang Harbor first) and the seas were a bit rough (we were definitely pitching a lot). We then reached Bai Lang where luckily, our hostess was waiting, but we weren't allowed to get off the still pitching boat (harbor tides were quite strong) and after watching her run around (she was looking for another family she was supposed to pick up), she told us to get onto the smaller boat tied up next to the ferry. Once we were all loaded, a few men proceeded to load a huge freezer onto the roof of the tiny boat (I was quite afraid that we were going to capsize at some point), and then off we went to the fishing village located about 15 mins away (and it cost 30,000 dong to ride that little boat one way).
I had no idea it was a UNESCO site, until I saw the faded sign....
That afternoon, after eating lunch and taking a short nap, our host, Day, took us out on his fishing boat to a nearby island for some amazing snorkeling. It was a reef that seemed affected by acidification, but overall was much healthier than what I saw in Cancun. There were giant sea urchins that were easily the size of large pomelo fruits-- and their spikes made them the size of beach balls (it was a little terrifying). There were lots of parrot fish and little schools of fish-- it was a pretty diverse ecosystem. I even saw some giant (like 1.5ft wide) blue starfish! (Sorry folks, no pics because I didn't end up bringing my S90 with me on this trip and wasn't about to risk my GX7 on open water.) Totally worth it-- we were only sharing the whole reef area with a few other island guests for an hour in the water. The only downside was how deep the water was (had to wear a life jacket-- the depth made me doubt my swimming abilities), and the amount of jellyfish near the boat (they hurt). I was a little freaked out when I jumped into the water and looked down. Boy was it deep. It was kind of hard to choose between looking down into the coral reef or looking up towards the beautiful shore of the little island.
Communication was hard, but the food was excellent.
They were all really nice-- only one man was somewhat fluent in English, and he was Lau of the Lau Homestay at Bai Huong harbor. We stumbled across one girl close to the village library (my gut tells me the library has books for the tourists that go to the island) who (like everyone else on the island) thought I was Vietnamese and proceeded to talk to me (all because I said hello back in Vietnamese). She was very animated and I think she was basically saying welcome to our island-- you can observe our grand temple over here, our hardworking army boys over here, and oh don't go past that gate because that's the military base. There's probably lots I didn't catch but I was really hoping that she'd magically switch to English at some point....
Fun fact about the island-- in spite of housing an active military base, it only has electricity sporadically throughout the day and from 6-10pm each evening. Also most folks seem to still cook in outdoor kitchens, and the wealthier villagers have fridges and indoor portable stove units.
Fun fact about the island-- in spite of housing an active military base, it only has electricity sporadically throughout the day and from 6-10pm each evening. Also most folks seem to still cook in outdoor kitchens, and the wealthier villagers have fridges and indoor portable stove units.