Cham Island: Uncommon Snorkeling & Local Lunch Day Trip

4.18

(22 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

We’d barely left Da Nang when our guide, Minh, started telling stories about Cham Island — something about old fishermen and how the island’s been plastic-free for years. I was still half-asleep but the speedboat ride woke me up fast. Salt spray everywhere, hair in my face, everyone laughing because the boat kept bouncing. There was this moment when we pulled away from Cua Dai Quay and suddenly the city noise just faded out. You could smell the sea — not fishy, more like wet stone and sunblock.

The first stop was Au Thuyen harbor, then Hai Tang pagoda. Minh showed us how to bow at the temple — I tried to copy him but probably looked awkward. The pagoda smelled faintly of incense and old wood, which felt calming after the boat rush. Locals were already lighting sticks for prayers; one old man nodded at us but didn’t say anything. It’s weird how quiet it gets there, even with a group around.

Snorkeling off Huong Beach was honestly better than I expected — I’m not usually into group tours but here it just worked. The water was clear enough that you could see coral patches right away, little flashes of blue and yellow fish darting around your feet. My mask kept fogging up so I missed some of what Minh pointed out (he dove down like it was nothing), but floating there with sunlight flickering on my arms is something I still think about.

Lunch at Ong Beach was simple — rice, grilled fish, some greens I couldn’t name — but tasted good after swimming. Someone tried to teach me how to say “delicious” in Vietnamese; Li laughed when I butchered it completely. After eating we just wandered along the sand or found shade under palm trees, no schedule for a while. The whole day felt slower than usual life, in a good way.