Endowed with a long coast, Vietnam has many beautiful islands; one of them is regarded as a world biosphere reserve by UNESCO. It is Cu Lao Cham or Cham Island. Here, tourists can partake in sight-seeing or just enjoy the under-sea beauty.

Cu Lao Cham belonging to Hoi An town in Quang Nam province comprises of eight islets including the Lao, Lui, Dai, Mo, Kho, La, Tai and Nom, amongst which Lao is the biggest one. Lao islet has wonderful sandy beaches, forested hill and the sea with blue water, and ideal place for camping, swimming and scuba diving, and one can truly enjoy the corals and beautiful marine life.

History

Cu Lao Cham Island is considered the first place where Cham people landed. The island has become one of the Champa Kingdom’s main ports, since earlier Cham domination from 4th to 14th century.

3,000 years ago Cham Island first settled and established business contacts with external countries some 1,000 years ago. Visiting Cu Lao Cham visitors will have chance to see a lot of architectural constructions which date back to the 18th and 20th century such as the shrine dedicated to Than Yen Sao, built in 1843 at Huong islet and Hai Tang Pagoda, built in 1753 on the western hillside of Lao island. Still, Cu Lao Cham has more to offer. After a three-hour canoe trip, one may hop over to the famed Well of the Cham people.

Topography

Cham Island has an archipelago including a large island and seven smaller islands.  Hon Lao is the largest island, covering the area of 1,317 ha. Moreover, there are nice beaches at Bim and Ong beach. 532 ha of the nature (35% of the total area) is natural forest, while plantation forest covers a further 30 ha.

Biodiversity values

The island has a lot of rare animals and woods. It is home of value swallow birds. Cham Island is also the place of salanganes, birds whose nests have long been regarded as delicacy aristocrats and the wealthy. Visiting there in a beautiful day, tourists can see cliffs where salanganes’ nests are built and have interesting talks with salangane-nest takers.

Besides, there are a lot of color corals under the water. Tourists can relax, go hunting, fishing in beautiful beaches such as Ong, Bim, Chong, Bac islets, and so on.

The sea swallows’ nests clinging to the towering cliff is one of the beautiful sites that tourists can not miss. Moreover, tourists can take a tour to Lang beach to see some interesting places as such Au Thuyen- a shelter for boats at bad weather, a 100-year Tay Tang Pagoda remarking the Buddhism that came here for long time ago, Ong temple - a place worshipping a big fish buried here.

Next to Hoi An town, Cu Lao Cham is really high potential for tourism development.