There is no better way to explore the real countryside of Vietnam than heading to the ecotourism village of Cam Thanh. Around  5 kilometers from the ancient town of Hoi An, Cam Thanh’s lush surroundings graced with a 30-hectare nipa palm forest and stunning rural scenes is what lures visitors who’s had enough of the urban chaos. Here, tourists can bike around villages and along the rice paddies, walk through the Bamboo Bridge, visit fishing villages, or get down and dirty on water buffalo fields. Destinations like this provide visitors an authentic social and cultural insight into the Vietnamese local way of life, things which are never learned on travel guide books.

Fashioning Green Living The village has a population of 2,000, all actively participating in keeping the area in its pure state. Bicycles provide environmentally-friendly transit around the quiet village. Visitors has lots of options to explore ranging from bicycle tours, visits to primitive coracles, and observing craftsmen create traditional bamboo furniture by hand. Such activities make them feel less tourist-y and really immerse with the villagers in their daily lifestyle activities. Among the must-not-miss experiences is getting on the unique bowl-like bamboo boats and take a floating trip through the forest swamps. These waters are home to a rich store of shrimps and fish.

From the hand-crafted boat rides, visitors can use nets or lines to catch fish which locals can cook for them later. Apart from the stable income it provides to villagers, the forest, which is part of the world recognized bio-reserve Cham Island, has also helped protect the village from storms. The villagers of Cam Thanh themselves have been planting nipa palms for the past 100 years to shield them from the Thu Bon River when it floods. The nipa palms also provide substantial material for the village’s well-known handicrafts.

One of the country’s well-recognized craft villages, Cam Thanh is known for its unique lanterns, silk goods, timber furniture and pottery. Bamboo crafts is an area now intensively developed by the villagers. Apart from sturdy bamboo furniture, interesting items like decorations, souvenirs, figurines, item holders, musical instruments, jars, and even an old manual telephone – all made from bamboo – are displayed and available for sale. Vo Tan Muoi is a popular craftsman here. At 71, his experience in crafting items from bamboo is exemplary. Together with his son, Vo Anh Tan, they are into building houses using bamboo and palm leaves for the roof and walls. Bamboo houses are designed to help regulate the weather, keeping the space cool in the summer and warm during winter.

Green Rides for a Green Village Soon, locals and tourists will have the choice of riding around on bamboo-frame bicycles. Tan has created a bamboo bicycle by replacing parts of the regular bicycle’s steel frame with bamboo. Other craftsmen have also begun developing such. Once produced at a larger scale, it would be for everyone to enjoy the unusual environmentally friendly vehicle. Tan expects to soon finish two bamboo bicycles as prototypes for mass production.

Green Tours to Bring Multiple Benefits The green tours available in Cam Thanh provide decent income to locals. What’s more, its helps preserve the district's green heritage. Plans to build a craft production centre on 15ha in Cam Thanh Village have been discussed. The centre would be situated near the village entrance, displaying the arts and crafts made by the villagers. According to Dinh Thi Thu Thuy, head of the city's trade and tourism office, Hoi An hosted 1.6 million tourists last year, including 600,000 foreigners, who enjoy its peace and beauty. Motorbike adventure tours are among the most availed services. Tour operators have always preferred Cam Than because of its beauty, known safety and hospitability of villagers.