Cam Thanh is a small village only 3 kilometres from the old town of Hoi An in central Vietnam, and it has just been named one of the top fifty beautiful villages in the world, coming in at 20th place! The award was given by the Unforgettable Travel Company, a luxury travel group from the U.S. The ranking is just one more reason why this village is so special: it's the perfect mix of natural beauty, handmade traditions, and cosy atmosphere. If you want a genuine Vietnamese experience, you really cannot miss it.
Cam Thanh is hugged by green coconut forests and shallow mangrove rivers, forming a peaceful green border just a stone's throw from the lively streets of Hoi An, which is a UNESCO World Heritage city. Visitors come for the calm and the chance to watch daily village life move along in its own gentle rhythm. Travellers from everywhere love snapping photos of the reflective waters, riding along the narrow paths, and meeting the friendly families who greet you. It's an easy place to escape the crowds and feel truly at home in Vietnam's natural and cultural heart.
Cam Thanh's Tropical Paradise
Cam Thanh is an absolute Vietnam treasure that pops up right inside Bay Mau's wild nipa-palm maze. The village's winding waterways, with mirror-like salty creeks that only move when the tide kicks in, are perfect for hopping in a round bamboo basket boat and turning into a little explorer. Grab a guided boat trip when you get there and float through the green tunnels -- listen to paddles tap-tap-tapping, and keep an eye out for fishermen throwing out a net and counting the fish like secret treasure.
The thuyen thung, that local nickname for the bamboo boats, is one of the coolest rides in the area. The thing is, you get to flop right inside a giant basket! Sliding through the winding mangrove maze, you'll spot village folks sitting in boats that look almost like swings, sewing nets and tossing sea grapes into the air. It's like seeing a live history book, with every page written by the river's river.
Culture Between the Vines
Cam Thanh doesn't just win you over with postcard-perfect views; the village is a history lesson you can float through. People shine fish on the tide like amateur fireworks, using the nets their grandparents taught them to throw. The steady beat of the paddles and fish flopping are such familiar tunes you'll start adjusting your heartbeat to match. It's a place where history and the day-in-day-out grind of fishing, sewing, and sharing stories are the same song, sung softly inside the mangrove temples.
Beyond its postcard-perfect scenery, Cam Thanh Village is a living window into the age-old traditions of Vietnam's countryside. Just a stone's throw away lies Hoi An Ancient Town, a jewel and UNESCO World Heritage wonder, where storytellers, herbalists, and candle-lit riversides wait to enchant newcomers. Strolling its lantern-lit alleys or sipping strong silk-tailored coffee can easily be woven into the same day's adventure.
Booming Sustainable Travel
Being voted one of the world's "dream villages" is lighting a lantern for Cam Thanh's future. Eco- and cultural travellers now look for genuine charm over crowded, glitzy sights, and this village delivers. Thoughtful paths -- shady bike lanes, local tasting rooms, quiet gardens -- are already sprouting to welcome guests, while villages and tamarind forests stay untouched. Revenue grows a quiet, gentle, leaf-roofed baker, a sand-fresh guest-house, or a canoe-guide who shares streaked silver mangroves, lessons, and legends.
Family-run tour boats glide silently through water hyacinths and mangroves, while sewing ladies drape deliveries onto travellers at hand-weaving studios. Evenings, lanterns fill the village canvas. Each moment is anchored to minimise footprint -- ask the canoe captain, the noodle grandmother, the guiding daughter. Cam Thanh is the art of living, now sweetened by a smiling welcome, ready to share its gentle, constant life, one traveller at a time.
Activities for Tourists
If you want to dive into the charm of central Vietnam, Cam Thanh Village has you covered with awesome things to do. A must-try is the basket boat ride -- you paddle through tangled mangrove tunnels, hear cool fishing stories, and find out why this forest is so special. Feeling hands-on? Cast a net or drop a crab trap with the good-natured fishermen who'll teach you the moves.
Food lovers won't miss out, either. Join a cooking class and learn to whip up phở or fresh spring rolls, chopping veggies that the village delivers straight from their gardens. After that, snag a bike and pedal along muddy paths, past green rice paddies, to watch farmers in their conical hats working the fields the old-fashioned way.
Sustainable Tourism in Cam Thanh
Cam Thanh is keeping things green and kind. The village wants to welcome you without losing its beautiful mangrove forests or its lively traditions. Local leaders and boat drivers, cooks, and farmers are teaming up to make sure that every ticket sold helps a family, pays for a water filter, and protects the birds' nests in the mangroves. By the time you bike back to your guesthouse, you'll know you've made a steady footprint, not a heavy one.
The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) and local tourism boards are rolling out cool projects that help everyone travel lighter on the Earth: less trash, more local snacks for sale, and more chances for villagers to earn a good living without spoiling the magic of the countryside. The village's watery landscape, rice paddies, and friendly faces stay just the same, and everyone benefits.
How to Get to Cam Thanh
Cam Thanh is a comfy pedal or paddle from Hoi An, and Hoi An does a great job connecting to the big travel roads of Vietnam -- Da Nang and Hanoi -- by plane, bus, and train. Planes from all over the world land at Da Nang International Airport, just 30 kilometres away, the go-to stop for travellers. A quick car, bus, or river shuttle gets you across the lagoon to Cam Thanh.
Plus, Hoi An itself is a living museum. Recognised by UNESCO, the narrow streets and twinkling lanterns are lined with stories. So, for anyone who wants more exploring after the rice fields of Cam Thanh, the herons and stilt houses make an easy day trip from the city buzz, combining postcard scenery with a slice of living history.
Conclusion: Don't Miss This Village Getaway
Cam Thanh Village is that postcard-perfect place you'll dream about long after you leave. It has quiet rivers surrounded by tall mangrove trees, friendly fishing families who still use kite-fishing nets, and tales from the past that nearly speak. More and more travellers are floating down its channels, and the village now shines on lists that call it one of the prettiest spots on the planet, yet its charm is still pure and welcoming, not commercial. Whether you glide on a woven basket boat, float under shade and listen to a guide share old legends, sip fresh coconut from a stilted shack, or simply watch the sunset dance on calm waters, every minute feels like a little piece of timeless Vietnam.