Experiencing the Coconut Boat Tour in Hoi An

6 March 2026

One of Hoi An’s popular tourist activities is the Coconut Boat tour that offers an unique experience in Vietnam. Here, tourists could ride the iconic Vietnamese basket boat through serene waterways and coconut forest, plus more which I would described later.

What is a “coconut” boat?

The “coconut” boat is actually a large circular bamboo basket boat known as thúng chai. They are traditional, hand-woven, circular vessels primarily used by fishermen in Central Vietnam to navigate coastal waters and rivers.

This basket boat was invented during the French colonial era. During that time, the authorities began to levy a tax on the ownership of boats. Most of the poor Vietnamese fishermen who depended on boats for their livelihood could not afford to pay the taxes. So, the ingenious Vietnamese invented a new type of “boat” woven from bamboo strips and coated with tar for waterproofing. This round basket “boat” is functional but technically not a wooden boat, so escaped the tax! 

I first saw this boat and even had a chance to row one when I visited Banyan Tree Lang Co in 2017. See my post here.

The coconut boat tour at Hoi An is vastly different from what I experienced back then. The coconut boat tour in Hoi An is more touristy and includes singing, dancing and boat spinning performances.

There are many operators offering this activity in the Bay Mau coconut forest, just north of the Cua Dai Estuary and 5 minutes drive away from our hotel.

Beware of the Entrance Fee Scam

Most people would enjoy the coconut boat tour by booking a package through a tour operator. For us, we came on our own. We had booked a private van with driver to bring us from our hotel to the Bay Mau Coconut Forest area.

Once we alighted from our vehicle, we were approached by touts offering boat tours services. One of the couples in my group had been to Hoi An several times before and had also recently took a coconut boat tour here. So, we had an boat tour operator in mind before we came.

From the car park, we walked towards the village and were stopped by a man in uniform pointing to a sign that says we had to pay an entrance fee of 40,000 VND per person.

My friend who had been here recently did not have to pay anything to enter the village, so she knew something was fishy. The man kept pointing to the sign and asked for money but we refused to give in. For me, 40,000 VND is not a lot of money but we do not like being scammed. Eventually, we called our van driver who spoke to the guy. He probably told him to give up since we know that this is a scam.

Our driver also called our intended boat tour operator who sent out a guy to escort us in.

Following our “escort”, we walked through the village. There are many stores along the way offering souvenirs and snacks. I think these legit shops should stop the ”entrance fee scammer” since he is adversely affecting their business.

Village road leading to the boat tour operator. There are shops on both sides selling souvenirs and snacks.

Our Coconut Tour

Where we did our coconut boat tour.

As we approached the premises of the tour operator, we were welcomed by loud Korean music. Apparently, there are many Korean tourists in Da Nang and Hoi An.

We had to cross a narrow wooden bridge to get across the river.

Even posing for photos on the bridge can be fun. 

Colourful floats decorated the sides and top of the wooden bridge, forming a welcoming tunnel.

Many empty thúng chai waiting for their passengers.

 
The cost of taking the boat tour is negotiable. Our “leader” who had been here before bargained the cost down to 120,000 VND per couple per boat. We told them we do not want to experience the crazy boat spinning during our rides before the start of the tour. Some tour operators would do this during the tour and asked for the passengers for more money for the extra “service”.

Selfie with our boatman.

Bamboo hats are provided to add to the local experience and shield our heads from the sun.

It is best to help each other snap photos during the boat tour.

Once everyone were on board the circular boat and had their photos taken, the tour begins. To propel the non-streamlined “boat”, the boatman has to move the paddle back and forth through the water in an arcing motion at the “front”.

The proper technique to propel the boat is to move the paddle back and forth through the water in an arcing motion at the “front”.

The first part of the tour is quite serene and slow along the calm waterways between the coconut groves. Actually the palm growing in this area is not the usual coconut palm but some kind of sea coconut.

Row, row, row your boat, Gently down the stream.

If you see a crocodile, don’t forget to scream.

I actually enjoyed this part of the ride as it was very photogenic. 

We soon entered an area with open water (like a lake) where many boats from other operators had gathered. The vibes changed instantly into a party atmosphere with loud Korean music, singing and boat spinning performances.

Boat man spinning the round boat at high speed.

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The boat spinning performance to the tune of Gangnam Style was actually quite entertaining and thrilling to watch.

Although not mandatory, we offered tips to the boat spinning performer and also to the singer on another boat belting out Korean pop songs which was much appreciated.

Then it started to rain a little.

Our boatman offered us an umbrella. Then the rain got heavier. I did not feel comfortable holding an umbrella in the middle of a lake in a thunderstorm.

 

We told the boatman to cut short the tour and head back to base. Our boatman paddled furiously in the heavy rain. Despite its shape, the thúng chai can move quite fast under the control of a skilled boatman.

By now, our boatman was all drenched in rain and sweat. We were also slightly wet, especially our feet which was in inches of water from the downpour. He paused a few times to rest his weary arms as going back to base was against the flow of the water.

Our boatman all drenched and rowing as fast as he could in the heavy downpour.

We made it back safely. For his hard work I gave our boatman a tip that was almost the cost of the tour.

Group photo at the end. The rain stopped once we were back.

Overall, I enjoyed our little adventure on a coconut boat despite the scam attempt and sudden rain.

As we leave the village, we saw large groups of visitors streaming in from tour buses that had just arrived. The man asking for entrance fee to the village was nowhere to be seen.

But I saw a familiar face. I saw our boatman at the car park, touting for more business so he could earn some honest money to feed his family. The boatman saw us and came over to say goodbye with a smile on his face. I am glad that we had make someone happy for the day.

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Dinner at Morning Glory Restaurant in Hoi An

5 March 2026

We went to the Morning Glory Restaurant for our first dinner at Hoi An Ancient Town. I remembered eating at the already famous and popular Morning Glory Restaurant during my first visit to Hoi An in 2017. In fact, the food was so good that we ate there twice.

Located in the heart of the old town, the Morning Glory Restaurant at that time was operated by Ms Vy who also runs a cooking school. This restaurant offers gourmet Vietnamese dining experience within the ancient town. The menu is extensive, prices are slightly higher than what you could expect in Hoi An but the food is value for money.

The restaurant is named after “morning glory“ or “water spinach”, which is one of the most common vegetables consumed in Vietnam. In South East Asia, the vegetable is known as “kangkong” and is a popular dish where the tender shoots along with the leaves are stir fried with garlic and sambal belacan. This plant is resilient, thrive in muddy waters and very easy to grow.

Like the plant itself, Morning Glory has thrived and grown. There is now 4 Morning Glory Restaurants within the old town. The one I went to previously is now named Morning Glory Original, still focusing on authentic Vietnamese cuisine. The newer stores includes Morning Glory Signature, co-located with Morning Glory Lounge Bar and Restaurant that features modern Vietnamese cuisine and live music in the bar, and Morning Glory Countryside highlighting the charm of the countryside.

Map showing the locations and addresses of each Morning Glory restaurants in Hoi An.

On this trip, we went to the newer Morning Glory Signature Restaurant, located just next to the river. Although we did not make any reservations, we had no problem getting seated immediately. We were seated on the 2nd floor of the two-storey house.

Our travel group of 4 couples seated at the 2nd floor of Morning Glory Signature Restaurant.

It is advantageous to dine in a large group of 8 .We could order a larger variety of dishes to share. 

On this night, we ordered the chicken curry, banh xeo, grilled half chicken, tofu, squid, prawn salad, beef rice an of course morning glory stir-fried with garlic.

Crispy Banh Xeo with pork skewers and delicious peanut sauce.

Pomelo salad with prawn and pork.

Mango and squid. 

Tofu dish.

Grilled half chicken with rice. Surprising tender chicken.

Vietnamese curry chicken with local vegetables served with steamed white rice and baguette to dip into the curry sauce. The curry taste sweeter than what we are used to. But still delicious. 

Beef with fried rice. This was the only disappointing dish.

Morning Glory or kangkong as it is called in South East Asia, stir fried with garlic and chilli.

The local beer is extremely cheap and is a must try.

The local beer such as the Huda and Larue is extremely cheap but is quite light in taste. The Larue looks like the  stronger tasting Singapore’s Tiger beer but is actually named after a Frenchman, Victor Larue. It is a Vietnamese lager brand, originally brewed in 1909 by a Frenchman, Victor Larue, It is currently owned by Heineken Vietnam.

Overall, the food was delicious but rather pricey compared to what we had for lunch.

We also went to check out the night views from the roof terrace. Since the restaurant is located by the Thu Bon River, we could see the busy streetscape below. Hoi An seemed to be more crowded than before.

View of the Hoi An riverside from the terrace of the restaurant.

Every night, Hoi An glows with thousands of silk lanterns, especially along the river banks. Visitors can ride boats on the river and release candle-lit paper lanterns for good luck but I find the practice not good for the environment. 

Boats waiting for passengers at the riverbank.

We walked around riverfront a bit to enjoy the vibes before meeting the driver of our chartered van to take us back to Hoiana New World Hotel. We will have more time to explore the old town the next day.

The iconic Japanese Covered Bridge still stands strong. This landmark actually features on the 20,000 VND banknote.

Interesting name for a cafe/restaurant. Beware of the coffee.

Shop selling the iconic Hoi An lanterns.

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Our Stay at New World Hoiana Hotel in Hoi An

5 and 6 March 2026

A visit to Da Nang must include a few nights stay at Hoi An, located approximately 25 to 30 kilometers southeast of Da Nang city center. Hoi An is an old trading port in Southern Vietnam, with well-preserved buildings that reflects both indigenous and foreign cultures, especially Chinese, Japanese and later European. The famed UNESCO World Heritage ancient town features exceptionally preserved 15th-century buildings, lantern-lit streets at night, unique local cuisine, interesting cafes and riverside shops.

In my previous visit to Hoi An, I stayed 4 nights in a boutique guesthouse within walking distance to the ancient town. In this trip with my friends, we stayed two nights in the more luxurious Hoiana Integrated Resort set on a secluded stretch of Vietnam’s central coast just south of the Hoi An's Cua Dai estuary.

Hoiana opened in 2020 as a world-class integrated resort featuring championship golf, luxury accommodations, and state-of-the-art entertainment facilities.

The integrated resort consists of several hotels:

• Hoiana Hotel & Suites

• New World Hoiana Beach Resort

• New World Hoiana Hotel

• Hoiana Residences

We stayed at New World Hoiana Hotel but could use the facilities within the integrated resort. There is free buggy service so travelling within the integrated resort was pretty convenient. Most times, we chose to walk between the hotels and the beach.

Layout of Hoiana Integrated Resort in Hoi An.

        

Getting there from Da Nang

It took us about an hour’s drive to get to Hoiana from Da Nang city center. Although the distance is less than 30 km, the speed limit on the single lane coastal road is low and the driver of our chartered van was careful.  

Once there, checking in was fast. Our luggage was handled by the hotel staff and brought to our rooms.

Spacious lobby in New World Hoiana Hotel.

View of the swimming pool and restaurant where we had our breakfast as viewed from the lobby.

Nicely lit at night.

Decent sized and well appointed rooms in this luxury hotel. 

View from my room. The hotel is quite isolated. Guests had to dine within the hotel’s many restaurants or take a short trip to the ancient town.

Casino

One of the highlights of staying in Hoiana is their casino. Actually not for me but my travelling companions loves visiting casinos at Genting Highlands in Malaysia. So the first thing we did was to take a short walk to the casino, located in Hoiana Hotel & Suites. 

The casino is located at the Hoiana Hotel & Suites. 

To enter the casino, we had to sign up as a member. There was a promotion for new sign ups during the month of March.

We are to choose one of the following freebies for new members.

We were each issued a personal membership card that is used to pass through the gantry at the entrance of the casino. This card is also used as a cash card at the slot machines. Each card was also loaded with free USD20 credit that we had chosen.

In my previous visit to Macao (another place with plenty of casinos), we stayed clear of the casinos due to cigarette smoke. On this visit, there was only slight smell of cigarette smoke as the casino was not very crowded when we visited. The interior of this casino was quite nice with crystal chandeliers, many gaming tables and more than 200 slot machines.

We used the credits to introduce ourselves to playing the slot machines and roulette. Free flow of drinks and beer are provided for the players at the slot machines and tables.

We did not spend too much time in casino as we planned to go to the Hoi An ancient town for dinner in the evening although there are some nice and probably pricey restaurants in the resort.

One of the fancy restaurants in the resort.

Breakfast and morning at the beach.

Our stay at Hoiana included daily buffet breakfast at Aroma Restaurant, an all-day dining restaurant located on the ground floor of the New World Hoiana Hotel. The buffet spread is good, including pho at the noodle station and pastries. The highlight for me was the classic butter croissants in the pastries section. 

It was raining while we had breakfast on the first morning but fortunately the rain stopped by 10.30AM and we could take a walk to the resort’s private beach.

There was no one there at the beach, except us and a lifeguard stationed on the beach. A red flag fluttering on the flagpole warned that sea activity and swimming is not allowed.

The friendly and probably very bored lifeguard offered to help us take photos. He did a great job, recommending the best shots and best pose for us. 

 

The Edge – infinity pool and bar

Another recommended place to visit within the resort is the infinity pool and bar located on the 16th floor of the Hoiana Hotel & Suites. We could enjoy the sea breeze and excellent views of the coast. This is a good place to chill till it was time for our next activity.

Hoiana Hotel & Suites as seen from the beach.

View from the 16th floor of Hoiana Hotel & Suites.

Chilling on the swings and nest chairs until it is time to go for our coconut boat ride and visit to Hoi An ancient town. 

Swinging nest chairs.

Infinity Pool. It started raining again when we left.

Coconut Boat Ride

One of Hoi An’s popular tourist activities is to the coconut boat tour and there are many operators offering this activity in the Bay Mau area, just north of the Cua Dai Estuary and 5 minutes drive away by private van from our hotel.

I will describe more about our adventures on coconut boats and afternoon in Hoi An Ancient Town in a separate post.

Entertainment Hub 

Besides visiting the casino on both nights, some of us went to check out the Entertainment Hub. It is located at Lower Ground Floor of Hoiana Residences and opens from 10:00 AM till 2:00 AM. This place offers bowling, pool, karaoke, arcade games, virtual golf, sports bar and games zones.

  Large TV screens showing live sports at the bar.

Mini putt – 9 Holes.

The staff manning the place is quite friendly. She allowed one of my friends to try the virtual golf machine.

Cyber Golf Lounge

Overall, Hoiana is a nice place to stay while visiting Hoi An. The only downside is that it requires a 20 minutes drive to get to the ancient town. The hotel provides free shuttle services to and from the old town (and also the Da Nang International Airport) but the service runs on a fixed schedule and requires prior reservation. For us, we had booked a private van with driver to ferry us to and from the old town during our stay.

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