“Peaceful… It is an island nearby Hoi An ancient town. The people here were friendly and always said "hello" to you. We enjoyed the delicious "banh dap", “hen xao” and "che bap" – said a tourist.
The short review describes the whole thing of the locals in Cam Nam Island. Just take a short walk across the Thu Bon River… across the other side of the bridge, the whole pace of life slows down... no incessant horn beeping... no tourists, no vendors "welcoming" tourists into their shops or restaurants… just a little peace and quiet… and some meticulously looked after houses… and people going about their daily lives… Explore a little of Cam Nam Island, you will find it is a GREAT way to escape the noise and hustle and bustle of Hoi An, enjoy the time on this side of the river anyhow.
Cam Nam Island is rich in regional handicrafts and tradition. This tourist village features a shipyard and offers a glimpse of locals steaming fresh fish, cooking corn, rice paper, and carving wood. The island's natural surroundings provide peanuts, lipstick fruit, and Areca trees bearing betel nuts. Go towards the end of Cam Nam Island, take an alley on the right to the river, you will see a fishing village of mussels.
The mussels village has existed for a very long time but the nature of the riverside are still alive and shown very clearly. The local residents mostly work at fishing, catching mussels, and planting corncob trees. Fried mussels (hen xao) is a one of the village’s specialities like “banh dap” and “che bap”, which are translated as “rice paper” and “sweet corn”. “Hen xao” is a tasty dish made of small mussels. Boil mussels with a little bit salt. Then, get meat of mussels and combine with fish sauce, sugar, pepper, onions, garlic,.. to fry. This dish is served with fish sauce, chilies and rice cracker. If you have a chance to come to Cam Nam Island, you must try these dishes as nowhere else in Hoi An can made them as tasty as the locals in Cam Nam Island.
