Cham Islands & Hoi An

Diving here runs as boat day trips from Hoi An. Two PADI centres in Hoi An run out from the Cua Dai pier to Cu Lao Cham, a cluster of eight small islands 18 km offshore: about 30 minutes by speedboat or an hour and a quarter by wooden boat. Most trips work around three of the smaller islands, Hon Mo, Hon Dai and Hon Tai, and the sites are chosen on the day to suit conditions. Diving and snorkelling share the same trips, and the fun-dive price at Cham Island Diving Center includes the marine park and island fees.

The islands lie inside the Cu Lao Cham Marine Protected Area, which covers 5,175 ha of water with 165 ha of coral reef and 500 ha of seaweed and seagrass beds. Surveys have counted 135 coral species in 35 genera. Most dives are multi-level runs to about 18 m over coral gardens, mixed with drift dives. Deeper down, Mui Loa is a rocky outcrop from 18 to 35 m with lionfish, batfish and nudibranchs, and Hon Nhan is a pinnacle that drops past 40 m with large schooling fish.

The islands suit divers who want warm coral diving as a day out from Hoi An. Fun dives are for certified divers, most of them to about 18 m, and advanced divers get dives to 30 m and Ranh Manh, a sunken island kept for experienced divers. Timing matters more than certification. Tours run only from February to mid-October, the shallow river mouth at the pier turns to breaking swell from September to December, and even calm-season days bring squalls that keep speedboats in.