The Cẩm Thanh Coconut Village is the prime spot to go if you're looking for a locally run coconut boat experience. This is where we went for our tour. We didn't end up pre-booking, so we simply arrived, found a family run tour company, negotiated a rate for 2 boats (there were 4 of us), and off we went.

Getting here:

We took a Grab from Hoi A who brought us here. Unfortunately our driver tried to take us to another location (see Bá Lộc Coconut pin) but we eventually made it to the correct place.

Alternatively it is approximately a 15-20 minute bike ride from Hoi An.

What families should expect:

• A basket boat ride should cost around $150,000VND per boat. Though this may vary based on the size and number of people on each.

• There’s a max of 3 people (in addition to the paddler) per boat. So if you’re a family of 4 like us, you’ll need two boats.

• Tours run for 30-60 minutes

• When you make it to the wider, open water, expect a lot of noise and entertainment (this is the part of the tour that gets less authentic & very touristy)

• Boats are very stable, despite not looking it!

• Tour operators here are so friendly! They're often run out of family homes, and many of the operators also offer food and drink to purchase and enjoy by the water.

Good to know: While these services generally run all year, they may close during rainy season if the water levels get too high (Oct-Dec)

What to pack:

• Make sure to apply sunscreen, especially if you're doing the tour in the middle of the day.

• Insect repellent is highly recommend for this experience!

• A waterproof bag for any valuables. Although I had my expensive camera out during the whole experience while managing a 1 year old and there was no issues.

• Life jacket for little ones if you're worried. Kids sizes aren't supplied and honestly the boats are so stable. However, if it'll give you peace of mind taking one might be worthwhile.

If you're wondering which company we ended up going with, unfortunately I have no idea what their name was. As we just picked one as we walked along the water, we never ended up taking note of "who they were".