Coconut Boat Madness!

A number of years ago, my wife, sister-in-law, and I spent some time in Hoi An. One of the most memorable things that we did was take a ride on the "Coconut Boats". I remember it being a tranquil, quiet, beautiful experience.

The Blog of Michael Desrosiers: Coconut Boats!

Things sure had changed in Vietnam since I'd last been there, and the Coconut Boats were perhaps the clearest indication of just how popular the country had become as a tourist destination. As we drove into Hoi An, Alex stopped at the lagoon where you could pay to go on a short tour in a thung chai, a traditional shallow boat made from woven bamboo.

It was absolutely packed, and as we stepped out of the car, we were overwhelmed by shouting vendors trying to sell us sunglasses (it was overcast, and on top of that, I was already wearing a pair) and cone hats.

Someone wearing a red vest took us to a counter where I paid by credit card (another new development) and we were whisked into a coconut boat before we could even get our bearings.

What was once a peaceful ride along a still lagoon was now a game of bumper boats, and we couldn't do anything but laugh as our driver shouted and punted us along the shallow, muddy river past other boats and into the lagoon.

I won't say I regretted doing it, but it was definitely the touristy thing we had done in Vietnam thus far, and nothing like the special experience I had had eight years before. In a way, I guess it's good that the local economy has grown so much, as I know that many people in Hoi An depend upon tourists for their livelihood, but it's also sad, because I feel like something that once made this area so special is sort of disappearing to be replaced by mass tourism.

It started drizzling as we headed out into the lagoon proper, and the guy driving our little boat handed us each a nón lá, one of those traditional Vietnamese cone hats which are still massively popular throughout the country and are perfect for the local climate; designed specially to keep both the hot tropical sun and the frequent rain off of your head. 

As we headed back to the car, a fisherman (probably someone paid to act as a fisherman for tourists), "caught" us in a net so that we could take a picture. It was funny, but it definitely didn't feel organic or authentic.

I was happy to get away from the crowds and back in the car as we drove on to Hoi An town itself.

The coconut boats had been absolutely chaotic, but after getting over some of my disappointment about how much it's changed, I had to admit that it was almost a microcosm of Vietnam itself. The chaos and rampant commercialism are, after all, a major part of the country's charm. Maybe modern Hoi An's development and growth as a major tourist destination isn't necessarily a bad thing after all. It's just different.

We ended up embracing the experience for what it was; a quintessential experience of the new Vietnam.