Nipa palm forest in Vietnamese village, named among world’s top 50, draws 1.65 million visitors in 10 months

The nipa palm forest is located in Hoi An Dong Ward’s Cam Thanh Village, which Forbes named among the world’s 50 most beautiful villages in 2025.

Le Cong Sy, director of the public service supply center of Hoi An Dong Ward, on Thursday said the 1.65 million visitors exceeded the full-year target of 1.33 million by 320,000, or more than 24 percent.

Notably, the tourist site had already met its 2026 visitor target by the end of August.

Tourism revenue at the site reached around VND50 billion (US$1.9 million) by the end of October, Sy added.

Viral spinning basket boat rides

According to Sy, alongside efforts to ensure security and safety and step up promotion, the nipa palm forest draws visitors with experiential tourism products that showcase the distinctive river life of Cam Thanh.

Located about 3km southeast of Hoi An Ancient Town, Cam Thanh nipa palm forest is often described as a miniature Mekong Delta in Da Nang, with lush nipa palm groves at the mouth of the Thu Bon River.

The site has long been a popular destination for sightseeing and river-based activities, including traditional ba trao singing.

Rides in Vietnamese round basket boats are particularly popular among foreign visitors to Cam Thanh nipa palm forest.

Many eagerly take part in the spinning rides and share videos of themselves whirling around in the boats on social media, attracting curiosity and encouraging others to try the experience.

Beyond tourism, the forest also provides livelihoods for thousands of local households.

While nearby tourist attractions have recorded slower growth or even stagnated in visitor numbers, Cam Thanh nipa palm forest has seen a sharp increase in visitors.

This unusual growth may be attributed to the reorganization of sightseeing activities, tighter management, the introduction of more visitor experiences and stronger promotional efforts targeting key markets such as South Korea.