Chan May Port has become a vital deep sea port in Central Vietnam, 64 km from Hue City Center and 45 km from Da Nang City. The port has two parts: one welcomes cargo ships, and one area for passenger cruises from all over the world, called the Chan May Cruise Port.
In this post, we focus more on the Cruise Port for tourists to know before coming here.
Let’s go!
1. Chan May Port General Information:
The total area of the Chan May Port area is 668.53 ha, including about 442.19 hectares of land and 226.34 acres of water.
In this area, the Cruise Port section has one pier and parking, occupying 1/4 area of this overall port space. When no schedule for cruise ships, parking becomes the storage for containers.
- Company’s name to control the port: Chan May Port Joint Stock Company
- Address: Binh An Village, Loc Vinh Commune, Phu Loc District, Thua Thien Hue Province, Vietnam
- Phone: + 84 234 3876 096 & +84 234 3891841
- Email: [email protected]
At present, Chan May Port has a wharf with a length of 480m and a depth of -12.5 m. The port can welcome wholly loaded ships of up to 50,000 DWT and cruise ships of up to 362m long, so it has good conditions to become a big port in Vietnam as well as in the world.
The port has modern equipment and a team of young dynamic engineers and workers, which helps Chan May Cruise Port provide high-quality services for loading products or tourist cruise ships. The port has gradually become a prestige brand and contributes to the economic development of Thua Thien Hue Province.
2. Facilities and amenities at the overall port
The potential features come a lot for this port, but at present, this is still small in comparison with other seaports in Hai Phong, Da Nang, and Saigon. The dock in Chan May has various cranes to support different goods, when needed the crane can lift to 100 tons.
Although this port often welcomes big cruise ships, it still has low facilities and amenities for passengers. You cannot find any restaurants, bars, or medical care centers in the port area.
When a passenger cruise comes, a few stalls are set up along the way from the piers to the parking, which sells normal products, not luxury ones. Many of them are for souvenirs, not to get value for exchange later.
At the same, the tourist information center is temporary for any ship coming here. And, this center will disappear right after the cruise departs. It means that the tourist center is just for the number of guests from cruises.
ATMs cannot be found at this seaport, better to carry your cash and Visa or Master Card. Also, you cannot find currency exchange counters.
The passengers coming to Chan May Port often choose to move to nearby destinations for visiting and eating.
3. How to move from the cruise to the port gate
We mention this part to help you find a few cars and taxis to move to nearby places to explore and find local restaurants for meals.
From your cruise pier, keep walking ahead coming to the parking, then turn right around 300 meters, you will see the barrier of the port gate. The total distance from the cruise to the port gate is around 600 meters, a 10-minute walk.
When you come here, you will see a taxi stop. But, be careful to go with it to avoid scams. Tell the driver the destination that you want to come to.
Besides, you may see a few tourist cars and vans waiting for tourists who booked them in advance but do not want to pay extra port fees for parking inside.
4. The top attractions that a passenger from a cruise can visit
4.1. Lang Co Bay: The bay, located 15km away from Chan May, has become a good attraction for tourists as well as cruise staff taking a quick rest. You can find a nice beach, restaurants, and a few pearl shops there. At the moment, Lang Co Beach Resort can be a lovely destination for food and massage at a low fee. To visit Lang Co Bay, there are often a few shuttle buses offered by the travel agents at the pier or you can use a taxi.
4.2. Hai Van Pass: The south of the port and next to Lang Co Bay will attract you with windy zig zac roads and great views from the top. To explore this place, you have to use a private car or taxi because the shuttle bus does not reach here. Remember to carry your camera for beautiful photos on dry days.
4.3. Angsana Lang Co Resort: This is a luxury resort near the port where you can spend your time playing golf, massaging, and tasting Vietnamese food. However, the price of service here is not low, but you can get high-quality service for your short time offshore.
4.4. Nearby cities include Hue Imperial City, Da Nang City, and Hoi An Ancient Town, plenty of beautiful attractions for visiting, many activities to do here, and lots of restaurants for finding local food.
Below we will suggest itineraries to these cities to do within a day from your cruise ship parking at the Chan May area.
5. Shore excursions to nearby cities from Chan May Port within a day
Vietnamdrive suggests shore excursions which include many famous destinations that you can do for a short time following your cruise schedule.
Please check it out now!
Option 1: A day excursion from Chan May to Hue City
(7 to 8 hours needed for the trip, 65km far away from each other)
Doing this trip, you have a chance to explore the Royal Palaces of the last dynasty Nguyen from 1802 to 1945.
Here are the itinerary details:
8:30 am, pick up from Chan May Port to start the trip back to the history of the last dynasty in Vietnam.
Please note that the vehicle’s location can be in the main parking near the pier, or it stands outside the barrier of the port gate, depending on what you book with a travel agent. Of course, coming inside, you have to pay more for the port fee.
9:00 am, stop to take pictures of the rice fields and lagoon from Phuoc Tuong Pass, one of three famous passes between Hue and Da Nang City.
10:00 am, the car comes to Khai Dinh Royal Tomb which is the last royal mausoleum built in Hue for the 12th King of the Nguyen Dynasty. The highlight of this destination is the mosaic porcelain used to decorate the tomb.
11:15 am, explore the oldest temple in Hue – Thien Mu Pagoda, which has a great view to look at the Perfume River. The pagoda has a lovely 7-storey for beautiful photos.
12:00 pm, stop at a famous restaurant Y Thao, which serves selected royal food with a set menu. Slowly taste the food while enjoying the nice garden designed in Vietnamese architecture.
1:00 pm, start exploring the Royal Palace that was home to Nguyen Kings (1802 – 1945). Take a walk to discover the old motifs on the ancient palaces, ruins, and nice gardens.
2:00 pm, head back to the port.
4:00 pm, you may reach the cruise.
Option 2: A day trip from Chan May to Hoi An
(7 – 8 hours for this shore excursion, 85km far away from each other)
8:30 am – 9:00 am, from Chan May Port to Hai Van Pass which has nice views on the dry day with a few bunkers left from the war. Driving time is 45 minutes estimated, and 15 minutes for spending at this place.
9:15 -10:15 am, visit My Khe Beach chosen as the top of the most beautiful beaches in Da Nang City. From this beach, you can see the Son Tra Peninsula where the US Army used to build a vital radar station on the top. Driving time is 1 hour, visiting 15 minutes.
10:30 – 11:15 am, stop to explore a handicraft to have an overview of Hoi An. You can learn how to grow silkworms to make silk clothing, hand embroidery, and lantern making. (driving 45 minutes, visiting up to 45 minutes)
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm, move to Ngoc Tuyet Restaurant for lunch with Vietnamese food. Spend around 50 minutes to taste the meal. (driving 10 minutes, taste the food for up to 50 minutes).
1:00 – 3:00 pm, start from the restaurant to Hoi An Old Town. Take a walk from the restaurant to explore the ancient houses, temples, the Japanese Bridge, and the colorful market. (1 – 2 hours for visiting Hoi An and go shopping)
3:00 pm – 4:30 pm, meet you again at the park to drive to the port. Estimated around 4:30 pm reach to the port.
Option 3: A day journey to Da Nang City from Chan May Port
(6.5 hours for the trip, 45 km far away from each other over the pass route)
For this excursion from Chan May to explore Da Nang City, you will have more time if you want to extend your trip. This is because compared with the two cities above, Da Nang City is the closest one to this port.
Now start to see the plan!
9:00 am – 9:45 am: Driving time 45 minutes estimated to Hai Van pass. At the same of the itinerary from Chan May to Hoi An, you will spend around 15 minutes enjoying the view and taking pictures.
10:00 am – 11:15 pm: Hai Van to Linh Ung Pagoda which is at a nice location with a big statue of Buhdda (30 minutes for visiting).
11:30 am – 12:00 pm: Linh Ung Pagoda to the restaurant Madam Lan for lunch with tasty Vietnamese food (60 minutes). Of course, another restaurant can be arranged at your request.
1:00 pm – 1:15 pm: The restaurant to Cham Museum and Dragon Bridge. Cham Museum has hundreds of collections of the 7-13th century artifacts of the Cham People. And nearby is Dragon Bridge for taking pictures (30 minutes).
1:45 pm – 1:55 pm: Cham Museum – Han Market to see daily activities and chance to buy fruits and take pictures of the river (25 minutes).
2:20 pm – 3:30 pm: Han Market to Chan May Port. You will finish the trip at the port at 3:30 pm.
Please pay attention that the time in the itinerary is estimated for reference. It depends on your cruise schedule when coming to Chan May Sea Port, your plan can adjust to suit your departure.
Book a shore excursion in advance is a good choice. It’s because Chan May Cruise Port is far from the city’s center, that tour organizations need time to prepare to serve you well.
Your exploration to enter the temples requires you to wear suitable paints and clothes to show respect to the local culture. A shirt or T-shirt with sleeves, and covered-knee paints are a good decision.
Now is your choice. When will you do a shore excursion from Chan May Cruise Port?
