Hanoi (VNA) - Touroperator Vo Tan Tan plans to offer tours of nipa palm forests that allowtourists to participate in afforestation efforts in Cam Thanh commune in HoiAn, the central province of Quang Nam.
Tan said that tours will begin later this year, adding communes will allocatean area in the nipa palm forest for tourists to explore nature and plant trees.
“It’s a tour thatallows visitors to learn about the 300-year-old forest, while contributing toprotecting the environment,” Tan said.
He said the touris ready and is awaiting approval from local authorities.
Tourists who jointhe tour will explore and learn about the wetland’s ecological system and planttrees, he said.
Earlier thisyear, Tan and his partners launched waterway clean up kayak tours in Thu BonRiver, the nipa palm forest in the commune and the Hoai River, a tributary ofThu Bon.
The clean-up tours remove all kinds of rubbish, including plastic bags andbottles dropped in the water by irresponsible residents and tourists.
Three years ago, Cam Thanh commune began offering the opportunity to joinafforestation efforts alongside tours of its nipa palm forest with an eco-tourcompany in Hoi An and the Centre for Natural Resources and EnvironmentalStudies in the Mangroves for the Future’s Sustainable Use of Cam Thanh communeNipa Palm Wetlands project.
Cam Thanh villagers have been planting nipa palm trees for the last 100 yearsto protect the commune from the Thu Bon River.
The forest is part of the internationally recognised Cham Island-Hoi An bioreserve,a popular eco-tour destination.
Tan, a local craftsman, was the first to make bicycles made from 50 percentbamboo.
He also launched a bamboo craft tour in Cam Thanh commune where tourists learnhow to make bamboo souvenirs. - VNA