“What I would like to do is to combine tourism with protecting the environment and promoting the unique value of the sea, Khoa said.

Even though tourists who go out to sea with Khoa in his coracle boat often catch seaweed and rarely a fish, they do learn how to cast a net.

Two Australian tourists who recently took a trip with Khoa said it was “great fun to pull in the fishing net and learn how to row the basket boat”.

After taking the two women to the fishing village, Khoa headed toward the Bay Mau water coconut palm forest, a special area where Vietnamese liberation soldiers fought and hid during the war.

Gliding past narrow canal amid row of coconut trees, Khoa told the women about the heroic guerrillas of the Bay Mau forest.

Another Australian, James, who accompanied Khoa on a similar tour, said: “The tour to the water palm canal was very interesting and we leaned a lot about the Vietnam War. Khoa told us how his family is working to improve the environment and keep it clean.”

Born into a family living on a fishing boat in the poor fishing village of Phuoc Hai, Khoa is passionate about preserving the coconut forest and his village.

He first began taking tourists around Hoi An for free when he was a little boy, after his school day ended.

Villagers were often surprised when he returned home with back-packers whom he had taken fishing and to the coconut forest where they could see egrets flying.

Khoa then worked at several hotels in Hoi An before setting up his own Hoi An Eco-Tour.

As part of his conversation activities, Khoa also collects rubbish in the coconut tree groves and encourages families to protect the wild birds living there.

Today, tourists regularly accompany him on his tours of the Bay Mau coconut forest to pick up trash and debris in the forest.

For sheer relaxation, Khoa says he also offers basket boat racing, camping and fun beach activities.

(Source: VNA)