04-08-2025
Five immersive encounters with Vietnam's Cham community
Amanoi integrates local Cham textiles into its décor and guest experience. Photo / Supplied
1. Revisiting history at the Cham Museum
Tucked away in a modest building in Phan Rang–Tháp Chàm, the Cham Museum might not boast size but it brims with pride. Under the guidance of Diễm, a knowledgeable local Cham Bani woman, we explored sandstone sculptures, portraits and rare artefacts painstakingly preserved.
What made this visit special wasn't just the collection, but Diễm herself and the cultural context she offered: the layered symbology, the meaning behind the rituals and how Cham identity continues to evolve today in modern Vietnam.
Those seeking a deeper understanding of Cham culture will find this museum to be a great starting point.
2. Weaving in My Nghiep Village
Cham weaving isn't just decorative, it's symbolic. In My Nghiep Village, sitting beside Cham weavers, I watched as age-old geometric motifs emerged thread by thread. Each pattern tells a story: of harvests, ancient deities and cosmic beliefs.
At Amanoi, the connection comes full circle. These weavings are subtly integrated throughout the property. From table runners and turndown gifts to even elements of interior design. It's a powerful integration of community into luxury.
Cham weavings carry symbolic meanings tied to the cosmos and ancient rituals. Photo / Supplied
3. Moulding clay at Bau Truc Pottery Village
A less than 10-minute drive from My Nghiep lies Bau Truc, one of Southeast Asia's oldest continuously operating pottery villages. Here, instead of rotating the clay on a wheel, the Cham women move around it. Shaping terracotta entirely by hand, they circle with intent, their bodies becoming part of the shaping process. No two pots are the same.
I also attempted to shape a pot. Sadly, mine turned out to be far from artistic, much to the amused dismay of the gracious woman beside me, who had been moulding clay for over 60 years.
Cham pottery in Bau Truc is shaped without a wheel, the potters move around the clay. Photo / Supplied
4. Walking through time at Po Klong Garai Temple
Rising dramatically against the blue sky, the Po Klong Garai Temple complex is among the best-preserved Cham monuments. Built in the 13th century to honour King Po Klong Garai, the red sandstone towers, linga-yoni shrines, and carved reliefs give glimpses of a time when the Champa Kingdom thrived.
That said, ceremonies are still held here during Cham festivals like Kate, drawing worshippers in traditional dress, bearing offerings, and ancestral prayers.
While you can visit the above locations independently, we explored them with the help of Amanoi guide, Michael, as part of its 'Kingdom of Cham' tour, which ended with a delicious lunch at a local gem we'd have never discovered alone.
Po Klong Garai Temple. Photo / Supplied
5. Receiving a blessing from a Cham master
One of the most profound moments of our journey was a private ceremony held in a sacred spot on Amanoi's grounds, not marked on any map. Here, we met Master Ða, a Cham Bani Master, who led an ancestral blessing rarely seen outside Cham festivals.
To the haunting tones of sacred instruments, his voice rose in song, a delicate weave of animist, Hindu, and Islamic influences. The experience was not performative but deeply reverent, an invitation, however brief, into a world few outsiders ever glimpse.
Master Ða's private blessings mix Hindu, Islamic and animist traditions. Photo / Supplied
The evening culminated in a six-course meal under the stars, inspired by Cham cuisine, from turmeric-laced curries and tamarind leaf soup to handcrafted chocolates etched with traditional motifs.
Beyond the Cham encounters, the region offers other unique sights. Travellers can explore the nearby fishing village of Vinh Hy, wander through the Ninh Thuan Stone Park or go trekking in Nui Chua National Park. Guests at Amanoi can also do a rewarding climb to Goga Peak, which we did with our toddler quite easily (and in flip flops, mind you – not recommend).
Vinh Hy Fishing Village. Photo / Supplied
To experience the Cham community through Amanoi is to be reminded that luxury is not always opulence. Sometimes, it's about access. Access to silence. To ceremony. To connection. These were not 'activities' checked off a list but meaningful encounters with a people whose culture continues to shape the soul of southern Vietnam – quietly, beautifully, enduringly.
