A tour sends travelers out picking up trash in Hoi An's waterways

Tourists to the central Vietnam World Heritage town of Hoi An can collect trash from a local river and go kayaking at the same time.

Nguyen Van Long, 34-year-old tour operator, launched in mid-February 2017 a kayak service for both local and foreign tourists, who are in not for sightseeing but for hands-on experiences with garbage clean-up.

A fleet of 40 kayaks is now available over weekends, said Long.

Armed with a trash bag and a gripper, each group of 10 travelers paddle through the river in the heart of Hoi An and collect floating garbage.

“We show tourists how to paddle the kayak along the river and use the gripper to pick up garbage,” the tour operator said. 

Foreign tourists are charged $10 to join the tour, while it is free for locals. 

“The money will fund the purchase of garbage bags, renting garbage-collection boats and bringing trash ashore,” Long said.

He said the clean-up tours are expected to remove all kinds of rubbish including plastic bags and bottles tossed in the waters by both residents and tourists.

The tour will raise awareness among local people and tourists about keeping Hoi An and its rivers clean and green, Long hoped.

“I think the tour is great. And hopefully it will educate the local people, fishermen, and hotels,” said British tourist Paul Lasenby, “I notice in Southeast Asia, in Vietnam, there is a lot of rubbish, plastic bags and cups in the river and on the side of the road."

A trip can bring back about 500 kilograms (1,102 pounds) of garbage, according to the tour operator.