Hai Cafe

who we are

Conserving the wildlife, environment and community

Hai Café is a place for travelers to learn about local conservation issues and projects. Located in a Chinese-French colonial shophouse in the center of Hoi An's Old Quarter, we are committed to the conservation of Vietnam's unique biodiversity. Our staff are trained voluntary educators who will be happy to explain our activities. Hai Café is owned and run by Mr. Hai, owner of a number of chain restaurants in Quang Nam.

what we do

 

We educate local communities on the risk of destroying forests and natural landscapes and consequences of trading and consuming wildlife products. This is done in collaboration with the Indochina branch of the global conservation organization WWF's MOSAIC (Management of Strategic Areas for Integrated Conservation) Project.

Our most popular initiative has been the Hoi An clean-up campaign, an annual voluntary event to collect and remove trash and solid wastes from the Hoi An river and the main town. First launched in 2005, we have received support from corporations, resorts, residents and travelers alike and collected 77 tons of trash and waste in our most recent clean-up day in May 2006. We are now planning to expand it into a biannual event.  

In cooperation with a Japanese NGO, we also sell traditional handicrafts of the Ka Tu ethnic minority people in the mountainous area of Quang Nam and arrange a monthly demonstration of the Ka Tu's weaving culture, usually on a full moon night. Such activities help the Ka Tu people recover their traditional weaving and handicraft skills and provide additional income, reducing their reliance on illegal exploitation of forest products.