Hon Son Island

U Minh Thuong forest tourist area

U Minh Thuong National Park is one of three key areas of the Kien Giang world biosphere reserve that possesses the highest biodiversity value in the Mekong Delta region. Along with implementing many local solutions, Kien Giang province promotes international cooperation to improve the effectiveness of ecosystem protection and restoration in this area. U Minh Thuong National Park is recognized as the 2,228th Ramsar Site in the world and the 8th in Vietnam, formed and concentrated in the west of Ca Mau peninsula, adjacent to the mangrove forest range along the Gulf of Thailand. , U Minh Thuong is a special type of alum flooded forest in Vietnam, and is even recognized in the list of unique and rare forest types in the world. According to research by functional agencies, in the alum forest ecosystem of the Mekong Delta, only the forest flora of the core area of U Minh Thuong National Park has the characteristics of primeval peak forests. born. These are mixed melaleuca forests and melaleuca forests on peat land, with an area of nearly 3,000 hectares. This was also the base of the revolution during the resistance period. With this characteristic, U Minh Thuong National Park is one of the two most important areas of peat swamp forest remaining in Vietnam. On the peat remains the natural landscape of the ancient U Minh forest with ancient cajuput trees and the red water stream of the U Minh region. The melaleuca forest ecosystem on peatland has become an ecosystem of special importance, nurturing and sheltering hundreds of species of wildlife. U Minh Thuong possesses the most biodiversity of species. Plants in the Mekong Delta, besides the growth of Melaleuca trees, there are more than 254 species belonging to 84 families, with many endemic species such as ground orchids, duckweed, ferns... In U Minh Thuong there are 72 Rare and precious animal and plant species are recorded in the Vietnam Red Book. Over the past years, Kien Giang province has made great efforts in implementing the process of preserving and restoring natural resources in peatlands, ensuring the naturalness, wildness and integrity of the ecological system. , the diversity and outstanding value of the population in U Minh Thuong National Park. Recently, with the aim of restoring and protecting the integrity of the melaleuca forest ecosystem on typical peatland of the Mekong Delta and of Vietnam to adapt to climate change. Improving agricultural - forestry - fishery production capacity for buffer zone communities to reduce pressure on the conservation of forest and wetland resources of the National Park, Kien Giang Provincial People's Committee approved aid from the Swiss International Organization for Nature Conservation in Vietnam to implement the project to restore the ecosystem integrity of U Minh Thuong National Park. Accordingly, the project aims to restore the integrity of the wetland ecosystem in U Minh Thuong National Park through planting and restoring 280 hectares of melaleuca forest on burned and degraded peatland, increasing canopy cover. Forest cover of U Minh Thuong National Park increased by 3.48%. Improved livelihoods for 900 buffer zone community households in U Minh Thuong National Park through applying better management practices and diversifying agricultural, forestry and fishery products. The aid met the maximum results of planting 280 hectares of special-use forests with native species that grow well on heavily burned peatland in the core area of U Minh Thuong National Park, contributing to the Government's 01 billion trees. In addition, the project aims to achieve at least 20% of households in the buffer zone whose income is likely to increase by 10-15% thanks to the application of better management practices and product diversification in production. Agriculture, Forestry and fishery. The project benefits 900 households in 2 communes An Minh Bac and Minh Thuan, U Minh Thuong district. Implemented in 05 years, with total non-refundable aid capital of over 6 billion 529 million VND.

Kien Giang

From September to November

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Rach Gia

Rach Gia is located in the Southwest region so it has a humid tropical monsoon climate, with two rainy and sunny seasons a year. From January to June every year is the most ideal time to travel to Rach Gia. At this time, the weather in Rach Gia is beautiful and sunny, no rain, so sightseeing and entertainment are not interrupted. During the rest of the year, Rach Gia's weather is often unstable, with lots of rain and rough seas, which will affect sightseeing, especially fun activities at sea. During this time, seafood in Rach Gia is not much and is often quite expensive. Therefore, to have a complete trip to Rach Gia, you should avoid choosing this time! Depending on your travel needs and travel time, you can choose the most suitable means of transportation to Rach Gia. Passenger cars: Phuong Trang, Kumho Samco, Tuyet Hon, Hoang Minh, Gia Hue... are bus companies that operate buses from Ho Chi Minh City to Rach Gia bus station and vice versa. Ticket prices range from 120,000 VND - 200,000 VND/person/turn. Guests from Hanoi to Rach Gia can travel by plane or train to Ho Chi Minh City and then take a bus to Rach Gia. Airplane: Currently, only Vietnam Airlines operates flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Rach Gia airport, so ticket prices are often quite expensive and there are few price promotion programs for this flight. Airfare from Ho Chi Minh City to Rach Gia is about 1,200,000 VND/trip. If you live near Rach Gia, or like to travel freely and stop at many places to explore, you can choose a motorbike as your means of transportation. Choosing this means of transportation will help you save money on travel and be more convenient in sightseeing and moving. Rach Gia is the central city of Kien Giang province, so it will not be difficult for you to find a suitable place to stay. In Rach Gia, there are many types of hotels, from high-end hotels suitable for relaxation to affordable hotels and motels. Some hotels in Rach Gia for your reference include: Hoa Binh Rach Gia resort (room price from 1,000,000 VND - 1,550,000 VND/room/day), Saigon Rach Gia hotel (room price from 1,200,000 VND - 1,500 VND) 000 VND/room/day), Kim Co 1 hotel (room price from 350,000 VND - 400,000 VND/room/day), Ngoc Tran hotel (room price from 350,000 VND/room/day)... Rach Gia is a fairly developed city in the Southwest region and is considered to have great potential for tourism. Not only does it have historical and spiritual tourist attractions, Rach Gia also has marine tourism that is being exploited to meet the increasing tourism needs of tourists. Some impressive Rach Gia tourist destinations that you can visit include: sea reclamation urban area, Rach Gia pier, Nguyen Trung Truc temple, Tam Bao pagoda, Tam Quan gate, An Hoa cultural park, Rach Gia market.... If possible, after a cheap trip to explore Rach Gia city, you can rent a boat to Nam Du island, one of the famous tourist islands recently and loved by many young people. Nam Du Island attracts tourists thanks to its blue sea, white sand, pristine and very attractive beaches. Coming to Rach Gia, how can we forget to enjoy the famous specialties of this land. Bun trumpet and fish noodles are the two most famous dishes here. In addition, don't forget to enjoy Rach Gia's most delicious snacks such as: Siamese sticky rice, pandan leaf cake, clam salad, seafood dishes. ... Rach Gia has a gentle, simple beauty of the Southern region. The beautiful scenes here not only bring many emotions to you but also help you take sparkling beautiful photos. Any! Don't wait any longer and plan a trip to Rach Gia to explore the peaceful beauty of the Southwest region.

Kien Giang

From January to June

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Phu Tu Island

Hon Phu Tu has been present on Ha Tien land (now in Binh An commune, Kien Luong district) since the mountain creation period, countless millions of years ago. The island has beautified the Ha Tien sea area with many charms. Legends and associated with this land are unforgettable historical events. Looking up historical documents, in the history books of the Nguyen Dynasty, we do not see the name Hon mentioned, only Ho Lo Mountain (Ho Lo Son), Ho Lo Cave (Ho Lo Coc) and Hon Chong (Kich Son). . It can be confirmed that Ho Lo cave is the cave where today Hai Son pagoda (Hai Son pagoda) is located, often called Hang Pagoda, and Hon Chong has been clearly located. According to the Southern Geographical Records kept at the Han Nom Institute (copy number A938), it is recorded: (Ho Lo mountain in the eastern province is forty-eight li, Chu Nhi Ly, Phong Loan Tuan Tieu, Lava Coc Tieu Bu Moc. Ha invades the coastal sea, ruins of Lang Tang, boats are inconvenient to enter and exit. Foreign country Tieu Du, Ba Dao attacked, responded like lightning). Roughly translated: Mount Ho Lo is located 48 miles east of the provincial capital, the peak is towering, the cave has no trees, the foot of the mountain is out to the sea, reefs, sand and rocks are towering, boats are not convenient to get in and out, there are There are many small islands where the waves crash creating a sound like thunder. The above passage shows us some of the scenery of the Phu Tu Island area. According to folk legend combined with historical records, when the Siamese court had a change, the two princes of Siam came to rely on the protection of Mac Thien Tich. He let these two princes reside here, after Then, when they returned to their country, these two were grateful so they donated two very large Buddha statues placed in the cave. These two Buddha statues still exist today. In the early years of the French colonial occupation of three southwestern provinces, hero Nguyen Trung Truc gathered insurgent troops stationed in this area, forming a military camp that people still call Ba Trai today. Here, a general named Kien (or Kien) killed his beloved concubine because she prevented him from joining the insurgent army. Afterwards, Nguyen Trung Truc's insurgent army proceeded to destroy Kien Giang station. During the years of French colonial rule, Hon Chong was a district where the colonial government established a port to export goods to Ha Tien province. Phu Tu Island and Cave Pagoda are quite famous tourist resorts for Cochinchina people. The reputation of Phu Tu Island started from there. After 1945, Binh An commune was the resistance base of Ha Tien province. During the resistance war against America, the mountain next to Phu Tu island (Ho Lo Son) took place many fierce battles between the Revolutionary army and the Saigon army. After the complete liberation of the South, Hon Phu Tu and Hang Pagoda attracted more and more tourists to visit the sights and the Ministry of Culture recognized the scenic cluster of Hon Phu Tu, Hang Pagoda and Hon Trem as a class-level scenic relic. nation. Binh An commune currently has a fairly complete infrastructure investment, creating favorable conditions for the tourism industry to develop. There are two notable legends passed down from ancient times about Hon Phu Tu: Legend has it that in the past, there were many bird nests in this area. A father and son from the Central region came here to take out their nests. One day, the father went to the island to remove the bird's nest and was entangled by a python. The heartbroken son went out to fight the snake to save his father, but was also killed by the python. People here bring out trees and burn them to kill snakes. There is a legend that once upon a time there was a big storm, two bodies, one old, one young, drifted to the island and were brought in by people to bury. From the above legends, the island was named Hon Phu Tu. We know that in addition to Viet Bac there is To Thi, in the Central region there is Hon Vong Phu and in this land at the end of the South there is Hon Phu Tu. Is it true that Vietnamese culture has proven the unity from North to South of our country, the fidelity of a wife waiting for her husband, and the hardship of those who make a living? Since the country's reunification, some people have fictionalized and created stories about a princess, a love affair... to attract tourists. Even though it is a later fictional story, it has been told by many people and listeners, so it blends into ancient legends, enriching the story of this scenic area.

Kien Giang

December to April

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Hon Son Island

Located between Hon Tre and Nam Du archipelago is Hon Son island with an area of 11.5 km2. To date, Hon Son has more than 2,012 households with 8,120 people coming to settle down. Belongs to Lai Son commune, Kien Hai district, Kien Giang province; about 65 km west of Rach Gia city. Here, in addition to fishing villages and fruit orchards, which account for about 20% of the area, the rest is primeval forest with a few old trees, many small trees and vines. Animals mainly include monkeys, squirrels, birds, a few monitor lizards and pythons... According to the old people on the island, Hon Son has another name, Hon Son Rai, because this island used to have many otters living. People on the island have always lived mainly from fishing, in addition to handicrafts such as shipbuilding, processing shrimp, fish, dried squid... But the profession that once made this island famous everywhere was making fish sauce. However, in the past few years, because the source of anchovies around the island, which used to be abundant, has now dried up, a number of fish sauce production facilities have stopped operating. With natural, charming and beautiful beaches reflecting in the vast ocean, Hon Son appears like a sparkling pearl of color; Covered by endless coconut groves running along the coast, it has a wild look, with no trace of exploration; Paved with large, flat stones, standing tall in the middle of nature, it looks majestic and poetic. The most beautiful beach is Bai Bang, bending like a bow with clear blue water, along with rows of coconut trees swaying in the sea breeze. Coming to Hon Son, visitors can swim, enjoy fresh products from the sea, and immerse themselves in the coolness of the sea breeze. On the island there are also places of worship such as Lai Son Temple, Ba Co Chu Temple, Cao Dai Temple, Hai Son Pagoda... all located in Bai Nha hamlet. Hon Son has 7 peaks connected to each other. The peaks all have legends associated with their names, but Ma Thien Lanh is the most famous peak. Not only is it the highest at an altitude of about 450 m above sea level, this mountain peak is also associated with poetic fairy tales and colorful "today" stories of "swordplay" that are loved by people. Islanders spread word of mouth. According to ancient legend, on top of Ma Thien Lanh there is a flat rock, with a beautiful surrounding landscape, so many fairies often come down to have fun, called San Tien, which is a testament to that story. Today, when people come here to explore, after hundreds of years, occasionally there are monks and sad people who come to San Tien to practice meditation. They retreated in a cave with the words "Mai Duong Sword Dharma" engraved. The lives, personalities and behavior of these people are passed down by word of mouth with half-true, half-fictional stories. To conquer Ma Thien Lanh peak, you must start from the center of Bai Nha along thousands of steps located among banana fields, custard apple and mango gardens and patches of primeval forest. About 2 km from Bai Nha, there is a Buddha statue called Lo Thien Buddha by the people here. Go about 400 m further and you will see Pho Tinh Pagoda located in the middle of the mountains and forests. San Tien is about 2 km away. Here, many traces of "mutants" are preserved on the rocks such as names, ages, dates of arrival, dates of departure, years of practice... After conquering Ma Thien Lanh peak, Hon Son also has 5 beaches and 1 pristine rocky rapids, of which Bai Bang has the most beautiful scenery, many leaning coconut trees shading a part of the white sand beach about 1 meter long. km, deserted and calm beach. This is the most suitable place for you to swim. Not only does it have lyrical scenery, this is also a very clean beach. In particular, here there is also Tien stream with clear water flowing from the top of Ma Thien Lanh right down to Bai Bang to make fresh water for you to bathe in after struggling with the ocean waves. To get to Hon Son, visitors can take a high-speed train with a journey of 1 hour and 45 minutes. If you take a regular passenger train, it takes 4 hours.

Kien Giang

November to April

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Pirate Island

The Pirate Islands have 18 islands, including 16 large and small islands and 2 sunken islands. The name "Pirates" has aroused curiosity, unintentionally creating a unique feature, attracting tourists to visit, travel and learn about this archipelago. From afar, the Pirate Islands appear like a poetic and prosperous picture. When the ship docked at Hon Doc island, the center of Tien Hai island commune, the peaceful scene became even clearer. Below the port, there are many fishing boats anchored. Right at the wharf is the commune People's Committee headquarters, medical station, border guard station, school, clean water supply plant, and spaciously built market. According to the introduction, the difference in this archipelago compared to other islands and islands in the Southwest Sea is that it has been connected to the national grid since 2019 to serve daily life and economic development. Coming to Hon Doc island, the first point that tourists often look for is the sovereignty landmark on the island, located on the beach, along the road from the port, turn right to Rada Station 625. The Pirate Islands include the following islands: Hon Keo Ngua, Kien Vang Islet, Tre Lon Islet, Tre Vinh Islet, Gui Islet, U Islet, Giong Islet, Cho Ro Islet, Duoc Islet, Bo Dap Islet, Doi Moi Islet. For a long time, the sovereignty stele has become the pride of islanders and a destination for tourists when coming to Hon Doc. Going around the island, what we saw was completely different from our imagination of the Pirate Islands - where, according to the story, this is where pirates used to hide. People's lives on the island are calm and peaceful... According to recorded history of Ha Tien, in the 17th century, Governor Mac Thien Tich repeatedly ordered his generals to suppress pirates here and the name Pirate Islands appeared from there. A few members of the indigenous pirates still left traces on Tien Hai island. Explaining the name "Pirate", Mr. Nguyen Thanh Ngoc, about 70 years old, living in the Bai Nom area, said: "I have lived on the island for 40 years. In the past, I heard from the elders that the name Pirate Island was born in connection with the appearance of a pirate gang called "Black Sails" operating in this sea. They use deserted islands in the Gulf of Siam as hidden lairs. From here, pirates suddenly appeared and attacked quickly, leaving merchant ships traveling in the area unable to react in time. The money and gold they stole were brought to the island for storage. The name "Pirate" has been known since then. After the revolutionary government took over, security and defense of the vast island and sea area were maintained, residents on the island and ships operating in these waters were peaceful. Currently, Tien Hai island commune has about 480 households living with over 1,900 people scattered on the islands: Hon Tre, Hon Giang, Hon U, Hon Doi Moi but most concentrated in Hon Doc and Hon Tre Lon. Along with the Party Committee and government, on the island there are also armed forces, such as: Rada Station 625 of Battalion 551, Naval Region 5; Border guard station 738 belongs to the Border Guard of Kien Giang province. People on the island make a living thanks to the golden sea that bestows many types of seafood with high economic value, such as fish, shrimp, crabs, squid... In particular, in January 2018, the People's Committee of Kien Giang province decided to recognize this archipelago as a local tourist area, creating more favorable conditions for Tien Hai commune to awaken its potential, develop tourism, and invite attraction. investment and cultural exchange, increase income, and raise the intellectual level of people on the island. Mr. Nguyen Hong Phuc, Chairman of the People's Committee of Tien Hai island commune (Ha Tien city, Kien Giang province), said: "In 2019, the economic value from the commune's aquaculture and fishing resources reached 67 billion VND. The total number of tourists in the year reached more than 71,000, thereby bringing in revenue of more than 31.5 billion VND, an increase of 14.9% compared to 2018. This is one of the important contributing areas to the revenue of the trade, service and tourism industry in 2019, reaching more than 116 billion VND. People at the front of the storm still face many difficulties and their spiritual life is still lacking. With the motto "The station is home, the border is the homeland, the people are blood brothers", in addition to the task of maintaining island security, Tien Hai Border Guard Station and Rada Station 625 have done a very good job. civil mobilization. The island's soldiers, together with the local government, took care of the material and spiritual lives of the people with many activities such as campaigning to build houses in solidarity, and providing financial support to poor students in the program "Step Up". children go to school", free medical examination and treatment for people, rice support when households encounter natural disasters or hunger...

Kien Giang

November to April

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Ba Lua Islands

Located in the waters of Kien Luong district (Kien Giang province), Ba Lua archipelago is a scenic spot still imbued with wild beauty and is considered "Southern Ha Long". According to the remaining traces, the Ba Lua archipelago is the last part of the Ta Lon mountain range that subsided following the movement of the earth's crust during the orogeny period hundreds of millions of years ago. Spreading over an area of about 70km², Ba Lua archipelago includes more than 40 large and small islands such as: Mot island, Lo Coc island, Da Lag island, Heo island, Da Bac island, Dam Duong island, Dam Duoc island, Dam Gieng island, Re Lon island, Re Nho island, Nhum Ba island, Ngang island..., in which, 3 Dam islands are Dam Duong, Dam Duoc and Dam Gieng located quite close to each other, forming a triangle. With an area of about 6 hectares, Dam Duong island is surrounded by strips of fine white sand. Since 2006, a part of the island has been invested in planting many types of fruit trees such as sapodilla, longan, mango, jackfruit, coconut... to form a "garden island". Coming to Dam Duong, visitors will have the opportunity to relax, admire the sea view, and enjoy a variety of fresh seafood. Located about 300m southwest of Dam Duong island, Dam Duoc island has an area of 12 hectares, where thousands of mangrove trees grow and develop. That's why the island is called Dam Duoc. Unlike Dam Duong island with lots of white sand, Dam Duoc island has many red pebbles lying all over the island. Along the island's shore, there are bamboo huts with hammocks for tourists to rest and enjoy the cool air. Here, visitors can also enjoy attractive culinary dishes such as sour-cooked cobia, braised cobia with bacon, grouper cooked with porridge, boiled stone crab, grilled crab... Although there has not been investment in tourism services like Dam Duong and Dam Duoc islands, Dam Gieng island (about 100m northwest of Dam Duong) still attracts tourists because of its pristine natural beauty and sandy beaches. , long gravel beach. The reason the island is called Dam Gieng is because on the island there is a freshwater well full of water all year round. Coming to Dam Gieng, visitors can set up their own tents to rest, admire the island, light a campfire to socialize in the evening... Besides the pristine natural beauty, 3 Hon Dams also have the unique feature of being located in shallow seas (water only up to the waist of adults). Therefore, visitors do not need to use a boat but just wade through the water to go from one island to the other. Wading a few hundred meters in the blue sea with the sound of breaking waves will be an unforgettable adventure experience for visitors. Low tide is the ideal time for tourists to wade through the water to admire the sea and catch seafood such as crabs, fish, oysters, snails... From Kien Luong tourist wharf (Binh An commune, Kien Luong district) or Ba Hon wharf (Kien Luong town, Kien Luong district), visitors take about 45 minutes by train to reach 3 Hon Dam.

Kien Giang

November to April

1126 view

Nam Du Islands

Located in the southeast of Phu Quoc island, Nam Du archipelago belongs to An Son and Nam Du communes, Kien Hai district, Kien Giang province, about 60km from the mainland. Nam Du has an area of about 1,054 hectares, including 21 large and small islands, of which 11 are inhabited. Possessing a pristine, charming beauty with blue sea, white sand, golden sunshine, coral reefs, schools of colorful fish and a variety of fresh seafood, Nam Du is likened to a miniature Ha Long Bay in the heart of the city. Southern sea, bringing visitors interesting experiences. Hon Lon is the largest island in the Nam Du archipelago, with an area of 771 hectares with many beautiful beaches such as: Dat Do beach, Cay Men beach, Ngu beach, Gieng beach... along with rows of green coconut trees, some with up to 70 - 80 trees. five years old. This is an ideal place for tourists to swim, scuba dive to see coral or catch fish and snails on coastal rocks. Coming to Hon Lon, backpackers can rent motorbikes to drive around the unique road along the island. On one side of the road is a steep cliff, on the other side is a jade blue sea, in the distance there are small islands and boats offshore, creating a poetic and charming picture of mountains and water. Visitors can also go to the lighthouse located at an altitude of 296m above sea level to visit the radar station and get a panoramic view of the Nam Du archipelago. From City. Rach Gia, every day there is a high-speed train that takes tourists to Hon Lon at 8:15 a.m. and returns to Rach Gia at 12:15 p.m. From Hon Lon, visitors take about 30 minutes by boat to cross Hon Ngang - the richest and most populous island in the Nam Du archipelago with 900 households, most of whom make a living by exploiting seafood and raising grouper and cobia. in cages. Hon Ngang has the largest seaport in Nam Du, gathering many fishing boats anchored. Coming here, in addition to having the opportunity to bathe in the cool blue sea water, visitors can also admire the towering rows of coconut trees and craggy rapids with many strange, unique, and colorful rocks. Thousand shapes lie on top of each other. Tourists should not miss the opportunity to rent boats to go to the sea to visit fish cages, walk around coastal fishing villages to learn about the lives of fishermen, and enjoy seafood such as squid cooked in porridge, shrimp porridge. grilled with onion fat, stir-fried green catfish with onions, grilled imitation fish with banana skins and many delicious oasis species. In particular, at night, looking from Ngang island to Lon island, visitors will see clusters of sparkling lights, adding to the mystery of the offshore island. On Ngang island, there is also Ba Chua Xu temple, built quite solidly. More than 2km southeast of Hon Ngang is Hon Mau with an area of 200 hectares with more than 120 households living. This is an island with a lot of potential for developing resort tourism with beautiful beaches named after the windy season such as Chuong beach with long stretches of white sand and blue sea water; Bac beach (also known as Da Den beach) is attractive with many beautiful rocks, many colors and diverse patterns; South beach has calm waves and calm winds all year round, a place for commercial exchanges and mooring of ships; Nom beach is charming with shady rows of green coconut trees... However, what makes a strong impression on visitors is the gentleness and friendliness of the people on the island. Coming to Hon Mau, visitors can pick their own coconuts to enjoy cool sips of water; personally remove fish caught in nets after a trip to the beach; Cook lunch together or roam around the fishing village to learn about the life and culture of the people here. Tourists will also be led by the fishing village people to visit the place where the giant fish weighing hundreds of tons is worshiped with sacred and mysterious stories. In the evening, visitors can join the locals to light a fire to grill seafood on the rocks along the beach. The journey to explore the Nam Du archipelago will not be complete if visitors miss the opportunity to visit Hon Dau - a small island with only a few households living but with wild beauty, a beach with golden sand and rows of sand. Soaring green coconut trees and fresh air. Not only do they have the opportunity to swim, coming to Dau Island, visitors also have the opportunity to explore the world of magical colorful corals and countless species of fish hidden under the clear blue sea water. There is also primeval forest covering about 90% of the island area. Hon Dau is an ideal place to organize overnight camping and enjoy grilled seafood.

Kien Giang

November to April

1075 view

Phu Quoc island

Phu Quoc archipelago is located in the Gulf of Thailand, about 400 km west of Ho Chi Minh City. This place attracts domestic and foreign tourists because of its diverse types of tourism, with rich sea and island resources; diverse forest and marine ecosystems. The most ideal time to travel to Pearl Island is from November to April of the following year. This is the dry season in the South, with little rain, calm sea, calm waves and warm sunshine, suitable for outdoor tourism activities. This season is suitable for resort tours, not suitable for backpackers or backpackers. From about May to October is the rainy season, sometimes there are storms, but Phu Quoc is still crowded because it falls during the summer vacation period. If you go to Phu Quoc this season, you should come around the end of April, when there are still not many tourists and the weather is still nice, prices do not increase too high like during the peak season. October is also the time of changing seasons so there is little rain. Vietnam Airlines, Bamboo Airways and Vietjet Air provide direct flights to Phu Quoc from Hanoi, Hai Phong, Thanh Hoa, Vinh, Hue, Da Nang, Nha Trang, Da Lat, Buon Ma Thuot... Airfare If you're lucky, you can hunt for cheap tickets of around a million VND for both going and returning. Phu Quoc's airport is about 15 minutes from the center of the island. Some high-end hotels and resorts often have free shuttle services from the airport. You should ask more about this service when booking a room in Phu Quoc. In addition to direct flights, tourists have many more interesting options when traveling from Ho Chi Minh City to Phu Quoc such as motorbikes, cars, buses, speedboats or ferries. First-time visitors to Phu Quoc should take the speedboat to avoid seasickness. There are two routes to Phu Quoc, the journey from Rach Gia is about 120 km and takes 2 hours and 30 minutes, and the journey from Ha Tien is about 50 km and takes 1 hour and 30 minutes. You should depart from Ha Tien to shorten the travel time at sea, and the ticket price is also cheaper. Please call the station in advance to buy tickets and ensure the schedule is as planned. If you drive your own car, you should go at night to get on the ferry at around 4 a.m. to experience the sunrise at sea. The route lasts about 6 hours from Ho Chi Minh City to the ferry terminal in Ha Tien. You need to prepare food, drinks, blankets, pillows... and it's best to have two people take turns driving to make the night trip smooth and safe. If you take a bus, you can depart from the center of Ho Chi Minh City. There are many high-quality trips to Ha Tien, ticket prices range from 150,000 VND to 230,000 VND per person, depending on the bus company. Some high quality bus companies you can refer to are: Phuong Trang, Mai Linh, Kumho. Visitors can find on Phu Quoc from affordable motels to world-class luxury resorts. If you want to save money, you can stay at a homestay. If traveling with a company or a family with young children, the best choice for you is a hotel in Duong Dong town, convenient to attractions and shopping. Some 5-star hotels such as Saigon Phu Quoc Resort and Eden Resort often cost over 1,500,000 VND per room per day. 3-4 star hotels cost from 1,000,000 to 1,500,000 VND. 2-star hotels such as Gold Hotel, Lavita Hotel, Sea Star resort, Kim Hoa usually cost 600,000 - 800,000 VND. Unlike Nha Trang with beaches that are easy to visit from main roads, in Phu Quoc visitors often have to go far to get to the beach. So if you want quiet and relaxation, you should stay at a resort, villa or bungalow near the beach. Tourist destinations on Phu Quoc are divided into 4 main areas: Central area in Duong Dong town, South island, North island and East island. Depending on your schedule, you should spend at least two days if you want to explore all the fun spots on the island. In the north of the island you can visit places including: Phu Quoc National Park, Rach Vem fishing village, Vinpearl Safari, Ganh Dau Cape,... In the south of the island, you can visit places such as Bai Sao, Bai Truong, Dinh Ba and Dinh Cau, Dinh Cau Cape, Phu Quoc Prison, Phu Quoc Night Market,... Besides, you can visit small islands such as: Hon Thom, Mong Tay, Gam Ghi, May Rut. If you are a fan of delicious food, you should go to Phu Quoc from May to November. This is the beach season for local people, so there will be a lot of fresh seafood, and the price will also be cheaper. Dishes that you can enjoy include: Herring Salad, Ham Ninh Crab, Grilled Coi Bien Mai, Sea Cucumber, Bun Ken, Melaleuca Mushroom, Sea Urchin, Abalone,... Some famous Phu Quoc specialties you can buy as gifts are pearls, fish sauce, pepper, sim wine... Phu Quoc pearls are quite expensive, depending on the quality, color and size. Reputable pearl shopping addresses are Ngoc Hien and Quoc An pearl farming facilities. Phu Quoc fish sauce is famous for its delicious, pure flavor. Some reputable production facilities you can refer to are: Phung Hung fish sauce factory, Khai Hoan production facility, Thinh Phat, Hung Thinh. Phu Quoc pepper has a spicy and aromatic taste, with firm seeds. You can buy pepper right at Khu Tuong pepper garden or Suoi Da pepper garden, which are famous addresses. Phu Quoc Sim wine is produced in the traditional way by fermenting from rose myrtle and white sugar. This type of wine has good effects on digestion and treating aches and pains. Familiar places to buy sim wine are Sim Son and Bay Giao myrtle wine. Seafood tourists often buy as gifts are sea cucumbers, squid and dried fish. Duong Dong night market has many shops selling these products, prices depending on the season and size. It should be noted that you should not go to Phu Quoc during the stormy season. Hotels and motels are often sold out during peak season, so you should book about a month in advance. Some places on Phu Quoc do not allow tourists to visit, you need to strictly comply and do not enter prohibited areas. Ferries and speedboats to and from the island usually run on a fixed schedule. You should carefully ask about operating times so you don't miss the train or bus. If you get seasick, you should prepare some anti-sickness medicine because you have to move a lot at sea. If you ride a motorbike through the forest, you should find a map of Phu Quoc in case you get lost.

Kien Giang

November to April

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