On my journey to every provinces in Vietnam, I was surprisingly stunned by gorgeously best beaches in Phu Quoc. I do enjoy vitamin-sea, and the beaches in the ‘Pearl’ island are just wonderful.
Home to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, Phu Quoc features serene resorts well suited to relax, have fun with family, and experience aquatic adventure. But on the other side, the island also welcomes solo travelers with its natural solitude to immerse into. In this post, we’ll look at some of the best beaches in Phu Quoc.
Ganh Dau beach (Gành Dầu)
On the northwest-most point of the island, Ganh Dau is a little serene corner of flour-white sand fringed by the line of coconut. Water is still and shallow, with a cluster of wooden fishing boats anchored offshore. Interestingly, You can even see the several Cambodian islands just a few kilometers away with its blue silhouettes turning fantasies when sun rises and sets. It was exactly what I enjoyed with my travel buddy years ago. We two lay on an ancient coral rock, cheered with cans of beer, some peanut packs and watched the sun disappearing gradually into the skyline. In fact, Ganh Dau is named for the entire northwestern cape, consisting of the picturesque fishing fleet by the calm harbour, next to a bustling fishing town with an active market, local life and, of course, street food. That’s why Ganh Dau is one of my best beaches in Phu Quoc without any doubts.
Ham Ninh fishing village
Once a thriving port, Ham Ninh now features fresh seafood and serene landscape. In fact, Ham Ninh doesn’t really have a beach, instead, a cluster of dwellings made out of concrete & corrugated-iron and surrounding a small river mouth, where a long pier reaches into the sea. Nowadays, boats no longer dock here, that pier turns into a seafood-market-cum-outdoor-restaurant. As home to informal eateries and street food stalls, it is particularly popular with budget travelers, who always seek the best and freshest seafood with reasonable price. The pier is definitely an ideal spot for sunset seafood dining.
Duong Dong town & harbour
In the middle of the western coast, the sprawling town is a busy, hustling place where you possibly explore specialty food like “bún khèn” without effort. On the harbour anchors the fleet of wooden tour boats while a new narrow pier stretches to the sea to welcome gigantic cruise ships. There is a beach next to Dinh Cau temple, which is perfect for travelers to sunbathe and watch boats moving back and forth, especially at sunset. It is noted that the beach is littered and crowded on golden hours. The nightlife is also a “specialty” of Duong Dong town with a night market consisting of street food vendors and informal food stalls (Rolled ice-cream and flavoured peanut). During the day, you would probably like to visit the ornate Cao Dai temple which is just a stone’s throw away from the night market.
Long beach (Bãi Trường)
Stretching for almost 20km along the southwestern coast of Phu Quoc, Long Beach features yellow sand backed with rows of coconut along. Long beach is home to some of the most high-end resorts like InterContinental Phu Quoc Long Beach (I had a chance to experience in 2019, the beach is ultimately one of the best destinations for sunset, especially viewpoint from the highest bar of Phu Quoc – Ink360), as well as other pampering properties of colossuses like Novotel, Hyatt, etc. Despite the increasing development in construction, you still find serene facets when riding off the main road to the beachward to access some nice swimming spots and enjoy lifestyle bars like Golden Sand Bar, Shri Bar and Sunset Sanato Beach Club,to name a few!
Khem beach (Bãi Khem)
It was my first ever trip to Phu Quoc in 2016 that I had a chance to glance at Khem beach at its purest nature along with a few food shacks for the public access. At dawn, you can even buy the freshest seafood from the fishing boats at a very reasonable price. Now, the beach is home to some of the most luxurious resorts on the island like JW Marriott Emerald Bay and Premier Residences that I visited during a fam trip at the end of 2018. I was particularly impressed by the luxury property of Marriott, whose concept is based on the idea of a fictional university “La Marck”. The slender concrete road leads, along a steep and jungled hillside by the sea, to Ong Doi Cape on which upscale property of Premier Village managed by AccorHotels locates. The secluded area features white villas, including some top-ends even built on stilts over the rocky bay and sandy coves. This place is a wonderland to stay, if you can afford the rate!
Sao beach (Bãi Sao)
Distinctive turquoise water, a long and attractive stretch of white sand as ice-cream with arcing coconut trees, Sao Beach is one of the best beaches in Phu Quoc and it is accessible to the public. To visit Sao beach at its best, here is the plan: Wake up early at dawn, take a ride to the beach, watch sunrise here, stroll along the stunning sandy bay then you can enjoy a lazy morning with delicious breakfast and fresh coconut before flocks of tourists occupy the beach.
Dam Beach (Bãi Dăm)
Accessed via a scenic concrete road, Bai Dam is a wide bay of jungle by the sea. The most popular attraction here is Ho Quoc Pagoda with the colossal statue of Goddess of Mercy (Quan Âm) and a cluster of shrines, sculptures of Buddism deities and staircases. This is where you enjoy the calm of surroundings, do religious practice or just find your inner voice while observing the beautiful landscape. The religious complex looks over the serene bay with a lapping sea, making it a worldwide excursion.
Dai Beach (Bãi Dài)
With the long stretch of fine sand and turquoise water, Dai Beach is now occupied by luxurious integrated resorts like Vinpearl, where you will indulge in experiences in recreation park, play with friends in waterpark, try some golf game at green courses, safari, try finding your luck with gambles in casino and stay overnight in glamour villas. This is definitely a place for leisure fans!
Merely 45 minutes away from Rạch Giá port, Kiên Giang, Bamboo Isle (Hòn Tre) is a small yet pretty, promising island to travel. But whether a little bit off-the-beaten-path destination is always among good choices for all? Read the story below to find out (with some useful tips & guidance included)!
My story
On my road trip by bicycle to Mekong Delta as well as the cluster of islands in the region, Hon Tre seemed very promising: small, good review but little coverage on the internet, which probably meant no overtourism yet. So I embarked on a boat of a local transport company for less than an hour to reach the island, with camping intention in mind.
The journey reminded me days in the popular islands in Vietnam like Cát Bà, Phú Quý and Côn Đảo
The sunset was stunningly gorgeous, the sea bird even followed the boat while small waves embraced the moving vehicles. It reminded me of days in the popular islands in Vietnam like Cát Bà, Phú Quý and Côn Đảo.
Transit service price list in Hòn Tre
Right the first steps on the island, I was advised (quite compulsory for a traveler) to register for covid 19 report at the checkpoint (say, you will have to write down your syndromes if any, the departure and some personal information for contact in need, which is popular in Vietnam these days).
I rushed quickly around to enjoy the twilight in time
On my arrival, the taxi bike first approached to have me travel to some guest houses or certain destinations around on the island (the price list is written in Vietnamese sadly). As I had the bicycle along and my own plan to enjoy camping, the taxi rider friendly suggested me to the only beach on the island: Chén Beach (Bãi Chén). It was sunset but almost turn to twilight in minutes. So I took my chance to ride around and enjoyed the moment as quickly as I could.
Cycling around Hòn Tre is a real challenge!
Uphills and downhills, steeply and perpetually. So adventurous, so exciting. The journey required me to maneuver swiftly, to change gears smoothly or miss the momentum, resulting in walking uphills. The brake sometimes was so hot that it smelt like burnt metal.
The construction at the pristine side of the island
It took me around half an hour to ride on coastal road, exploring through communes with local life, food, public park, forested cliff by the gentle sea, as well as “the other side of heaven” – the waste factory construction, close to trash dumps, which were still burning with toxic smoke.
By the time I visited Chen Beach, it was twilight. The accommodation facility was still a work-in-progress, so there was no overnight option but a little chance to go on camping (which depends on the owner’s will, in my case, it was a failure officially, but you might be lucky).
Camping on Chén Beach of Hòn Tre: Better think twice!
I gave up the camping idea after minutes to persuade the host. My last enquiry was to find accommodation at a reasonable price. Returned and I explored a couple of guest houses around the town center, which is marked by a gigantic government complex, and found one matching my budget eventually.
It is an interesting fact that this is the ONLY in the area (a cluster of island including Nam Du & Lại Sơn) located an ATM (of Agribank). That’s quite lucky for me as I supposed every island probably was set up an ATM for tourists and locals.
How to reach Hon Tre
Inside one of the well-equipped guest cabin of Superdong ship
There are various choices but the premium is Superdong, you have a large air-conditioned cabin, decent seats, but the schedule is one-shot per day: only at 6:45 from Rach Gia (to Hon Tre at 7:20).
The cabin of the local shipline operator is jam-packed with passengers.
There are other local boatline operators with more flexible schedules like Muoi Dung, Khanh Dung with 4 departure times (7:00, 10:00, 14:00, 16:00). Same price 70,000 VND/ pax. These locals even nod to transport small vehicles (like the 100/150cc motorbikes which are very popular in Vietnam), but their boats are old and small, jam-packed with frequent passengers and loud hard sound from the open-hooded engine at the back.
Passengers enjoy the sunset on the front deck
The speed was so slow that some men even sat on the cabin roof (along the front deck as usual). I had used to take on Superdong before (the trip to Nam Du) so the local taste was my call this time and it turned out to be such a memorable experience.
Accommodation
There’s probably no hotels but 4 – 5 motels among choices. A few ones look old and rustic while the other is standardly neat and clean, price ranges from 180,000 VND (fanned room)/ 200,000 VND (air-conditioned) up to 400,000 VND (air-conditioned double beds). All gather at the town center (just one kilometer to the west of the port) so you should find no problem getting a bed safe and sound.
Attractions
Chén Beach in twilight time
After a late afternoon around, I found Hon Tre less attractive to wanderers partly due to its lack of interesting destinations to nail in: There’s only a church in the isle and a pristine Chén beach. Furthermore, the beach is not really joyful to swim in, except for some selfie shots with an abandoned path on stilts (plus no accommodation available) and that’s all. My greatest moment was riding on the coastal road, painted in such a beautiful sunset.
Food
A bowl of rice noodle (bánh canh)
As not really struck hard by waves of mass tourism, the island is basically different from the other, like there’s no “tourism market” (mostly serving tourists with specialties and various seafood) by the port. Instead, a local market is located beside the public park, selling normal stuff and street food.
The local market is located beside the public park, selling normal stuff and street food
The price is expected to be the same as inland, some more reasonable. The price for 1kg of jackfruit ranges from 20,000-30,000 VND, a rice noodle bowl (bánh canh) costs 25,000 VND, while a glass of condensed-milk-mixed-bean-paste is surprisingly only 10,000 VND.
Moving on next day?
Superdong ticket agency on Hòn Tre – inside a cafe by the port
In case the island get you bored soon, so you may like to get up early next day and rush to the cafe close to the port at 15 minutes to 7:00, to get boat tickets to Lại Sơn (aka Hòn Sơn) or Nam Du, or return backward Rạch Giá. Remember to drop by the covid 19 checkpoint for reporting before embarking. Have a nice trip!
A pleasure hiking for a spectacular panorama and camping overnight in the pristine “paradise island”.
Compared to Ma Thien Lanh mountain (Núi Ma Thiên Lãnh), Ông Rồng is definitely less challenging with just 250m high above sea level. The entrance to the trail is just less than one kilometer in distance from Bac Beach (Bãi Bấc) and marked with a small guide signboard.
The name “Ông Rồng” (the Dragon) is actually derived from the ancient cycad at the top, whose shape looks like an aggressive dragon, grandly lying on the giant rock and watching all over the island.
The life span of this best-known cycad is estimatedly up to 300 years old, by counting the number of whorls on leaf scars on stems to determine how many annual or biennial leaf productions have occurred.
Just a stone’s throw away is a couple of “fairy” rock tables. The rumour has it that on calm nights, this is where fairies gather and play chess and have entertaining drinks together. Indeed, the gentle flat surface of the grand rock at the mountain top allows hikers to pitch camps overnight.
The hiking only takes one hour for a leisure roundtrip, which makes it surprisingly ideal for common females. It doesn’t require a good stamina base and the trail is also as clearly guided as Ma Thien Lanh routes. It is such an excitingly immersive experience! However, it is advised not to trek after early sunset (5:00 pm) as some guide signs drawn on rocks may be rarely visible in pitch dark.
The hiking goes through a primeval forest with a dense canopy and little open spaces (mostly near the top, which is located on giant rocks requiring hiker’s maneuvers) so it is pretty chill even at noon and the echo of insects and birds would awaken your ears. From time to time, hikers may come into a wild jackfruit tree or java apple.
Somewhere on the trail, there would be signs of heavy erosion on slope, which exposes the enormous roots of ancient trees and interestingly creates natural staircases for easy access, but I bet it is still rough and slippery on rainy days.
However, there has been no rest stop yet, even a refreshment vendor, coffees or a pagoda (Indeed, there was only one rest stop that had been under construction in April 2021).
So hikers had better prepare adequately beforehand, at least a few refreshments and several bottles of water for vital needs during the hike, as well as sporty dressing with “breathing” clothes for more comfortable experience.
For the sign boards guiding throughout the trail, instead of the words of encouragement like those in Ma Thien Lanh mountain, they are often reminders to protect the local environment through discouraging litter as well as raising the community awareness with some concerning facts of harmful impact of plastic to nature. Most of the messages are written on decorated wooden badges, beside some acrylic sheets.
The local hosts usually offer a guided tour for only 200,000 vnd but now it is indeed possible to hike on your own. So it’s your call to support the local economy or travel on a budget.
Tons of amazing things to see and do on this tropical paradise and this Hon Son island travel guide dare get you through the jungle of spectacular spots!
Why Hon Son island, Vietnam?
At the first sight, I was knocked down by its dramatically majestic beauty: pristine beach lined with coconuts, well, there’s indeed a forest of coconuts on the island.
Disembarking from the express ferry of the Superdong operator, I was spontaneously feeling the dynamic life of the island while walking on the bridge toward the crowded central residence.
The islanders and tourists moving fast back and forth the backbone of the boat dock. Not so far, the platoon of colorful fishing boats anchored a couple hundred of meters offshore, floating up and down, or moving around the turquoise water. Another adventure awaits!
Coastal Road on Hon Son island, Vietnam
The first thing I would like to do on an island is to ride around. Whatever it was Con Dao or Phu Quy isle (but the larger ones like Phu Quoc or Cat Ba may require a whole one or two days, it’s still worth it after all).
The short journeys around give me the best sense of the island, whether this destination is pristine or overcrowded, how its seaside scenery looks like.
So a small island like this Hon Son island, I would recommend you to take a short circuit around the island first, just a couple of hours but it’s full of interest, most are best spots to experience, like an appetizer before the main courses in next days.
Riding on this road is such a remarkable experience that you won’t want to miss any chance. Like Nam Du or Hon Tre island nearby, the road is closed round and every part has its own fun and interest. I will tell you in the clockwise order, from the harbour first.
The Southwestern Harbour (Cầu cảng Bãi Nhà)
This little town is your very first glance at the local living of Hon Son island after disembarking from the express ferry. From here, you can call the host to transit to the accommodation then get a rental motorbike to travel around right away.
The town is also where you can buy most goods in the local grocery. On weekdays, the night market here is quiet, but things change on the weekend, when the locals open their various food stalls to serve the tourists.
You may get attracted by this colorful decorated bar like this on Hon Son island!
Moving away from the harbour and the landscape changes gradually from a crowded tourist hub to a quieter space, with shallow beach, lazy waves in sea and the rock platform protruding to make small capes. The trees on the roadside are ideal shelters to hide from the glowing sun at noon. Why not take a sip on some nice place like the little highly-decorated bar on picture above.
Rái Cá homestay
As one of the first homestay on the island, Rái Cá homestay looks like a travel complex, featuring an outdoor restaurant by the cliff, where you can pose on a swing (but be careful) along with various styled rooms on the other side. I prefer to chill here most of the day: have breakfast in the morning and get some chilled beer while admiring the sunset. The painting and doodles and writing are all funny and chill.
The fishing village
This is where you find the most of the local living. I got lost for the first (and second and third) time, as the map app was useless due to the density of residents and the overlapped roofs make it impossible to draw any road lines when watching from the above. This is where I buy some food and beverages to enjoy the best sunset spot on the island, just nearby.
Sunset watching spot
Following the coastal road just a few hundreds of meters, there you see a yard with lying rocks where you have a sit and watch the sun go down gorgeously at the end of the day, when the fishing boat moves back home, drawing lines on the water.
Bãi Đá
Located in the north of the island, this is not an ideal place for swimming as it is stacked densely by hundreds of rocks. But this view is stunning for posing on the rock (I traveled solo so there was no beautiful model to test). As my experience tell that there is a lot of sea creatures living around these rocks to explore and watch (or you may want to collect for a delicious grill in the evening at homestay). There are also premium resorts situated here.
North Harbour (Bãi Bấc)
There are two harbours but this one in the North is quieter while the other in the South is more touristy as it welcomes the express ferry full of tourists. Your frame should hardly overwhelmed by people moving around. The landscape is calm and still. Some local people come here for fishing. This area is also near the entrance to the hiking trail to Ông Rồng mountain top.
The mountainous road
There’s a route breaking through the island, connecting the Northern and Southern Harbours. The road is pretty steep, providing the panoramic view from the top of the island. This road sometimes gets kinda bad, making a temporary interruption (I got it on my first visit to the island). At the top is Hon Son waterfall, but you can only see its beauty during the rainy season.
There is also Thanh Sơn Garden (entrance fee 50,000 vnd/ pax) on the top. Like its name, Thanh Son is like a decoration garden for photography purposes only, there’s nothing more special. There’s a farm named Phú Quang building nearby (2021), hopefully opening for visitors when it’s finished. The top provides a view to the Southern Harbour, highlighting the big reservoir at the center.
Bo Beach (Bãi Bò)
This beach is close to the Bấc harbour, with the signature figure of turtle painting on the big rock. Some budget guest houses to book like Island Homestay, Homestay Beach, Hòn Sơn Seaview. All are close to the beach, reasonable prices and friendly host.
Bang beach (Bãi Bàng)
This is the best beach on the island with the long sandy beach. You should buy at least some beverages like coconut (40,000 vnd) instead of “service charge” for entrance. The host also offers boat tours for fishing and snorkeling.
Golden Camp Hon Son
This is the best campsite on Hon Son island, Kien Giang. I stayed here for 4 days and had most of the experience at night here. Down to the sea is a small sand beach full of rocks, where you can do a swim and free dive to explore marine life. Staff is so friendly and helpful, and we had an amazing time playing and talking. I love this and highly recommend this campsite for camping enthusiasts and nature lovers. You got best of both world here.
Along with Bãi Bàng, this is another sandy beach, good for swimming. From here you may see the colossal electricity columns line from the mainland.
Phuong Breakfast Bistro (Điểm tâm Phượng)
This is just like any breakfast store, but I mark it as a point of interest because this is near the entrance to the hiking trail toward Ma Thiên Lãnh summit. So you may like to have breakfast like me here or pack some drinks before the trip to the top. This bistro also features a view to the sea and is very romantic at sunrise. There are cute doves flapping around as well. The food is good, around 35,000 vnd/ bowl of seafood noodle. That’s pretty delicious!
Protruding rocky platform
It seems there will be a building situated here, but for now (2021), it is just a rocky and plain platform, where you can pitch a campfire and enjoy the panoramic view.
Sao Bien coffee and homestay
A good spot for sunset watching and nightlife in Hon Son island.
Ma Thien Lanh trail entrance
Out of the coffee store, toward the town, you will see a fork: Turn right and the other entrance to Ma Thien Lanh peak on the right, marked by an old lady vendor. Buy her some stuff and she will help you guard the bike if any.
Back to the Sao Bien coffee, keep going on the coastal road down to the town. The journey around the island ends.
Hon Son island accommodation
The travel accommodations on the island are pretty cute: the original campsite that seduced me to stay for days, there’s also a lifestyle hostel great for breakfast. I love every inch of the island and you may spend a week here actually despite its limited dimension. For convenience, I collect all contact and booking links here for reference and price check.
The Southern Harbour
Like Nam Du or Hon Tre, the tourist hub is a stone’s throw from the harbour. This is where you can find good accommodation like several Hon Son island hotels in line with other coffee shops and bistros, along with every service available to meet traveler’s needs. This area has the most density of accommodation on the island, price is various.
Nhà Nghỉ Vân Tiến – The guesthouse located on the coastal road and has a good view to the sea. Check the price now!
Nhà nghỉ Bảo Hân – the guesthouse is at the heart of the town, close to the Superdong ticket and central park, just a stone’s throw to the night market. Check the price now!
Nhà nghỉ Yến Linh (location/phone)– guesthouse is on the coastal road, few step from town market. Friendly host with reasonable price (250,000 vnd/ single room).
Fishing Village Residence – Hon Son homestay
Rái Cá homestay (location/phone/page)– One of the pioneers brought the concept of hostel/ homestay to this pristine island. Located by a cliff in the southwest of the island, so I see it does make sense to buy a beer and snack and enjoy the sunset here. The homestay is developed into a complex, including a bar and restaurant. You can have a delicious breakfast here.
Sake homestay – The homestay is located at the heart of the village and pretty confusing to reach at first. The room is comfortable, overviewing the cape far away with the spectacular sea landscape. Check the price now!
Nhà nghỉ Kim Anh (phone)- A guesthouse inside the fishing village, it’s actually a coffee shop which also serve breakfast, the local people have drinks on daily morning. There’s a foodstall opposite selling vegetarian meal. Friendly staff.
Hon Son island resort – Northwest area
There are local resorts that lie quietly from the road, which you have to walk down on steep slopes paved by stacked rock to turn into the lifestyle stairway. The price is mid-range to premium and the facilities like the bar or beach in these ones mostly are closed only for the hotel guests.
Nhà trọ Tám Ca (website/phone)- Good seaview, no hot shower yet, quiet ambience, rocky beach. Food is good, mid-range price.
Nhà nghỉ Bãi Đá (phone)- The thumbs-up are the sandy beach and seaside view. But service charge for cooking food is also pretty high if you travel on a budget. The staff is generally reviewed unfriendly.
Norther Harbour – Bãi Bắc – Bãi Bò
This quiet area features a couple of cute and budget-friendly accommodations to book, such as:
Thanh Duyên homestay (location/phone/website): this accommodation is very close to the entrance trail route to Ông Rồng mountain top.
Bấc’s Homestay (phone/location): Friendly host, clean and well-decorated rooms with common lounge for guests, but the seaview is limited.
Thương’s House (phone/location): brand new homestay in the area (2021) with white appearance. Well-decorated with styled furniture. Friendly host with good service. Seaview in some rooms.
Hòn Sơn seaview (location/phone): The guest house is located near the Turtle Rock, friendly host.
Bang Beach
Bai Bang resort – This resort features the most beautiful beach on the island. Check the price now!
Ma Thien Lanh Trails
Sohara Seamountain Bungalow (aka Lamien Lodge & Homestay or Mango House) – This bungalow is located on a very steep slope, so you should have a xe ôm (taxi motorbike) to ride you up. Heavy luggage would be punished hard, that’s a warning. Check the price now!
At the Eastern edge of the Southern town
Sao Bien Homestay & Coffee – This accommodation is also a beautiful coffee shop, great to watch sunset and the Southern town from far away. Check the price!
Hon Son beaches
Bo beach (Bãi Bò, Bãi Bấc, Bãi Bắc)
This beach is next to the Northern harbour. The sand is nice but some places are dotted with small rocks. The area full of public coffee and restaurant so you may enjoy a good price here
Bang beach (Bãi Bàng)
This is the best beach on the island, now closed inside a local resort. There’s no entrance but visitors should buy something instead, like a coconut.
Xep beach (bãi Xếp, bãi Cây Dừa Nằm)
There are strange lying coconuts here which the name refers to. There’s also a resort here so the entrance fee is to buy some stuff.
Hon Son harbours
Along with the sandy beach, some areas on the island have shallow waters enough for safe swimming like around the harbours. In the afternoon, children play in the water near the site. They swim and dive, as well as collect some kinds of seafood.
Hon Son waterfall
If you love to find the waterfall, better find it the the top of mountainous road in the rainy season, as it’s “hidden” in the dry season (I didn’t see it at all, as there’s no water at all).
Hon Son hiking trails
There are two note-worthy hiking trails in Hon Son that I would definitely recommend you to experience. Depend on your schedule on the island to take one or both hikes below (one per day should be best):
For the breakfast, you may have noodle at the homestay or traveling to the harbour or residence nearby for very reasonable food, such as a bowl of macaroni (nui) like this.
If you are around the Southern Harbour, I bet you will come across a bistro which serve the rice with grilled pork ribs (sườn nướng) and Steamed Egg Meatloaf (chả trứng hấp) like Cơm tấm Sài Gòn. If you can not consume the local taste food, this one is the best option. The price is mid range. (45,000 vnd/ dish)
A little snack for lunch while I was pedaling around the Southern town. This stall is located near the reservoir, selling fried chicken and milk tea with super cheap price (for poor student on the island, I guess. I travel around Vietnam and there are two area usually experience the local price: market and school)
Mountain chickens are the specialty on the island and you should have the dish when hiking to Ma Thien Lanh summit, where people feed chicken and hot serve. The cooking process may be disturbing so to avoid the killing sound and long wait, you had better call the booking number to arrange a meal beforehand.
Some homestay complex like Rái Cá homestay serving food and drink all day also.
Nightlife on Hon Son island
Most of the time at night I spend on coffee, bar and night market along the coastal road part in the South.
I watched the sunset at Sao Biển homestay & coffee, this place also the best spot to observe the town from far above.
The night market is crowded and has more vendors on the weekend. There’s an old lady selling smoothies outdoors here and I was her customer mostly every night, enjoying the fresh sea breeze and the starry sky.
Rái Cá homestay is a good place for hangouts at night. There is even a bar newly opening nearby, just a stone’s throw away, named Quán nhà An. I had a chance to attend the opening, drink some cocktails and sing some songs along with an acoustic guitar band. The vibe is awesome. Highly recommended!
The best itinerary for a trip to Hon Son
Itinerary for weekends in Hon Son
Office workers with fixed time may prefer to spend two day on the weekend. So you should start from the Friday (or extended to Thursday)
The night before: Departure from Saigon to Rach Gia on sleeper bus like Phuong Trang busline or take flight to Rach Gia airport in the early morning and transit to Rach Gia ferry port.
Day 1: Take a ferry from Rach Gia – Hon Son. At the Southern Harbour, you should call the host for transit to the homestay or hotel. Remember to get the return ticket at the Superdong office here, if you haven’t bought it. On day: Visit Bãi Bàng or Bãi Xếp – the best beaches on Hon Son, swimming and having coconuts. Then moving to the North for Bãi Bấc. In the sunset, ride to the view spot near the fishing village or Rái Cá homestay (or Sao Biển coffee), these are among the best spots for sunset on Hon Son island. Dinner time: visit the Southern Harbour for the best food stall available. Strolling around the town or visiting the bar near Rái Cá homestay or coffees.
Day 2: Watching sunrise in Bãi Bàng, Bãi Xếp or Golden Camp Hon Son. Then have breakfast in Phượng breakfast, ready for the hiking to the Ma Thien Lanh summit. It should take you around 3 – 4 hours. After finishing, you should check-out, have lunch near the harbour and be ready to embark on the express ferry back to Rach Gia.
(Day 3: in case you have an extended day
You may spend time on the mountainous road and fishing village, as well as another hiking trail to Ông Rồng summit near Bãi Bò)
Itinerary for a week in Hon Son
Day 1: Take your time at the homestay first, eat full and enjoy the beach nearby.
Day 2: Visit The Best beaches on Hon Son like Bãi Bàng, Bãi Xếp. You can book a boat tour here when traveling in a group.
Day 3: Watching sunrise on the Eastern side of the island. Have breakfast and hike to Ma Thien Lanh summit. Enjoy the sunset in Sao Biển coffee.
Day 4: Explore the mountain road: the homestay, the Thanh Son garden, the waterfall. Take your time on the trail to Ông Rồng summit (only 1-2 hour long). Swimming in Bãi Bấc.
Day 5: Visit the fishing village, take photographs, sip coffee in the shop with the neighborhood. Watch sunset in the spot nearby, have dinner in Rái Cá homestay and nightlife at the bar closeby.
Day 6: Take your time at the hotel/ homestay, swimming in your favorite beaches. Have dinner and buy some souvenirs at the night market.
Day 7: Pack the luggage, enjoy the breakfast and coffee. Ready for the trip to express ferry.
Budget reference
Rental bike: 200,000 vnd/ day
Budget-friendly single room: 200,000-250,000 vnd/ night
Coconut: 20,000 – 30,000 vnd
A Glass of Coffee: 20,000 vnd
A Glass of Smoothie: 25,000 vnd
A bowl of rice noodle (Breakfast): 25,000 – 35,000 vnd
Thing to notice: there’s no ATM in the island so cash is king! (On my island-hopping journey, from the nearby Hon Tre, I accidentally found this fact so I had to manage to withdraw money from a Agribank ATM in Hon Tre island. This is the ONLY ATM in the area, even in the main island in Nam Du Archipelago).
What to buy as souvenir in Hon Son island
Dried seafooood! I saw them put under the sun mostly everywhere near a fishing village and residence like Southern and Northern harbour or fishing village in the Southwest of the island.
Even from my eyes, the seafood here looks very fresh and yummy – that best souvenir for your family at home (assumedly your home is in Vietnam). All you need is to walk around the local market at the Southern harbour, where the local sell a lot of these.
How to travel to Hon Son by bike, car, flight and ferry
The island should only be reached from Rach Gia port, so you have to catch a bus, flight or take a road trip firstly from Ho Chi Minh City to Can Tho then to Rach Gia Port. Buy a ferry ticket to Hon Son and get onboard!
To plan the transportation from your location to the island, I recommend checking platform rome2rio to explore various options of airline, busline and ferry so save you tons of time and find out the overall estimated budget.
From Ho Chi Minh
By motorbike/ car
HCMC to Rach Gia
Presumably you were homestaying somewhere around Bui Vien neighborhood (that’s the most famous backpacker hub in HCMC, no doubt), now all you have to do is to ride following Vo Van Kiet boulevard (the scenic riverside route) to Highway 1A to Can Tho city. Turn right and follow Highway 91, then turn left to Highway 80 (for motorbike) or Expressway 02 (for car). The end of these straight lines meets Highway 61 (there’s also Rach Gia airport nearby), so turn right, following Nguyen Trung Truc street, then turn right again in the big Phan Thi Rang roundabout to 3 Tháng 2 street. Go to Cống Sông Tiên and the ferry port should be on the left hand.
If you don’t have a motorbike yet, only staying at HCMC for a week or so, renting is a good choice.
For rental motorbikes, the options are a dozen, you may reach the receptionists at your hotels, homestays or hostels in HCMC to ask for rental bikes. Or you may go directly to some motorbike rental services to get the best suit to your style (from semi manual, scooter, to real manual and big displacement motorbikes).
For rental car, there is a good app named Mioto. Better give it a try first.
By bus
I prefer the big operators for their most convenient service: they have wide transits. Transit gets you to the station, you get on a bus to Rach Gia station and ask for transit to Rach Gia ferry port (Cảng Rạch Giá). There are names like Phuong Trang busline (futabus) or Kumho Samco busline to consider. Check Rome2rio for best bus price and options.
By airline
Bamboo airline now offers the route Tan Son Nhat airport (Saigon) – Rach Gia airport flight for less than one hour. Check out the latest price and schedule on 12go.asia.
After landing on the Rach Gia airport, you can wave for taxi or motorbike taxi (xe ôm) to the Rach Gia ferry port. The distance is around 11km, so the fee for a taxi car should be approximately 150,000 – 200,000 vnd, motorbike taxi 100,000 – 150,000 vnd.
From Da Nang
There’s no direct flight from Da Nang Airport to Rach Gia airport yet: you had better take a flight from Da Nang city to Ho Chi Minh airport, then transit to Rach Gia airport city and transiting to Rach Gia ferry port like aforementioned suggestion.
From Ha Noi
There’s no direct flight from Noi Bai airport to Rach Gia airport (only transit to HCMC): you can check schedule and price as well as self-connect options via 12
In Hanoi, to save money, you can take airport bus number 86, departing from Ha Noi railway station to Noi Bai airport and vice versa, only 35,000 vnd/ pax – the cheapest transportation for solo travelers; traveling by group can book four-seater or seven-seater car for 200,000 vnd).
Express Ferry Rach Gia <-> Hon Son island
For the schedule and price, check rome2rio for up-to-date information to save time.
More information Rach Gia – Hon Son speed ferry route and Superdong online booking at Superdong website
Check the website for promo: from time to time, the ferry operator offers free of charge shipping cost for motorbikes if you buy a couple of tickets. I noticed a poster for this kind of promotion for the route Ha Tien – Phu Quoc.
Belows is my short review on the Superdong express ferry departing from Rach Gia then Hon Tre island en route to Hon Son.
The staff will distribute you a bottle of water (sometimes it has an interesting taste) along with an alcohol tissue to wash your hands to prevent the covid (do not wash your face). The cabin is equipped with a fixed monitor displaying movies for entertainment.
When the ferry is offshore for around 5′, you can stay on your seat within the air-conditioned cabin or go out to the airy lounge at the back of the ferry. Be noticed that the wind is pretty strong there so it had better hold the things carefully or they may be blown away into the blue sea.
The lounge is my favorite spot whenever I am on the ferry. I can enjoy the breeze and birds above the blue sea with a majestically panoramic view. When the ferry is approaching close to the island, the sea is dotted with fishing boats traveling back and forth.
The ferry only stops for mere 5 minutes so activities at the Hon Son harbour are hustle generally, so remember to have ferryline staff and porters to collect all your luggage (in my case it is my bike).
There’s a refreshment stall at the back of the ferry by the door to the lounge. The price is fixed on the same kind: 20,000 vnd for beer, 15,000 vnd for soft drink, cup noodle for 12,000 vnd; other snacks for 5,000-6,000 vnd.
If you travel by cycle, the handling cost (getting the bike on and off the ferry) is 40,000 – 50,000 totally.
The Superdong ticket office on Hon Son island is located on the right at the first crossroad, opposite the park. It’s not big so you may take a little time to find out.
