All you need to know about a trip to Nam Du Island
Having no ideas about where to go in Vietnam during vacations, then Nam Du Island will be a perfect option for those living in Southern areas. Today, we will provide you a brief look at Nam Du as well as some small tips to have an interesting trip to this fascinating island.
1. When to visit Nam Du Island?
The best time to travel to Nam Du Island is from December to March. At that time, the sea is quite calm and green, so those having seasickness can also reduce the discomfort when moving by boat.
Beaches in Kien Giang are not much affected by storms, but the rainfall caused by storms accounts for quite large proportion. The rainy season here is usually from April to November every year.
2. How to move from Saigon to Nam Du?
To go to Nam Du Archipelago, you need to reach Rach Gia City — Kien Giang. The easiest way to travel is from Western Station, costing about 150,000 to 170,000 VND a ticket. You should travel at 23.00 om to reach Rach Gia at 6.00 am the next morning.
To continue the journey to Nam Du, you go by high boat, with a price about 440,000 VND per person for a round-trip ticket. However, if the stormy seas are higher than level 6, the boat will not depart.
3. Transportation on the island
a. Boats
To explore the small islets around Hon Lon and other beautiful places, you should hire boats to move. On the island, you can easily find some individuals renting a boat. If you cannot rent, you can go straight to the pier, find any fishing boat of the local people, negotiate the prices and places.
b. Motorbikes
You can rent motorbikes in the hostels for about 150,000 to 200,000 VND per day.
4. Where to stay on Nam Du Island?
There are 2 ways to spend nights on Nam Du, which are renting hotels/hostels, or sleeping in the locals’ houses, with the cost from 150,000 to 200,000 VND per night.
Or if you want, you can rent a beach area and a tent to sleep overnight on a beach. The most suitable beach is Hon Dau, because there are coconut palms and stretches of sand, which is very convenient for camping as well as relaxing, playing. The cost of renting an area on the beach is about 30,000 VND per person, while the renting cost of a tent is 40,000 VND per person.
5. Where to visit on Nam Du Island?
It is not exaggerating to say that Nam Du has long been one of the best islands in Vietnam. Here, there are a wide variety of beautiful and interesting spots for you to explore, which attracts a lot of tourists coming to this island every year. Below, we have recommended some popular tourist attractions on Nam Du Island that you should visit in your Vietnam off the beaten track tours.
Learn more:
- Vietnam tailor-made tours (https://www.hellovietnam.com/tailor-your-itinerary.html)
- South Vietnam group tours (https://www.hellovietnam.com/tour/south-vietnam-discovery-5-days-90.html)
- Nha Trang group tours (https://www.hellovietnam.com/destination/nha-trang-257.html)
a. Hon Lon
Hon Lon is a beautiful bay with a total area in the Gulf of Thailand. It is considered as the most beautiful beach in the Nam Du Archipelago. The coconut palms are green with the life expectancy up to 70–80 years while the sea water is so clear and cool. Coming here, you can dive to catch fish or view the colorful coral reefs. Or you can also catch the snails on the rocks along the beach.
b. Ngu Beach
Ngu Beach is located in the West of Cu Tron. Legend has it that on the way to Siam, Emperor Gia Long stopped here, so this area is called Ngu Beach. In the dry season, this beach is full of fresh water while other areas lack seriously. Here, there is still a well filled with water. Local people say that the well was dug when the King arrived, so they name it the King well.
c. Chet Beach
It was traditionally told that in the 16th century, on the way to Phu Quoc, between the Dutch and Chinese ships happened a battle. A few days later, hundreds of Chinese bodies had been pulled into the beach, from then people called it Chet Beach.
d. Nam Du Lighthouse
A Vietnam off the beaten track tour to Nam Du cannot be without Nam Du Lighthouse. It is located on the top of Hon Lon (Cu Tron) in An Son Commune. It is regarded as the highest lighthouse in Vietnam, thanks to the 300-meters-above-sea-level hill.
e. Hon Dau
Similar to Hon Lon, the beach in Hon Dau is blue with green coconut palms along the shore. Hon Dau is relatively large compared to other islands, of which the primary forest accounts for about 90%. Near the shore, there are beautiful many coral reefs developing. At noon, you can freely lie on the sandy beach, face the gentle sea and take a short nap in the cool breeze.
f. Hon Nom
Being one of the 11 inhabited islands, currently, there is only a large family of Mr. Duong Van Sau living. The island was built by Mr. Vuong Van Kieu — his father in 1960. The island covers an area of 10 hectares but only 30 percent of it can be planted, the remaining area is completely rocky.
In addition to some mentioned places, you can completely go sightseeing and pay a visit to others on Nam Du Island, such as Hon Mau, Chuong Beach, Hon Ngang, Hon Hai Bo Dap, Hon Son, Ma Thien Lanh Hill, etc. With those charming sites, Nam Du Island is believed to give you a memorable beach vacation in Vietnam.
