Hai Tac, Phu Quy, Tho Chu are primitive islands that could cause backpackers to put their bags on and hit the road. Because these islands haven’t been exploited, they have amazing natural beauties that attract backpackers to come and explore.
#1. Hai Tac island – Kien Giang province
With its name, Hai Tac (Pirate) archipelago makes us think about extraordinariness and reconditeness. The pristine natural landscapes of this place are amazingly beautiful. Hai Tac archipelago consits of 16 islands located close to each other. They’re just about 30 km far from Ha Tien town, Kien Giang province. The name of this place, Hai Tac (Pirate) appeared under the French colonial period, when there were a lot of notorious pirates who robbed boats and stroked terror into local people.
Hai Tac archipelago has only one street, which has majestic mountains on one side and deep blue sea on the other side. Therefore, this is the place where you can go explore without fear of getting lost. Since the archipelago is covered by trees, the air there is very fresh. Coming to Hai Tac, backpackers either know more about stories of pirates through local people’s narrative or immerse themselves in seawater enjoying the harmony of heaven and earth.
As a primitive archipelago, power supply here is not stable. Besides, this place has little freshwater, so it must be used sparingly. However, this privation itself makes backpackers aspire to go there. In additon, it’s said that pirate treasures were buried in this archipelago, and this could be the reason why this place is so attractive to backpackers.
#2. Tho Chu archipelago – Kien Giang province
Located in the south-west of Phu Quoc island, Tho Chu archipelago is considered to be the south-west pole of Vietnam. It consists of 8 islands with different shapes and sizes. Those who love adventures may think about Tho Chu archipelago as a milestone to conquer. There are verses about this place, which can be roughly translated as: “You didn’t come to Tho Chu, so you didn’t know about it; But if you arrive there once, you won’t want to come back home”. These lines of poetry imply that although Tho Chu is primitive, it can retain visitors.
It’s not simple to come to Tho Chu, because there is only one ship that takes visitors there from Phu Quoc island in every 5 days. However, if the sea is rough, with heavy rain and strong winds, the ship won’t leave the dock. After about 6 hours of sailing, Tho Chu island will beautifully appear in your eyes with small houses nestled in the cliffs and dense trees. In this island, you can see colorful coral reefs, watch fishes swimming here and there, enjoy hot dishes from seafood or climb up to the lighthouse to survey the panorama of this beautiful island.
#3. Phu Quy Island – Binh Thuan province
Also known as Thu island or Khoai Xu island, Phu Quy is a 16km2 island located about 100km to the South-east of Phan Thiet city. Just like its name – Phu Quy, which can be expounded as “riches and honours”, this island is rich in natural scenery and seafood. You can go to Phan Thiet Port to catch a ship bound for Phu Quy island. They depart every day. However, the schedule of the ships can be changed due to weather and tide.
Phu Quy island district consists of 10 large and small islands with golden sand beaches. In this islnad, you can spend your time discovering coastal fishing villages such as Ngu Phong, Long Hai, Tam Thanh, etc. or enjoying delicious specialities like sea cucumber, vu nang snail (“her breast” snail), etc.
#4. Ly Son island – Quang Ngai province
Ly Son island, which used to be called Re island, is a part of Quang Ngai province. Although tourism is developing there, this island still has its natural beauty and fresh air. Once in Ly Son, you will be surprised by the image of an island comprises 5 high mountains in the middle of the sea. The island is covered by trees, with roads, vehicles and houses close to each other right in the foots of the mountains. Ly Son island is also famous with fields of onion and garlic, therefore, you can not ignore this beautiful scene when you get there.
When you arrive in Ly Son island, you can either learn about sacred pagodas, such as Duc pagoda, Hang pagoda, go with local peple to catch sea urchins or climb up to the lighthouse to see sunset. In the gloaming, you can enjoy specialities of Ly Son island like grilled black grouper, sea urchin cooked with oiled onion, huynh de crab (king crab), etc. Summer, when the sun is shine and the weather is nice, is the best time for backpackers to come and discover this place.
A trip of life time to discover the most beautiful natural place in the world. We welcome you to Vietnam!
