Kien Giang’s Hon Son Island located between Hon Tre Island and Nam Du Archipelago, about 65km from the west of Rach Gia City with an area of 11.5 km2, is now home to more than 9,000 households. Previously, the island was named Hon Rai because there was an abundance of the otter living here.
Considered as one of the most beautiful islands in Kien Giang, Hon Son is now a new hidden gem for the nature-loving tourists. With its natural pristine beauty, graceful beautiful beaches reflecting the vast ocean, Hon Son appears as a sparkling jewel surrounded by coconut groves along the beach with a wild look, no trace of mining.
It is also known as “coconut island” since there are a lot of coconuts growing from the beach up to the hill. Biking along the coast under the tilting coconut shadow, next to the sea is the best experience. Besides, tourists will be surprised by the natural stone blocks with different shapes, like dolphins, turtles, lying under the clear water.
Hon Son Island offers many clean sandy beaches, namely, Bai Bang, Bai Nha, Ban Thien Tue, Bai Gieng and Bai Bac… and each of them has its own beauty. However, among those beaches, Bai Bang is the most fantastic one on the island with a long stretch of the white sandbank, endless coconuts, and gentle waves, making it perfect for swimming.
This island also offers a variety of exciting activities such as swimming, diving, fishing and exploring marine life. For more adventurous, tourists can conquer the top of majestic Ma Thien Lanh Mount with 450m above the sea level where you will find panoramic views of the island, go trekking to explore 11sq km forest with a diversity of plants and animals or visit historical sites on the island like Lai Son God Temple, Hai Son Pagoda.
Due to its unspoiled and untouched nature, there are no more choices of accommodation. You can camp on the beach or choose a homestay with the locals. Homestay and guesthouses are located quite close to the beach so it is very convenient to walk to the sea. However, if you visit Hon Son Island at the weekends or on holiday, remember to book accommodations in advance.
The best time to visit Hon Son is from May to December when the weather is quite calm and there is a lot of fresh and cheap seafood like squid, shrimp, and crab. This island can be only reached by ferry. From Ho Chi Minh City, you can take a 50-minute flight to Rach Gia Airport and then go to Rach Gia Pier. You can also take a bus or private car and head directly to Rach Gia Pier; it will take about 6 hours. Once you arrive in Rach Gia Pier, catch either Superdong Speedboat or Ngoc Thanh Ferry to Hon Son Island.
Ferry | Route | Departure | Arrival | Adult | Child |
Ngoc Thanh | Rach Gia – Hon Son | 08:05 | 09:45 | 135,000 VND | 95,000 VND |
Hon Son – Rach Gia | 12:15 | 13:45 | |||
Superdong | Rach Gia – Hon Son | 06:35 | 8:00 | 140,000 VND | 100,000 VND |
Hon Son – Rach Gia | 12:00 | 13:30 |
In the absence of modern hotels, luxury restaurants or high-end services, homestay is a good option for visitors. The communal People’s Committee is working with relevant agencies to provide training on communication skills and tourist services for businesses and households which want to do tourism activities. In the short term, the local authority will focus on home-stay service, protecting the environment and natural landscapes and ensuring safety for visitors so that Hon Son will truly become an attractive and friendly destination.
There are also some guesthouses available in Hon Son Island such as Tam Ca, Kim Ngan, Hong Dao, Beach Guesthouse, Resort Bai Da Chai; however, their rooms are very limited and toilets are separated.
Tips:
- Check the weather forecast before departure. The weather information is essential for your trip to the beach because you have to go by ship. Port operating office will ban all ships sailing because of the rough sea, big wave, and strong wind. Before traveling to Hon Son or other islands in Kien Giang such as Hon Tre, Nam Du, you should refer to information on the weather forecast. If wind speed in level 7 or higher, the ship will not the departure. If you get seasick, you shouldn’t travel on the day of strong wind.
- Visitors can rent a motorbike or boat to explore the island and beach surrounding.
Note: By the time of publishing this article, foreign tourists are still waiting for approval to come to Hon Son Island. You may check with our Vietnam Tour’s travel consultants for further information or advice of the other tentative.
