If you are planning for your next trip to Vietnam and want to explore the beautiful Ly Son island, let’s refer to this post.
Ly Son is an island district in Quang Ngai province. Ly Son island district consists of 3 islands: Cu Lao Re (Big island or Lon island), An Binh island (Small island or Be island) and Mu Cu island, located about 30 km from the mainland. With the advantage of unspoiled scenery and economical travel costs, in recent years, Ly Son has always been a destination chosen by many tourists.
Best time to visit Ly Son Island
With two distinct rainy and sunny seasons, the best time to travel to Ly Son is from April to August. At this time the weather is stable, it is less rainy and sunny. But you should avoid going in the high season from April to June, so as not to be crowded. September to December is the rainy season, storms and rough seas. From late December to April is the season of green moss covering the rocky coastal beaches of Ly Son.
Note: You need to check the weather before departure to avoid being stuck on the island for a few days because of rough seas, monsoon…
How to get Ly Son island
The main means of transportation are ships from Sa Ky port. There are many high-speed train companies that take tourists to Ly Son island with fares of about 300,000 – 340,000 VND (round trip). Remember to bring your ID card or driver’s license to buy tickets. Travel time from the port to the island is about 35 minutes.
From Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, visitors book air tickets to Chu Lai airport with a one-way ticket price of about 1,200,000 VND, flight time 1 hour 30 minutes. The airport is about 42 km from Sa Ky port, you can travel by taxi, one way cost about 350,000 VND or take a bus stop in Quang Ngai city to save money.
In addition, visitors have the option to fly to Da Nang, from here take a taxi or train to Quang Ngai city, the train fare is 180,000 round-trip. The port is 20 km from the city center.
Where to stay in Ly Son island
In Ly Son, there are many motels, hotels and homestays, with an average of 200,000 – 400,000 VND per night. For travelers who prefer a youthful style accommodation, they should choose Bep’s House homestay, Be Ecolodge or DHT Hang Cau guesthouse.
In addition, visitors can refer to Ly Son Pearl Hotel & Resort with sea view.
Visitors can experience staying one night at Be Island. Suggested homestays are Ly Son Bungalow with colorful wooden houses, XaLaBin with upper rooms with sea view.
Big Island
Visitors can rent an electric car for 300,000 VND one time to explore the island. In addition, you can rent a motorbike, cost 150,000 VND a day to visit.
Thoi Loi Peak
This is one of the five dormant volcanoes of the island district, with a rocky outcrop overlooking the sea. The mountain has an altitude of about 170 m above sea level and the top of the mountain is a giant basin, with a freshwater lake supplying water to the island district. There is a 20m high national flagpole here, a favorite destination of many tourists when coming to Ly Son.
Garlic field
From the top of Thoi Loi, you can also spread your eyes to see the immense green garlic field. Garlic is also a famous specialty in Ly Son, not only used as a spice but also processed into many delicious dishes, including garlic salad.
Cau Cave
Cau Cave has one side of vertical cliffs, the other side is a beach with fine white sand. Under the influence of wind and waves, the cliffs have different shapes, near the shore are colorful coral reefs. In Cau Cave, suggested activities are snorkeling and kayaking.
To Vo Gate
One of the other typical destinations of the Big Island is the To Vo gate, to the east of the island. In fact, this is a stone gate, more than 2 m high, located by the sea. People believe that the lava that erupted from the volcano 2 million years ago, frozen when it met the sea water, formed the arch with this special shape. Surrounded by black lava rock.
The best time to go to To Vo gate is at sunset, when the sun gradually disappears behind the horizon and the sun’s rays glimmer through the rocky crevices. However, the gate is often crowded with visitors, so it is difficult to take pictures. Recently, the area has appeared a lot of tourist waste.
Hang temple
The temple is more than 400 years old, located in a large cave in the middle of the mountain, near To Vo gate. This place worships Buddha and the people who have openly reclaimed the island. The large temple yard is surrounded by ancient trees, where the statue of Guanyin Buddha is located overlooking the sea. In the temple are altars carved on natural stalactites and Cham Pa relics. The mountain road to the temple is also one of the beautiful scenic spots, with views of garlic fields and peaceful villages.
Duc Pagoda
Duc Pagoda is located on the cliff of Gieng Tien mountain, one of the extinct volcanoes of the island district. The new temple was built in 2008 with 3 shrines. Visitors climb 100 steps along the mountainside to reach the temple. In front of the cave is a 27 m high statue of Guan Yin Buddha facing the sea, named Quan Am Dai.
Sound Spirit Temple
About 500 meters from Ly Son port to the west, this is a place to worship the ancestors who openly cleared the island and the Hoang Sa soldiers who sacrificed in the past. Many precious documents related to the marines, relics of the history of Ly Son island formation are also solemnly kept here. Every year, the temple organizes many important sacrifices, especially the ceremony to celebrate the birth of Hoang Sa soldiers in the third lunar month. Right next to the temple is a large sandy beach where you can stop to watch the blue sea and enjoy the cool breeze blowing.
Small Island – Mu Cu Island
Small Island
The island is also known as An Binh island commune, the area is small, but the scenery and beautiful sea water are not inferior to the Big Island. Big Island is about 3 nautical miles from Be Island, it takes more than 30 minutes to go by wooden boat, but it only takes about 10 minutes by speedboat. To go to Be Island, you can rent a whole canoe for 2,500,000 million VND, or go separately for 80,000 VND per person. Round trip fare for the same day.
The boat time from Ly Son port to Be island departs at 7:00 am, 11:20 am is the last trip of the day. The boat from Be Island departs to Big Island starting at 10am to 14h20. Trips are 20 minutes apart. If buying individual tickets at the port, according to regulations, each person can only buy 2 tickets. You must have the identity card or passport of the buyer and the person being bought for. Tickets go on sale starting at 6am.
Going to Be Island, you are like stepping into a new paradise with only blue sea and golden sunshine. This place is also ideal for catching the sunset.
Mu Cu Island
During the days in Ly Son, visitors should get up early to go to the most beautiful sunrise spot on the archipelago. Mu Cu Island is located about 3 km east of the center of Big Island. Due to the lack of people, the landscape is still very pristine and the air is fresh.
Round trip ticket price from Big Island to Be Island is 80,000 – 100,000 VND. Going in a large group, you can choose to rent a private boat for 800,000 VND. After arriving on the island, visitors have the choice of tram, tuk tuk or motorbike taxi for 50,000 VND per visit.
The mural village
Near the port of Be Island is a mural village, with colorful murals. This is one of the favorite photography spots of tourists, although it is not as big and beautiful as other mural villages across the country.
Ngang Beach
With clear turquoise water, Ngang beach is favored by many tourists as the “Maldives of Vietnam”. There are rocky outcrops and niches near the shore with many colorful fishes that can be clearly seen when visitors swim or wade.
Snorkeling and watching coral is an experience that should not be missed when coming to Be Island. The price for renting diving equipment and fresh water bathing is 110,000 VND per person.
Near the beach there is Love Bridge, with an entrance fee of 5,000 VND per person. Here the water is clear, can clearly see the moss and coral, suitable for tourists who love taking pictures.
What to eat in Ly Son island
Restaurants are concentrated along the port, some suggested restaurants are Phat Hai restaurant, Khoi Chieu restaurant… In addition, there are Dai Hang seafood rice and Ut Ngoc restaurant.
Ly Son specialties are mainly seafood, especially king crab, lobster, conch, tama fish, fish cake… Some other specialties are garlic salad, seaweed salad, crab noodle soup, melon. Black beauties, snails, little cake with hemp leaves… Please visit the dry goods stalls on the island to buy garlic and dried seafood as gifts.
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