There’s a good reason why Ly Son Island is called the Kingdom of Garlic: the bulb is cultivated all over the place and is the main source of income for the 20,000 human inhabitants.
In fact, people who know about these things say the garlic grown by the islanders is second to none.
Ly Son is actually a group of islands in the East Sea 20- odd kilometers off mainland Quang Ngai Province in the central region.
It can be reached in two hours or less by boat from Sa Ky Port in Binh Son District’s Binh Chau Commune, and there’s an airport too.
Ly Son is a simple, homey place and a gentle reminder that modern entertainment cannot feed the human soul.
There’s much to see and explore, particularly along the mainly rocky shoreline with its unspoiled beaches, tall cliffs, mysterious coves and underwater caves.
The island’s pride is 400-year-old Hang Pagoda, which is located inside a natural cave where ancient, weather-beaten sea almond trees grow.
History buffs should be interested in the memorial, restored in 2007, to the marines who defended Vietnam’s many East Sea islands from foreign invaders.
Like everywhere else in Vietnam, Ly Son has its own special food dishes, notably garlic salad, baby squid soup with crisp baked rice paper, and oddly shaped snails of varied flavor.
The most picturesque place to eat is down at the crowded port where fishermen remove their catch from the nets in the early morning light and talk shop in loud voices.
A walk to the summit of Thoi Loi Mountain is well worth it for the panoramic view of Ly Son from 180 meters above sea level. Standing at the edge and looking down into the windy abyss is both scary and thrilling.
Probably the best time to visit is the start of the lunar year, when the islanders hold their traditional, colorful and exciting boat races and the charm of the place is at its most obvious.