Vietnam’s must-see spectacularly beautiful islands

Update: 10/06/2022
The best thing about traveling is that you get to explore the natural landscape and experience completely different ways of living that will make you appreciate life more. Vietnam Today will present to you some of the spectacularly beautiful islands in Vietnam with the purpose of giving you more options on your journey to explore the beautiful S-shaped country.

Phu Quoc beach in Kien Giang. Photo: Nguyen Tan Tuan

Phu Quoc - the most beautiful and largest island in Vietnam   

Phu Quoc island (Kien Giang) is one of the most beautiful islands in Vietnam, once listed as one of the three most beautiful tourist destinations in the winter by National Geographic. Not only that, Phu Quoc has also been mentioned in the top 10 most beautiful seaside tourist destinations by Asiaone. Phu Quoc island is home to not only beautiful beaches, captivating sunsets, colorful and unique coral reefs, and incredible specialties, but also offers countless wonderful natural scenes for visitors to admire.  

Mother nature has gifted Phu Quoc with beautiful beaches such as Sao Beach, Long Beach, and many other pristine beaches. These beaches are the reason why visitors keep coming to explore and experience the largest island in Vietnam. The beach that is listed in the "World’s Best Hidden Beaches" is "Long Beach" ("Bai Dai"). The best time to visit this beautiful beach is from October to March. The beach is honored to be ranked higher on the list than many other world-famous beaches, including Wildcat Beach in California, Pink Beach in Antigua, and Cayo Costa Beach in South Florida,...  

Phu Quoc island also has a variety of rich and diverse seafood such as scallops, sea urchins, true conchs, and herring. In addition, when coming to Phu Quoc, visitors will have the opportunity to participate in many interesting activities such as scuba diving squid fishing, watching the sunrise in Dinh Cau, or taking a ride through the national forest. If you are interested in the local fishermen's life, you can visit Ham Ninh fishing village to learn about the daily life of the people here. Here, visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy the typical delicious taste of Phu Quoc fish sauce at the traditional fish sauce factory, witnessing the sight of dozens of jars lined up in long lines waiting to be marinated with fresh fish. Surely, visitors will be intrigued to try a few spicy green peppercorns and half a tablespoon of rich salty sauce...

All the things above are why travelers and tourists are always attracted to Phu Quoc. Visitors can travel by watercraft or airplane (from Ho Chi Minh city to Phu Quoc).

Nam Du island. Photo: Nguyen Thanh Hung

Nam Du island (Kien Giang) - home to Vietnam's tallest lighthouse

Nam Du is located in the South of Vietnam (along with Phu Quoc and Con Dao) in the Kien Hai district, Kien Giang province. Nam Du Island attracts visitors with its pristine and peaceful scenery. Nam Du Island is a tropical archipelago with one main island and numerous other islands surrounding it. Nam Du is famous for its clear blue ocean, fine white sand and rows of coconut trees.

Visiting Nam Du, visitors cannot ignore the summit of Hon Lon (Cu Tron), which is 300 meters above sea level. This place is home to the highest lighthouse in Vietnam and an ideal spot for visitors to get the full Nam Du island. Although the road to the lighthouse is quite winding, on the way there are beautiful views on both sides of the road, with forest trees and singing birds. The scenery will surely help you feel peaceful and relaxed.

In Nam Du, visitors can go to Hon Nom, which has 3 small islands: Nom Ngoai island, Nom Giua island, and Nom Trong island, to enjoy the fresh and quiet atmosphere. Hon Nom stands alone on the ocean, among the waves, and is home to only one family. In addition, visitors can also go to the beach, cliffs to catch sea snails, sea urchins and make delicious dishes such as grilled seafood, grilled seafood with onion fat, and boiling,...

Cay Men beach is the most beautiful bay on Nam Du island, with clear, cool water and ancient coconut trees. Here, aside from hanging out with friends and family on the beach, you can also dive to catch squid, watch the shiny corals or look for sea snails on the rocks around the bay.  Ngu beach is located on the West side of Hon Lon island, which is a famous destination that tourists should come to when visiting Nam Du island.

Ngu beach has an incredible charm with its long sandy shore, straight coconut rows, and the mystical beauty of rocky beaches.  

Chet beach, the most beautiful beach on the island, possesses fresh water, calm, gentle waves and a peaceful atmosphere. This is the ideal place to bathe, have fun, watch the sunrise, and admire the busy trading scene of fishermen in the fishing village. Not only that, but visitors can also buy fresh seafood straight from the fishermen at cheap prices to enjoy.  

Nam Du is always one of the most attractive destinations in the summertime for its long sandy beaches, shady coconut trees and clear blue ocean.  

Dam Trau beach in Con Dao. Photo: Hong Hieu

Con Dao (Ba Ria - Vung Tau) - top 10 most charming islands on the planet

Con Dao is named as one of the "top 10 most charming islands on the planet" by Lonely Planet Travel Magazine and is also mentioned as "one of the most mysterious islands on the planet" by Travel and Leisure Magazine. Thanks to its charm and inherent mystery, Con Dao has truly become a popular destination not only among domestic but also international visitors.  

Con Dao is about 17km from Vung Tau and 230km if you go from Ho Chi Minh city. The island is proud of its exquisite beauty, with white beaches and green mountains together creating a peaceful scenery.  

Here, visitors can wander around to get a deep sense of the past and explore the ocean world with colorful coral reefs and virgin forests with a diverse flora and fauna ecosystem.  

Con Dao has countless beautiful beaches along with Con Son bay, consisting of 14 different small islands, creating a majestic natural scenery that seduces any nature lover that sets foot here. The beaches in Con Dao have clear blue water, fine white sand, and also tranquility and serenity that help many tourists relax and rediscover their inner peace.  

Besides, young travelers can also scuba dive, see the beautiful coral reefs with their own eyes, enjoy the night walking on the beach, and enjoy the dreamy view of the Con Dao sea at night. Don't miss the opportunity to experience unforgettable, exciting moments in Con Dao.  

Cat Ba island. Photo: Nguyen Dai Thang

Cat Ba (Hai Phong) - the “jewel of the north

Cat Ba is known to be the archipelago with the most islands in Vietnam (367 large and small islands), located in the immediate vicinity of Ha Long. It takes about 30 minutes by boat from Tuan Chau to reach Cat Ba. Known as the "jewel of the North", Cat Ba is an ideal destination for tourists in the summer.  

Cat Ba possesses a poetic beauty, with clear and blue sea water and pure white sand, and mountains that seem to be arranged by the hand of an artist to create a magnificent natural scenery. Here, visitors can immerse in the clear ocean, try scuba diving, visit pristine forests, historical destinations, and mysterious caves.  

Cat Ba National Park is known for its world biosphere reserve of thousands of different species of flora and fauna. Visiting Cat Ba National Park, visitors are integrated into the green and fresh space with rare plants such as: nageia fleuryi-once made into chopsticks to test poison for kings; Cho Dai tree; white doussie; desmos chinensis... and rare animals such as: Cat Ba langur, Rhesus Monkeys, honey badgers, and Indochinese serow...  

Cat Ba's beaches are all beautiful beaches, with clear blue sea water and pure white sands, sheltered by mountains that give the feeling of staying in a small bay with a magnificent landscape of sea and mountains.  

In particular, Cat Ba Cannon Fort is the bridge between the present and the heroic history of the Vietnamese people. Standing on the fortress, visitors can fully see the beautiful scenery of Cat Ba island. This particular spot is a very popular check-in spot for visitors to take beautiful photos of Cat Ba with friends and family.

Co To island (Quang Ninh) - one of vietnam's most beautiful islands

Co To Island is favored by mother nature with dream-like scenery, which has stolen the hearts of many that have stopped by here. Co To possesses a beautiful beach with clear and blue sea water, fine white sand, majestic landscapes, fresh green trees, and romantic and poetic coastlines.  

Beautiful beaches with cool clear sea water, along with fine white sand such as Van Chai beach and Hong Van beach, are Co To’s treasures. The beautiful wooden houses, along with the green trees, create a unique beauty for Co To beach. According to the visitors' opinion, the sunrise on Co To island is the most beautiful. The gentle sun rays in the morning have helped purify their soul.  

In Co To, visitors can go to Hong Van and Van Chay beaches. These are the two most beautiful beaches on "Ngoc Island" (Co To), with beautiful sea water and fine sand. In particular, Da Cau My beach is considered the most beautiful spot to see the sunrise on Co To island, with a harmonious combination of sea, clouds, mountains, and sunshine to create a magnificent natural sight.  

The most beautiful view point in Co To is Co To Lighthouse. When visitors stand on the lighthouse, they enjoy the fullest view of the area, embracing the natural landscape, so they can enjoy the lovely beauty of Co To island.  

About 30 minutes from Co from Bac Van wharf is Co To Con island-a small island with wild and simple beauty. The place is still sparsely populated, so the natural landscape is well-preserved.  

Ly Son island. Photo: Vo Hoang Vu

Watch the sun rise on Ly Son island

Ly Son is one of the best islands to visit in Vietnam. The beaches have emerald-coloured water, endless white waves and flickering lighthouses that create a wonderful natural picture. This place is also a great place for visitors to watch the sun rise on the top of Thoi Loi mountain and take memorable pictures.  

Ly Son island is a stunning island, loved by many young people because of its pristine but charming natural beauty. This place is a unique destination as there are many attractive dishes that are unique to this place, unlike anywhere else. Ly Son island will leave visitors with wonderful experiences such as watching the sunrise on the To Vo gate, swimming and bathing in the fresh water of Be island.  

Not only that, visitors can also take a walk in the vast green garlic fields, sail to see the amazing scenery in Hang Cau, walk in the unique Hang pagoda, enjoy fresh seafood, watch the sunrise on the sea and immerse in the beauty of nature.

Doan Hoa

Source: Vietnam Today - vtr.org.vn - June 9, 2022