If you are tired of crowded beaches like Do Son in Hai Phong city or Sam Son in Thanh Hoa province, the beaches of Co To Island may offer you an ideal destination for your holidays.
Co To, one of the farthest inhabited islands from the mainland, is over 100km from Ha Long city in the northern province of Quang Ninh. Still far off the beaten tourist path, the island retains its natural beauty. A 1.5-hour journey on high-speed boat will bring you there.
On the northeast of the island is Hong Van. It's hard to put into words. White sandbanks stretch away to the horizon. Coral reefs are easily to be seen in the limpid water. With an islet nearby blocking winds from the sea, the water is as calm as a clear pond. Tourists visit this expansive beach to swim as well as to see locals catching oysters.
Van Chai Beach on the west of the island, appeals’ to visitors with rocks of different shapes at either end of the beach. The middle of the beach is flat, the sand clean and smooth, and it offers the best place on the island to watch the sunset.
To get another panorama of Co To Island, visitors should go to a lighthouse built in the 19th centur, from which one could see nearby Little Co To and Thanh Lan islands.
At the centre of town, standsthe statue of President Ho Chi Minh built in 1968 to commemorate the day he visited the island. This is the only place the late president gave permission to erect a statue of himself while he was alive. A temple was built in 2005 on the occasion of his 115th birthday and to mark the 50th anniversary of his visit, and the site was recognised as a national historical and cultural vestige by the culture ministry. Some tourists visit the site and light incense to the late president when they first set foot on the island.
Co To Island is one of the best choices for a getaway from noisy and crowded city life, suited to people looking to enjoy a holiday swimming, taking photographs, walking along the beach, cooking a beach BBQ and singing karaoke with friends.
Spending three days on the island, Vu Thu Ha of Hanoi said it was a place worth visiting but the site could be promoted better.
"It's a paradise for backpackers but tough for people who want to relax in comfort," she said. "They need to develop infrastructure here such as hotels and entertainment areas. I know that natural beauty is good, but most tourists want hotels with modern conveniences."
Island resident Nguyen Khanh Linh said tourism on Co To has developed over the past two years.
"Co To received hundreds of visitors over the summer, especially during the busiest times – national holidays and weekends," he said. "In 2010, there were only two guesthouses on the island and most of the tourists had to stay in local people's houses. This year, five new guesthouses have been opened to better meet the demands of tourists."