Travel blogger Tran Gia Huy (25 years old, Ho Chi Minh City), and a group of friends carried their backpacks to the island in the first days of summer. The blue sea, white sand and wildness of Cu Lao Cau are the attractions for the group of young people. Gia Huy shared: “Like many people, I want to go to the beach in the summer. But this time I want to find a wild place to experience. I found information that Lao Cau Island is beautiful and quite close to Saigon, so we set off.”
Cu Lao Cau (or Hon Cau) is a small island located in Tuy Phong district, Binh Thuan. It is about 110km from Phan Thiet city and about 240km from Saigon. From the mainland, to get to the island, you need to take a boat, large ship, or canoe. The island is quite small, only about 10km. However, this beautiful little island always makes everyone's heart flutter when they set foot here.
Wild with clear blue sea
Up to now, Cu Lao Cau still retains its pristine beauty with beautiful blue sea water. The beach is adorned by countless strange rocks surrounding it, changing color according to the light every day. The only source of fresh water on the island, besides rainwater, can only be taken from Tien Well (also known as Gia Long Well). Unlike other tourist destinations, Cu Lao Cau only uses solar energy to provide electricity for all daily activities. Therefore, this place has emerged as an ideal destination for nature lovers, passionate about discovery, and those who want to escape from the noisy life of the city.
The scenery is captivating
Huy and his group of friends took a glass-bottom boat to the island. Huy shared that the best time to visit Hon Cau is from January to June of the lunar calendar. At this time, the waves are calm, the sea is calm, and the climate is fresh and cool. However, before planning to go to the island, you should check with the tour organizers of Cu Lao to know what the current weather is like and if the waves are big because it will affect the boat schedule. From the pier, it takes about 40 minutes to take a glass-bottom boat to the island, and it will be faster if you go by speedboat.
Tourists can still immerse themselves in the simple life of the islanders.
Normally, groups visiting Cu Lao Cau usually travel during the day and then return to the mainland to rest. But if you want to stay overnight here to experience the feeling of living on the island, you need to ask permission from the border guards. Because Hon Cau is under the management of the border guards.
There are no motels or hotels here, if you want to stay here, you will experience the feeling of being in harmony with nature. You must bring your own tent and sleeping bag. Or to ensure a more complete trip, consider booking services from tour operators on the island.
Sunset on the island
On the island, Huy and his friends were able to fully enjoy the sunset on the horizon.
"My memorable experience was setting up a camping tent with everyone on the beach, eating, drinking, singing, and then spreading out a tarp and lying outside without going inside the tent. Lying on the vast sandy beach, with a cool breeze, I could only hear the sound of the ocean waves clearly in the middle of the night. Those were very happy days," Huy said.
Coming to Hon Cau, you can also learn about the habitat of swiftlets, a bird species that is considered to have high economic value. In the past, local people often came to Hang Yen to collect eggs and nests for sale.
According to Huy, you should go to the island in the morning to have more time to visit.
Not only Yen Cave, Hon Cau also has many other unique and attractive check-in locations such as Ba Hon Cave, created by three strangely shaped rocks. Or the Nam Hai temple, where all fishermen pray for peace and protection during offshore fishing trips.
And don’t forget to visit the island’s beautiful coral reefs. Featuring 2km of pristine coral reefs, including 243 different types of coral. You will experience scuba diving and admire the shimmering coral world hidden in the light refracted through the clear blue water.
The cool, clear blue ocean is a great choice for this summer.
In addition to the captivating nature, Hon Cau also attracts tourists with delicious, unique, and affordable seafood dishes. Notable dishes include: boiled moon crab, grilled clams, sea urchins, etc. The dishes are not too elaborately prepared but attract diners with their fresh, rustic flavors.
Sitting and reviewing the photos of the trip, Huy confided: "There are no fully equipped resorts here, nor are there any fancy entertainment areas built, even fresh water for personal use is precious. But in return, there is always fresh seafood available to fill our stomachs, there is the heart of the people who are always enthusiastic to help at all times, there is the blue sea in front of our eyes that we can run out and immerse ourselves in the water at any time. Sitting and remembering, I feel that I have lived a happy and peaceful life here. I have no worries."
A lovely decorative corner on the island
Sharing with Travellive readers, Huy emphasized that visitors need to note that Cu Lao Island is very wild, without full amenities like on the mainland. Especially there is no electricity, so you need to bring spare chargers for your phone and camera. Some places on the island still sell water and ice, but it is better to bring a few bottles of ice to drink while sightseeing, because the weather on the island is quite hot.
In addition, you should prepare a few more items such as hats, sunscreen, anti-seasickness medicine, etc. If you book a tour, there will usually be a hut where you can lie in a hammock to rest after a day of playing. In short, if you want to enjoy a wonderful vacation on Cu Lao Island, prepare carefully before going and bring all the necessary items to deal with the lack of amenities on the island.
Walking around the island, you will easily see large cliffs with many unique shapes reaching out to touch the sea.
"In the future, I believe that Cu Lao will develop tourism even more strongly so that the people here can have a more stable income. But I also hope that as tourism develops, people's tourism awareness will also increase, aiming for the goal of sustainable tourism to preserve the green color of the island," Huy shared.
