Tho Chu - The island at the end of the South

Tho Chu Island is a large island in the Tho Chu archipelago (Phu Quoc, Kien Giang) with many large and small islands, floating and sinking, about 160 km northwest of Ca Mau cape and about 220 km from Rach Gia town. Tho Chu archipelago includes 8 islands: Tho Chu island, Hon Nhan, Hon Xanh, Hon Kho, Hon Cao Cat, Hon Tu and Hon Keo Ngua.

Tho Chu Island is a place of important military significance so it is strictly managed by the border force. Getting here is already very difficult, but to freely travel in Tho Chu, you also need permission from this force.

My first stop was Bai Ngu, the busiest place on the island. Bai Ngu is still quite wild and peaceful, with many rows of ancient banyan trees and coconut trees swaying in the wind, enough to put me into an afternoon dream amidst the beautiful natural scenery. I could spend the whole afternoon here swimming without getting bored. In addition, you can also visit seafood fishing establishments and stop by a few houses to learn about their lives. The people here are gentle, warm and hospitable. Coming to Tho Chu, everyone feels like they are at home.

After spending the rest of the day wandering on the road across the island to explore every simple corner of Tho Chu. Occasionally I stopped the car, listened to the rustling of the leaves or followed the path into the forest to encounter rows of majestic ancient trees that 5-7 people could not hug around. Just wandering around, before my eyes appeared the lighthouse of Tho Chu island. At a height of 140 m with an 18 m high light tower, during the day, Tho Chu lighthouse is a place to observe the whole island, the border guards use this place to monitor the security situation of the territorial waters. Visitors are still welcomed here to sightsee and take pictures. At night, Tho Chu lighthouse is a source of light that brings peace of mind to fishermen when they set sail to catch seafood.

The island's lighthouse is not high, its light range is only about 12 nautical miles, but it is worth remembering that it is located at one of the highest points of the island (167 m). From here, I can observe almost the entire Tho Chu island with mountains, roofs hidden under coconut trees, with a peaceful beach and long rows of basket boats. If you look out to sea, the tiny dots will appear as large ships drifting in the sky and sea.

The following days, I set out to visit the nearby small islands. Hon Nhan has towering mountain ranges without a single tree, but strangely, this is the nesting and egg-laying place of thousands of swallows. If you have the opportunity to visit Hon Nhan between October and March of the lunar calendar, you will see with your own eyes the sky of Tho Chu filled with swallows.

As for Hon Xanh… it is truly green because looking around everywhere I see only the green color of natural grass and trees. This beautiful little island is a very suitable place for camping, living, and enjoying the wild life of a real fisherman. On this island there are also monkeys, pythons, monitor lizards, snakes… which is also an interesting feature but a bit… scary, if you are afraid of reptiles like me. Therefore, pay attention to observe, choose a cool place to rest and of course do not forget first aid tools when necessary.

Another extremely interesting experience is to use a wooden boat to cruise around Hon Cao in the middle of the calm sea, clear blue water or land on a deserted island and go through the forest to see the ancient banyan trees, the blooming flowers or don't be afraid of difficulties, follow the path full of broken coral branches that have died under the sun and wind to reach the stone forest area that has been carved and eroded into strangely shaped rocks by millions of years of waves and winds.

On sunny days, the sea is crystal clear, from the boat, visitors can see the antlers and coral reefs crowded at a depth of 5-7 m, and schools of colorful fish swimming among the anemones swaying with each undercurrent. Tho Chu is an island with a rich ecosystem, with 99 species of coral identified in the sea area around the island. Coming here and skipping snorkeling to see the coral is a big mistake. I can hardly resist the urge to put on my goggles, hold my snorkel and dive into the sea to admire the magical ocean world, shimmering in the sunlight.

Eating here is quite simple, Tho Chu has a lot of fresh seafood, just go to Tho Chu market to experience. Or buy some and have BBQ on the beach, swimming, camping and enjoying seafood specialties is also a special experience. Tho Chu land is still very wild, and fortunately the people here decided not to interfere with the existing ecosystem, helping Tho Chu to be pristine and tourists to freely explore and discover.

More information:

Trip:

There are 2 ways to get to Tho Chu:

- You take a tourist bus to Rach Gia City from Ho Chi Minh City, then take a boat to Tho Chu. The travel time by boat is about 16 hours. The direct train from Rach Gia - Tho Chu departs at 8am on the 5th of every month, and returns on the 31st or 26th. The boat is free, but you need to rent a hammock to lie on during the journey.

- Fly to Phu Quoc then take the boat to Tho Chu. The boat departs at 8am on the 10th, 15th, 20th, 25th, and 30th of every month, and departs at 5am on the 6th, 11th, 21st, and 25th of every month in the opposite direction.

Note:There is only one train per week to Tho Chu and from Tho Chu to the mainland. From Rach Gia port to Tho Chu port is about 250km, so the time on the train is more than 16 hours, people with motion sickness need to prepare enough medicine and necessary food.

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