Going to the island, the first impression is that the island is very clean and planted with many coconuts Conquering Ma Thien Lanh peak On Hon Son island, there are 7 peaks, of which Ma Thien Lanh is the most famous for its mysterious stories. With an altitude of 450m above sea level, this is the highest mountain in Hon Son island, so it attracts many tourists to visit and conquer. To climb the mountain without losing strength, the first night we booked a room at Lamien Lodge. The hotel is located halfway up the mountain, on the way to the top of Ma Thien Lanh. The room is located entirely in the forest and has a view of the entire Hon Son sea from above. Here, you can be completely immersed in nature, use the direct spring water of Ma Thien Lanh peak and say no to air conditioning, hot and cold water. Note, when you choose to stay on the mountain, remember to only bring a backpack, not a suitcase, you will not be able to carry or pull it up because the road is quite difficult. However, if you bring a suitcase, there will be a pick up service for you, each up / down is 150,000 VND. In particular, the phone signal here is very poor, only occasionally available, only for direct calls, but cannot access the Internet, very suitable for those who need complete rest. A few notes when climbing – It is recommended to wear and bring clothes made of cool, sweat-absorbing fabrics to move freely.- Women who wear short clothes should use mosquito repellent, because forest mosquitoes are many and bite very painful.- Climbing shoes must be light, hug your feet to avoid foot pain.- Items to bring such as flashlights, knives, drinking water (1.5 liters/person) and light food.- Remember to preserve the landscape forests, limit littering. After checking in, you can order a lunch of steamed garlic chicken, or salted steamed chicken, made by the people you meet along the way when you check in. After eating and resting, around 1:30 pm you start to conquer the remaining road of Ma Thien Lanh peak. From here, the road will be more difficult to go. On the way up the mountain, you will be told by the guide fascinating stories, handed down from ancient times, about Pho Tinh Pagoda, Lo Thien Pagoda, Monk Uncle Uncle, mountain ascetics and Even the fairies descended,… Just climbed to the top of the mountain while listening to stories, the way was also closer. Conquering Ma Thien Lanh peak is an unforgettable experience for visitors when coming to Hon Son In order to facilitate farming, travel and live here, people make stairs convenient for going up the mountain. The scenery on both sides of the road is very poetic and wild, the atmosphere is clear and cool. A few notes when traveling independently is that if you get lost, follow the water line. This is a small trick, passed down by the people who often go to the mountain. Stop at Lo Thien Phat Pagoda, you have gone 1/3 of the way to the top of Ma Thien Lanh. The road from there to the top of the mountain is becoming more and more difficult and challenging when it is no longer a cement road, three steps, instead a small path. Not only that, on the way there are luxuriant trees, the sound of birds and gibbons howling, making your trip more mysterious, thrilling and interesting. The reward is often worth it when climbing to the top of the mountain Setting foot on the top of the mountain, your efforts are also rewarded, all fatigue, body aches seem to disappear. Take a deep breath and feel the wonderful atmosphere here. In front of you is the majestic natural scenery of mountains, immense sea and sky. Feel free to talk to the people living here. They are very sincere and open. Snorkeling to see corals, catching sea urchins Early the next day, have breakfast and sip coffee, receive a helmet and rented motorbike when going to the island, priced at 120,000 VND/day, you start to explore the route around the island. Coconuts are characteristic of this island. Here, coconuts grow from the beach up halfway up the hill. Every tree is so tall with very unique and strange poses. So for tourists, Hon Son is also known by another familiar name, “Coconut Island”. The road around the island For that reason, some local names of beaches are called other names such as leaning coconut trees, lying coconut trees or coconut rows, etc. To protect coconuts, people nail along the tree trunks so that tourists don’t sit up, avoid the tree uprooted and make a safe exit to serve guests taking pictures. There are also beautiful natural rock beaches around the island. Maybe because of many rocks, the island is called Hon Son. Hon Son Rai – the name may also come from the shape of this rock After visiting the island, you can rent a small boat to the sea, priced at 120,000 VND/person. You will be diving to see corals and fish. The beach here is full of urchins. After an hour of swimming and scuba diving, you can enjoy a lunch full of fresh seafood right on the fish raft, such as swimming crabs for only 400,000 VND/kg, special squid porridge with the sweetness of squid and the warmth of ginger. A very cute little shop selling snacks on the island The leaning coconut tree is nailed so that visitors do not sit, climb, or break the tree Visitors are extremely excited to see the sea and eat seafood in Hon Son A point you should not miss when coming to Hon Son is the rocky beach and the beach with the most beautiful beach on the island. The rock area has a very large rock, shaped like a snake. People here call it the snake head rock, but when you check-in online, it will appear “Hon Son Rai”. This rock is very big and quite flat, so in the afternoon, lying on it, watching the sunset, is very cool. In the evening, order a hot pot to eat right at the beach and then climb up to “Hon Son Rai” to lie down and enjoy the cool wind and cool breeze without disturbing mosquitoes, making you just want to sleep here until morning to conveniently watch the sunrise. How to go to Hon Son Currently, there are two trains every day to Hon Son island. You should call to book tickets before going to the port, to avoid the situation of running out of tickets. Train tickets can be booked online and paid by bank transfer, very convenient. Ticket price is 280,000 VND/round trip. Visitors should book a trip at 7:30 am and go to the pier early, about 1 hour before breakfast, then visit the toad market located across the street opposite the port to buy some fruit to bring, because there is almost no sale on the island. The fruits here are delicious and cheap. At 7:30, the ship left the pier. After about 15 minutes, the driver will open the door for guests to get on the deck to open up. Up here, you are free to take pictures of the ship turning waves to the sea. The scenery is very beautiful and windy, so it is very suitable for you who have motion sickness. There are two seasons here, the rainy season and the dry season. The best time to go is from November to March, at this time it does not rain and the sea is calm, convenient for climbing and scuba diving. The people here are very friendly and likable. You book any motel or hotel with a caller ready to pick you up at the port. On the island, there are many accommodation services for you to choose from, from homestays to affordable guesthouses, the average cost is from 170,000 to 800,000 VND/room.

Mr. Tien Tan, a high-speed train ticket agent in Rach Gia, said many train owners were surprised to see a sudden increase in the number of tourists buying tickets to travel. Tourists wait to board the high-speed train at Rach Gia wharf. Photo: Viet Tuong. “Guests booked tickets to Phu Quoc and Kien Giang islands increased 3 times compared to the year without epidemic diseases. Several years ago, the ideas were often canceled during the holidays, but this year neither side has a surplus ”, said Mr. Tan. A high-speed train agent in Ha Tien said that in Ganh Dau (Phu Quoc) has just opened an entertainment venue, leading to increased demand from tourists. Ms. Thuy Ha (living ward 7, Soc Trang city, Soc Trang province) said that even in the West, none of her family members went to Phu Quoc because the children went to school and her husband worked. Taking advantage of the long holiday, she and her husband and 2 children and father, mother-in-law went to the pearl island to rest. “I have an acquaintance with the train ticket agent in Rach Gia but I contacted for 2 days to get a ticket to Phu Quoc”, Ms. Ha said. The reason is that Ha’s family booked late tickets. The border guards checked the information of passengers on the high-speed train to the islands of Kien Giang province on April 28. Photo: Viet Tuong. Director of the Department of Transport of Kien Giang Le Viet Bac said that when the number of tickets sold increased sharply, the shipping lines automatically increased flights. The trip increase also helps businesses increase revenue after many months of difficult operation because of the disease. According to statistics of the Kien Giang Department of Tourism, in April the total number of tourists visiting Kien Giang was estimated at 517,050 arrivals, increasing many times over the same period in 2020. Of which, 3,641 international visitors; 300,485 visitors to the tourist sites and spots; 204,063 guests staying, total revenue from tourism reached 473.8 billion. Particularly, Phu Quoc has 368,848 tourists visiting, of which 3,476 international visitors. Domestic tourists come back to Phu Quoc a lot when the disease situation in the country is under stable control. Photo: Viet Tuong. Currently, high-speed train tickets from Phu Quoc to Rach Gia and vice versa are from VND 330,000-340,000; Ha Tien – Phu Quoc 230,000-250,000 VND; Rach Gia – Nam Du 230,000 VND, Rach Gia – Hon Son 150,000 VND and Hon Son – Nam Du 80,000 VND. For high-speed ferries, the fare from Rach Gia – Phu Quoc and vice versa is 280,000 VND / person; 5-seater car 1.3 million VND, 7 seats 1,350,000 VND and 16 seats 2 million VND each.