Co To island district - emerging sea tourism destination
Quang Ninh (VNA) – Co
To island district, an archipelago in the northeastern province of Quang Ninh
province, can become an important sea tourism destination in Vietnam.
With pristine white sand beaches
and crystal clear water, mountains covered with jungle, roads zigzagging the
island, a diverse plant ecosystem and fresh seafood, Co To archipelago is perfect
for tourists.
From Cai Rong port in Van Don
district, another island district of Quang Ninh province, you can take
high-speed boat trips that take one hour and half to cover the distance.
The port on Cai Bau island also
offers super-fast boats which can travel to the island in just 45 minutes. The
trip itself provides spectacular views.
Since connecting to the national
grid at the end of 2013, Co To Lon, the largest island in the archipelago, has
its tourism infrastructure developed quickly, giving a facelift to Co To town
on the island, with bigger and modern hotels and more eateries and cafes.
To navigate Co To Lon, you can
hire an electric vehicle with a tour guide or a motorbike to explore the island
on your own. Luckily, Co To Lon is small enough to explore in one day.
For those who love to swim or
relax on beaches, Co To Lon has plenty. Beaches are on all sides of the island.
Some small accommodation services have popped up on some beaches, providing options
for visitors who want to savour the island.
There is a small lighthouse to
visit as well. It is located atop a mountain, 70m above sea level, in Co To Lon
and can be accessed via a road winding through the pine jungle with wild
flowers all around.
Riding a motorbike around Co To
Lon is the best way to explore and see the daily activities of island natives. You
travel along roads lined with trees or through rice paddy fields scattered with
buffaloes.
The peaceful feeling around the
island is unique, particularly for those who come from big cities.
Co To archipelago district consists
of 15 islands, so if you are ready to spend more, you can take boat trips
offered by local residents to nearby islands, which are more wild, pristine and
off-the-beaten-track.
After exploring, you can return
to the town to enjoy coffee or drinks and find a restaurant to eat seafood.
Because Co To Lon is little known among foreign tourists, most tourism services
from hotels to restaurants are typically Vietnamese but the quality is good at
reasonable prices.
The downside of Co To Lon is
that its town has not been designed well with buildings lacking charisma, while
the streets are not lined with trees and do not have the ambience of a tourist
town.
Despite these problems, Co To Lon
in particular and the Co To archipelago district in general have great
potential to become a sea tourism destination. The district administration has aimed
to bring the ratio of tourism in its economy to 45-50 percent by 2020 with
revenue of 1.6 trillion VND (72 million USD) and income per capita of 3,000 to
3,500 USD.-VNA