If you are tired of crowded beaches like Do Son in Hai Phong city or SamSon in Thanh Hoa province, the beaches of Co To Island may offer you anideal destination for your holidays.
Co To, one of thefarthest inhabited islands from the mainland, is over 100km from Ha Longcity in the northern province of Quang Ninh. Still far off the beatentourist path, the island retains its natural beauty. A 1.5-hour journeyon high-speed boat will bring you there.
On the northeast of theisland is Hong Van. It's hard to put into words. White sandbanksstretch away to the horizon. Coral reefs are easily to be seen in thelimpid water. With an islet nearby blocking winds from the sea, thewater is as calm as a clear pond. Tourists visit this expansive beach toswim as well as to see locals catching oysters.
Van Chai Beachon the west of the island, appeals’ to visitors with rocks of differentshapes at either end of the beach. The middle of the beach is flat, thesand clean and smooth, and it offers the best place on the island towatch the sunset.
To get another panorama of Co To Island,visitors should go to a lighthouse built in the 19th centur, from whichone could see nearby Little Co To and Thanh Lan islands.
At thecentre of town, standsthe statue of President Ho Chi Minh built in 1968to commemorate the day he visited the island. This is the only place thelate president gave permission to erect a statue of himself while hewas alive. A temple was built in 2005 on the occasion of his 115thbirthday and to mark the 50th anniversary of his visit, and the site wasrecognised as a national historical and cultural vestige by the cultureministry. Some tourists visit the site and light incense to the latepresident when they first set foot on the island.
Co To Island isone of the best choices for a getaway from noisy and crowded city life,suited to people looking to enjoy a holiday swimming, takingphotographs, walking along the beach, cooking a beach BBQ and singingkaraoke 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'sa paradise for backpackers but tough for people who want to relax incomfort," she said. "They need to develop infrastructure here such ashotels and entertainment areas. I know that natural beauty is good, butmost tourists want hotels with modern conveniences."
Island resident Nguyen Khanh Linh said tourism on Co To has developed over the past two years.
"CoTo received hundreds of visitors over the summer, especially during thebusiest times – national holidays and weekends," he said. "In 2010,there were only two guesthouses on the island and most of the touristshad to stay in local people's houses. This year, five new guesthouseshave been opened to better meet the demands of tourists."/.
Co To, one of thefarthest inhabited islands from the mainland, is over 100km from Ha Longcity in the northern province of Quang Ninh. Still far off the beatentourist path, the island retains its natural beauty. A 1.5-hour journeyon high-speed boat will bring you there.
On the northeast of theisland is Hong Van. It's hard to put into words. White sandbanksstretch away to the horizon. Coral reefs are easily to be seen in thelimpid water. With an islet nearby blocking winds from the sea, thewater is as calm as a clear pond. Tourists visit this expansive beach toswim as well as to see locals catching oysters.
Van Chai Beachon the west of the island, appeals’ to visitors with rocks of differentshapes at either end of the beach. The middle of the beach is flat, thesand clean and smooth, and it offers the best place on the island towatch the sunset.
To get another panorama of Co To Island,visitors should go to a lighthouse built in the 19th centur, from whichone could see nearby Little Co To and Thanh Lan islands.
At thecentre of town, standsthe statue of President Ho Chi Minh built in 1968to commemorate the day he visited the island. This is the only place thelate president gave permission to erect a statue of himself while hewas alive. A temple was built in 2005 on the occasion of his 115thbirthday and to mark the 50th anniversary of his visit, and the site wasrecognised as a national historical and cultural vestige by the cultureministry. Some tourists visit the site and light incense to the latepresident when they first set foot on the island.
Co To Island isone of the best choices for a getaway from noisy and crowded city life,suited to people looking to enjoy a holiday swimming, takingphotographs, walking along the beach, cooking a beach BBQ and singingkaraoke 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'sa paradise for backpackers but tough for people who want to relax incomfort," she said. "They need to develop infrastructure here such ashotels and entertainment areas. I know that natural beauty is good, butmost tourists want hotels with modern conveniences."
Island resident Nguyen Khanh Linh said tourism on Co To has developed over the past two years.
"CoTo received hundreds of visitors over the summer, especially during thebusiest times – national holidays and weekends," he said. "In 2010,there were only two guesthouses on the island and most of the touristshad to stay in local people's houses. This year, five new guesthouseshave been opened to better meet the demands of tourists."/.
