Nam Du Island Vietnam

Nam Du Islands ( Đảo Nam Du) consist of twenty one big and small islands that collectively are known as the Nam Du Archipelago. There are 4 big islands that have relatively decent infrastructure that makes exploration a bit easier. They are: Hon Lon, Hon Dau, Hon Ngang, and Hon Mau. You can commission a boat from local people and travel to these islands.

In the following section, we highlight what you will see at Nam Du's most interesting and popular islands.

HO LON ISLAND

Hon Lon (Hòn Lớn), also known as “Big Island”, “Nam Du Island” and sometimes erroneously referred to as Củ Tron Island (Ấp Củ Tròn) is Nam Du's largest island at 9 square km. Hon Lon, which is part of An Son Commune, is the epicenter of all tourist activity in Nam Du and it is here where you will find he majority of accommodations, restaurants, and the ferry dock where you can catch a ferry to and from Rach Gia.

Hon Lon Islands main town is called Cu Tron and the island also has 3 small coastal communities:

1. Tret Beach (Bãi Thệt) – the community around the pier.
2. Ngu Beach (Bãi Ngự) – the coastal community located at km 1 and about 4 km from the pier on the other side of the island, and
3. Co Beach (BãiCo) – a coastal community 2 km south of Tret Beach. Apart from “seeing how the locals live” there isn't much to see and do at these coastal communities. These small coastal communities also do not have a beach.

Hon Lon Island is famous for its lighthouse (Hải đăng Nam Du), a restricted military zone and for a having a few beaches: Dat Do Beach, Nhun Beach, Men Beach, and Mam Beach. Only Dat Do Beach and Men Beach are beaches that have actual sand. The rest are rocky shoals.

Nam Du Lighthouse

Nam Du Islands lighthouse is the most famous site in Hon Lon Island if not Nam Du, not for the actual lighthouse, which is a bit disappointing compared to other lighthouses, but rather for the view from the lighthouse. The Nam Du Lighthouse is located 300 meters above sea level and it is one of the highest lighthouses in all of Vietnam. Today the Nam Du lighthouse is classified as a restrictive military zone and tourists are strictly forbidden. The military has even place a barrier on the road hoping to deter tourists. You can, however, still visit the lighthouse by”tipping” someone. Ask around the market in Bai Tret town for more details.

 

Dat Do Beach

Dat Do Beach (Bãi Dất Dó) is a small beach located on a quiet bay just before Bai Ngu. It is a perfect spot for drinks and here you find a great view of Hon Hang Island (Hòn Hàng). The narrow beach here has yellow sand and the sea is turquoise in color. Dat Do Beach is the closest beach to Cu Tron Town.

To get there you must travel down a steep paved road. Those who are not comfortable riding a motorbike up and down steep paths should either walk to Dat Do Beach, get dropped off via a Motorbike Taxi, or simply avoid it altogether.

Nhum Beach

Nhum Beach is a small beach located on the northern side of Hon Long Island. It's located behind the island's fresh water source and it is a bit difficult to reach as you need to hike through a small trail. The beach itself consists of rocks and there is a family living nearby.

Men Beach

At just 600 square meters, Men Beach (Bãi Mến) is the best beach on Hon Lon Island and the second best beach in all of Nam Du.

The yellow sand here is soft, the sea is turquoise and green in color, and the banks are inundated with coconut palm trees. There is even some coral at the far edge of the beach. You can have drinks and food here, rent jet skis, and even stay here with a family that keeps this beach clean. There is some development happening here at the moment and we suspect a small resort will be constructed. Bai Men Beach is located the 4km mark.

Mam Beach

Mam Beach (Bãi Cây Mam) is a new beach owned by a very friendly Saigon-ite, which he recently acquired. The beach is currently rocky but he told us he will clean it up. The water is calm and you can snorkel and have a beach BBQ here. He also arranges nightly baby octopus fishing trips. Located at km 7.3 km from Bai Tret.

 

HON DAU ISLAND

Hon Dau Island (Đảo Hòn Dầu) is located directly east of Hon Lon Island and this island is famous for its old growth forest, simple yellow sand beach, and a coconut tree that bends towards the ocean, which has become a popular spot for selfies among tourists who visit here.

The sea surrounding Hon Dau also has some coral reefs, but they are not as healthy as the reefs found around the other Nam Du Islands.

 

HON NGANG

Hon Ngang Island (Hòn Ngang) consists of two towns (An Binh town and An Phu town) that fall under Nam Du commune. It is where most of Nam Du's fishermen live. There are no decent beaches here and not much to do other than visiting the pier to see a sea inundated with fishing boats and fish farms for a photo opportunity.

 

HON MAU

Hon Mau Island (Hòn Mấu) is a small island (~200 hectares) of about 600 people, most of whom make their living off the bounty found in the sea as well as catering to tourists.

Hon Mau has five beaches, and the best is Chuong beach (Bãi Chướng) which is Nam Du's only real white sand beach. The other beaches are Nam Beach, Nom Beach, Da Den Beach, and Da Trang Beach. Out of the 5 beaches found on Hon Mau, only Choung Beach and Nam Beach are worth visiting as the other 3 beaches consists of a variety of rocky shoreline. Hon Mau is rapidly expanding to accommodate the tourist surge and there is now a sizable community found on the island that cater to the growing tourism sector.

Chuong Beach

Chuong Beach (Bãi Chướng) is arguably the most beautiful beach in all of Nam Du. The sand is blindingly white and the shallow turquoise sea is extremely beautiful.

Nam Beach:

Nam Beach is a yellow sandy beach where all the boats that visit Hon Mau dock. The sea is very clean and it is one of the best snorkeling spots in all of Nam Du. Most tourists do not spend too much time at Nam Beach as they are all eager to visit Chuong Beach, however if you plan on coming to Hon Mau, spend some time exploring the beautiful coastline found here.

Da Den Beach:

Da Den Beach (Bãi Ðá Ðen) is a rocky beach that consists of mainly black rocks of various sizes. There is nothing else here but rocks and most tour operators who take you here do so to fill up their daily activity itinerary. If you do come to Da Den Beach, be careful with your footing as it is easy to twist your ankle due to the uneven terrain.

Da Trang Beach:

Da Trang Beach (Bãi Ðá Trắng) is another rocky beach that consists of lighter colored eroded rocks. If you like to look at rocks, then you may enjoy this beach.

 

HAI BO DAP ISLAND

Hai Bo Dap Island (Hòn Hai Bờ Đập) is a uninhabited island that is surrounded by coral. Most island hopping tours stop here so their guests can swim and snorkel. One of the unique features of this island is its natural bridge that connects two islands together to form Hai Bo Dap. This natural sea bridge can only be seen at low tide.

 

HON LO ISLAND

Hon Lo Island (Hòn Lò) is a very small islands which is only 200 meters square in size. It is surrounded by coral and most snorkeling and island hopping tours stop here.