Nam Du Archipelago off the coast of the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang consists of 21 islets which show attractive ecological diversity in the West Sea.
Nam Du is more than 80 kilometers from Kien Giang’s Rach Gia City. Every day, a boat of Ngoc Thanh, a passenger boat firm, leaves Rach Gia Wharf at 7:20 a.m. to take tourists to the archipelago. On the way, some passengers leave the boat on Tre and Son islets.
The Ngoc Thanh boat reached Cu Tron—one of the biggest islets of Nam Du— at 10:30 a.m. Here, all the travelers get off the boat for the islet. After a short rest at hostels or homestays, tourists can start their exploring trip on Nam Du Archipelago.
Tourists may rent a motorbike for VND120,000 per person to have a nice tour around Cu Tron Islet. Travel on the nine-kilometer coastal road and you’ll enjoy the beautiful beaches on one side and majestic mountains on the other.
Cay Men Beach is arguably the most beautiful beach in Nam Du. The arch-shaped beach has white smooth sandy shore and rows of coconut trees. Moreover, tourists can indulge themselves with blue sea.
The next destination should be Nam Hai Ngu Than Temple on a mountain where travelers are able to admire the picturesque Ngu Beach beneath. The temple is also home to the 15-meter-long skeleton of a whale. According to the guard of the temple, the whale was found in 2017. Local fishermen preserved the skeleton in the temple as they believe whales are their rescuers should they be in trouble at sea.
From Cu Tron Islet, travelers may hire a boat to visit other islets. Small boat costs VND250,000 a day or VND150,000 half day. Dau Islet is the first stop. The small untapped islet is covered with primary forests. Especially, a beach stretching 100 meters on the islet has two parts—onshore and offshore. Tourists can take pleasure in blue sea onshore and experience a scuba diving service to admire coral reefs and catch sea urchins which are main ingredient of local specialties.
Meanwhile, Ngang is a crowded islet home to floating houses for fish raising. Fishes raised on Ngang Islet are favored by traders across Vietnam. Some are even exported.
Around three nautical miles from Ngang Islet is Mau Islet with areas full of colorful pebbles in different shapes and a white sand beach. Seafood on the islet would be wonderful.
Travelers should go for a night stroll around Nam Du Port where they can find eateries serving fresh seafood.
By Hoang Tham
