Exploring Ly Son Island for 4 Days

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The natural beauty, pristine beaches, and hospitality, along with delectable cuisine, have all contributed to the peculiar allure of Ly Son district.

Exploring Ly Son Island for 4 Days

Below is the 4-day travel itinerary for Ly Son Island shared by Thanh Trang with Mytour. Feel free to check it out!

1. Overview

- Ly Son consists of 2 main islands: Big Island and Small Island. Big Island (commonly known as Ly Son) is where boats from Sa Ky port (Quang Ngai) dock. It comprises 2 villages: Dong village and Tay village. The main attractions on Ly Son Island include spots for swimming and diving to observe coral reefs on Small Island.

– April and May mark the peak season here. The weather is delightful, perfect for coral diving. This means you should book your accommodation and train tickets about a week in advance.

2. Getting Around

If you're traveling by plane, from Chu Lai Airport (Quang Nam) to Sa Ky port is about 60km. You can choose to take a taxi or bus. If you take the bus, go to the airport to catch bus 12, priced at 40,000 VND/ticket to the final stop, Quang Ngai Central Bus Station (about 1 hour 15 minutes). At the station, take bus number 3 or hire a taxi to get to Sa Ky port (about 270,000 VND).

Whether you travel by plane or car, you'll need to go to Sa Ky port (20km from Quang Ngai city center) and purchase tickets to Ly Son island.

Tickets to Ly Son island:

If you're traveling in a group of about 2 – 3 people during the off-peak season, there's no need to buy tickets in advance. Just go to the port and buy tickets when you arrive. There are currently two types of boats to Ly Son: super-fast (30 minutes – 155,000 VND/ticket) and high-speed (1 hour 5 minutes – 135,000 VND/ticket). Boat schedules from Sa Ky: 7:30 am, 9:30 am, 11:30 am, 1:30 pm, 3:30 pm. Phone: 055 3626431, 055.3626138.

Note that each person in line can purchase 2 tickets. To buy tickets, you must present the buyer's ID or passport and the ID or passport of the person being represented. Tickets go on sale at 6 am, and the train departs at 7:30 am.

Getting around the island:

– Scooter: Lý Sơn Island is small, so scooters are the primary mode of transportation. Rental prices range from 120 – 150,000 VND/day, available at your hotel.

– Taxi: Taxis on the island are very expensive, averaging 30,000 VND/km.

– Bicycle: If you can borrow a bicycle from someone on the island to explore the harbor or market, it's fine, but for longer distances, the roads are steep and there are no bike rental services on the island.

3. Accommodation

There are plenty of options for you when you visit Ly Son. Depending on your needs and budget, you can choose suitable accommodation.

– The most luxurious hotel in Ly Son currently is: Mường Thanh 4-star, with prices ranging from 1.6-2.5 million VND/room. The hotel is close to the beach and has a swimming pool. Shuttle service from the port to the hotel costs 200,000 VND (if you take a taxi directly from the port, it's only 60,000 VND).

– Central Ly Son: Prime location right by the harbor. Average room price is around 1 million VND.

– Motels, guesthouses: Phat Thinh – Ly Son. Newly built guesthouse, clean rooms – I've checked it out myself. Prices range from 150 – 200,000 VND/room, depending on your bargaining skills with the landlord. Phone: 0169 8589602.

– Homestays: Sister Thuan (098 336 42 22), Nguyen Quang (Sister Mot – 098 3095619)… Prices range from 100 – 150,000 VND/room for 2 people. Note for budget hotels, homestays: when you book a room, make sure to instruct them to pick you up at the ferry port.

4. What to Do in Ly Son

– Ly Son (Big Island) is divided into 2 areas: Thon Dong and Thon Tay. The distance from the port to these sightseeing spots is no more than 8km.

+ Thon Tay: Dục Pagoda, watching the sunset at Tò Vò Gate (around 5pm, the sun sets early this season)

+ Thon Dong: Thoi Loi Mountain for sunrise viewing (also around 5am), the mouth of the Volcano, Hang Pagoda, Cau Cave (the coastline with stunning cliffs), Mu Cu, Hai Dang, temples, churches, and more…

– Small Island: 10 minutes from Ly Son by boat, with only 80 households and about 400 people. You can buy boat tickets at the port early in the morning of your departure day, starting from 6:45 am, and there are plenty of boats so you don't have to worry about tickets selling out. They will run when there are enough passengers. On the way back, buy tickets on Small Island, priced at 40,000 VND/person.

+ On Small Island, there are 3 beaches to visit and play: Main Beach, Ong Run Beach, and Coconut Beach. A round trip electric car ride will cost 30,000 VND, but if you only go to Main Beach for swimming, it's only 10,000 VND/one-way.

+ Arriving at Small Island by boat, you can reach Main Beach by electric car or by walking, it's quite close. At Main Beach, there are many drink and food stalls. You can rent lockers, fresh water for bathing at 20,000 VND/person/22-liter bucket, and life jackets at 10,000 VND/person.

+ You can contact Mr. An (0167 393 7998), a genuine islander, who doubles as a tourist electric car driver and guide to show you the beautiful sights, take stunning photos, and arrange overnight camping tours on the island…

5. Dining on the island

– Must-try specialties on the island: garlic salad, seaweed salad, snails, fish noodle soup, savory pancakes, king crab.

– At homestays, you can ask the host to cook for you, prices vary from 30-50,000 VND/person depending on the place. If you want seafood, you can ask the host to buy and cook for you, sharing the cost, ranging from 150 – 200,000 VND/meal. Or you can go to the port to buy seafood yourself, have the host cook it, and pay them for their service.My advice is if you're a group of 4 or more, go to Binh Dan eatery for quick, affordable meals with a variety of dishes. If there are 2 – 3 of you, ask the homestay to cook for you, make sure to discuss the cost per meal and what dishes you want them to prepare before they go to the market.

– If you're lazy, in the morning just eat at the noodle shops near the port: crab noodle soup (20,000 VND), fish noodle soup (25,000 VND). If you're more adventurous, go to the local market, where food is abundant and cheap: fish noodle soup (10-15,000 VND), fermented fish noodle soup (10,000 VND), rice noodle soup (5-10,000 VND), savory pancakes (1,500 VND/piece).

– From 11am to 2pm, there's nothing for sale on the island, you can only eat at restaurants or at food stalls (Dai Hang restaurant or the one opposite Dai Hang, 25,000 VND/plate, with 4 dishes: braised ribs, braised fish, fish cake, fried eggs).

– Affordable and delicious seafood restaurant: Binh Dan eatery (opposite Thuy Thach guesthouse in Thon Tay, open from 5pm – 11pm). Seaweed salad 50,000 VND, squid 200,000 VND/kg, snails 70,000 VND.

6. Insta-worthy Photo Spots in Ly Son

– Cau Cave: One side faces the sea, the other side is a rocky cliff, near the mossy green coastline, incredibly serene. To capture that perfect shot perched on the cliff, you have to climb up the ladder (10,000 VND/time).

– Mouth of the volcano.

– Earth mound near the flagpole: With beautiful green fields and deep ravines, it's the ideal spot for wedding photoshoots.

– Hai Dang (Lighthouse).

– Small Island: Main Beach, Coconut Beach, Rainbow Bridge (though it's just a small bridge on the sea, it makes for beautiful photos, 5,000 VND/person for each photo taken on the bridge).