Buzz
If you're still uncertain about where to spend your weekend, let me suggest a prime location - Cô Tô Island <3
1. Transportation
From Hanoi to Cái Rồng Port, we took the Xuân Trường sleeper bus (160k/one way/person), getting a solid 4-5 hours of sleep until arrival.
Upon reaching the port, we purchased high-speed boat tickets to the island (250k/one way/person).
High-speed boat tickets start selling at 6 am, with the first departure at 6:30 am. If you're prone to motion sickness, opt for seats in the middle of the boat.
On Cô Tô, we primarily used scooters for transportation (150k/day, excluding fuel).
– If traveling in a group, consider renting electric scooters for a cheaper option.
❗️You can refuel your scooter right in town's third district.
2. Accommodation Options
+ When visiting Cô Tô, you can stay at hotels, homestays, or guesthouses.
We preferred staying at a guesthouse as we spent most of our time exploring outdoors, priced at 300/night, conveniently located in the town center for easy access ????
3. Dining
+ When in Cô Tô, don't miss out on enjoying seafood dishes such as seafood hotpot, crab, and mantis shrimp. ????Some popular restaurants include: Uý Thanh, Bình An kitchen (outdoor dining by the beach),… We had seafood at Bình An kitchen priced at 300k/person, truly delicious ❤️❤️
+ For breakfast, we tried: Cô Tô plus, Cồ Nghĩa,… both delicious and reasonably priced.
Additionally, there are bubble tea shops and snack stalls like Kai Tea, Thế Giới Chè,…
4. Our Itinerary
Day 1
We took the Xuân Trường sleeper bus from Hanoi the night before. Picked up at the Sở Thanh Xuân intersection around 1 am.
+ At 5:30 am, we arrived at Cái Rồng Port, rested and bought high-speed boat tickets ????
+ At 6:30 am, we departed from the port to the island (coordinate with your hotel, homestay for pickup upon arrival at Cô Tô)
+ By 8 am, we reached Cô Tô Island, checked into our accommodation with an early check-in option or left our luggage to explore
+ We rested and had lunch until 2 pm when we rented scooters ????to visit: around the town, Ngọn Hải Đăng, Vàn Chảy Beach (I got slightly itchy from jellyfish)
+ In the evening, we enjoyed seafood hotpot and explored around the town
Day 2
+ The weather on the second day was lovely, we had breakfast at 8 am and began our journey
* Dragon Claw Beach
* Wave Hill (next to Dragon Claw Beach)
* Âu Cảng (3km from Dragon Claw Beach)
+ At noon, we had lunch in town and rested at our accommodation
+ At 2 pm, we visited
* Bác Hồ Statue (in town)
* Love Road, Love Beach (for photos)
* Hồng Vàn Beach (for swimming and relaxation). I enjoyed swimming here as the water was clear, white sand, and no itching like Vàn Chảy Beach.????
+ In the evening, we dined and explored in town.
Day 3
+ We had breakfast in town and headed to Bắc Vàn Port to visit Cô Tô Con
The cost for the boat to Cô Tô Con is 700k/boat/12 people (round trip). You can split the cost among fewer people but group together to reach 12 people for a cheaper fare.
+ Around noon, we returned to our accommodation for lunch, souvenir shopping, checkout, buying high-speed boat tickets, returning scooters.
+ Early afternoon, we went to the port and took a sleeper bus back home.
❗️You should inquire about the high-speed boat schedule from the island to the port beforehand to prepare, otherwise missing the boat means staying overnight on the island.
5. Budgeting: How Much Money?
* Sleeper bus ticket: 320k/person
* High-speed boat ticket: 500k/person
* Guesthouse accommodation: 300k/person
* Scooter rental: 150k/2 days/1 person
* Fuel cost: 50k
* Food expenses: 600k/person
* Miscellaneous: 120k/person
* Cô Tô Con boat: 60k/person
❤️So the total expenses amount to 2100k/person.
That's our spending. Yours may vary depending on conditions and preferences ????????
❤️Above is our trip, feel free to use it as reference. Cô Tô is still quite pristine and beautiful, with friendly locals. Wishing you a wonderful journey ❤️
Creator: Mai Hann
See more: Travel Experience at Cô Tô Island
