As a beautiful uninhabited island, Hon Seo Island in Binh Dinh province
is an ideal destination for those who want to explore the sea and
island, see colourful pebbles on the beach, cross large rocks, take a
dive, go fishing, and enjoy freshly-caught seafood.
Located off the Phuong Mai Peninsula in Nhon Ly commune, about
15km northeast of Quy Nhon city, Hon Seo Island is famous for
its pristine beauty. Hon Seo, which when seen from the mainland
resembles a huge ship sailing to shore, is a wild oasis with feral
plants, cliffs, various wild sea creatures and birds.
In order to explore Hon Seo, you can use boat services of tourism
companies or hire fishing boats from fishermen at Nhon Ly. If starting
from Nhon Ly Beach, your boat will pass through the Wind Strait (Eo
Gio) to Yen (swallow) Island. It will take you 20 minutes to get to
Hon Seo. But if you depart from Quy Nhon port, it will take you more
than an hour to get there.
The first impression
when you reach the island is clear water. You can see strange coral
reefs and colourful fish of different kinds swimming in water. Around
the island, there are large and small rocks piled up, and you may want
to climb them to view the sea.
One of the most
interesting things about this island is a long stretch of colourful
pebble stones. Colourful fist-shaped pebbles, eroded by the action of
ocean waves over the years, become round and smooth. Beautiful pebbles
are so attractive that most visitors want to take them home as pretty
souvenirs. Some even bring them home to decorate houses or make a
rock-garden.
About 10 metres from the
pebble stretch toward the foot of the mountain, there is a huge natural
stone cave. The cool atmosphere and its capacity of accommodating
hundreds of people make this cave an ideal stop for tourists.
From the top of Hon Seo, you can feel and see the high sky and the
wide sea. On the left-hand side of the sea, there are the Phuong Mai
Mountains jutting out, while you can see the Wind Strait, Yen
Island and long sand dunes far away on the right-hand side.
The combination of the Wind Strait, Yen Island and the
Phuong Mai Peninsula looks like a huge pair of arms to embrace the
island. You feel fantastic while standing there, breathing cool, fresh
air from the sea. Especially, sunrise or sunset is the most beautiful
time to go sightseeing in Hon Seo.
Hon Seo is a
wonderful travel spot for adventure tours. You may go camping, rock
climbing, sightseeing or fishing, and then cook and enjoy what you just
caught. If you want to catch fish, you should go to the island in the
morning, prepare some fishing rods and bait. Sometimes, you may catch
big fish, if you’re lucky.
You can also join
local fishermen to experience fishing for eel or big fish, and then cook
and eat them as a reward for successful fishing, as the locals usually
do.-VNA