Contrasting scenery at Ly Son and Phu Quy islands.

Many hotels and homestays in Phu Quy are currently 70-90% booked. Meanwhile, Ly Son only sees a high number of visitors on weekends and during the April 30th - May 1st holiday.

Tourists check in at Phu Quy Island. Photo: Si Phu Quy .

From March onwards, Phu Quy Island (Lam Dong) and Ly Son Island (Quang Ngai) enter a season of calm seas and clear waters, with bustling boat trips transporting tourists. After a quiet period of tourism during the northeast monsoon season, hotels, homestays, and tour operators begin to welcome the new tourist season.

Phu Quy Island is at its most beautiful from January to June, with the peak season falling in March to May, when the sea is calm and clear. Meanwhile, Ly Son Island is usually crowded with tourists from April to August because of the less rain and beautiful sunshine.

Phu Quy Island is packed with customers.

According to data from the People's Committee of Phu Quy Special Economic Zone, as of February, the entire island had nearly 70 accommodation establishments with more than 1,200 beds.

Speaking to Tri Thức - Znews, Lê Lanh, owner of Thùy Dương Homestay, said that the number of bookings in Phú Quý started to increase from the beginning of March. Her homestay has 3 standard rooms and 4 rooms with sea views, and in March it was 60% booked due to occasional windy conditions.

"In April and May, about 70-80% of the rooms are fully booked on weekends, reaching 40-50% occupancy during the week and filling up quickly, with guests concentrating on rooms with sea views," she said.

April and May are the peak months for tourists visiting Phu Quy Island, a period that lasts until June and July. Photo: Si Phu Quy.

At Le Huyen's La Mer Boutique, 78% of rooms were booked in March, a figure that could have reached 90% if there hadn't been any ferry service disruptions. Currently, the weather is fine and the sea is calm. She has 89% of rooms booked for April and 67% for May.

Huyen said: "This year, the number of visitors remains the same as the same period last year, but there is a tendency to book closer to the date to time the trip to check the weather. Previously, they booked a month in advance, now it's only a week or 10 days."

The peak tourist season also coincides with the diving season in Phu Quy. According to a diving tour company, tour occupancy rates in March-May reached 70%, a significant increase compared to the same period last year, with April reaching 85%. The main diving spot is at Bai Can.

At Yosea, the popularity of freediving tours is also evident. After the first half of March was affected by wind, the number of customers started to fill up every day. During the period of March 21-27, the company led 6-15 customers per day.

Regarding high-speed ferries, a representative from Phu Quoc Express Joint Stock Company, the operator of the Trung Trac ferry on the Phan Thiet - Phu Quy route, said that passenger numbers started to increase towards the end of March. The ticket price is approximately 370,000 VND per person.

Ly Son Island has few visitors this week.

Meanwhile, many accommodation owners in Ly Son Island have noted that the number of tourists is concentrated mainly on weekends and during the upcoming April 30th - May 1st holiday. Currently, the island has more than 130 accommodation establishments, according to the Ly Son Special Economic Zone People's Committee.

Hai Yen Homestay has just opened with 8 sea-facing rooms. A representative from the homestay stated that the weather in Ly Son in March is not yet ideal, with occupancy only reaching 60%, and around 20% during the week. From April to June, the number of bookings through online platforms reaches about 40-50%, concentrated on weekends.

"We have already received bookings for the Hung Kings Commemoration Day and the April 30th - May 1st holidays. The occupancy rate is 80-90%," a representative from the homestay informed.

Natural landscape at Ly Son Island. Photo: Rot's Blog.

Vu Thanh Nhai, who manages Phu Sy Hotel, said that due to wind and waves, the peak season for tourists on the island is from late April to around August. Weekend occupancy in April-June reaches 80%, while weekday occupancy is around 20-40%. The number of weekday guests is lower than last year and tends to be shorter-stayed.

"For the April 30th - May 1st holiday, the hotel was fully booked from last month," she said.

Thanh Nhài acknowledges that the increase in ferry ticket prices between Sa Kỳ and Lý Sơn has partly led to a decrease in the number of tourists, but only by about 10%, because tourists are already familiar with island tours and are willing to pay more.

However, with the increasing number of visitors to the special economic zone, including foreign tourists, if ticket prices are not adjusted soon, tourists may shift their attention to other destinations. For example, on March 19th, her hotel had three guests cancel their reservations and postpone their trips to the island.

"I hope the new Sa Ky - Ly Son high-speed ferry route will be implemented to develop tourism in Ly Son and make it easier to welcome tourists during peak season," Nhai expressed.

Regarding the diving activities, Loi Nguyen, a local guide and provider of diving tours on Be Island, said that the diving season starts in March, when the water is clear, but there aren't many customers yet. In April, his unit only has 7 days available, all weekdays. In May, 60% of the bookings are filled on weekends.

Tourists participate in a snorkeling tour at Be Island. Photo: Loi Nguyen.

According to the survey, the current ticket price from Sa Ky port to Ly Son is 227,000 VND/ticket for Super Bien Dong, Super 2 Bien Dong, and Super Speed ​​Hoa Binh ferries.

Previously, for tourists, the ticket price increased from 207,000 VND/ticket to 237,000 VND/ticket. However, from March 18th, Bien Dong Construction and Transport Services Trading Company Limited, the owner of the Super Bien Dong and Super 2 Bien Dong passenger ships, reduced the price by 10,000 VND.

Amid rising ferry ticket prices, Phu Quoc Express Joint Stock Company has sent a document to the People's Committee of Quang Ngai Province , the People's Committee of Ly Son Special Economic Zone, and the Director of the Department of Construction of Quang Ngai Province requesting permission to resume the Sa Ky - Ly Son route (temporarily suspended since November 2023) and freely sell tickets through its system. The company commits to reducing ticket prices by at least 20% and maintaining the current price for 10 years.

Source: https://znews.vn/canh-doi-lap-tai-ly-son-phu-quy-post1636444.html