Golden summer, blue waves on Thanh Lan island sea

NDO - When summer comes and the sea calls, Thanh Lan Island (Co To District, Quang Ninh) welcomes visitors from all over the world with the wild beauty of the sea and forest, along with interesting experiences and unique fishing village cuisine. The place that was once considered a "hidden gem" in the northeastern sea is now an attractive bright spot in the green tourism trend.

Thanh Lan Island belongs to Thanh Lan commune, is the largest island of Co To archipelago with an area of ​​27km², 4km from Co To island by sea.

To get to Thanh Lan, visitors can travel from Co To island in about 20 minutes by boat, or take a speedboat straight from the mainland - departing from Ao Tien port (Van Don district), ticket price is 300,000 VND/way/person, travel time is 1 hour 30 minutes.

With unique natural and cultural values, the tourism industry in Thanh Lan in particular and Co To district in general is building and developing tourism products combining relaxation with nature exploration and culinary experiences.

Summer (from April to July) every year is the ideal time to experience Thanh Lan in the golden sunshine and blue sea.

From afar, Thanh Lan Island looks like a green oasis in the middle of the ocean, where mountains and forests blend into a beautiful natural picture. There are currently nearly 10 accommodations on the island, including motels or homestays. Visitors should proactively contact the owner or tour guide to book a room in advance, especially during peak periods such as holidays, Tet, and weekends.

To travel around the island, the popular means of transport is motorbikes that locals rent for 200,000 VND/day. If you are traveling in a large group or want to leisurely sightsee, you can use the electric car service.

Pier at Hai Quan beach, one of the most beautiful beaches in Thanh Lan.

If Co To Island has long been famous and attracted visitors with its rich services and bustling tourists, the pace of life on Thanh Lan Island still retains the pristine, peaceful, and simple beauty of an old fishing village community, where the tourist breeze has just "touched".

Recently, developing community tourism products and experiencing the life of fishermen has been the main direction, attracting many people, especially young people, to participate in welcoming guests and promoting the image of their homeland on many digital platforms.

Ms. Le Thi Trang (far left) is loved by many tourists for her friendliness and dedication to tourism work.

Ms. Le Thi Trang (born in 1992), owner of Thanh Lan Homestay, is one of the pioneering local tour guides on the island, providing package tours as well as unique tours.

She said that in the past 3 years, Thanh Lan has been quite "hot" on forums for backpacking and nature tourism. On special occasions such as the April 30 and May 1 holidays, her family welcomed up to 200 guests. In addition to doing tourism, Ms. Le Thi Trang also distributes OCOP seafood products of Co To such as squid, fish, jellyfish...

Ba Chau Beach is located in village 1, about 4km from Thanh Lan Commune People's Committee headquarters. The crescent-shaped beach is about 1.5km long, with calm sea, suitable for swimming and camping.

Coming to Thanh Lan, the outstanding activity that cannot be missed is definitely swimming and sunbathing on the long beaches. The 4 most beautiful beaches are called by the locals as Ba Chau beach, Vung Tron beach, 76 beach and Hai Quan beach. Thanh Lan beach is clear blue, gently sloping, with fine sand, surrounded by spectacular rocky cliffs.

The beaches on Thanh Lan Island are still pristine, with no shops, no lifeguards. Visitors need to proactively prepare personal belongings, lifebuoys and pay attention to safety, especially families with small children.

Immerse yourself in the clear blue water, you can swim freely to dispel the summer heat or the hustle and bustle of city life. If you are lucky, you can also watch schools of small fish swimming underwater, like a miniature world living right below.

Because the island is located in the middle of the ocean, visitors can arrange to go watch the sunrise or sunset, experience the feeling of "waves calling the sun". Or simply walk together on the beautiful coastal road and enjoy taking photos and recording .

From a relaxing yoga session on C76 beach in the early morning...

... to the moment of kayaking in the romantic sunset at Vung Tron beach.

In addition to swimming, tours to experience clam digging, fishing, squid fishing, scuba diving, exploring deserted islands, camping, etc. are increasingly attracting the attention and booking of many groups of tourists. These tours not only impress and delight tourists, but also bring significant income to the community.

A group of young people from Hanoi excitedly "showed off" the finished product after just a few minutes. The resulting dish was certainly extremely fresh and memorable as it was harvested by their own hands.

Tourists take a boat to a small island in the middle of the sea to watch birds and fish and are provided with fishing gear by a tour guide.

On Thanh Lan Island, there are about 1,600 people living, mainly by fishing, processing jellyfish and starting to exploit tourism.

Fishing village-style cuisine is also an attraction in Thanh Lan. Ocean products such as sea urchins, sea cucumbers, horseshoe crabs, sea worms, squid, fish, jellyfish, etc. are often cooked and grilled simply but still rich in fresh flavor.

The taste of the blue sea from dried squid, fresh oysters (sashimi)... can make diners remember it forever.

Thanh Lan Island, with its important location and pristine beauty, is creating a new driving force for Co To tourism. The journey to discover Thanh Lan is not only a trip back to nature, but also brings emotions about the rich and beautiful land and friendly and gentle people.

Van La Bridge and Thanh Lan Parish Church are unique architectural works, attracting visitors to check-in and experience a part of the island's cultural life.

In the near future, hopefully with the local sustainable development orientation, the participation of investors and unique, distinct tourism models with the active participation of the people... Thanh Lan will continue to affirm its position on the map of Vietnam's sea and island tourism.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/mua-ha-vang-song-biec-tren-vung-bien-dao-thanh-lan-post883515.html