Not as crowded as Co To or Ha Long Bay, Quan Lan Island (Van Don District, Quang Ninh Province) has a small area of nearly 11 square kilometers but attracts tourists thanks to its many long beaches, white sand, and pristine natural scenery.
Quan Lan is suitable for families with young children or the elderly, people who are prone to motion sickness because the road to the island has almost no big waves, because it is located in the bay, the travel time is fast. Below is the schedule for tourists staying on the island for 3 days and 2 nights, according to suggestions from Minh Quan, an employee of a resort on the island, and the local people.
Travel: Hanoi - Quan Lan
In addition to driving yourself, visitors can take a limousine or bus to Ao Tien or Cai Rong port (Quang Ninh) from My Dinh or Giap Bat bus stations. Ticket prices start at VND200,000 one way, travel time is 3 hours.
From Ao Tien or Cai Rong port, visitors take a speedboat for about 40 - 60 minutes to reach the island. When booking a room on the island, visitors can ask the hotel to help book speedboat tickets and shuttle buses from the port for convenience. Speedboat tickets cost from 150,000 VND one way.
Getting around the island: Visitors can rent motorbikes, starting at 150,000 VND per day. Gasoline on the island is twice as expensive as on the mainland because there are no gas stations, visitors mainly buy gas from local households. In addition, visitors can ask the hotel to book an electric car for them, the price depends on the itinerary.
Accommodation:
Tourists can rent homestays from local people on the island, hotels located in the center of Quan Lan commune or in the walking street. Room rates are around 800,000 VND if located in the center. If you want to be isolated, close to the sea and stay in a more upscale area, tourists can choose Angsana Quan Lan, a new resort on the island from 2024, room rates from over 6 million VND on weekdays in July.
Dining places:
Visitors can dine right at the accommodation facilities, resorts or go to the center of the commune, walking street area.
Tour schedule
Day 1: Set foot on the island, leisurely enjoy the sea breeze
From Hanoi, tourists depart to Quang Ninh and stop at Ao Tien port to rest and have lunch. The port has two floors, fully serving the dining needs of tourists with restaurants and cafes.
After that, guests board the boat to the island because the check-in time at the hotels is from 14:00 and rest, stroll to Quan Lan beach, one of the most beautiful and natural beaches in the North. Here, you can soak in the turquoise water, play beach volleyball or simply lie on a chair, enjoy the fresh air and listen to the waves.
In the evening, don’t miss the night dining experience at Quan Lan walking street. The street is not too big but has many local food stalls such as steamed rice rolls with squid, sea worm porridge, grilled clams with scallion oil, fruits, snacks, and pearl yogurt. The small street has become a familiar nighttime meeting place for tourists.
Day 2: A full day of exploration and exercise
Early in the morning, visitors can join the locals in digging for sea worms - a unique experience only available in Quan Lan, which is considered interesting by many visitors, especially families with young children. Sea worms are a precious delicacy, often living deep under the sand.
On Quan Lan Island, there are many sandworm digging sites, and visitors can join the locals in digging for free. However, digging for sandworms is not easy, and only experienced people can detect areas with sandworms in the sand. Therefore, visitors should buy a sandworm digging tour, starting at 300,000 VND, to have a tour guide with them.
From the main road to the digging site, you have to go through a muddy section. Visitors should bring boots for easy walking and a shovel and bucket. This is one of the experiences that many young visitors love.
After finishing the sandworm digging session, visitors can return to the hotel to change clothes and continue to visit famous relics on the island such as Quan Lan communal house - a place to worship Tran Dynasty generals who fought against the Yuan army and Tran Khanh Du temple. Son Hao rock beach, a favorite check-in spot for young people thanks to the unique beauty of the layered sedimentary rocks, is also a suggested destination.
In the afternoon, visitors should visit Eo Gio, a famous check-in spot on the island located in the North. Standing in this area, visitors can look out to sea and admire the towering rocky mountains around, enjoying the cool sea breeze.
Late afternoon is the ideal time for activities such as swimming at Minh Chau beach or buying a half-day ticket to swim in the pool and play zipline at Angsana resort, which has two slides along Son Hao beach.
If you prefer a more leisurely experience, visitors can rent bicycles or electric cars to travel along the routes around the island, enjoying the leisurely feeling amidst the quiet nature.
The first stop you should visit is Eo Gio Quan Lan, located in the north of the island. This is one of the famous places with a view of the vast ocean and the surrounding towering mountains. Standing at Eo Gio, you will feel the cool sea breeze blowing in, bringing a relaxing and pleasant feeling. Take some time to admire the majestic natural scenery here, take some souvenir photos and enjoy the fresh air.
In the evening, you can return to the walking street to try other dishes, or enjoy a seafood BBQ party organized by locals or motels right on the beach.
Day 3: Stroll around the local market, buy specialties, return to the mainland
On the last morning, visitors should wake up early and stroll around the local seafood market to buy specialties such as dried sea worms, dried squid, dried mantis shrimp, dried shrimp, and fish sauce as gifts. Quan Lan Market is small but full of fresh products at reasonable prices. A kilo of dried shrimp costs from 350,000 VND, a liter of good quality sea worms costs about 300,000 VND, and fish sauce costs from over 100,000 VND depending on the type. Visitors can also buy gifts at the walking street the night before.
Before boarding the boat back to the mainland, visitors can spend some time sitting in a seaside cafe, breathing in the sea breeze and taking photos to capture the last moments of a trip "escaping the city to the island".
Note:
Visitors should bring sunglasses, sunscreen, beach sandals and insect repellent.
You should contact in advance to book services such as ziplining and experience tours if you go during peak season or weekends.
Avoid littering, preserve the pristine landscape of Quan Lan.
Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/tron-pho-ra-dao-o-quan-lan-415226.html
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