Mong Rong Rock Ground is a must-see destination on Co To Island

In early June, we and a group of young people went on a tour to Co To Island organised by Chung Tourism Joint-stock Company. From Cai Rong Pier, we bought tickets at 200,000VND/person, to get on a fast speedboat to Co To.

Arriving on the island, we saw great changes with many hotels and restaurants built to meet the increasing demand of tourists. We stayed at Co To Mini Resort which has 40 rooms with views of Hong Bang Beach. The prices for each room vary from 800,000-2,000,000VND.  To explore the island, we hired motorbikes for 125,000VND/each/day.

The first stop on our tour was Co To Lighthouse. After driving on steep hill in a forest for about half an hour, we arrived at the lighthouse. We then climbed 72 steps of the spiral staircase to the "roof" of the island where we had a panoramic view of an area with small islets, beaches and lush green forests.

During our stay in Co To, we were advised to see Mong Rong (Dragon Claw) Rock Ground. It was really amazing to see unique formations of large rocks and mountains reaching out to the sea which looked like dragon claws.

Small wooden houses on Hoang Van Beach

According to the locals, the rocky ground, also called Cau Mi, covers more than 40ha and has a length of 2km, stretching northeast-southwest of the island. The ground consists of sedimentary rocks eroded by sea water. For thousands of years of geological tectonics, layers of rocks have become unique shapes with different colours. It is considered the best place for watching the sunrise on the island.

When talking about the island, it is impossible not to mention Van Chay Beach, one of the most beautiful beaches on this island. During summer vacation, the beach is always crowded with tourists.

Despite being the furthest island from the mainland, Co To Island with its transparent blue sea, white smooth sand, golden sunshine, and green mountains and forest, is one of the best selections for relaxing.