Van Don Island in Quang Ninh Province is the largest of the islands in the Bai Tu Long Bay archipelago, which is very close to the world famous Ha Long Bay.
The best thing about Van Don Island, apart from its fantastic beaches and beautiful countryside, is the distinct lack of overdevelopment when compared with other places in the region. Despite this, Van Don Island is the most developed and most populated in the Bai Tu Long Bay, featuring hundreds of thousands of various ethnic minorities, including San Diu, Dao, Kinh, Cao Lan, and Muong.
Van Don Island has a 35-kilometer coastline which includes Long Beach (Bai Dai Beach) on the south side. There is some good snorkeling just offshore with plenty of karst rock formations similar to those found on Ha Long Bay. The main town on Van Don Island is Cai Rong, which is the first place you come to when crossing over onto the island.
Getting There & Away
Van Don Island is linked to the mainland at Cura Ong by bridge and frequent buses come in from Ha Long City to Cai Rong in about 90 minutes. Tourists can also get to Van Don Island by high-speed hydrofoil from Ha Long City in an hour. Noi Bai International Airport at Hanoi is the closest to the island and is linked to Cai Rong by highways 2, 18 and 304 with a journey time of about 4 hours.