48 hours in Quan Lan

Quan Lan is an island located in Bai Tu Long Bay, in Quan Lan and Minh Chau communes, about 40 km from the center of Van Don district. The island has an area of ​​over 10 km2, with large and small mountain ranges stretching out to the sea.

With airfares high, a short trip to Quan Lan, departing from Hanoi, is a good option for northern tourists. 48 hours on the island is based on the reporter’s experience and advice from tourists Hung Nguyen and Minh Trang, Hanoi, who made the trip in May and June. The cost per person is about 2 million VND.

Day 1

Move to Quan Lan

Tourists from Hanoi take the Hanoi - Hai Phong expressway by car, then continue to Van Don district in Quang Ninh. Go to Quan Lan island by speedboat from Ao Tien port in Van Don. There are many passenger shipping companies on this route, tourists should choose new, large, air-conditioned boats. Travel time is nearly an hour. Ticket price is 200,000 VND one way for one passenger.

To get around the island, visitors should rent a motorbike for 150,000 to 200,000 VND a day and fill up their own gas. Minh Chau and Quan Lan also have electric car services.

Rent a room and go swimming

Tourists usually dock at Quan Lan or Minh Chau ports, located on two different sides of the island, about 12 km apart. Quan Lan has bigger waves, murky water and more rocks. Minh Chau has a gently sloping beach with white sand. This place is most beautiful in the morning. However, Quan Lan is more crowded, has a market, walking street and many hotels, motels and homestays.

The average price for a double room is from 300,000 VND to 700,000 VND per night. Some suggested addresses: Bich Ngoc Hotel, Nam Phong Hotel, Villa Song Chau, Minh Long, Phuong Thao, Binh Minh.

Watch the sunset and take pictures at "The river with two white sand banks"

This is a "virtual living" spot that attracts visitors every afternoon. The "river" is located on the road connecting Quan Lan and Minh Chau, closer to Minh Chau beach. This location is on Google Maps, close to the road so visitors can easily find and move around.

"Come here in the afternoon when the sunlight shines directly on the river and the sandbank, the reflected sunlight makes the scene shimmer," advised Ms. Minh Trang. Nearby there is also a reed field for taking photos, which is also "very beautiful".

Dinner at local restaurants

Quan Lan has a few local restaurants, but they are mostly small, with limited menus and simple preparation. Both Trang and Hung commented that the seafood was fresh and delicious, but the preparation was not really to their taste.

Day 2

Drink coffee and enjoy the scenery at Eo Gio

After breakfast at the hotel, visitors move to Eo Gio.

The destination is near Cau Temple, Cua Dong, about 5 km south of Quan Lan pier. If you go by motorbike, park your motorbike below and climb 10-15 minutes to the top. If you don’t want to climb yourself, rent an electric car for 100,000 VND per car for a one-way trip up or down. From the top of the mountain, you can observe the island from above, or look out to the blue sea. If you choose to walk, you should prepare a pair of flat shoes.

At Eo Gio, there is a coffee shop with drinks ranging from 30,000 VND to 50,000 VND. "On a cool day, you can sit here and relax all day, very chill", said Ms. Trang. On Minh Chau beach, there is also a coffee shop, for those who do not want to travel far.

Drive across the island

The road across the island connecting Quan Lan - Minh Chau is lined with rows of green casuarinas. In addition, the cajuput forest right at the beginning of Minh Chau beach stretches about 50 meters, where visitors can stop by and take photos.

Leave Quan Lan in the early afternoon and visit Van Don

There are usually 3-4 trips a day from Quan Lan to Van Don in the early morning, noon and early afternoon. Tourists should calculate their return time to avoid missing the boat.

If you have never been to Van Don, after leaving Quan Lan, you should spend some time in the afternoon to visit Cai Bau Pagoda. The pagoda is located on the way to Bai Dai, isolated on the mountainside amidst the cool green space of trees and overlooking Bai Tu Long Bay. Around this area, there is also Bai Tu Long National Park and Ngoc Vung Island.

Alternatives

There are not many alternatives when coming to Quan Lan. However, visitors can choose to relax instead of doing much exercise. Spending two days and one night in a newly opened 5-star resort, with a private beach and high-class services is an option. The cost is about 3.5 to 4 million VND per person.