Lying on the southernmost land of Vietnam, Ca Mau boasts over 250 km of sea shore with two small island groups of Hon Khoai and Hon Da Bac, which make a pictureque scenery. Especially Hon Khoai with its clean environment and attractive beauty has been drawing many tourists.
It’s easily recognized the island covered with green trees emerging in the middle of immense sea and sky. Hon Khoai island group, belonging to Tan An Commune, Ngoc Hien District, including of Hon Khoai, Hon Tuong, Hon Sao, Hon Doi Moi, Hon Da Le islands…making a masterpiece of the nature. Of those, Hon Khoai is regarded as the sister island with area of 561 ha and 318m height over the sea level.
Hon Khoai is a rock island with hills and forests including various kinds of precious wood such as. The wild natural landscapes are very popular to many tourists.
Formerly, Hon Khoai was called Giang Huong, Independence Island and Poulo Obi in the French colonial time. However, the locals get used to calling it Hon Khoai because it looks like the shape of a giant potato.
A path to the top of the island zigzags round the hillside and is shadowed by high and big trees. Jackfruit and mango trees are seen lush and many of them have become century-old trees.
Hon Khoai is also considered as a paradise with its poetic and unique natural scenery. Rock cavities is a place for many wild flowers to blossom. There are many species of birds on the island, including wild geese and swallows.
Following the hill slopes in spiral shape, getting through the forests and the springs, tourists can view poetic green floats arranged in many layers. Hon Khoai is an island with rocks, hills and forests. The trees cover all the paths, making a jungle in the middle of the sea. This is also a place with a diversified community of plants and animals which always greet the tourists to come and discover. Hon Khoai is also a stock of precious herbal remedies, such as: dragon’s blood, truffle, magic pine, fomes japonicus… At the seashore, there are many kinds of seaweeds, which are also a helpful remedies.
The most interesting thing is to prepare a party in the middle of the forest, where there are umbrellas formed of ancient trees, or gather on the spring banks, hearing the music from the water and the songs by the birds. In such a wonderful moment, the tourists may enjoy sea foods, such as, clam, shrimps.. which are absolutely fresh, bought from the fishing boats. The most popular dish here is boiled crab dipping into a mix of salt, pepper, and lemon.
On the Hon Khoai Island stands an important lighthouse in the sea area of Ca Mau. When invaded Vietnam in the past, French colonialists built a system of lighthouses from Can Gio, Con Dao, Phu Quoc to Hon Khoai to lead ships.
The 15m lighthouse on the Hon Khoai Island is built at the height of 318 metres in height above the sea level. It was built in 1920 and its architecture remains intact. The lighthouse tower on the Hon Khoai Island was one of the earliest construction sites on the Vietnamese territorial waters.
Hon Khoai is not only a well-known landscape of Ca Mau province but also a revolutionary site in the south-western region of the south. In 1940, under the leadership of the Communist Party, the locals and soldiers re-took the island from French invaders.
With cool climate and beautiful scenery, Hon Khoai is suitable for ecological and discovery tourism. In 1994, the Ministry of Culture and Information recognised Hon Khoai as a national landscape.
Compiled by My Hanh (TITC)
