Quan Lan Island

The island lies on a very important marine gateway connecting Vietnam and other countries such as China, Japan, Thailand, and The Philippines. Spreading along the coast of the island are numerous white sand beaches and this is also the sea where fishermen get high quality seafood such as squids, butterfish, mackerel, prawn, sea cucumber, etc.

During the 11th Century, Quan Lan was a busy port for international trade between Vietnam and other countries. A lot of vestiges related to trading activities have been discovered here.

The outstanding tourist attraction of this island is Quan Lan Temple, which was built in the 18th Century with impressive architectural design with finely carved patterns, and is still preserved nearly 100% until now.

Swimming

Quan Lan has 3 beaches: Quan Lan Beach, Son Hao Beach and Minh Chau Beach. All three beaches have white sand and are quite pristine compared with other beaches near Halong Bay. Quan Lan Beach is the one that is closest to the pier yet also the most beautiful of all three. Go further into the island another 4km you will reach Son Hao and another 10km is Minh Chau beach.

Stay

Due to its remoteness, accommodation facility is slowly emerging in Quan Lan and the majority remains small hostels or homestays. They do not need to be booked in advance as they are readily available year round. Price varies from $10-40/room/night.

How to get there

You can get to Quan Lan either from Halong Bay or from Cai Rong Pier (near Cua Ong). Ferries from Halong would take about 1.5 hours while speedboat from Cai Rong pier takes about 45 minutes.

How to get around

Quan Lan remains a less motorized island than any others in Halong Bay area. To get around you can either rent a bicycle or take tuktuk (available for booking from most hostels).