As soon as we set foot on Hon Dau, we were totally flabbergasted by the immense sea and majestic mountains. Steep winding roads zigzag along hillsides under green pine shades, dotted with colourful flowers. Below gently sloping hills lie ideal resorts designed sophisticatedly and nestled in a pristine nature where birds are freely singing, leaves are rustling, and water is murmuring. Hardly any visitors can lift their foot to leave this place once they see this beauty. But, a very few people know the perfect masterpiece is inspired from ideas of a lucky sailor on unnamed warship during the American War. (During the wartime, northern supply ships were unnamed on mission when they moved south and were easily wrecked by enemy forces).
Heaven on Earth
If you visit Hai Phong City in the north of Vietnam but you do not drop on in Hon Dau, you actually have an incomplete journey. Unlike hundreds of other resorts in Hai Phong and other provinces and cities, Hon Dau Resort is a century work, a tourist attraction created by human will and power to conquer the nature and ingress the sea. Hon Dau still keeps original status featured by vast primeval forests. Going to Hon Dau to explore and relax, you will feel that you are living with and belonging to the nature. Though not too mysterious and wild, Hon Dau impresses you with a pleasant and pure space. Here also lies the South Sea King Temple with sacred beauty.
Apart from sea tourism, you will also contemplate the nature and enjoy fresh air in Hon Dau as in romantic Da Lat City in southern central Vietnam. Hon Dau International Tourism Joint Stock Company has spent a large sum of money to turn Hon Dau hills into a miniature Da Lat with dozens of well-equipped bungalows. In winter, you can dip in warm mud in steamed greenhouse. On Hon Dau Island, there are more than 200 vacation villas, public amusement parks, marine parks, beaches, sand dunes, multipurpose gymnasiums, musical fountains, water parks, squares, and international conference centres with more than 1,000 seats. The resort island also has 3-5-star hotels, restaurants, trade centres, health care centres, playgrounds for children, sporting zones, mini golf courses, yachting clubs, fishing and sailing clubs, and 24h/24h security system to provide you a luxury lifestyle. Particularly, it takes you only 2-minute canoeing from Hon Dau to Cat Ba and a longer time to Ha Long Bay - the world cultural heritage.
Possessing stunning landscapes that you cannot find in any other places in northern Vietnam, Hon Dau really is a paradise on the earth.
Aspiration
Harbouring a burning desire for a better life, Nguyen Van Thieng, a former suicide sailor on unnamed warship but the current General Director of Hon Dau International Tourism Joint Stock Company, has led a stormy life. In 2003 when you visited his homeland city of Hai Phong where unnamed ships carried him and comrades southward, he stopped in Do Son close to Hon Dau. Seeing the opportunity on the beautiful island, he was determined to return to his homeland to tap the potentiality with unprecedented form of tourism. Realising his peculiar ideas is a long arduous to go because Hon Dau was like a sleeping fairy. And, a big investment does not mean a certain success as filling up the sea is very costly and risky. Over two million cubic metres of soil and rock were dumped into the sea to link the 63-ha Zone B of the island with the nose of Do Son Peninsula
Recalling what he has experienced, Mr Thieng feels a mixed feeling of sadness and pride. The former sailor on unnamed warship is leading Hon Dau International Tourism Joint Stock Company to pass through all difficulties to turn Hon Dau into a well-known paradise on the earth
Nguyet Tham
Vietnamese
