Far and away

      To really get away from it all, a trip to the Nam Du Archipelago takes travelers close to the middle of nowhere.
It takes five hours to reach the Nam Du Islands, 52 miles off the coast of Rach Gia, capital of the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang. The archipelago’s 21 islands, which can be reached only by boat, take up a total area of only 40 square kilometers.
The biggest of the archipelago, Lon Island (also called Cu Tron Island) is the first stop the boat from Rach Gia makes in the Nam Du Archipelago.
From the dock, a three kilometer paved road leads up into the hills, ending at a 295-meter peak that provides a panoramic view of the archipelago.
There are fishing villages on the east and west sides of the island and at night a lighthouse illuminates the sea.
A boat trip around the whole archipelago costs some VND50,000 (US$2.90). Nom Ngoai, Dam, Hang, Moc, and Tre islands feature beautiful rocky beaches.
Visitors can go to Ngang Islet to rent rooms for an overnight stay. There are no real hotels on the islands, just some local homes that residents have opened up as “guesthouses.” Rooms are about VND50,000 per night.
There are two boat trips a day to Ngang, one at 7 a.m. and one at 3 p.m.
On the way to Nam Du, try to make a stop at Mau Islet, 20 minutes from Rach Gia by boat. The 200-hectare islet has a fishing village, two sand beaches and three rock beaches.
Dau Islet, 95 percent of which is old-growth forest, also boasts shady, picturesque coconut gardens.
The boat to Nam Du leaves from the quay at Nguyen Cong Tru Street, Rach Gia, at 7 a.m. every day.