Long known for its pristine beauty of the sea, ocean, Phu Quoc has been one of the largest islands in Vietnam, located in the Gulf of Thailand, famous both domestically and internationally for its stunning scenery, developed tourism services, although it has been exploited for tourism for a long time, Phu Quoc still retains a wild, charming, and captivating beauty that enchants people’s hearts.
Despite its fame, have you figured out where to go when you visit Phu Quoc? Today, Cuong will share his own experiences and guide everyone on how to get to May Rut, what to do there, and what makes May Rut so attractive to visitors! Cuong guarantees that you will experience many exciting activities here that can only be found on this island. The special thing is the friendliness and hospitality of the island’s hosts here will make you not want to leave once you set foot on this “wild island,” surely you won’t find anywhere else on the map of Vietnam as special as May Rut Island.
1. Where is May Rut Island located?
The An Thoi archipelago is located in the south of Phu Quoc and consists of many different small and large islands; among them, the most prominent are 3 islands: Hon Mong Tay, Hon May Rut, and Hon Dam Ngang (Hon Gam Ghi). These islands are quite close to each other, about 1km apart; about 10km by sea from the center of An Thoi town. May Rut Island is the farthest island of Phu Quoc district, it is like a challenge that tests the patience of tourists who want to set foot on this island, May Rut Island is divided into 2 parts: May Rut Trong and May Rut Ngoai, so please take note.
2. How to get to May Rut Island?
To get to Hon May Rut, you can rent a boat or canoe, or you can join a full-package Phu Quoc tour. Currently, there are many Phu Quoc tours for you to choose from. In Phu Quoc, you travel to the southernmost part of the island to An Thoi town. Boats depart from An Thoi Port where there are many boats of various sizes, accommodating from 10 to 40 people. You can rent a boat right at the port or book in advance in case all boats are taken. Remember to negotiate the price beforehand and confirm the return time.
If you are in the center of Duong Dong town, you can rent a canoe to go straight from the town along the coastline to Bai Truong beach to Hon May Rut. This is one of the farthest islands in the An Thoi Phu Quoc archipelago, so the journey from An Thoi port to Hon May Rut by tourist boat takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes. The most common way to reach Hon May Rut is by tourist canoe, with rental prices starting from 2,500,000 VND for a one-way trip. If you take a boat, you need to bring a small dinghy as the boat cannot dock, and boat rental prices range from 2,800,000 VND per boat.
3. What is on Hon May Rut?
3.1. Beautiful Beach
Hon May Rut is a famous island known for its pristine beauty, separated from Phu Quoc Island, with fresh, cool air. Travelers visiting Phu Quoc and Hon May Rut Island will enjoy stunning beaches with extremely pristine white sand, clear blue sea, and straight rows of green coconut trees. The ecosystem here is extremely diverse with over 125 species of fish, 150 species of invertebrates, and rare marine creatures such as cowrie shells, sea cucumbers, etc. You will surely be amazed by the strange creatures here.
3.2 You can participate in coral reef diving, fishing, and many other exciting entertainment activities
When you come here, you not only immerse yourself in the enchanting blue scenery of the ocean, but also experience many other interesting activities. Diving to see coral reefs is an essential activity when you come here. With an incredibly diverse marine ecosystem, you will be amazed by the colorful coral reefs and many strange marine creatures. All of this creates a vivid, vibrant picture like a “fairy scene” in real life. Visitors can swim in the sea, participate in coral reef diving tours under the crystal clear water reflecting the bending coconut trees, creating an extremely romantic scene.
At Hon May Rut, there are many exciting entertainment activities. Fishing here will give visitors a fun experience of fishing on the open sea. The joy overflows every time a visitor brings back fresh fish caught and prepared right on the boat. Instead of the daytime fishing excitement, visitors will surely enjoy night squid fishing. Just a 5-minute boat ride to visit the squid fishing village, visitors will experience the thrill of squid fishing at night. Listening to instructions and sitting to fish squid with local fishermen will make you feel like a real fisherman. With just a few colorful shrimp as bait and patience, visitors will be rewarded with delicious squid that can be grilled or cooked into porridge right on the boat. Participating in coral reef diving is also a special attraction for visitors here, as the coral reefs are not only beautiful but the water is also clear, allowing visitors to easily admire the beauty of the ocean world. In addition to these activities, visitors can also visit the pearl farming area, explore floating houses specializing in rare seafood such as abalone, sea cucumber, turtles, and grouper…
3.3 It is a place with extremely diverse ecosystems
As the furthest island of Phu Quoc, it takes about 50 minutes by boat to reach the island. In the north of the island, there is a small hill with many rocky cliffs by the sea, where the waves create layers of white foam all year round. In the center and south of the island, there are long stretches of coconut trees along the white sandy coastline. The marine area of Hon May Rut has a diverse ecosystem with over 100 species of hard and soft corals, 125 species of fish, 150 species of soft-bodied animals, along with many precious marine creatures such as giant clams, sea cows, sea cucumbers… When you arrive at the island, you can go to An Thoi port or Sao beach. From there, you can rent a boat or canoe to Hon May Rut. It is recommended to choose a boat rental from a specialized Phu Quoc tour package or a daily Phu Quoc tour provider to ensure a safe and enjoyable trip!
3.4. Especially if you want a peaceful place far away from the hustle and bustle of life
With its natural beauty and picturesque scenery, Hon May Rut offers many exploration activities for visitors to enjoy. A day trip is ideal to experience the beauty of the island, along with the warm hospitality of the locals. Many tourists even choose to stay here for months, as each visitor who sets foot on the island is captivated and wishes to return. Hon May Rut may appear untouched, but it never fails to captivate visitors. The water around Hon May Rut is not very deep, allowing for swimming and immersing in the clear waters. You can also dive to admire the colorful coral reefs beneath the ocean’s surface. After swimming and diving, you can relax on a hammock tied between coconut trees, listening to the soothing sound of the waves, gazing at the vast sea and sky, letting all worries drift away with the sea breeze. Breathing in the fresh, cool air, admiring the peaceful night sky. Oh! All the hustle and bustle of daily life seems so far away, as if you are enjoying a completely different world at Hon May Rut. Hon May Rut is one of the best spots for ideal coral reef diving on Phu Quoc Island.
As mentioned above, Hon May Rut is divided into Hon May Rut Trong (Inside) and Hon May Rut Ngoai (Outside). Let’s first introduce you to Hon May Rut Trong!
3.3.1 Hon May Rut Trong.
Renowned not only for its beauty but also for its warm hospitality
Hòn Mây Rút is a place that has been a refuge for Mrs. Bảy Yên’s family – the only residents here – during the years of war. When chased by the old regime, Mrs. Bảy’s family had to wander at sea for many days before drifting here. Thanks to the seafood resources and land cultivation, Mrs. Bảy’s family has survived until now.
When visiting Hòn Mây Rút, after finishing the offshore activities, you should visit Mrs. “Island Owner” of Hòn Mây Rút, the “Island Owner” here is truly the owner. To chat and experience daily life as a true islander at Hòn Mây Rút, especially since until now, only Mrs. Bảy Yên’s family (88 years old) has lived here, “Con Tám” familiarly known as Ms. Phạm Thị Nữ (58 years old), the 8th child living with her on the island, and the one called “Friend” is Mrs. Yên’s grandchild. The love of Mrs. Bảy’s family has made Hòn Mây Rút an attractive tourist destination for visitors near and far. With the hospitality of the family, visitors can enjoy a simple meal. The entire menu consists of seafood caught directly from the sea, vegetables from their garden, and then they can go to the garden to pick coconuts, dig sweet potatoes. If guests get bored, they can leave on their own, or if they don’t want to leave, they can ask to stay overnight on the island.
Until now, every day there are visitors coming to visit, some days even hundreds of people, but Mrs. Bay has never once mentioned prices to the guests. Whatever the guests offer, the hosts accept without bargaining, but one thing is certain, the smiles never fade, that’s why people say that Hon May Rut Phu Quoc captivates tourists with its warm hospitality. According to Mrs. Bay, her family has been living here for a long time, over 50 years since they moved from Hon Chong (Kien Luong district) to this island, where they built shelters, fished, caught snails, picked wild fruits to survive. Listening to Mrs. Bay recount the days when she and her husband came here, cleared the forest, built shelters to shelter from rain and sun, day by day they started planting trees, coconut trees, cultivating fields… They had 16 children, but on the deserted island, without medicine, vaccines, and facing a difficult and deprived life, diseases took away some of their children. Now only 6 people remain, fighting together, cultivating the land, so the island has become what it is today. In recent years, the island has become more crowded because there were groups of tourists coming here by boat to explore the wonderful beauty of the island, and when they returned, they shared the beauty of this place and the warm hospitality of the “island owners” with others, so such tours gradually gained popularity.
As May Rut Island developed into a well-known tourist destination, many investors approached Mrs. Bay’s family to request the transfer of ownership of the island, and in their first offer, they bid billions of dong, but Mrs. Bay refused with a very simple reason, “With 7 billion, my family wouldn’t know where to go and live. We are used to farming and fishing, we don’t know how to handle a lot of money. I’d rather keep the island for my descendants to live on, having visitors come and go makes us happy.” Whenever guests visit the island, the whole family is always welcoming, Aunt Tam always goes into the water, wet up to her knees to pull the boat to shore. If Aunt Tam is busy, someone else will come to greet the guests. Whenever you step foot on May Rut Island, you are warmly welcomed and never lack the sound of laughter and conversation from the host family with the guests. After the meal, they go to the garden to pick coconuts and some fruits for dessert, and if you don’t know how to climb, they are ready to teach you. At noon, you can relax lying on a hammock tied near the trees. In the afternoon, someone will guide the group to visit the island, showing the beautiful beach, crab hunting, snail catching, fishing, etc. They even lend out sunglasses, fishing rods, baskets, and are ready to guide everyone… all ready for a wonderful barbecue and to watch the sunset by the sea.
When you visit May Rut, the day is so enjoyable that time flies by quickly. In the evening, you can have a meal prepared by Aunt Tam with dishes like chicken, fish, shrimp, crab, squid… all seafood is caught or bought from local fishermen, and the chicken is bought in An Thoi and raised in the garden.
In the evening, you can camp on the beach and invite the “island owners” to join in the fun, gather around a fire to chat, play, and listen to Mrs. Bay talk about the hardships and difficulties of life on the deserted island. This is also one of the wonderful experiences at Hon May Rut Phu Quoc.
The natural beauty and hospitality of the people in the southern region are warm and rich in emotions, making everyone who visits feel at home and promise themselves to return to visit Mrs. Bay’s family and the beautiful Hon May Rut. Throughout the year at Hon May Rut, you can always enjoy the cool and pleasant climate, thanks to the island being covered with trees. Therefore, when you come here, you will completely immerse yourself in nature, the sea, and the sky in the true sense, forgetting the hustle and bustle of life. At Hon May Rut, it’s not difficult to find an ideal beach with smooth white sand stretching along the southern part of the island or the northern part with smooth rock formations lying close to the shore, which is the habitat of countless marine creatures. Dipping into the clear water, playing, sunbathing on the beach, relaxing in the hammock shaded by trees, feeling the cool breeze blowing by, you will understand the precious gift that nature has bestowed upon this island. Moreover, you don’t need to go anywhere else to find the true meaning of your trip to Hon May Rut.
The marine ecosystem here is very diverse and abundant, including fish, shrimp, crabs, clams, snails, and especially sea urchins, so you can freely hunt and enjoy a beach barbecue feast prepared with your own effort, making it even more interesting and meaningful. Along the beach, there are coconut trees and lush greenery that add to the pristine beauty of this land. The coconut trees with low, leaning trunks on the shore seem to be beckoning you. If you have never climbed a coconut tree or picked its fruit, this is the best opportunity for you to practice and experience a Tarzan-style adventure, but be sure to ask the “island owner” first!
3.3.2. Hon May Rut outside.
Hon Mây Rút Ngoài is a beautiful island that still retains its original charm and allure. It is a popular destination for many tourists on their Phu Quoc tours. When visiting this island, you not only get to admire its rich beauty but also find a place to relax and rejuvenate your soul after days of hard work. To reach Hon Mây Rút Ngoài in Phu Quoc, you need to travel from Phu Quoc to the southernmost part of the island, then head to An Thoi town. At An Thoi port, tourists can rent a tourist boat to reach Hon Mây island. There are many tourist boats of various sizes and capacities at the port, capable of carrying groups from 10 to 40 people. It is advisable for tourists to negotiate prices and agree on the departure time before boarding the boat.
Hon Mây Rút Ngoài captivates people with its pristine beauty
Here, the air is cool and fresh all year round because this small island is completely covered with greenery. Here, visitors completely immerse themselves in nature, listening to the rustling of leaves, their souls blending into the gentle dance of the wind, all the hustle and bustle of life being blown away to a distant horizon. Finding a beautiful and clean beach on this beautiful island is extremely easy. The smooth white sandy beaches stretch to the south or the smooth rock cliffs lying close together to the north are ideal stopping points for you. Here, the clear blue water will completely wash away the fatigue and heat of summer. In addition, visitors can also lie swinging on hammocks hung under the green leaves to listen to the sweet whispers of the leaves and wind. The precious gift that nature bestows is right here, not far away. The meaning of these journeys will be fully found in this very land. Not stopping there, Hon May Rut Ngoai also attracts visitors with its diverse and rich marine ecosystem, such as fish, shrimp, crabs, clams, snails, especially sea cucumbers. With just a few descriptions, do you already feel excited and eager to experience the fun feeling at Hon May Rut Ngoai? Then pack your bags and go explore this beautiful land right away.
4. What to eat at Hon May Rut?
With a diverse ecosystem, Hon May Rut Phu Quoc has a rich source of seafood, so you can enjoy many delicious dishes such as anchovy salad, grilled squid, sea urchin,… or you can try your hand at fishing with local fishermen and then cook the seafood. Or you can take the opportunity to buy seafood on the mainland to bring to Hon and have a grand seafood feast with your companions. This will be a choice that brings you many interesting experiences. In the evening here, you can participate in night squid fishing, grill the squid, and enjoy a delicious seafood meal. The marine area of Hon May Rut has a very diverse ecosystem with over 100 species of hard and soft corals, 125 species of fish, 150 species of soft-bodied animals, along with many precious marine creatures such as ear shell, sea cow, sea cucumber… Hon May Rut is a place with many attractive entertainment activities. Fishing here will help visitors feel the excitement of swaying on the sea while fishing. The joy surges every time a visitor brings back fresh and delicious fish and cooks them right on the boat. Instead of the excitement of fishing during the day, visitors will surely enjoy night squid fishing. Just a 5-minute boat ride to visit the squid fishing village, visitors will experience the feeling of squid fishing at night. Listening to instructions and sitting to fish squid with local fishermen will make you feel like a real fisherman. This is also the ingredient for a sumptuous seafood meal on the island. In addition, when visiting Phu Quoc island, there are also excellent specialties such as: Anchovy salad, Phu Quoc sea urchin, and various extremely fresh seafood.
5. What are the experiences when visiting Hon May Rut?
When going to the island, there are many activities so you need to prepare your luggage fully. You should bring a bikini for swimming, a wide-brimmed hat, sunscreen, a towel,… Don’t forget your camera to capture those wonderful memories. From An Thoi Port to Hon May Rut Phu Quoc is quite far. If it’s raining or stormy, it’s best not to go. Hon May Rut has clear blue sea and gentle waves. When traveling by boat, you can rest assured, it’s less likely to cause seasickness. However, if you are prone to motion sickness. You should prepare motion sickness medication and take it 30 minutes before the boat departs. If you want to go fishing, you should inform the boat owner in advance so they can prepare fishing gear, bait, following Cuong’s advice, you should stop at a few spots to fish on the way, it will be very interesting. Moreover, you can use the fish caught to grill and dip in chili salt right on the island, it will be very wonderful. Cuong has a note for you, please take care of the environment, do not litter so that Hon May Rut does not lose its natural beauty, do not let human feet destroy wonderful places like Hon May Rut, be conscious and contribute to preserving Hon May Rut with its pristine natural beauty as in the early days.
Above are Cuồng’s sharing about Hon May Rut. Seeing is believing, so if you have the chance, come here with your family to experience it. If you love traveling to coastal and island areas, enjoy exploring new lands, then what are you waiting for! Cuồng guarantees you will have a very memorable trip.
