Co To is a stunning peaceful island

Part I: How to come Co To Island from Hanoi

Coto is an island located in the eastern of Van Don, Quang Ninh Province, area of 46.2 km², about 6,000 inhabitants. This is a relatively unspoiled island with quite untouched beaches and beautiful rocks. The water of the sea is so clean and clear, you can even see the seabed in shallow water less than 1 meter. Coto is located quite far away from the center of Ha Long Bay, it is about 50 km by land and about 20 knots by sea; it means to take 2 hours by bus and 2 hours by speed boat from Cai Rong port. Therefore, Coto should be traveled by young people who are interested in exploring

 Here is the itinerary from Hanoi to Coto Island. The price is charged for 2013.

 - From Hanoi: Booking a private car or just catch a bus from My Dinh bus station (Hanoi - Cua Ong) or may take a bus Hanoi - Bai Chay (Kumho Viet Thanh 100,000 VND/ticket; Duc Phuc 120,000VND/ticket). When visiting Vietnam, you should not miss a chance to explore the beautiful Halong Bay. By starting from Hanoi at 6AM, you can arrive to Bai Chay bus station round 11AM. Take a taxi to your hotel to put your luggage there and ask hotel staff to take care it for you (check-in time at 2PM), then go to Bai Chay harbor to get in the boat visiting the Halong bay for 4 hours. Just 4 hours will not be enough to see all the beauty of the bay, but due to the short time that it should be enough for you to cover the world's natural heritage

 - Near the Bai Chay port is night market selling many items. Do not forget to bargain before buying anything. Overnight at hotel and ready for a trip to Co To island the next day

- The next morning you should be at the Bai Chay bus station at 5AM to catch the bus number 01 to Cai Rong. Full-fare ticket is 25,000 VND. Let ask driver in Vietnamese “Vui lòng cho tôi xuống bưu điện Vân Đồn” (please drop me off at Van Don Post Office). From here, it is about 1.5km to get to Cai Rong port, so you should go taxi to get there, about 20,000 VND of taxi fee

- From Cai Rong port (Van Don District) can catch the boat or speedboat to Quan Lan Island or Co To Island. It takes you around 2 hours with speedboat and from 3 to 4 hours with normal boat. Therefore, I highly recommend using speedboat. There are 2 firms of speedboat, Manh Quang and Phuc Thinh. Ticket prices range from 135,000 VND to 180,000 VND for weekdays and weekend days (weekend is Friday, Saturday and Sunday). If going with speedboat of Manh Quang, you should choose a sitting position on the 2nd floor because it is convenient to enjoy views of bay and reduce the seasick feeling

Time departure (Cai Rong port – Co To Island): 8:30 and 13:30 weekdays
Time departure (Co To Island – Cai Rong port): 8:00 and 14:30 weekdays.
It might appear enhanced one on the weekend

Be Noted: you should ask boat staff exact time departure to avoid missing it.

  To be continued