How do you get to Hon Lao Island?

To get to Hon Lao Island, you must first travel to Long Phu Pier, located north of Nha Trang city. From there, you can take a boat to the island. You can reach the pier via a pre-booked pickup service, a Grab, or a taxi.

What are the ticket prices for Hon Lao Island?

The adult admission fee for Hon Lao Island is 240,000 VND (approx. 9.5 USD), and the child admission fee is 150,000 VND (approx. 6 USD). Prices may vary, so it's always best to check at the ticket office.

What are the must-do activities on Hon Lao Island?

Popular activities on Hon Lao Island include elephant riding, animal feeding (ostriches and deer), and taking photos with snakes and eagles. There is also a bird show and a relaxing beach area with sunbeds and cafes.

Is it better to take a tour or travel independently to Hon Lao Island?

A tour package is convenient but lacks flexibility. A DIY trip offers a more flexible schedule. While a DIY trip might not be cheaper for small groups (3 or fewer), groups of 4 or more can save a significant amount of money compared to a tour package.

What is the difference between Hon Lao Island and Monkey Island?

Hon Lao Island features a variety of animals like elephants, deer, and birds. Monkey Island, as the name suggests, is home to free-roaming monkeys that you can feed and watch perform. Some travelers choose Hon Lao Island due to concerns about the monkeys' aggressive behavior on Monkey Island.

How to Go to Hon Lao Island Without a Guide: A DIY Travel Guide for Nha Trang

Hon Lao Island and Monkey Island are popular day-trip destinations that many travelers visit during their trip to Nha Trang. While they can be easily missed on a short trip, they are great places to visit, especially for families. Typically, people book a tour package that includes a visit to Hon Lao Island in the morning and Monkey Island in the afternoon. However, for this trip, I chose a different approach. I decided to visit only Hon Lao Island in the morning and spend the afternoon exploring the city on my own, without a guide. This self-planned itinerary allowed for a more flexible and fulfilling day. In this post, I will provide a detailed guide on how to travel to Hon Lao Island independently.

Hon Lao Island

Tips for a DIY Trip to Hon Lao Island

Leave early in the morning to enjoy the island at a relaxed pace.
Visit the photo zones later in the day when they are less crowded.
Do the elephant ride experience as soon as you arrive.
Bring a swimsuit and a towel if you plan to enjoy the beach.
Prepare for the hot weather with frozen water and a portable fan.
Eating lunch at one of the restaurants on Hon Lao Island is a good option.
If you are a group of 3 or fewer, compare costs with tour packages.
An afternoon city tour or shopping is a great option after your island visit.

How to Get to Hon Lao Island

City Hotel → Travel to Long Phu Pier → Arrive at Hon Lao Island by boat

Getting from the City to Long Phu Pier

To get to Hon Lao Island, you must first travel from Nha Trang city to the Long Phu Pier, located north of the city, and then take a boat for about 15 minutes. If you are not on a tour, there are three common ways to get to Long Phu Pier: using a pickup service from a car rental company, or taking a Grab or a taxi. In Vietnam, it is recommended to use Grab (a ride-hailing service similar to Uber) over a taxi, and if your group is 5 or more, a pickup service is the best option.

Rental Car Pickup Service

From Long Phu Pier to Hon Lao Island

Once you arrive at Long Phu Pier, you will find several boats departing for Monkey Island and Hon Lao Island. At the ticket office, you can purchase a ticket to visit just one island or both. It is important to note that the boat times are fixed, so you should plan your arrival at Long Phu Pier carefully if you intend to visit Hon Lao Island.

Hon Lao Island Boat Ticket

Boats to Hon Lao Island only operate before 10 AM, so you must arrive at the pier early.

Island Name	Boat Operating Hours	Adult Admission Fee	Child Admission Fee
Hon Lao Island	8:00 AM ~ 10:00 AM	240,000 VND (approx. 9.5 USD)	150,000 VND (approx. 6 USD)
Monkey Island	7:30 AM ~ 3:00 PM	180,000 VND (approx. 7.5 USD)	100,000 VND (approx. 4 USD)

Things to Do on Hon Lao Island

Things to do on Hon Lao Island

Elephant Riding

For a fee of 150,000 VND (approx. 6 USD) per person, you can enjoy a special experience of trekking a short distance around Hon Lao Island on a well-trained elephant. Since this is a popular activity, it's a good idea to start your elephant ride as soon as you arrive on the island.

Other Activities

Activity Type	Cost	Description
Animal Feeding	20,000 VND (approx. 0.8 USD)	Experience feeding ostriches and deer.
Photo with a Snake	20,000 VND (approx. 0.8 USD)	Take a picture with a large snake.
Photo with an Eagle	20,000 VND (approx. 0.8 USD)	Have your picture taken with an eagle perched on your arm.

These animal experiences require an additional fee, but they are inexpensive and offer a lot of fun, especially for children. We had a great time with these programs.

Bird Show

The bird show is held at 11:00 AM and 2:30 PM and features performances by various birds.

Beach

The beach on Hon Lao Island has fine sand and shady palm trees, making it a perfect spot for a relaxing break. Tables and sunbeds are well-equipped on the beach, allowing for a comfortable rest. The beautiful ocean view made me regret not bringing a swimsuit. Behind the beach, there are cafes and ice cream shops where you can enjoy a refreshing drink to beat the heat.

Hon Lao Island Beach

Hon Lao Island Restaurant

We had not planned on eating on Hon Lao Island, but since it would take some time to get back to the city, and we had plenty of time after our visit, we decided to eat there. The restaurants on the island mostly have pre-prepared food for tour groups, but you can also order from the menu like a regular restaurant. We particularly enjoyed the squid dish, stir-fried water spinach (morning glory), and egg fried rice. Our group of 5 ordered a variety of dishes, and the total cost, including drinks, was about 28,000 KRW (approx. 21 USD), which was very affordable. The food tasted similar to what you would find at a typical local restaurant, and it was a decent meal.

Hon Lao Island Restaurant

Monkey Island vs. Hon Lao Island

Hon Lao Island and Monkey Island are themed parks with similar concepts, featuring beautiful gardens and various animal shows and feeding experiences. Hon Lao Island is where you can see elephants, snakes, and deer, and enjoy a bird show. Monkey Island is home to monkeys that roam freely around the island. You can purchase food to feed the monkeys and watch monkey performances. However, some reviews mentioned that the monkeys can be aggressive and might snatch food, sometimes causing injuries. For the safety of our young children, we decided not to visit Monkey Island.

Monkey Island

Tour vs. DIY Trip Comparison

A tour package is very convenient as it includes hotel pickup, lunch, and a guide. However, you must stick to the tour's fixed schedule, which can feel a bit boring during spare moments. Additionally, some people might feel uncomfortable sharing a meal with strangers, which is common in tour packages.

In contrast, with a DIY trip, you have to pay for transportation and admission fees separately, and for groups of 3 or fewer, there might not be a significant cost advantage. However, the main benefit is the flexibility to adjust your schedule as you please. For a group of 4 or more, a DIY trip can lead to significant cost savings. For a group of 5, you can expect to save about twice the cost of a tour package.

Cost Comparison (per person)

DIY Trip	Tour Package
Transportation: Approx. 30,000 KRW round trip for a rented pickup car (approx. 21 USD) Admission: Adult 240,000 VND (approx. 9.5 USD), Child 150,000 VND (approx. 6 USD) Meals: Approx. 6,000-10,000 KRW (approx. 4.5-7.5 USD)	Transportation, Admission, Meal (excluding activities): Approx. 35,000-40,000 KRW (approx. 26-30 USD)

After enjoying a half-day on Hon Lao Island, our family took the 1 PM boat back to Long Phu Pier. The boat made a stop at Monkey Island to pick up passengers before continuing to Long Phu Pier, a trip that took about 20 minutes in total. After our Hon Lao Island trip, we took our pre-arranged pickup rental car back to Nha Trang city for more sightseeing.