Journey to "hunt" for the sunrise
Mui Doi - Hon Dau belongs to Hon Gom peninsula, located in Van Phong bay (Van Thanh commune, Van Ninh district, Khanh Hoa) is recognized as the easternmost point on the mainland of Vietnam, the place to welcome the first sunrise on the mainland.
Departing from Nha Trang coastal city to Van Gia town, Van Ninh district, to get to Mui Doi - Hon Dau, there are 2 ways to travel: by canoe by sea or by road.
For professional backpackers, the road to Mui Doi - Hon Dau is considered one of the most difficult trekking destinations due to its complex terrain.
Preparing compass, food, water enough for 2 days, we set off from Dam Mon village, Van Thanh commune to start the journey on foot to Mui Doi - Hon Dau. The first challenge was the more than 2km walk across Dam Mon sandbank.
It is rare to find a sandbar as unique as this one. White sand and yellow sand mixed together like a desert lie in a cast iron basin with the sea and hills.
Mr. Nguyen Tam shared: “10 years ago, the road was difficult and dangerous because after passing the sandbank and reaching Tham sandbank, if you did not have enough strength and endurance, some people would give up. But even more difficult was passing 3 ranges of hills through the forest with sand, rocks, and cliffs…”.
On the journey of about 17km by road to the far East, Mr. Nam’s stop is considered the first “paradise”. From here, you can see a beautiful sandy beach. Especially in spring and summer - the most beautiful season to go to the far East, the gently sloping beach with clear blue water nestled around the mountain makes all fatigue disappear with this scenery.
Leaving Mr. Nam’s house, we began our experience of mountain climbing at the sea. The mountains gradually rose from 50 to 200m above sea level with rocks and sand, sometimes winding through dense forests of vines, sometimes halfway up the mountain bare and scorching in the sun.
More than 10km of high mountains gradually protruding into the rocky layer and the sound of the waves gradually becoming clearer, we arrived at Bai Rang. True to its name - Bai Rang, appearing behind the poor forest canopy is the colorful coral scene hidden under the blue sea water. Bai Rang nestles by the small sea but attracts anyone who has ever set foot there.
We returned to the true “Robinson” in the middle of the island. There was no phone signal, no electricity, only ocean waves, coral reefs, and undulating seaweed after the tide receded, leaving behind countless snails, sea urchins, starfish, fish, etc. Mui Doi - Hon Dau, located far away by the sea, was created from large and small rocks stacked on top of each other to form a special shape.
Let the East touch the heart
From Rang beach, crossing the coastal stone roads for about 2km, Mui Doi appears with rocks crowded together separating the two coasts. About 500m away, a small island of about 20,000 m2 is Hon Dau.
The symbol of the Eastern Pole is a cylinder with longitude and latitude engraved on a large rock about 8m high and 2m in diameter. To reach the symbol of the Eastern Pole, we had to overcome the final difficulty of climbing a rope ladder up to the rock.
Mr. Pham Vu Thanh An - a tourist who has visited Mui Doi many times, commented: "The danger is also the attraction of the road to the Easternmost point that attracts me.
Because when setting foot on the rock of the Easternmost point, from here looking out to the sea waiting for the first rays of dawn to appear is a moment that cannot be described in words. Especially under the national flag, my companions and I were extremely moved and proud of the beauty of nature and of our homeland.
Yes! Anyone who has ever touched the easternmost point on the mainland of Vietnam, Mui Doi - Hon Dau at dawn to start a new day, will never forget the feeling. That is the sunlight gradually shining from the sea rising above the water surface. The silver sea also gradually becomes blue with the dawn combined with the boats carrying fishermen returning after a night trip at sea gradually appearing in the sunlight.
In 2005, Mui Doi - Hon Dau was recognized as a national scenic relic by the Ministry of Culture and Information (now the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism).
In 2025, exactly 20 years later, the road to the Far East is still "extreme", the scenic spots still cannot have a professional tour, but the attraction of the Far East is always present.
