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While earmarked for major tourism development, Son Tra peninsula for the time being remains a perfectly sleepy little getaway spot for those in need of exotic exploration, writes Andy Tran.
For
visitors to Danang who are tired of flopping around the beach all day
and need some adventure, the clean and green natural beauty of Son Tra
peninsula is just the ticket. Just a few minutes drive from downtown
Danang, Son Tra is a stunning mixture of mountains, sea and sandy
beaches.
The peninsula rises up to 693m above the sea level and while it has
long been an imposing sight from the city, it has remained relatively
unexploited as a tourism spot, despite grand plans on the drawing
board. From the top of the mountain there’s a breathtaking panoramic
view of Danang city, the sea and more than 30km of beach which
stretches all the way to Cua Dai beach nearby Hoi An.
From a distance this stunning coastline looks like an long silk cloth
flapping in the wind. When the French established a garrison on Son Tra
Peninsula more soldiers are said to have died from an outbreak of
disease while building it rather than during battle. A small cemetery,
near Tien Sa beach, by the port to the north of Danang, stands in their
memory. During the American War, Son Tra was also home to a notorious
base camp serving as the US military command post complete with a
helicopter-pad.
There are two radar stations built by the Americans in 1965, which were
known as “Indochina’s eyes of god”. The satellites are now used for
civil aviation purposes. Son Tra serves as the lung of the locality as
it is covered by lush green forest. In fact, Son Tra is a natural
preservation zone covering more than 4,400 hectares containing
diversified tropical flora and rare species at risk of extinction.
Son Tra is called Monkey Island as it was once home to a healthy colony
of monkeys, although sadly visitors today are less likely to see many
monkeys around. At particular risk are the red-shanked douc langur and
the stump-tailed macaque as well as long-tailed crab-eating macaque.
The sea around the island is still pristine with colourful coral and
turquoise water making it a perfect location for scuba diving.
Although currently scuba divers and
snorklers should be careful as the sea can be a little bit rough. If
you can’t resist diving there, you can check out the various diving
packages offered by the Furama Resort down the road.
Son Tra is home to various beautiful beaches although they are not as
long as Non Nuoc and Cua Dai. Visitors can enjoy fresh air and seafood
in a any number of small restaurants set up by locals. Grilled shrimp,
fried squid and roasted crab are the perfect choice after bathing in
the deep blue sea. Son Tra is no longer ‘untouched’. The tourism boom
in Danang has had a spillover effect onto the peninsula.
At the start of this decade the local authorities managed to lobby the
central government to allocate part of the peninsula for tourism. Now
there is a 20km-long road under construction that will run around the
island offering breathtaking views of the sea and fishing boats below.
Resorts have also started to get off the
ground in Bai Nam, Bai Con and Tien Sa beaches and world renowned
operators such as InterContinental have inked deals to run resorts
here. However, construction of these resorts is running slowly. A sign
post advertises luxury villas and hotel on But Bay beach but currently
there are just a few half-completed bungalows in the tall grass in what
appears to be an abandoned project.
Nearby Son Tra Resort and Spa has completed the construction of 26
villas but it can not start operation due to lack of fresh water.
Meanwhile the Bien Dong resort is more of a complex of guest houses
popular with young people seeking a weekend getaway from their
families. While city authorities have an ambitious plan to develop the
Son Tra Peninsula as a key tourism centre with luxury resort
franchises, conservationists are also determined that the natural
beauty and biodiversity can be protected.
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