Ly Son Island

Ly Son is the eroded remains of a group of volcanoes off the Quang Ngai coast, with basalt cliffs, craters and a coastline of black rock. Its farming is the unusual part: garlic and onions are grown on a made soil - the islanders spread a layer of coral sand carried up from the shore over the volcanic earth, renewing it each season, which produces a garlic sold across Vietnam as a premium product and which has stripped the reefs badly enough to become an environmental problem. The island also holds temples and a memorial hall to the flotillas sent from here to the Paracel and Spratly islands in the Nguyen period.

What you actually see

• An eroded volcanic island - basalt cliffs and old craters.
• Garlic grown on carried sand - coral sand spread and renewed each season.
• Reef damage from that practice - the cost of the crop.
• A memorial to the old flotillas - sent to the offshore islands under the Nguyen.

When to go

March to August; the sea is rough and boats cancel outside that. Two days.

Honest expectations

Sailings are cancelled by weather and getting stuck is normal. Accommodation is basic guesthouses. There is little shade and it is very hot. Litter and water supply are visible problems.

Nearby

Quang Ngai and Sa Huynh are on the mainland coast.