Ly Son - Vietnam’s Garlic Island

Last year, I visited Phu Quy Island and was impressed by its beautiful beaches. This year, I continued my island-hopping journey, and this time, my destination was Ly Son Island.

Ly Son is a small island in Quang Ngai Province. It only takes around 30 minutes to drive around the island by motorbike, which makes it perfect for a slow and relaxed exploration. I started my journey at Sa Ky Harbor and took a boat for around 40 minutes to reach Ly Son.

Ly Son is famous for its garlic. The garlic grown here is small but has a strong, distinctive flavor. Local farmers usually grow garlic once a year and grow purple onions during the rest of the year.

When I visited in July, it wasn’t garlic season, so I didn’t get to see the famous garlic fields. Instead, I got to see the onion fields.

From the top of Thoi Loi Mountain, the fields looked especially beautiful. The landscape was a mix of brown soil, white sand, light green young onions, and deep green mature ones. The different colors created a simple but surprisingly beautiful scene.

Here are a few pictures I took from Thoi Loi Mountain.

One of the most iconic scenes in Ly Son is Vách Đá Triệu Năm.

I've seen this place on Instagram many times, so I was really happy to finally see it in person. Luckily, I got to take a picture there too. Standing next to the huge cliffs and the endless blue ocean made me realize how small I am compared to nature, and how small we are in this world.

Ly Son has several other interesting destinations, including Hang Câu (Câu Cave) and Chùa Hang (Cave Pagoda). The water in these places is incredibly clear. You can swim, explore the rocky coastline, and find seashells and pieces of coral. It really captures that classic summer-island vibe: bright sunshine, clear blue water, salty air, and nowhere you need to rush to.

I really enjoyed the food on this trip. My two favorites were ram chả cá and xu xoa.

Ram chả cá is fish cake wrapped and rolled in rice paper, then fried until crispy. You eat it with fresh vegetables, rice paper, and a signature dipping sauce made with fish sauce, garlic, and chili.

Xu xoa is a kind of jelly made from seaweed. It’s served with a sweet ginger syrup. It’s light, refreshing, and especially good on a hot summer day.

Unfortunately, I missed bánh xèo this time. So I guess I’ll have to come back to Ly Son again.