A double-hull boat of Phú Quốc Express operating a sea route. The boat service company has resumed links between Đà Nẵng and Lý Sơn, as well as a new service from Quảng Ngãi to the islands. Photo courtesy of Phú Quốc Express

QUẢNG NGÃI — The Phú Quốc Express joint-stock company has resumed the sea route between the central city of Đà Nẵng and the Lý Sơn islands, off the coast of Quảng Ngãi Province, using 286-seater boats for the 152km sea trip from the middle of July.

The company said the re-operation of the route aims to provide safe and comfortable conditions for tourists travelling from Đà Nẵng to the popular islands in a two-and-a-half-hour trip.

It said the double-hull boat allows sea trips even in rough weather with windspeeds at up to 74km per hour.

Tourists can depart for Lý Sơn Islands at 7am on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and return to Đà Nẵng from 2pm on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

A one-way ticket for the journey ranges between VNĐ270,000 (US$10.8) to VNĐ450,000 ($18).

To provide a service for residents travelling from the mainland of Quảng Ngãi province to Lý Sơn Islands, Phú Quốc Express also launched a new high-speed daily boat trip, offering tickets starting from VNĐ218,000 ($8.70) to VNĐ288,000 ($11.50) with a 35-min travel time.

Local islanders will enjoy a prioritised ticket price from VNĐ140,000 ($5.60) to VNĐ275,000 ($11.00) for each trip, while kids will get a ticket price of VNĐ160,000 ($6.40).

It said people with disabilities and the elderly will be reserved at VNĐ154,000 ($6.16) and VNĐ175,000 ($7.00), respectively.

A sky view of Lý Sơn Islands, off the coast of Quảng Ngãi. The Phú Quốc Express joint-stock company has resumed boat services between Đà Nẵng City and the Lý Sơn islands. Photo courtesy of Bùi Thanh Trung

It’s the first time a sea route uses a double-hull boat in central Việt Nam, offering more options for visitors spending time on the islands.

The boats will depart from Đà Nẵng’s Hàn River port to Lý Sơn Islands.

The islands, 24km off the coast of Quảng Ngãi, have emerged as a top destination since 2014, and host around 200,000 visitors per year.

Currently, a fleet of six vessels with a total of 1,200 seats is operating from Sa Kỳ Port in Quảng Ngãi to Lý Sơn Islands, able to carry 3,000 passengers to the islands during the high season.

Two other vessels carry 100 passengers between the Islands and An Bình Isle every day.

The Phú Quốc Express company is operating sea routes connecting Vũng Tàu, Cần Thơ, Cà Mau, Rạch Giá, Hà Tiên to the islands of Côn Đảo, Phú Quốc, Nam Du with 300-seat and 600-seat boats.

The company was selected as a qualified logistics and transport supplier providing services for the US naval aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson and the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan on their visits to Đà Nẵng in 2017 and 2023, respectively.

The central provinces of Quảng Nam and Quảng Ngãi, and Đà Nẵng City proposed a plan to develop a sea-linked tour from Đà Nẵng to the Chàm Islands and Tam Hải Island of Quảng Nam, as well as the Lý Sơn Islands, using speed boats. — VNS