How do I walk to Hon Yen Island at low tide?
Hon Yen (Swallow Island) in Tuy An district is walkable from shore when the tide drops during the dry season — January to June. The best days are the 1st and 15th of the lunar calendar, when tides fall lowest. Water reaches knee height at most. Walk roughly 500 meters to 1 kilometer across exposed coral and rock to reach the island. Bring reef shoes — the coral cuts bare feet.
Hon Yen — Swallow Island — sits off the shore of An Hoa village in Tuy An district, roughly 20 minutes north of Ganh Da Dia by motorbike. For most of the year it’s just an island. Between January and June, on the right days at the right hour, the sea floor rises to meet you and you can walk there.
How the walk works
The tide drop that makes this possible happens twice a month — on the 1st and 15th of the lunar calendar, when the pull of the new and full moon creates the deepest tides. Arrive at the shore before 7am. The water will be receding. Within an hour or two, enough of the reef and rock bed is exposed to walk across without swimming — though you’ll be wading through water that reaches somewhere between your ankles and your knees depending on the exact conditions.
The walk out is roughly 500 meters to 1 kilometer, across a mix of exposed coral heads, flat rock, and shallow pools. The footing is uneven. Reef shoes (or at minimum sandals with thick soles) are not optional — the coral will cut through bare skin in one step. Rubber-soled water shoes sold at markets for 50,000–80,000 VND are sufficient.
What’s on the island
Hon Yen is not a destination with facilities. There are no cafés, no vendors, no toilets. What you find is a small rocky island with scrubby vegetation, a beach on one side, and shallow coral reef in the water around it. The coral visible through the clear water is the main attraction — fish move between the heads, and the color shifts from pale green to deep blue depending on depth.
The island gets its name from the sea swallows (yen) that nest in rock crevices on the cliffs. The nests have been harvested for centuries for bird’s nest soup.
Getting there from Tuy Hoa
Hon Yen is in An Hoa village, Tuy An district. From Tuy Hoa city, follow National Highway 1A north for approximately 35 kilometers, then look for signs toward An Hoa or Hon Yen. The last stretch is a local road toward the shore. Total time from Tuy Hoa: about 45–55 minutes by motorbike.
Most travelers combine Hon Yen with Ganh Da Dia on the same day — the two are about 20 minutes apart by motorbike. If you’re doing both, prioritize Hon Yen first (tide-dependent, must be done early) then continue to Ganh Da Dia by 9am before the crowds arrive. Dam O Loan lagoon is also nearby and works as a third stop before returning south.
Timing your visit
Best months: January to April. The tides are most reliable and the water is clearest.
April to June: Still possible but tides become less predictable. Check a tide app specific to Tuy An before making the trip.
July to December: Not recommended. The tide doesn’t drop far enough in July and August, and from September to November the sea is rough from storms.
Time of day: The window is early morning — typically 6am to 9am when the tide is at its lowest point. By 10am the tide is returning and the path begins to disappear.
Practical notes
There is no organized tour to Hon Yen. You arrive independently by motorbike, park near the shore, and walk. Ask at your guesthouse in Tuy Hoa or Tuy An the night before — local hosts know the current tidal conditions better than any app.
Bring water and snacks. There is nothing for sale at the shore or on the island.