Soi Sim Island – a green island beside Ti Top
Soi Sim Island sits in the western-central part of Halong Bay, about 12 km from Tuan Chau and just a few hundred metres from Ti Top Island. It is a small island, around 3.7 hectares, but it stands out for being noticeably greener and wilder than its famous neighbour, with much of its surface covered in thick forest. Its position close to the main cruise routes, paired with that unspoilt character, is what gives Soi Sim Island its appeal.
The island and its beach
The island’s main feature is a crescent-shaped white-sand beach curving along one side, backed by clear, calm water. Behind the beach, the land rises steeply into forested hills, with a path climbing to a viewpoint near the top. It is a compact, natural-feeling island, the kind of place where the scenery and the quiet are the draw rather than any facilities or development.
The name and the sim flowers
The island takes its name from the sim, or rose myrtle, a hardy bush that grows in abundance across its hillsides. In summer, roughly May to August, these bushes bloom in purple, dotting the green slopes with colour and giving Soi Sim Island a distinctive look you will not find on the bay’s bare limestone rocks. It is a small detail, but a genuine one, and part of what sets the island apart.
A protected conservation island
Soi Sim Island is also a strictly protected conservation area, home to a rich mix of plant and animal species, including some rare and endemic ones. This protected status is central to understanding the island: it is both the reason the forest and beach remain so pristine, and, as the next section explains, the reason access to it has been restricted in
Visiting Soi Sim Island: what to expect (and the closure)
Visiting Soi Sim Island is not as straightforward as it might seem, because of an access situation that most travel guides gloss over. Here is the honest picture.
The current closure
The most important thing to know is that Soi Sim Island’s beach has been officially closed to visitors since 2020, while authorities work through conservation and land-allocation issues tied to its protected status. That closure remained in place even after the island was named to the Corona Beach 100 list of the world’s best beaches in 2026, which raised its profile sharply but did not reopen it. Reopening has been promised but not confirmed, so the situation can change. The practical takeaway: check the current status before your trip, and do not choose a cruise solely for a guaranteed Soi Sim Island landing.
How you would visit
When it is open, Soi Sim Island is reached by boat as part of a cruise on the central Route 2, the same route that takes in Ti Top Island, Sung Sot Cave, and Luon Cave. As with the other islands, larger boats anchor offshore and smaller tender boats bring you to the shore. Some cruise itineraries still list Soi Sim Island, so it is worth confirming with the operator whether they actually stop and land there, or simply pass it.
The viewpoint and beach
The island’s two draws are the viewpoint and the beach. A short but steep climb of around 400 steps, taking 15 to 20 minutes, leads to a panorama over the bay that genuinely rivals the view from Ti Top, but with far fewer people. Down below, the crescent beach and clear water make for a quiet swim in a forested setting. Much of what makes Soi Sim Island appealing, the calm and the lack of crowds, comes precisely from its limited development and restricted access.
Practical tips for visiting Soi Sim Island
A few practical things to keep in mind:
- Check Soi Sim Island’s current access status before you count on it, as the beach has been closed and cruise itineraries do not always reflect that.
- It sits on Route 2, so if it reopens and you want to include it, choose a cruise that lists it, though Ti Top Island next door is the reliable alternative in the meantime.
- Wear shoes with good grip for the steep climb to the viewpoint, which is short but demanding.
- Bring sun protection and water, plus a swimsuit and your own towel if the beach is open, as there are no real facilities on the island.
- Visit in summer, roughly May to August, to catch the purple sim flowers in bloom, though this is also the hottest and busiest time on the bay.
- It is a strictly protected conservation zone, so take all your rubbish away and stay on the marked paths.
Soi Sim Island: the honest verdict
Soi Sim Island is a genuinely lovely little island, and on paper it has a lot going for it: a viewpoint that rivals Ti Top’s with a fraction of the crowds, a pretty crescent beach, and a green, forested setting that feels far more natural than the bay’s bare limestone rocks. The Corona Beach 100 listing in 2026 put it on the map for a lot of travelers, and the appeal is real.
The honest catch, though, is the one running through this whole guide: the beach has been closed to visitors for years, and fame has outpaced access. For most travelers right now, Soi Sim Island is something you admire from the deck of a passing boat rather than a place you actually land on and explore. That may change if it reopens, but until it does, it is not somewhere you can reliably visit.
Its natural comparison is Ti Top Island, right next door. Ti Top is busier and its viewpoint is the bigger name, but it is reliably open, with a beach you can actually use and basic facilities. Soi Sim Island is the quieter, prettier, more natural alternative, when you can get to it. So it is well worth knowing about and keeping an eye on, and it would be a highlight if access returns, but it is not a reason to choose a cruise today. For a guaranteed viewpoint-and-beach stop, Ti Top remains the safe bet.
And if you would rather see which islands are genuinely worth visiting right now, our guide to the best islands in Halong Bay you can actually visit lays out the ones that are open and worth your time.
