What is Monkey Island (Hon Lao)?
Hon Lao is a 35-hectare island sitting in Nha Phu Bay, a sheltered lagoon about 18 kilometers north of Nha Trang. The bay is dotted with smaller islets, lobster farms, and mangrove areas, and the boat ride from Da Chong port gives a good first impression of the landscape. The island itself is hilly and forested, with a beach on the southern side and a network of paved paths connecting the various tourist facilities.
The name Hon Lao comes from the casuarina trees — called “phi lao” in Vietnamese — that once defined the island’s vegetation. The monkeys came later. In 1975, Soviet researchers introduced a group of macaques to the island for scientific study. The population reproduced freely and now numbers around 1,200 animals across several social groups. Over time, the scientific purpose faded and the island was developed into a commercial tourist attraction, operated today by Long Phu Tourist.
It is worth being clear about what this place is. Monkey Island is not a nature reserve, a sanctuary, or a wildlife conservation project. It is a managed tourist resort where monkeys are the main draw, alongside a circus show, go-karts, kayaking, and a beach. The monkeys roam freely across most of the island, but the environment around them is heavily developed, and the operation as a whole is built around visitor revenue rather than animal welfare.
Animal welfare concerns
The circus show at Monkey Island is a serious problem. Performances feature monkeys dressed in costumes, riding miniature motorbikes, riding on the backs of dogs, and competing in swimming races in front of large, noisy crowds. These are not natural behaviors. Training primates to perform like this requires prolonged conditioning that causes documented psychological stress, and the results — animals leashed, costumed, and made to perform on command — are not consistent with any credible animal welfare standard.
Organizations including World Animal Protection have specifically identified trained primate performances in Southeast Asia as harmful, citing unnatural behaviors, forced social isolation during training, and chronic stress from performance environments. What happens at Monkey Island fits that description directly.
The free-roaming area is a different experience and genuinely more natural in appearance. But the entrance ticket covers the entire operation. Buying a ticket funds the circus as much as it funds anything else on the island. Visitors who skip the show still contribute to keeping it running.
If animal welfare matters to you, that is reason enough not to go. The rest of this guide covers what the island offers for those who choose to visit anyway.
What to expect at Monkey Island
The island is small and walkable, with most of the attractions connected by paved paths. A full loop on foot takes about 40 minutes without stopping. The facilities are basic and show their age in places — some areas feel run-down, and the overall atmosphere is closer to a low-budget theme park than a nature experience. That said, the monkeys are genuinely interesting to watch, and the beach is a pleasant surprise.
1. The free-roaming monkey area
The main reason people come here is the monkeys, and on that front the island delivers. Around 1,200 macaques move freely across the island in social groups, and encounters are up close and frequent. Watching mothers carry babies, groups grooming each other, and younger animals play-fighting is genuinely engaging — for about 30 to 45 minutes. After that, most adults have seen enough.
Bananas and small snacks are available to feed the monkeys. Buy them at the pier before boarding the boat — prices on the island are noticeably higher. Feeding is straightforward but requires some alertness. The monkeys are used to tourists and have no hesitation grabbing food directly from hands, bags, or pockets. Larger males in particular can be pushy, and visible food in the hands of a hesitant person tends to escalate quickly. Keep bags closed, avoid holding food unless actively feeding, and stay calm rather than pulling away sharply.
Bites do happen. Several visitors have needed hospital treatment and rabies vaccinations after being bitten. It is not a common outcome, but it is a real risk, and one worth taking seriously before deciding whether to bring young children.
2. The circus show
Three times daily — at 10:00, 14:00, and 15:15 — the island runs a circus performance featuring monkeys riding motorbikes, cycling, and competing in swimming races, along with dog racing segments. As covered in the animal welfare section, these performances involve trained primates performing unnatural behaviors under stress. The show draws large crowds and is heavily promoted as a highlight of the visit.
Skipping it is straightforward. The show runs at fixed times in a dedicated arena, and the rest of the island is accessible without attending.
3. The beach
The southern side of the island has a sandy beach with calm, clear water. It is free to use with the entrance ticket, uncrowded compared to Nha Trang’s city beaches, and genuinely pleasant on a good day. Sun loungers and umbrellas are available for rent. Bringing a swimsuit is worth it — several visitors who came unprepared regretted not being able to swim.
4. Go-kart racing
Prokart racing is available at 90,000 VND for 3 rounds. The track is basic and the karts are not in top condition, but it works well enough as a short diversion, especially for kids. Adults tend to find it underwhelming.
5. Kayaking
Kayaks are available to rent at 100,000 VND per 60 minutes. The water in Nha Phu Bay is calm and the surroundings are scenic, making this one of the more enjoyable optional activities on the island. Worth considering if the weather is good and time allows.
6. Other activities
The island also offers horseback riding (50,000–100,000 VND), a buggy tour around the island (200,000 VND for up to 5 people), a photo area where monkeys will climb on visitors for pictures (10,000 VND per guest), and a studio zone with painted backdrops for photos. These are minor additions rather than reasons to visit, but they fill out the day for families with children.
7. Food and drinks
There is a restaurant on the island and a few small food stalls. The consistent feedback is that prices are high and quality is average — not surprising for a captive tourist audience. Seafood is on the menu but nothing here stands out. The better approach is to eat a proper meal on the mainland before or after the visit, and bring water and snacks for the island itself.
How to get to Monkey Island
Monkey Island is reached by boat from Da Chong port, also referred to as Long Phu port, on the mainland north of Nha Trang. The port is about 18 kilometers from Nha Trang center, and the boat crossing to the island takes around 10 to 15 minutes.
Getting to the port
The easiest and most affordable option from Nha Trang center is a Grab bike, which is straightforward to book and takes around 30 to 40 minutes depending on traffic. A Grab car is also easy to arrange and more practical if traveling with luggage or a group.
One practical note worth knowing in advance: finding a Grab bike at the port on the return journey is difficult. Grab cars are available, but two-wheelers are hard to come by. It is worth planning for a car on the way back to avoid being stuck waiting.
Taxis are available as an alternative to Grab, but agree on a price before getting in or insist on the meter.
The boat to the island
The round-trip boat transfer is included in the entrance ticket. Boats run regularly throughout the day, with departures roughly every 30 minutes in the morning. Return boats from the island depart at 14:00, 14:30, 15:00, and 16:00, though schedules can shift depending on passenger volume. Departure times are announced 30 minutes in advance on the island.
The last boat back leaves at 16:00. Missing it is not a disaster, but it is worth keeping an eye on the time toward the end of the afternoon.
Practical tips and visiting information
Entrance fee
The standard entrance ticket is 220,000 VND per adult and includes the round-trip boat transfer. Children between 100 and 130 centimeters pay 90,000–100,000 VND. Children under 100 centimeters enter free. Prices can vary slightly by season and booking channel.
Opening hours and how long to spend here
The island is open from 7:30 to 16:30. For most visitors, 1.5 to 2.5 hours is enough time to see everything worth seeing. The island is small and the walkable loop takes around 40 minutes. Visitors who skip the circus show and are not planning to swim can cover the main monkey area comfortably in under two hours. Families with young children who want to try the go-karts and other activities may want closer to three hours.
Monkey safety
The macaques on the island are used to people but they are still wild animals, and interactions can turn unpredictable quickly. A few basic rules make a significant difference.
Do not hold food visibly unless actively feeding — the monkeys will take it, and larger males will not ask politely. Do not make direct eye contact with adult males, as this is read as a challenge. Do not pull away sharply if a monkey grabs at you, as this tends to escalate the situation. Stay calm and assertive rather than nervous or erratic.
Bites do happen, and they need to be taken seriously. Several visitors have required hospital treatment and a course of rabies vaccinations after being bitten. If bitten, go to Vinmec Hospital in Nha Trang, which is well equipped to handle this. Rabies vaccination prior to visiting Vietnam is worth considering if the itinerary includes animal interactions of any kind.
What to bring
Bring a swimsuit if there is any chance of wanting to use the beach — it is one of the better parts of the island and easy to regret missing. Bring cash, as card payment is not reliably available on the island. Sun protection is important, particularly in summer months when the heat on the open paths is significant.
Buy bananas or monkey food at the pier before boarding rather than on the island. The going rate at the pier is around 20,000–35,000 VND, compared to higher prices once on the island.
Best time to visit
Weekdays are noticeably quieter than weekends, and the experience is better for it. Summer, from May through August, is peak season with up to 1,000 visitors per day on busy days. April is particularly draining due to the heat. November is a good month to visit — calm weather, manageable crowds, and pleasant conditions on the beach.
Is Monkey Island (Hon Lao) worth visiting?
No.
The circus show alone is reason enough. Monkeys dressed in costumes, forced to ride motorbikes and perform on the backs of dogs, in front of crowds of hundreds of people — this is not entertainment that can be separated from cruelty. Training primates to perform like this causes real, documented harm. It is not a cultural difference or a matter of perspective. It is animal abuse, and the island’s entrance ticket funds it directly.
The free-roaming monkey area is the one element that could, in a different context, justify a visit. Watching 1,200 macaques move through a forested island is genuinely interesting. But that context does not exist here. The monkeys live on a small, heavily developed tourist island where they are fed by hundreds of visitors daily, where stress and aggression are common consequences, and where the same operation that lets them roam also chains them to a circus track three times a day.
Nha Trang has real alternatives for a half-day trip. The islands in Nha Phu Bay itself — reached on the same boat route — offer snorkeling, seafood, and scenery without the animal welfare baggage. They are worth the time. Monkey Island is not.
For a better use of your time on the water, read our guide to the best islands in Nha Trang.
