We spent one night in this secluded place, enjoying the rhythmic sounds of the waves and the fresh seacooking and woke up early the next day to observe the splendid sunrise over the East Sea.

Then our search for the country’s southernmost point began with the group dividing into five smaller groups. Expedition leader Truong Hoang Phuong, Vietmark’s Marketing Director, gave each group a GPS device installed with the coordinates (8° 33’ 42’’ N) and promised gifts to the first group to find it.

The devices showed we were about two kilometers away and we started running along the beach to the left. At that moment, we thought this an easy journey as we joked with each other on the beach. However, after about 600 meters, we were blocked by a forest of mangrove and aegiceras trees and we had no choice but to penetrate.

Truong Hoang Phuong, director of Vietmark Co., checks the GPS devices and the Google Earth program before starting the search for the southernmost point.

Some had trouble keeping their feet, but were quickly pulled up and the trek continued with one group pulling ahead of the others. After another kilometer they reached the beach but were confused to see their GPS pointing to the water 162 meters away.

They waited for the other groups to catch up with them and as we gathered we realized that the point we were looking for had slipped below the surface of the ocean. Then we realized that, according to our GPS, this part of Khai Long Beach was also at latitude 8° 33’ N, and therefore must be the southernmost point of the country.

We felt satisfied with the result of the expedition, took some pictures to record the moment and returned to the Ly Thanh Long tourist area to check out. We made a brief visit to Cape Ca Mau, since it is so famous and not far from the beach.

The cape, despite not being technically the southernmost point, has significant religious value as the recognized southern tip and a national landmark. Year by year it slowly sinks into the sea with the help of the North-South and West South ocean currents. These currents are honored by Vietnamese as they represent the dream of a larger Vietnam.

Phuong said that nowadays, tour guides tell travelers the legends of the place without offering them the scientific facts, a practice which probably makes the journey more interesting and worthwhile. He would like to offer this tour as a teamwork building adventure for people to learn more about and take more pride in Vietnam.

For more information, contact Vietmark Co., 166D, Floor 1, Tran Hung Dao Boulevard, District 1, HCMC, tel: 08 5404 5404, email: info@vietmark.vn, website: www.vietmark.vn.