In Halong Bay, in northern Vietnam, the beach on Soi Sim Island—closed for several years—is set to open to the public in August 2026. Though it ranks among the world's 100 finest beaches and sits on the cruise-boat routes, visitors could neither land nor swim there, a place left in limbo. If a beach that could only be viewed from the deck becomes one you can swim at, Halong Bay itineraries—until now devoted to cruising past limestone caves and karst formations—gain a new way to spend time: going into the water. For travelers heading to Halong Bay from Japan, this changes how a trip is put together.
Soi Sim's beach, closed for years, is set to reopen — now slipping from the original July to August
The reopening of Soi Sim, driven by the Halong Bay-Yen Tu World Heritage Management Board, had originally aimed for the summer of 2026—specifically an opening within July. According to local reporting (DTiNews, July 26), that has been pushed back to August. The beachside rest shelters, the promenade along the foot of the limestone hills, and the tourist-service facilities have already been built and refurbished, so the delay is not due to construction of buildings or walkways.
One thing giving the reopening momentum is that Soi Sim was named to a U.S.-based rating body's "Corona Beach 100 of 2026," counting it among the world's top 100 beaches. Beyond its white sand and clear water, the island issim (rose myrtle)covered in a shrub called sim, and in summer purple blossoms wash over the hill. The name "Soi Sim" itself, the management board explains, was given by local fishermen who saw the sim growing thick on the island. According to the board's materials, more than 78 plant species and 32 animal species have been confirmed on the island, including some rare orchids.
| Item | The beach on Soi Sim Island (opening planned) |
|---|---|
| Location | Soi Sim Island in Halong Bay (near Titop Island) |
| Opening date | Expected August 2026 (pushed back from the original July) |
| Island size | 約8.7ヘクタール・二つの峰を持つ小島（最高点は約100m） |
| Characteristics | White sand and shallows, purple sim flowers in summer, virgin forest and rare species |
| Rating | Corona Beach 100 of 2026 (a global top-100 selection) |
The real cause of the holdup: land, forest, and sea-area allocation procedures ongoing since 2020
Soi Sim was not closed because of construction or an accident. The beach sits on Halong Bay's tourist route, and a plan to develop a conservation zone for the island's flora and fauna stalled in 2020 with the legal procedures over allocating land, forest, and sea area still unsettled. Because the work touches a World Heritage site, a stack of required steps — the handling of forest-environment taxes, public notice for the boat berth, allocation of the sea area, the land procedures — piled up, and even after the facilities were finished, the period during which no visitors could be admitted dragged on.
What the management board is now working on, alongside restoring the beach itself, is finishing off the remaining procedures one by one. Local reports note that travelers had complained about a situation where the island sits on cruise routes yet boats cannot land—"it's on the itinerary, but the boat can't stop." The weight of procedures that put protecting a World Heritage site first and the frustration of a tourism side left waiting have long been at odds on the same small island. The question of how to reconcile developing a nature reserve with opening it to tourism echoes Con Dao, where green sea turtle hatching and release programs have been balanced with tourismCon Dao's effortsas well. The way lines are drawn to protect a place directly shapes how tourism is designed.
A second swimmable beach in Halong Bay to ease the crush at Titop
Halong Bay is said to have roughly 200 beaches large and small, yet only two have been officially approved for tourism use: Soi Sim and Ti Top. Because Soi Sim was closed for several years, the only public beach where you could actually swim narrowed to Ti Top alone, which stayed crowded at the height of summer as visitors piled in. If Soi Sim returns, this concentration on a single spot splits into two.
| Comparison | The beach on Ti Top Island | Soi Sim Island beach |
|---|---|---|
| Current state | The only public swimming beach; crowded in summer | Closed for years, expected to open August 2026 |
| Nature | A landing spot paired with an observation deck | Old-growth forest, purple blossoms, and a lingering quiet |
| Crowds | Tends to get crowded at peak times | Hoped to spread visitors out right after opening |
The significance goes beyond easing the crowds. To a Halong Bay centered on cruising—gliding by boat between karst formations, walking through caves and returning to the boat—a stay-and-linger option is officially added: spending half a day on the beach, going for a swim. To take in Halong Bay from the angle of island life, there is the sight of a whole village heading down to the paddies before rice plantingThe island's farming festivaland other sides you can't see from a boat. The entrance widens from a bay you look at to a bay you step down into and spend time in.
How to work Soi Sim into an itinerary from Japan
From Japan, the usual way to reach Halong Bay is overland from Hanoi's Noi Bai Airport, or into the north via Hai Phong. Since many travelers tour the bay on a day trip or a one-night cruise, if you want to land at Soi Sim, check in advance whether your boat's route includes the island. Given that the opening is expected in August, it's practical to confirm operating status before you leave.
There are two sides to reading the timing. Summer, when the sim flowers turn purple, is when Soi Sim looks its best — but that summer is also Halong Bay's peak season, and right after opening the novelty tends to draw a crowd. If a quiet beach is what you're after, the earliest morning boats or a time outside high summer have the advantage. For a stay built around the beach, when the sea festival brings the whole town down to the sand,A seaside resort city like Nha Trangis out ahead, and Halong Bay is taking a step in that direction. A World Heritage cruise, and time swimming at a beach. If a northern trip can pair these two headliners, an itinerary of a half-day cruise plus a half-day beach landing starts to feel realistic.
Sources referenced
- DTiNews — Halong Bay beach set to open after years of delays (July 26, 2026)
- DTiNews — Halong Bay seeks to reopen world-ranked beach this summer (June 21, 2026)
- Vietnam News — Ha Long Bay temporarily closes Soi Sim beach to visitors
- VnExpress International — One of world’s most beautiful beaches in Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay temporarily closed to visitors
