Con Dao Island – once the “Hell on earth” in
the past – now becomes one of the most attractive destinationsin Vietnam. Con Dao Island is a group of 16 islets. The
largest island is known as Con Son. Con Dao was once a prison island
jailing a large number of political prisoners under the French colonial empire
many forms of tortures and punishments. Besides having an interesting history, Con
Dao is also an island of immense natural beauty with forested hills, deserted
sandy beaches and extensive coral reefs for some excellent diving. Do not
forget the following top 10 things to do when traveling Con Dao Island in your
2015 summer Vietnam holidays.
Visiting Con DaoPrison
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| Con Dao Prison |
From 1862 to 1975, Con Dao was known as a
brutal prison for those who fought against the French colonialism and the
former Saigon regime. To learn somewhat more about the historical Con Dao
Island, as well as to feel the sense of loss that revolutionaries in the past
had to undergo, tourists never miss to visit Con Dao Prison system which is now
become the museum of Con Dao with heroic ruins of Tiger Cages, Hang Duong
Cemetery, and fierce jail system... Con Dao Prison is one of most visited attractions in Con Dao and is recognized as one of the
fiercest prisons in the world.
Dropping by Lady PhiYen Temple
Nestled on the bank of Ot Stream (Pepper
Stream), Lady Phi Yen Temple, also known as An Son Temple, has been an
important point of worshiping in the spirit of Con Dao people. For the locals,
it is a sacred temple associated with a tragic story of a talented, virtue and
patriotic woman. After her death, local people mourned and built a shrine to
commemorate her. In 1861, after occupying the island, the French decided to
remove the entire island’s population to the mainland to build a prison in the
island; therefore, the temple gradually became crumbling. In 1981, local people
on the island rebuilt a spacious temple on the old ground and worship up until
now. Todays, in Vietnam tours to Con Dao Island,
Lady Phi Yen Temple is an indispensable stopover.
Visiting Vo Thi SauTomb at night
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| Vo Thi Sau Tomb |
That will be a great “challenge” for almost
anyone to visit a tomb at mid-night. However, this is one of the most
interesting experiences in Con Dao tours. Tourists often share their
experiences on popping in Vo Thi Sau Tomb at mid night. Unlike the thought of
major people that there is no one coming to the cemetery of Vo Thi Sau – a
famous heroine of Vietnam at night, it is the fact that, mid-night is the time
when the historical site welcomes tourists most. Stalls around the cemetery are
always shined with light to serve tourists.
Riding a bike along
Con Dao Beach road
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| Con Dao |
The beauty of Con Dao can be described by one
word – Perfect. It is because the island is bestowed by The Nature with all
best criteria of a wonderful beach. To feel the amazing beauty of beaches in
Con Dao Island, and enjoy the fresh air of early morning on the island as well,
you should rent a bike and ride along the beach of Con Dao. With this
interesting experience, you will be surely enchanted by pristine landscapes
here; on one side, it is the vast blue sea, and the other is covered by green
and majestic mountains, forming myriad sexy scenery.
Con Dao diving
Beaches in Con Dao are among the best diving
and snorkeling places in Vietnam. The coral is relatively untouched and very
impressive, with giant coral heads. The marine life includes turtles, rays,
giant barracuda, cuttlefish, cobia, and dugongs as well as a whole host of tropical
reef fish. Con Dao includes many smaller islands such as Bay Canh Island, Tai
Island, Tre Island, Trung Island, Trac Island, and Cau Island… There are many
choices to dive and discover vivid coral reef here. The island is the
convergence of coral reefs with the highest density in Vietnam. Now, there are
many diving tours in Con Dao with the average
price from 500,000 VND including necessary devices.
Exploring Ong Dung
Beach
Ong Dung Beach is to the north of town. Ong
Dung Beach is seen as a charming and ideal beach of Con Dao National Park.
Coming here, tourists can admire and immerse into turquoise and warm waters,
colorful untouched natural scenery of the flora and fauna system. It will take
about 1 hour to walk along roads in the forest to reach Ong Dung Beach, which
may make tourists exhausted, but the tiredness will disappear when approaching
the beach; the excitement will appear instead. The turquoise waters of Ong Dung
Beach will be a fantastic award for all tourists’ effort in Vietnam tour packages to Con Dao.
Fishing at night
The sea area of Con Dao is located in the South
China Sea which possesses a large number of seafood, promising an interesting
off-shore trip. The most ideal area to go fishing is Nhat Beach near Love Hill
in Con Dao Island. According to “professional” fishermen, the best time to go
fishing is when the night falls.
Stopping by Bay Canh
Island
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| Bay Canh Island |
Located in the east of Con Dao Island, Bay Canh
Island is covered by a primitive forests and mangrove forests belonging to
island tropical ecosystem with 882 flora species and nearly 150 fauna species.
Coming here, tourists will have chances to dive and admire colorful coral reef,
fish, and other marine creatures living on coral reefs. The coastline of Bay
Canh Island is long and pristine. It has a simple and familiar beauty, which
makes tourists feel peacefully in the serene atmosphere.
Tripping to turtle
sanctuary
With an area of about 14,000 ha of water, Con
Dao Island has a large turtle sanctuary. Annually, in breeding season from
April to September, there are thousands of turtles coming here to spawn.
Witnessing and recording the moment when turtle digging and spawning is an
interesting experience. Do not miss the second-to-none chance in Con Dao tours.
Staying in a Con Dao
resort
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| Six Senses Con Dao |
The peace and serenity in a resort in Con Dao
will make the island be the right place for those who desire to relax in a
luxurious setting, experience a slow life, and escape the busy routine and
habits. Traveling Con Dao Island, tourists will have many choices to take rest
in one of beautiful hotels and resorts, fitting different needs of every
tourist.
