Côn Đảo

We stayed here for 1 month and loved it. There are no big chain shops, but there is good infrastructure and the roads are very quiet at all times. Monkeys are easily seen along the road sides. Sadly, local government seems disinterested to clean up the trash found at ALL beauty spots and beaches. A lot of trash is washed in from the sea, a lot with Chinese or Korean wrappings. However, more is dropped by locals and people who don't care. There is 1 group that cleans a beach each Sunday morning. They have much work cut out for them. Most visitors are Vietnamese who come to lay gifts on the grave of Vo Thi Sau and ask for good fortune. Big army presence. This is an up and coming tourist destination. Most people only visit for a day or 2. Good museum and the prison is open. But tickets at the museum.

This island is absolutely amazing. I stayed on the island for 5 days and loved every second of it. It’s amazing how not touristy this island is. I hope it stays that way for long time to come. The only reason I’m deducting a star is that there is so much trash on this island. Me and my boyfriend were trying to find some hidden beaches and when we got there we got so sad as the whole beach and path leading to there were covered with trash. I really hope that the people who live of this island get educated more about the side effects of doing this.

One of the most beautiful places I've seen, the water is so clean and in general the place is so peaceful and quite, the roads are just great. Con Dao it's great if you are looking for a relaxing and peaceful place, almost no people in te beaches Wich in general are very clean. Also you can enjoy some trekking and some water sports. Not many restaurants though but the few are very good, also we got the chance to appreciate some friendly monkeys and black squerls ❤️

Still rather undeveloped, the accommodations are limited to few hotels and home stays. Restaurant service is under average. Great place for backpacks and the more adventure tourists. For the typical tourist the only decent place to stay is the resort which is very pricey. The beaches are still clean and not overcrowded but can be ranked as average, nothing exceptional about them. The diving and snorkeling is also very average. If you are expecting an exceptional experience you may be disappointed. If you just want a place to relax then it may suit your needs. The most disadvantage here as tourist destination is how to get here. The boat ride is too long (4hr from Vung Tau or 2.5hr from Soc Trang, both are inconvenient from Saigon). The plane ride is only by small prop airplanes which could be bumpy at times. The government also plays up the relics of the former prison as an attraction, but it only has limited effect, mostly for local Vietnamese. There is a superstition following cult believing in some dead prisoners. They gathered as crowds every night about midnight at the tombstone of a young girl believing she has power to grant fortunes to those who worship her. It’s quite a scene to watch.

The best place you can enjoy many adventurous sports such as: scuba diving, freediving, trekking, camping. You should go there from Mar-Sept. Enjoy

Beautiful island and hopefully it’s not ready for mass tourism. Also the island has a sad past, but you can see in the museum and the historical places what exactly happened. So it’s not just a paradise, i mean it’s now, but it’s good to know about the history.

Con Dao Islands, also known as Con Dao National park, are an archipelago of 16 mostly uninhabited islets just off the southern coast of Vietnam, each of which offering expansive beaches shaded with evergreen trees. Great for savvy travellers looking to escape bustling city life, the main island also boasts miles of coastal roads, hiking trails and a wide range of outdoor activities. The main (and only inhabited) island, Con Son was once the site of French-run prisons for Vietnamese involved in the independence movement. Most of the derelict prisons are located in Con Son Town, where you can visit the prison cells, and infamous tiger cages. Many locals visit Con Son to pay their respects to revolutionaries such as Vo Thi Sau, the first women on the island to have been executed by the French.

If you have limited time, you can go this shedule. On 1st day when you arrive, go to museum straight and get tickets to visit all famaous prisons. At night, you visit cemetery of Vo thy sau. On 2nd day, you can go Tre dam lagoon. Thats big walk. On the way back to town, you can visit 2 temples. On 3rd day, you go to natinal park walk. On 4th day, you can visit sea port before u take flight or ferry. Minimum 3nights 4 days to cover all places.I recommend to get helicopter from Vung Tau. Once u get island, better to rent a bike.You dont need to visit beaches here. Its so dirty, anyway but you can go to other interesting places.