Con Dao Vietnam – Best Secret Islands on Earth

Travel And Leisure has named Con Dao Vietnam on the list of Top 20 islands contain many mysteries in the world. Con Dao Island was also voted as one of best ten islands of the world for a romantic holiday in 2011 by another famous travel magazine – Lonely Planet.

The Con Dao Islands (also known as Poulo Condore) is in southeastern Vietnam (Ba Ria Vung Tau Province) and around 250 kilometers, or a 45-minute flight, from Ho Chi Minh City. It is well-known for its nice beaches shaded with green trees, fresh air, deep-blue waters, and primitive forests. Con Dao comprises 16 beautiful islands and islets with a total area of ​​76 square kilometers.

Con Dao islands are originally a prison for patriots and revolutionists during the French and American resistance. The French used Con Son – the largest islands to keep anti-colonial protestor prisoners. More than 22,000 prisoners who dedicated their lives to national independence were incarcerated on the isolated island of Con Dao.

The Con Dao archipelago was recognized as a nature reserve in 1984 and became a national park of Vietnam in 1993. Over 1,300 species of sea animals have been identified here. It is one of the few places in Vietnam that is home to sea turtles, dolphins, and the rare dugong (popularly known as sea cows). It also has large and diverse coral reefs comparable to the most famous eco-tourism spots in Southeast Asia and Central America. Of all islets, Con Son is the largest one with the area of 51.52 km². Con Son is largely mountainous and covered in forest, with ample opportunity for hiking through the jungle and looking for wildlife. The island is also home to a coastline of steep, rocky hills and long sweeping coves, boasting some excellent spots for swimming and snorkeling.

The best source of information is the National Park Headquarters, located about five minutes of driving from Con Son town. From here you can organize trips to other islands in the archipelago, hire a guide for trekking (required) and get permits to enter certain parts of the forest. There are only 7 – 8 tourist hotels available on Con Son, all on Ton Duc Thang road which follows the beach and the harbor around Con Son town.

The climate in Con Dao is monsoon tropical. Average temperature in the archipelago is 27°C, lot of sunshine. The best time to visit is from March to June, when the sea is calm (read more at “Best time to visit Con Dao Vietnam”). Visitors can relax and enjoy the warm temperature in some beaches, eg: Dam Trau, Hang Duong and Yen Phi. Clean, smooth sand banks, blue sea, dolphins jumping and racing after boats, tropical almond trees swinging in a cool sea breeze, peaceful narrow roads, and forest covering most of the island, make Con Dao seem like heaven to visitors from far and wide.