Con Dao tourism is no longer unfamiliar to travelers. However, while in the past visitors primarily came to Con Dao to pay respects at the tomb of Vo Thi Sau, today they also combine their trips with experiencing the stunning natural beauty of this place. The article below will share the most detailed and easy-to-understand Con Dao travel experiences to help those planning to explore this pearl island have a smoother journey.

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Discovering Con Dao

Con Dao District is an offshore archipelago belonging to Ba Ria – Vung Tau province. Despite this, the distance from Con Dao to southern provinces like Soc Trang and Can Tho is shorter compared to traveling from Ho Chi Minh City or Vung Tau.

Speaking of Con Dao, this place is associated with the nation’s painful past. Visitors come here not only to enjoy the pristine natural beauty, clear blue sea, and fine white sand, but also to visit the memorial sites of heroic martyrs and Con Dao Prison – a place known as hell on earth.

If you haven’t traveled to Con Dao before and are planning a trip there, let’s continue reading the Con Dao travel experience shared below!

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How to get to Con Dao

By Plane

The airplane is the most time-saving way to travel to Con Dao. Currently, Bamboo Airways operates direct flights of approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes between Con Dao and Hanoi (from VND 2.7 million one way). Vietnam Airlines flies from Ho Chi Minh City (about VND 1.3 million one way) and Can Tho (about VND 1.7 million one way) to Con Dao and vice versa. Each flight takes about 50 minutes.

By Boat

In addition to airplanes, you can also experience the feeling of adventure with the sea breeze on a boat to Con Dao. You can choose from the following ports to reach Con Dao (depending on the travel time and departure point for the most suitable option):

The shortest and fastest route to Con Dao is from Tran De Port in Soc Trang directly to Con Dao, taking only about 2 hours. This route is operated by the high-speed ferry company Con Dao Express, with detailed ticket prices as follows:

The Vung Tau – Con Dao route is farther, so the travel time is about 5 hours. This route is operated by Con Dao Express with the following schedule and ticket prices:

You can also travel to Con Dao from Can Tho Port by Mai Linh Express high-speed ferry, with a travel time of approximately 4 hours and 30 minutes.

Previously, in addition to the above routes, Con Dao Express also operated the Saigon – Con Dao route. However, as of the present time, this route has been discontinued.

In addition to the travel ticket prices to Con Dao as listed in the tables above, visitors also have to pay an additional VND 18,000 for the port operation fee.

Transportation on Con Dao Island

If you travel to Con Dao by the Con Dao Express high-speed ferry, upon arrival, the ferry will dock at Ben Dam Port. This port is about 20km from the center of Con Dao, so you can rent a motorbike or take a taxi to travel to the central entertainment and experience areas. Just stepping out of the port, you will find many taxis and motorbikes for rent waiting, so you don’t need to worry about how to get around Con Dao.

If you travel by Mai Linh Express high-speed ferry, the smaller boat will dock at the Con Dao Central Passenger Port located on Ton Duc Thang Street. This is very convenient as it’s right in the center, and you can simply cross the street to find a hotel to drop off your luggage and then go sightseeing right away.

Sharing my hard-earned experiences from my first trip to Con Dao:

I once traveled to Con Dao by high-speed ferry from Saigon to Ben Dam Port, and then returned to Can Tho by the Mai Linh high-speed ferry. Because I saw a port fee charged on the ticket for Ben Dam Port, I assumed the Mai Linh ferry would also dock nearby. But NO, when I arrived, I couldn’t find any Mai Linh ferry, and upon asking, I found out that the Mai Linh ferry terminal was right in the center, very close to where I was staying, and a full 20 kilometers away from Ben Dam! So, I immediately called a motorbike taxi to go back and called the ferry company to ask for a 5-minute delay. Luckily, I didn’t miss the ferry that time, otherwise, I would have had to stay another day and lose the ticket money ^^.

When is the best and safest time to visit Con Dao?

From March to September is the most beautiful time to explore Con Dao because this period is before the major rainy and storm season, so the sea is calm and the wind is light on the East and Northeast islands. Visitors should explore the remote islands during the day, where there is plenty of golden sunshine and blue skies, ideal for snorkeling and photography. In the afternoon, there are often showers, suitable for visiting the roofed historical sites on the main island.

During this time, from July to September, is the sea turtle breeding season, and visitors can also experience the fascinating activity of releasing baby turtles back into the sea.

What are some fun things to do in Con Dao?

1. Experience swimming at Con Dao

The seawater in Con Dao is crystal clear, with a wonderfully cool breeze. Surrounding the beaches are rows of lush green trees, creating a beautifully pristine setting. Some of the beaches in Con Dao that you should visit include:

• Dam Trau Beach: located near Co Ong Airport, it boasts soft, fine white sand. Mountains embrace the sea in an arc shape, so Dam Trau Beach always has gentle waves and is tranquil. This is considered the most beautiful beach in Con Dao.
• Lo Voi Beach: situated along Ton Duc Thang Street, it is suitable for families or large groups. The advantage of Lo Voi Beach is its central location in Con Dao, calm sea with very clear blue water, a long stretch of white sand, and ancient casuarina trees along the shore providing shade, making it ideal for picnics.
• An Hai Beach: just a 10-minute walk from the town center, it is surrounded by mountains, making it very calm and flat with clear blue water.
• Cau Tau Beach: located in the center of the main island, it features fine white sand, calm sea, and is a popular swimming spot for locals.
• Dat Doc Beach: deep mountain ravines extend into the coastline, creating beautiful and quiet small beaches.

2. Watch the sunrise in Con Dao

Traveling to Con Dao gives you the opportunity to witness the most stunning sunrises. Wake up very early to welcome the dawn at Mui Ca Map (Shark Cape); the sun rises over Bay Canh Islet, and the clouds in the sky, along with the morning rays, create a magical light show. In the afternoon, stroll along Nhat Beach to watch the warm sunset slowly disappear behind Tinh Yeu Peak (Love Peak).

3. Explore the nature of Con Dao

• Ong Dung Primeval Forest: From Con Dao, you can head west and experience a 20-minute trek through the Ong Dung primeval forest. Lush green, untouched tropical trees lead to a beautiful beach at the end of the forest.
• Ong Dung Beach offers a pristine setting suitable for picnics, relaxation, and group activities. Here, you can rent a canoe to visit nearby spots such as Big Tre Island (Hon Tre Lon) and Small Tre Island (Hon Tre Nho).
• Bay Canh Island (Hon Bay Canh): Take a boat trip to visit Bay Canh Island, the second largest of the 16 islands in the Con Dao archipelago. The entire island is covered by pristine tropical rainforest. Besides sightseeing, you can also sign up for an exciting coral diving tour here.
• Cau Island (Hon Cau): Along with Bay Canh Island, this is an offshore eco-tourism destination of Con Dao. Visitors can go snorkeling to see coral reefs, explore mangrove forests, etc. If you visit during the right season, you can witness turtles laying eggs and release baby turtles into the sea.
• Big Tre Island (Hon Tre Lon) is also an attractive sightseeing spot in Con Dao. This place has a smooth white sand beach and is a concentrated nesting site for sea turtles.
• Small Tre Island (Hon Tre Nho) is 2km from Ong Dung Beach. The vegetation distributed on the island is mainly bamboo trees. This is also a seabird sanctuary, especially from May to September, when thousands of migratory birds from the North come here to nest and lay eggs. In addition, visitors can take a canoe to the island to see coral reefs, watch seabirds, and enjoy super attractive recreational fishing.
• Dam Tre Bay boasts a natural, sheltered landscape surrounded by mangrove forests. Here, visitors can explore the mangrove forest, swim and snorkel to see coral reefs, watch swallows nesting during the breeding season, and observe many other marine creatures. On the way, you can freely admire the beautiful scenery of Con Son Bay, Mui Lo Voi (Lime Kiln Cape), Dat Doc Beach, Mui Chim Chim (Chim Chim Cape), Northeast Bay (Vinh Dong Bac), etc.

4. A trip to Con Dao is incomplete without learning about its painful history.

When traveling to Con Dao, you cannot miss the heroic history of this land through its significant historical sites:

Con Dao Museum: Formerly the residence and working place of the island lords through different periods. Visiting the museum, you have the opportunity to learn about the history of Con Dao’s formation through artifacts, antiques, images, and documents from the French colonial era to the present day.

Cau Tau 914 (Pier 914): A historical witness to the hard labor and bloody sacrifices of many soldiers. Here, visitors can offer incense, sightsee, fish, admire the scenery, and take photos of the sunrise.

Con Dao Prison System: Known as “hell on earth,” with many solitary confinement areas and tiger cages. Bagne 1 Camp (later renamed Camp 1, Cong Hoa Camp, Camp 2, Phu Hai Camp) covers over 12,000 square meters and includes 10 large cells (large detention rooms), 20 separate rock cells, 1 special cell, a rice mill, and a rock crushing area. You should register for or join a guided tour to hear the stories of the prison from the past.

Ma Thien Lanh Bridge: Built in 1930 by the French, who forced prisoners to construct it on a high mountain to exploit timber and stone for the construction of prisons and government offices.

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5. Spiritual tourism: Visiting Co Sau is a must when in Con Dao.

Hang Duong Cemetery: The final resting place of over 2,000 martyrs and the tomb of Vo Thi Sau is an unmissable destination for visitors on every trip to Con Dao. Visitors should light incense to commemorate the national heroes who fell on this land.

Every time they visit the tomb of Sister Vo Thi Sau (or as the locals affectionately call her, Aunt Sau), besides burning incense to commemorate her great contributions, people also send solemn offerings and fresh white flower baskets to her grave, because during her lifetime, she loved the color white very much.

Hang Keo Cemetery: The resting place of thousands of loyal soldiers who sacrificed themselves for the country’s independence. During your trip to Con Dao, remember to stop by to light incense and commemorate these heroes.

Phi Yen Temple (An Son Temple): Located about 2km southwest of Con Dao town center, on Hoang Phi Yen Street in residential area number 3. This is a temple dedicated to Phi Yen, the concubine of Lord Nguyen Anh. She is revered, admired, and loved by the people for her virtuousness and unwavering loyalty to her husband. She is a typical example of Vietnamese women, so the people respect her and built this temple in her honor.

Nui Mot Pagoda (Van Son Tu): Possessing a distinct East Asian Buddhist architectural style along with a beautiful “leaning against the mountain, facing the water” location, this is a spiritual site that you cannot miss when you come to Con Dao. Here, you can capture the entire view and admire the beauty of Con Son Bay and An Hai lotus lake.

6. Experience coral diving in Con Dao

You can rent a boat to go to Bay Canh Island. The boat rental location is at the central pier on Ton Duc Thang Street (this is also where the Mai Linh high-speed ferry I mentioned earlier docks). The boat will take you to a place with many coral reefs, where you can jump in and immerse yourself in the cool, clear water, snorkel to see the coral, and play with schools of brightly colored fish.

7. Release baby turtles back to the sea

If you visit during the turtle nesting season (around July to September annually), you will have a very interesting experience releasing baby turtles back into the sea at Hon Cau. This activity is organized and managed by the forest management board here, ensuring that it does not affect the living environment of the baby turtle populations.

Some Con Dao travel tips for first-time visitors

If it’s your first time traveling to Con Dao independently, you should be aware of the following:

• You should carefully check the departure and arrival schedules of the high-speed ferries in Con Dao, pay close attention to the time and departure location information, and if there are any unclear issues, discuss them thoroughly with the ferry company to avoid going to the wrong pier like I did.
• If you want to bring fresh flowers when visiting Aunt Sau’s tomb, you can check on Facebook beforehand for places that accept fresh flower arrangements for her, compare prices in advance, and place an order for delivery right to the entrance of Hang Duong Cemetery, to avoid being overcharged when buying flowers outside.
• Because traveling to Con Dao requires spending many hours at sea, for safety, you should avoid going during months with heavy rain and storms. Check the weather forecast in advance to avoid getting stranded on the island, as ferries will temporarily suspend operations for several days if there is a storm and rough seas.
• 2 days and 1 night is a good and sufficient amount of time for you to explore all of Con Dao.
• Con Dao is not too big, so it’s best to rent a motorbike when you arrive to get around the island, which will be more convenient and economical than taking a taxi.

If you enjoy my domestic and international travel experiences, you can follow more on my YouTube and TikTok channels!

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