Buzz
Despite being a well-established tourist destination, Côn Đảo still exudes its distinct characteristics: serenity, lack of hustle and bustle, many natural wonders retaining their raw and unspoiled beauty.
Exploring Côn Đảo with a 3-Day, 3-Night Adventure
In mid-July, I embarked on a journey to uncover the once-known 'hell on earth' with a satisfying itinerary and affordable expenses, hoping to offer you an enjoyable plan for your Côn Đảo escapade.
Getting Around
From Ho Chi Minh City, you can take buses to Vũng Tàu city, then head to Cát Lở port to catch the ferry. For motorcycle enthusiasts, enjoy the approximately 100 km ride. If driving, it's advisable to take the Cát Lái ferry towards Đồng Nai, closer to the Nhơn Trạch industrial zone. Always ensure to adhere to the prescribed speed limit on this route.
Booking Ferry and Flight Tickets to the Island
It's advisable to book ferry tickets online and make payment via bank transfer, then call the ticket office to confirm the payment. Even after payment, you still need to arrive at the port 5 hours in advance to collect your tickets. If you're late, your tickets may be sold to others despite having made payment. Ticket booking website: vetaukhachcondao.com.
If your itinerary includes specific departure and return dates, it's recommended to book the return ticket in advance and collect it at Cát Lở port to avoid waiting time at two ports.
During the ticket booking process, after completing the payment, you should also check the schedule for any cancellations or changes. If there are any, call the ticket office to confirm and rebook your tickets, as they may not inform you if the weather is bad and the ferries are not running.
Seating tickets range from 85,000 to 125,000 VND per trip (Train CD909 – CĐ10) and sleeper beds from 150,000 to 200,000 VND per trip (Train CD909 – CĐ10). I recommend opting for sleeper beds for a better sleep. Seating near the engine room is very noisy and makes it difficult to sleep.
For short itineraries, it's recommended to park your motorcycle at Cát Lở port, or you can bring it to the island with a motorcycle ticket priced at 50,000 VND per trip, with loading and unloading fees of 60,000 VND per trip.
If you have more resources, you can opt for a plane, taking 45 minutes to travel to the island at a cost of 1.7 million VND per trip. Currently, only Vietnam Airlines operates this route.
Pre-Trip Dining
Due to the slow speed of the ferry, the journey to the island takes about 10-12 hours, usually departing around 5 pm and arriving at around 7 am the next day. It's advisable to buy food and drinks beforehand. Food is available at all ports. On the ferry, only drinks and instant noodles are served, so you should consider whether to eat on board or bring your own food.
Accommodation
Côn Đảo differs from some other islands. Here, guesthouses, hotels, campsites, and resorts are plentiful, concentrated mainly on Tôn Đức Thắng street. During our trip, we booked a room at Thanh Long guesthouse, priced at 200,000 VND for a single room and 300,000 VND for a double room. You should negotiate for a lower price, about 50,000 VND less than the price quoted by the guesthouse owner.
Getting Around the Island
If you choose to travel by plane, you'll land at Cỏ Ống Airport, located 12 km from the town. You can take a taxi waiting near the airport.
Passengers traveling by ferry will arrive at Bến Đầm port, also 12 km from the town. You can arrange for pickup through your pre-booked accommodation, costing 40,000 VND per person. Additionally, there are motorbike taxis and 16-seater vans available here, with fares around 40,000 VND per person. If traveling in a group, negotiate for a rate of about 30,000 VND per person.
You can rent a motorbike to explore the island for 100,000 VND per day, excluding fuel. It's convenient to rent from your accommodation. With this sightseeing itinerary, you'll only spend about 30,000 VND on fuel.
Day 1: Cát Lở Port (Vũng Tàu) – Côn Đảo
We arrived at Cát Lở port at 1 pm to collect tickets and wander around, enjoying coffee while waiting for the 5 pm departure.
You can explore the ship's deck, admire the port from aboard, and marvel at the crimson sunset against the backdrop of the seaside city.
Between 7 pm and 8 pm, the ferry journey isn't too long, giving you a chance to admire the dazzling lights of Vũng Tàu city and the distant glow of massive oil rigs.
At 9 pm, it's time to rest on the ferry.
Day 2: Exploring the 'hell on earth'
At 7 am the next day, the ferry docks at Bến Đầm port amidst a warm welcome, bustling with islanders gathering to unload goods from the mainland and to welcome visitors into the town. I arranged for a ride to the town around 8 am, dropped off my luggage at the guesthouse, and began 15-30 minutes of relaxation and freshening up after a long night on the open sea.
By 9 am, after breakfast, we took a stroll to explore various historical sites on Côn Đảo such as the prison, French-style tiger cages, American-style tiger cages, Côn Đảo Museum, Lime Kiln, 914 Bridge, Chúa Đảo Mansion, and more.
Some landmarks here may not be open to individual visitors, so if you're traveling solo, wait for tour groups to arrive and join them for sightseeing. Not only do you avoid entrance fees, but you also get free guided tours, as these are already covered by group fees.
Past noon, we headed to Đầm Trầu beach for sightseeing and swimming. Surprisingly, the road to the beach offers many beautiful views. The winding path leads to distant small islands, with vivid blue waters, some displaying 2-3 shades. The towering rocky cliffs add to the beauty.
We stopped frequently to take photos, despite the scorching sun and hunger. It wasn't until past 1 pm that we moved on from Đầm Trầu beach.
At Đầm Trầu, there are two eateries serving seafood, but they're quite pricey. Regular dishes cost around 150,000-200,000 VND, while various shellfish dishes range from 120,000 VND upwards. Fish dishes are also expensive. It's advisable to bring your own food before coming here.
Here, you can swim, take photos, have a picnic with your group, or even go snorkeling to explore the ocean. There are also kayaks available for rent if you want to paddle around.
At 4 pm, we returned to town, enjoyed coffee at the renowned Côn Sơn café, and went for a swim at An Hải beach, strolled along the bridge, the port, and watched locals fishing.
Between 6 pm and 7 pm, we rested and had dinner.
At 8 pm, stroll along Tôn Đức Thắng street by the seaside and engage in heartfelt conversations.
As night falls, we bought fruits and offerings to visit Hàng Dương cemetery, lit incense at the tomb of Võ Thị Sáu and other heroes and martyrs there.
Day 3: Con Dao National Park – Phi Yến Temple – Núi Một Pagoda – Nhát Beach
At 5 am, we went to bridge 914 to admire the sunrise and embrace the freshness of a new day.
Throughout the morning of the third day, we explored some characteristic spots in Con Dao National Park. Our destinations were Sở Rẫy and Ông Đụng beach. These areas require trekking through forested mountains to access. You can trek in two directions: from the park center to Ông Đụng beach then to Sở Rẫy, or vice versa, but the latter seems more reasonable as it's easier to walk downhill.
Besides enjoying the mountainous scenery, swimming at Ông Đụng beach, and exploring the Sở Rẫy historical site – where the French colonialists forced prisoners to work as laborers in the past – you may also encounter monkeys, gibbons, rare black squirrels, hornbills, and more.
In the afternoon, we visited Phi Yến Temple – dedicated to the second wife of Emperor Nguyễn Ánh who sought refuge here during the Tây Sơn rebellion, and Núi Một Pagoda, both spiritually significant sites that attract visitors for prayer and exploration.
At 3 pm, we headed to Nhát Beach for swimming and to admire the peak of Love, taking photos at the famous Shark Cape.
At 4 pm, we packed up, checked out from the guesthouse, and headed to the port to board the returning ferry, concluding our journey to explore Con Dao.
Dining on the island
There are two cafes on Tôn Đức Thắng street where you can enjoy the evening breeze and sea views.
Some eateries and rice restaurants are concentrated on Nguyễn Huệ street, near Tôn Đức Thắng. Even the most budget-friendly places offer dishes starting from 30,000 VND. If you're craving seafood, visit the market to buy fresh ingredients and have them cooked at the local eateries, where they only charge for cooking.
You can also indulge in snacks at Con Dao night market.
What's unique here is that every dish or drink you order takes about 10-20 minutes for them to prepare, even for a cup of coconut coffee, you'll have to wait for a freshly brewed cup.
Specialties and souvenirs
Con Dao is renowned for its macadamia nuts and nipple snails. Macadamia nuts come in various flavors like salted, sugared, or plain, packed in vacuum-sealed 200-gram bags, ideal for gifting.
Con Dao features four main types of snails: nipple snails, rock snails, ram's horn snails, and hand snails, along with luxury seafood like moon crabs and lobsters. If you encounter other types of snails, they are likely imported from the mainland and are priced higher.
According to Zing News
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Reference: Travel guide from Mytour
MytourJuly 24, 2017
