Buzz
Despite being just a 45-minute flight away from Ho Chi Minh City, Con Son feels like a completely different world, far removed from the typical tourist routes of the West. It's a hidden gem, unspoiled and beautifully simple.
From 5am to 6am, the government's public announcement system begins broadcasting news across Vietnam. This is a legacy from a time before television or radio, known as the public broadcasting system, used for news, propaganda, and weather forecasts. As the country has developed, the voices on the loudspeakers in many places now blend with the sounds of motorbike engines, truck horns, and the noises from construction sites.
But here on Con Son, the sound of the loudspeaker still echoes clearly, weaving through the small coastal town with its 5,000 residents, two traffic signal systems, and a seaside promenade. Visiting the largest island in the Con Dao archipelago feels like stepping back in time.
Despite being just a 45-minute flight from bustling Ho Chi Minh City, the paradise island of Con Son is a world apart from the well-known tourist destinations of Vietnam. This is an area that remains under radar surveillance, escaping the overly developed resort cities like Nha Trang or the party-centric beaches of Phu Quoc. There are no hawkers here, only deserted, tranquil beaches, and even during peak season, there are barely a dozen tourists.
Though this situation may not last forever. The first resort on the island, Six Senses, opened in Dat Doc Bay on the east coast of Con Son in 2010, and another large resort is under construction in the south. Additionally, local authorities are in negotiations with Italy to establish a spiritual retreat, and there are rumors of extending the airstrip to accommodate larger aircraft.
However, at present, most visitors here are Vietnamese seeking to revisit the painful era of war. Known as the 'devil's island' in Southeast Asia, Con Son was once a witness to the war atrocities of the French colonialists and the American empire. The French army used the bodies of 914 Vietnamese prisoners to build a wave-blocking dyke, while the American soldiers confined prisoners in 'tiger cages', where they were shackled to the floor by heavy iron bars attached to concrete.
The walls of the main prison compound still stand tall on the island as a reminder to future generations and have become a tourist attraction, commemorating thousands of Vietnamese who were tortured and died on the island from 1862 to 1975.
With such painful historical memories, modern life on the island is gradually encroaching upon this land. The mainland area of Con Son is surrounded by warm emerald waters and beautiful coral reefs. Flamboyant trees and paper flowers adorn the forest while dahlias and magnolias display their colors along the boulevard.
The only main road running around half of the island, if you rent a motorbike to travel along the coastline, you'll be able to admire lotus ponds, red-orange cliffs, and pristine white sandy beaches. The beaches here are very peaceful, clean, and perfect for swimming all year round.
The daily activities of the island start with a bustling market, where tourists and locals can find a variety of seafood such as crabs, clams, squids, along with tropical fruits such as rambutans, bananas, mangoes, dragon fruits, and even lotus flowers right outside the market.
Going deeper, forestry officials are sitting on low plastic chairs, enjoying breakfast with a bowl of noodle soup or grilled meat noodles, as the sun gradually rises higher. By around 9 am, most of the food has been sold, and by noon, the market is cleaned up.
After that, until 2 p.m., there is almost no activity on the island until late afternoon when street vendors begin to appear, selling sandwiches, fruit juices, and rolls. Within two hours, the vendors also go home and the afternoon market is empty again, the island slowly sinking into dusk, the sun gradually disappearing behind the azure waters of the sea.
There's not much to do here other than enjoying leisurely swims at the beautiful beaches, where you won't have to compete with anyone, as the entire beach belongs to you.
If this were the mainland, tourists could find hourly ferry departures. But if you want to admire the rocky shores from Con Dao, you need to inquire from the evening onwards, and a fisherman will take you for a ride the next morning. As the boat slowly leaves the harbor, the fisherman will take you straight to the bay and the underwater rock formations outside the island. With just a few simple diving tools, you can freely admire marine creatures like turtles. Diving is considered one of the best services in Vietnam.
And as the heat of the day fades away, many tourists will choose to explore the island by motorbike. At An Hai Bay, about 1km from the town of Con Son, pearl divers and fishermen untie their boats, replacing them with bamboo basket boats to navigate through the rice fields. Another 6km ahead, tourists can climb the hills along the bay until reaching the southern peak to admire panoramic views of the island from all directions: the rocky shore to the east, the harbor and the town of Con Son to the north, and the rocky hills to the west. Stay until twilight to witness the scenery as the sunset blends into the light from the passing ships on the busy South China Sea.
In the evening, you can stroll around the town of Con Son to reach the island's entertainment center. The sky has turned pink, and the barbecue stalls start bustling with plenty of food such as roasted corn, chicken, and pork. Many tourists, mostly Vietnamese, after a long day of exploration and swimming on the island, begin to gather around the food stalls, creating a lively scene.
Along the road from the beach, many old French villas have been repurposed for various purposes. French composer Camille Saint-Saens stayed here when he completed the opera Brunhilda in 1895, and today, the building he used has become a famous cafe in Con Son, specializing in serving beer, ice cream, and Vietnamese coffee.
By nightfall, there's also a bustling market along Tran Huy Lieu Street. Half of the street is lined with iron tables and chairs, with stalls serving beer and seafood snacks like shrimp, crab, clams, and mussels as the day draws to a close. This is indeed a great way to end a day of exciting experiences in a pristine paradise like Con Son.
The article is translated from the original by author Tom Westbrook published on BBC. The content is produced through reference to the BBC, UK news agency. BBC was established in 1922. BBC has news programs on TV, radio, and the Internet.
According to Infonet.vn
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Reference: Travel guide Mytour
MytourOctober 5, 2015
