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Topic: Traveling to Côn Đảo
Côn Đảo – Vũng Tàu's Tourist Paradise (ST Photo)
1. Introduction to Côn Đảo
Côn Đảo, also known as Côn Lôn or Côn Sơn, is an island district belonging to Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu province. Located just 1-hour flight from Ho Chi Minh City, Côn Đảo covers an area of approximately 76km2 and consists of 16 islands, large and small, with a population of only about 6000 people.
Côn Đảo: Beautiful and Peaceful (ST Photo)
Côn Đảo captivates people with its long stretches of beautiful white sandy beaches, reminiscent of paradise. Particularly, as not all tourist services have been fully developed here, the beaches remain pristine and exceptionally stunning. What makes visitors forever remember Côn Đảo is its marvelous marine life, making it the only place in Vietnam where visitors can occasionally spot dugongs, a species listed in the national conservation list, or visit Vích Island to witness sea turtles laying eggs or see troops of monkeys in the wild sitting on various cliffs and picking crabs and shellfish along the roadside...
The Raw Beauty of Côn Đảo Untouched by Tourism (ST Photo)
The best time to visit Côn Đảo is from April to November as during this period the sea is calm, and the weather is pleasantly cool, allowing visitors to explore without weather-related hindrances.
Côn Đảo, Once Known as 'Hell on Earth', Now a 'Paradise' (ST Photo)
2. What Makes Côn Đảo Beautiful?
Côn Đảo Prison
Côn Đảo Prison is an unmissable destination when visiting Côn Đảo. It was built by the French colonialists and the American empire, with hundreds of cells and isolation chambers to imprison and torture Vietnamese patriots and political prisoners.
Côn Đảo Prison - A Place Bearing the Indomitable Spirit of Patriot Fighters (ST Photo)
Particularly notorious are the infamous tiger cages, which shocked the world upon their discovery. This place has become a sacred site of the homeland, commemorating the unwavering fighting spirit of our national heroes.
The Harsh Life of Patriots in Captivity (ST Photo)
Visitors will shudder at the sight of the sweltering, suffocating cells with horrifying torture implements. The prison is associated with infamous names like: the cowshed, the tiger cages, the lime kiln, the saltworks, and the solitary confinement block...
The infamous tiger cages system of the prison (ST Photo)
Lord Island Mansion
This place was formerly the residence and workplace of the island lords through many generations, serving as the nerve center of the Côn Đảo prison system. Travelers to Côn Đảo seeking to understand its history must explore the national history through the artifacts, images, and French-language documents exhibited here.
Lord Island Mansion – preserving Côn Đảo's history (ST Photo)
The Lord Island Mansion depicts the luxurious life of colonial rulers alongside the harsh, impoverished existence, and the whip of the prisoners' suffering. Dozens of inmates endured hard labor and served the royal lifestyle of the island lords.
The refreshing atmosphere inside Lord Island Mansion (ST Photo)
Mount Cross
Mount Cross is one of the fascinating attractions that all tourists here aspire to conquer. Especially on Valentine's Day, it attracts many couples because of the belief that if a couple holds hands to watch the sunset together, they will stay together for life.
Conquering the peak of Mount Cross (ST Photo)
To conquer this mountain, you have to climb for about 1 hour. When you reach the summit, you will enjoy the cool and comfortable air, immersing yourself in the natural sky and clouds, surrounded by pure white clouds. This will surely be an exciting sightseeing spot for everyone, especially for couples in love.
The path to climb Mount Cross (ST Photo)
Dam Trau Beach
Located in the northern part of the island near Co Ong Airport, Dam Trau is considered the most beautiful beach in Con Dao. Dam Trau Beach has been likened to a golden silk ribbon tied across the blue carpet, half hugged by the forest and half spread out over the sea. The beach is picturesque and tranquil, almost untouched by tourism, so it still retains its pristine sandy shore, surrounded by virgin forests.
Image of Dam Trau Beach with its long stretch of golden sand like a silk ribbon (ST Photo)
What's peculiar here is that the sand is golden rather than pristine white like other beaches on the island. If you visit Dam Trau Beach, you can enjoy swimming while indulging in some delicious local seafood at affordable prices, and watching planes take off and land nearby, which is quite fascinating.
Sunset over Dam Trau Beach (ST Photo)
Hot Springs Beach
From Dam Trau Beach, visitors can trek through a short forest path to reach Hot Springs Beach. This is a beach that still retains its pristine beauty and is little known to many.
The untouched beauty of Hot Springs Beach (ST Photo)
This beach is stunningly beautiful, like a vibrant painting of the tropical seascape with its smooth white sand and a unique mangrove ecosystem unlike any other islands.
View of Hot Springs Beach from above (ST Photo)
Nhat Beach
After a day exploring Con Dao, travelers can immerse themselves in nature at this beach, watching the magical sunset slowly dip behind the peaks of Love Mountain.
Image of Nhat Beach submerged in water (ST Photo)
The unique feature of Nhat Beach is that it only appears for a few hours a day; at other times, this beach is submerged in water and is little known to people.
The time when Nhat Beach appears is very beautiful (ST Photo)
Tai Island
As a tourist destination with beautiful natural landscapes, it attracts visitors for sightseeing, relaxation, admiring scenery, and exploring nature on the island. It's like a rich and colorful painting with coral reefs mingling with marine creatures hidden beneath the sunlight piercing through the clear water.
Rare red-faced monkeys on Con Dao Island (ST Photo)
In the area of Tai Island, you can observe rare animals such as red-faced monkeys, squirrels, monitor lizards, sea otters, white-breasted waterhens..., dive to see coral reefs in nearby areas, hike mountains, and swim in the sea.
Image of Tai Island standing alone (ST Photo)
Hon Ba
As the third island among 16 different islands in Con Dao, here visitors can easily find beautiful beaches, diverse ecosystems of forests and mangroves with many rare species of fauna and flora.
Image of Hon Ba connecting Hon Con Son via Cua Tu (ST Photo)
During the rainy season, after swimming in the sea, tourists can also enjoy bathing in the cool stream near the forest edge close to the beach.
Hon Ba is the third largest island in Con Dao (ST Photo)
Hon Bay Canh
This is the second largest island in Con Dao and has the highest number of sea turtles nesting in Vietnam. Every year, hundreds of mother turtles come to the beach to lay eggs. The entire island is covered by pristine tropical forests, with rich biodiversity of fauna and flora.
Tranquil nature next to Hon Bay Canh (ST Photo)
Visiting Hon Bay Canh, tourists will have the opportunity to explore the mangrove forest ecosystem and snorkel to admire the coral reefs. The coral here is very diverse in species and is all listed in the Vietnam Red Book.
The majestic beauty of Hon Bay Canh (ST Photo)
Nui Mot Pagoda
Also known as Van Son Tu, a historical site closely associated with the place name Con Dao. Nui Mot Pagoda has majestic architecture located on the mountain top, is a magnificent scenic spot not to be missed when visiting Con Dao, it is a place of spiritual significance for the local people.
Nui Mot Pagoda - a spiritual sanctuary for locals (ST Photo)
From here, tourists can admire An Hai Lake, panoramic views of Con Dao town, and Con Son Bay
Tranquil setting of Nui Mot Pagoda (ST Photo)
Ba Phi Yen Temple
An Son Temple, also known as Ba Phi Yen Temple, is dedicated to Ba Phi Yen - the concubine of Lord Nguyen Anh. Ba Phi Yen and the national heroine Vo Thi Sau are the two most revered women on this Con Dao island.
An Son Temple in Con Dao (ST Photo)
This temple holds great spiritual significance for the islanders and is intertwined with a poignant story of a talented, patriotic woman.
Commemoration ceremony for Ba Phi Yen (ST Photo)
3. What to Do in Con Dao?
Witness Turtle Egg Laying
Witnessing turtle egg laying is one of the most unforgettable experiences in Con Dao. At Hon Cau, there is a turtle conservation area where you can spend the night and have the opportunity to participate in the activity of releasing newly hatched turtle eggs into the sea.
Observing turtle egg laying is one of the most fascinating activities in Con Dao (ST Photo)
The turtle nesting season runs from March to October, with approximately 3000 to 5000 turtle eggs hatching every night. However, this area is restricted due to the presence of humans, which may affect the nesting activities of turtles here.
Baby turtles finding their way to the sea (ST Photo)
Explore Untouched Islands
Con Son Bay comprises a system of 14 different islands, including Tài, Trắc, Thỏ, and more, nestled together like a large family. Islands such as Bảy Cạnh, Bông Lan, Cau, Trứng, Tre, stand majestically amidst the vast ocean, creating a picturesque scenery for Con Son Bay. These islands are a marine ecological conservation area with coral reefs that are unmatched in density and variety. Hence, exploring the untouched islands here is an exciting and rewarding experience, full of surprises and new discoveries.
Côn Đảo's deserted islands are a place of mystery (ST Photo)
Snorkeling
The coral reef system in Con Dao is the most diverse in Vietnam, with a wide variety of corals and impressive fish species found around most of the small islands surrounding the main Con Dao island. Snorkeling is an unmissable activity for visitors here. You can rent a boat to Bảy Cạnh Island and then jump into the cool water to slowly swim to the snorkeling spot. The coral here is mostly devoid of bright colors due to global climate change, with warming seawater causing coral bleaching phenomena.
Snorkeling in Con Dao is an incredibly exciting activity (ST Photo)
4. Côn Đảo's Delicacies
Sun-dried Tuna
One of the must-try delicacies in Con Dao is the sun-dried tuna. It's named so because after being caught, fishermen rinse the fish with saltwater and then dry it under the sun only once without adding any preservatives. That's why the fish doesn't have the strong smell of fresh fish but also doesn't become as tough as heavily sun-dried fish. This sun-dried tuna can be cooked in various ways such as stewed, fried, or served with tomato sauce alongside rice, making it very delicious.
Sun-dried Tuna – Con Dao's Delicacy (ST Photo)
Oyster Congee
Oyster congee is a must-try dish for tourists visiting Con Dao. The main ingredients for a delicious bowl of oyster congee are high-quality round-grain rice, mixed with a bit of glutinous rice for thickness. Fresh oysters are caught from the sea, cleaned, seasoned, and stir-fried to absorb the flavors. Once the congee is cooked, the stir-fried oysters are added and seasoned to taste.
Aromatic and delicious oyster congee (ST Photo)
Moon Crab
Moon Crab is a distinctive seafood of Con Dao, with a peculiar shape and a back covered in dark red spots mixed with bright pink. If observed closely, it resembles the moon, hence the interesting name 'moon crab.' The simplest way to prepare this crab is to steam or boil it until fully cooked, then peel off the meat and dip it in a mixture of salt and pepper with lime, which is truly delightful. However, there are many other cooking methods: making hotpot, cooking soup, making noodles, stir-frying vermicelli... each with its own unique, delicious flavor, sweetened by the crab's very special taste.
Moon Crab steamed with lime salt pepper dipping sauce (ST Photo)
Bang Seed Preserve
Bang trees in Con Dao are large forest trees, with very large leaves and fruits. During Tet, people here also use bang leaves to wrap banh chung (square glutinous rice cake). During the bang fruit harvest season, locals dry the peel, then split the seeds and roast them with salt or sugar as desired. Bang Seed Preserve is a famous specialty of Con Dao. The preserved seeds are crispy, with a nutty, fragrant, and slightly sticky flavor, making it a unique delicacy of Con Dao, a gift bearing the distinctive mark of this place.
Image of Bang Seed Preserve - Con Dao specialty (ST photo)
Lady's Breast Snail
This type of snail has a pointed cone shape, with white and plump meat inside, named as such because its shape resembles a woman's breasts, making it an enticing dish from its name to its taste. Lady's Breast Snail can be prepared in various ways such as grilling, boiling, stir-frying, making salad... all equally appealing. This is a specialty of Con Dao, so you can enjoy it at any restaurant on Con Dao. Visitors here often love grilled Lady's Breast Snail with lard and onions the most.
Lady's Breast Snail - a seafood delicacy only found in Con Dao (ST photo)
Nhum Fermented Fish
Nhum Fermented Fish is dubbed as the noblest type of fermented fish. During the Nguyen dynasty, it was even offered as a ritual offering to the court annually because producing a jar of high-quality Nhum Fermented Fish requires meticulousness and craftsmanship. This dish is used as a dipping sauce for boiled dishes or rice paper rolls. When enjoying it, you will feel the sweetness of Nhum meat, the salty flavor of the sea, tangy, and rich taste, which is very unique
Image of famous Nhum Fermented Fish in Con Dao (ST photo)
Outstanding hotels in Con Dao
You can check out the following hotels with great prices and high booking rates from Vntrip:
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