Buzz
After a 2-day-1-night trip to Con Dao, I felt completely satisfied. Con Dao not only impressed me with its beauty, but also with its profound historical stories.
More: Con Dao Travel
Means of Transportation.
1. Air Travel.
To travel to Con Dao, there are no direct flights; you need to take two flights:
- Hanoi – Ho Chi Minh City
- Ho Chi Minh City – Con Dao
Apart from traveling by plane, you can also opt for a sea journey to Con Dao, departing from Tran De Port (Soc Trang), which takes approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes to reach Con Dao. The ferry fares range from 300 to 400k per trip. During the peak tourist season, there's a ferry every 15 minutes.
- Contact phone number: Superdong Company (02993 843 888)
Alternatively, to save some bucks, you can take a flight to Can Tho, then hop on a ferry to Con Dao from there.
Which hotel to stay at?
During my stay in Con Dao, I chose to stay at Quynh Anh Hotel, located at 15 Le Duan, Ward 6, Con Dao district. Since I was mostly out exploring, I didn't have many demands regarding the hotel.
Overall, the hotel was modestly decorated, quite clean, and equipped with all necessary amenities. I booked the room through mytour, and when I mentioned the price range I was looking for, they promptly provided me with a list of hotels within that price range. Among the options, I found Quynh Anh Hotel to be the most suitable.
Furthermore, what I found impressive about Con Dao is that hotel prices are clearly listed according to star ratings. The price of a 2-star hotel here doesn't exceed 1 million VND per night. It's advisable to keep this in mind to avoid overpaying when booking through intermediaries.
Dining in Con Dao
For breakfast, I opted for Hoa Bien restaurant, and for dinner, I went to Thu Tam. Both are renowned and bustling eateries in Con Dao:
1. Hoa Bien:
- Address: 18/24 Ton Duc Thang Street, Con Dao district.
- Phone number: (to be updated)
This restaurant offers a direct view of the sea and is decorated like a mini resort. I highly recommend trying their beef stew noodle soup here. It's my favorite dish since I set foot on the island.
2. Thu Tam:
- Address: Nguyen Duc Thuan Street, Con Dao district
- Phone number: 0908400116
The most striking aspect here is that it's always packed, and the service is often slow. The restaurant offers a wide variety of dishes. The seafood is always fresh, but perhaps due to personal taste preferences, I found the seasoning to be quite ordinary. Prices here are quite high, sometimes feeling disproportionate to what you get.
Con Dao Sightseeing Itinerary
Day 1:
Phu Hai Camp – French-style Tiger Cages – American-style Tiger Cages – Hang Duong Cemetery, Vo Thi Sau's grave.
At 7:30 in the morning, I checked in at Tan Son Nhat Airport, and around 10:30, I set foot in Con Dao. During the journey to the town, I listened to explanations about various points along the way:
- Port.
- Residential area number 10.
- Cluster of small islands off the coast, cultural and historical life of Con Dao.
The story of Bridge 914 in Con Dao left the most lasting impression on me – 914 prisoners endured suffering to build this bridge.
After lunch and a rest, at 2 p.m., I began touring the island, starting with the three prisons. The entrance fee for the tour is 40k and is a one-time payment. The most fascinating story the guide shared was how Tom Harkin, a U.S. Congressional staffer at the time, discovered and exposed the French-style Tiger Cages to the world.
People evaluate this story to be worth the 38k/40k ticket price I paid. As for the specifics of the story, well, shh, I'll keep that to myself.
Afterwards, we were returned to the hotel for free exploration. At 11 p.m., we visited Vo Thi Sau's grave. It's said that Sau was truly sacred, granting wishes and fulfilling rightful human desires. Therefore, even though it was midnight, the crowd continued to flock here.
Some notes when visiting Ms. Sau's grave:
– Attire: Dress modestly, with skirts below the knees, and avoid wearing shoulder-baring tops.
– Preparation: The ceremony is quite simple, you can either purchase items at the market or directly coordinate with the guide for preparations. Particularly, wreaths must be made of white flowers.
– After paying respects to Ms. Sau, you should hold incense and light it for the surrounding graves, the more, the better.
Day 2:
Phi Yen Temple – Mount One Pagoda – Con Dao Market
– Phi Yen Temple: Also known as An Son Temple. Phi Yen was the concubine of Lord Nguyen Anh – a woman with a tumultuous life.
Her life story is encapsulated in a lullaby: “The wind takes the cabbage to the sky, the coriander stays behind enduring life's bitterness…”
– Mount One Pagoda: Also known as Van Son Pagoda. This is a seaside temple where you can enjoy panoramic views of Con Dao from above.
– Con Dao Market: What's interesting here is that seafood is processed into ready-to-eat forms: dried and seasoned, then packed in boxes. Each box weighs 1.5 – 2 taels, priced from 50 – 60k per box.
In addition to dried seafood, you can also explore items like Bang seeds and Wild betel nuts, both famous in Con Dao. Bang seeds cost 200k per kilogram, while Wild betel nuts are priced at 20k per bag, about 1 tael. Since the ready-to-eat dried seafood can be taken on the plane, you don't need to pack them in boxes.
Some notes:
– It's advisable to visit Con Dao between March and August, as afterwards, the island may encounter rough winds, making travel difficult.
– Con Dao offers numerous picturesque spots, so make the most of every moment to capture photos. My travel companion and I woke up early and seized every opportunity (after meals, during lunch breaks…) to take photos. The result: we ended up with a dreamy photo collection. When you're traveling, sleep can wait.
– The beautiful photo spots I recommend include two coffee shops along Le Duan Street, the old paper flower house (also on Le Duan Street), Bridge 914, and the road leading from the airport to the town…
In summary, visit Con Dao if you're seeking spiritual fulfillment, want to learn more about the country's history, or simply seek a peaceful place to relax. However, if you're looking for a place to party and have fun, I'm sorry, Con Dao might not be the right fit for you.
It's not that Con Dao is boring; you simply haven't learned how to appreciate it or chose the wrong place with the wrong expectations from the start!
