From Wikitravel

Con Dao is an island off the southern coast of Vietnam.

[edit] Understand

Con Dao served as a prison island for political prisoners during the French colonial era, when it was known as Poulo Condore, and in later years the Saigon regime imprisoned opponents of the regime in the infamous cells known as the "tiger cages". The old prison buildings are still standing and are open to the public as is a small museum tracing the island's history.

Besides having an interesting history, Con Dao is also an island of immense natural beauty with forested hills, deserted sandy beaches and extensive coral reefs making for some excellent diving.

Con Dao is a shining example of good conservation. 80% of the land area of the archipelago is a National park offering primary jungle teeming with interesting life such as the endemic black squirrel and the crab eating macaque. Beautiful beaches and hidden lagoons are also to be found here, with very few tourists Con Dao is a paradise off the beaten track. For now at least.

Most of the surrounding marine are is a no-take marine protected area (MPA). The level of protection and care shown to this island is evident in the pristine reefs that surround it, home to a large variety of marine life incomparable to anywhere else in Vietnam.

Con Cao National Park is currently under going scrutiny of its operations by the World Wildlife Funds and The United Nations Development Program, both groups played a key role in the set up of the National park. Recently funding was withdrawn by another key aid organization Danisa, as evidence was produced that they were operating in violation of their charter and that the Park was run for personal profit at the expense of the environment. Consider carefully and ask around on the island before using any of the National Park services. International oversight is desperately needed to be sure the environment abuses are halted.

[edit] Get in

Con Dao Airport (VCS) is served by VASCO (Vietnam Airlines) and Air Mekong from Saigon (SGN).

Flights operated by VASCO (Vietnam Airlines) Can be booked at Vietnam Airlines offices or most tour operators in Saigon - $115 Return (May 2010) - $80 Return (Nov 2010) $60-$100 return (4/2011) Vasco agents run a bit of a scam in that they often sell all of the tickets to tour operators who then resell them (Then split the profits), only to release the tickets the day before a flight. If you are trying to book internationally you may find working with a Vietnamese travel agent online can get you tickets when the Vasco website says they are sold out. Mekong does not have this problem and the pricing is generally cheaper with better service.

Flights Operated by Air Mekong may be booked on their website or at Air Mekong offices.

There is a boat from Vung Tau which takes about 11 hours. The boat from Vung Tau only leaves on certain days and it is best to book a week before hand to get a seat. Tickets must be brought in Vung Tau ( No Phone calls, staff speak Vietnamese only) or on Con Dao. Several travelers who have made the trip do not recommended it. If coming from Saigon the costs for taxi`s, possible lost days waiting for the boat to go in the windy seasons, transfer from Ben Dam post to the main town.... Overall it is much better to fly. The boat will cost you the same or more.

There are several points worth noting about these services:

• The Con Dao (Con Son) Airport is on the far north end of the island and a long way much else. Arranging a hotel before you get there is best. The hotels will provide a minibus to and from the airport.

• VASCO (Vietnam Airlines) operates ATR72-500 turboprop service on this route so overhead bin space is limited. Depending on your ticket VASCO/Vietnam Airlines will allow 10-20kg free baggage (Excess baggage is relatively inexpensive by international standards).

• The Con Dao Seaport where the boat will anchor is on the far south end of the island and is a long way from much else.

• Air Mekong provides the only Jet service to the airport with their new Bombardier CRJ-900 aircraft.

If you have not prebooked with one of the hotels getting into town can be difficult. There are no taxi`s yet, Simply hop on any of the hotel buses pay the driver around 50,000 dong and they will bring you to town. From there it is a short walk to any of the other hotels.

[edit] Get around

Con Son Village is small, flat and easily traversed on foot. Because of the intense sun and very little shade on the streets walking is best left for the morning or evening.

Motorbikes can be easily rented from main hotels and there is relatively little traffic.

There has been an enormous increase in the number of motorbikes for rent, better deals are often found outside of hotels, as the hotels mark up the same bikes you can hire locally. As with everything else on Con Dao, see the authoritative Dive! Dive! Dive! for information.

Be warned that there is only one petrol station on the island and it has very limited hours 7-10:30 a.m. and 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Be sure to get a bike with a full tank of gas as there is none available for sale on the streets as in the rest of Vietnam. They are fun to ride but a drag to push around.

Since many of the spots to visit require riding up some hills, you will be better served by a manual gear bike. The light traffic and gentle hills make Con Dao a forgiving place to learn to ride a geared bike.

There are no taxis on Con Dao, however, you maybe able to arrange for your hotel to take you limited places for a fee usually about $70 a day for car and driver, with out hotel markup.

Motorbike taxis are easily found in Con Son Village. As in all of Vietnam most of these guys are hard working and honest, but there are a few scoundrels.

• It is illegal to ride a motorized vehicle without a helmet or a Vietnamese Driving license, our local cop Mr. Tan really likes to increase his salary at the expense of un-helmeted western riders. Riding with out a helmet is illegal and simply foolish with the primitive medical care available here, especially if you are not carrying adequate travel insurance. Evacuation to Bangkok costs $30,000 paid in advance. This money cannot possibly be raised on the island.

Travel here without proper insurance at your own risk !

[edit][add listing] See

Today Con Dao has great historical import and attracts Vietnamese and increasing numbers of foreign tourists to the renovated prisons.

 Prisoners were kept in extremely overcrowded conditions on the island and as many as 20,000 are believed to have died here and this can be relived here. A guide from the nearby Revolutionary Museum is costs less than US$1 and includes an informative guided tour.

The Cemetery is a National Shrine to 20,000 + heroes in this country, you will not score any points by wearing short pants, or showing your shoulders in and around the Cemetery. Please Do Not Even Think about riding your motorbike over the graves ! The Vietnamese come to this island for the sole purpose of visiting this cemetery. Again the recent influx of budget tourists is starting to strain the feelings of the local people here, as few actually benefit from your visit. The foreign money is concentrated in the larger government run hotels. Please do give a moments thought about where you spend your money. Book services for motorbikes outside of your hotel, eat in the local places, shop in the local market. 

Con Dao is part of a maritime and national park and is made up of 16 or so islands. The islands are mostly rugged and still have a lot of original forest cover and associated flora and fauna. The most famous indigenous animal is the dugong or sea cow although it is rarely seen. Several species of rare squirrel and apes are found here and there is an important breeding program for turtles on Bay Canh island near to Con Dao island. 

The islands have very nice beaches, great swimming and snorkeling opportunities (however snorkeling on the main island is generally only good in one area accessible from May to October) and a very relaxed, colonial feel to them. Con Dao is a nice antidote to the crowded cities.

The Turtle Tour can be booked at the national park office for 1,500,000 Dong and you may see a turtle laying eggs. Turtle season is ONLY from June to Early September. The N.P. will gladly sell you tickets out of season and promise turtles, the trip is not cheap. Be aware and do not fall for this.

Rainforest hikes can be booked through the National Park Office. Some hikes require a guide. Some of the trails are unmarked, so having a native guide is useful. There is good information available on the island for self guided hikes and most of the rangers only speak Vietnamese.

The N.P.guides will generally trundle you though the woods, stop and have a few shots of whiskey with their buddies and trundle you back, to get home in time to have a nap. The trails are seeing much more traffic now, and only the hike to the far north bay, Dam Tre, requires a guide and awareness of the tides ! Do be careful !

Motorbikes can be rented through most hotels, (please try local options first, as most hotels take a 30% commission on rentals) and riding them up Con Dao's mountain roads can offer some of the best views for travelers looking to take in Con Dao's natural beauty and scenery. Watch out for the strong wind that can whip up at any time at the southern most point of the island near Nhat Beach, several westerners have not heeded warnings and been injured by the strong gusts that can be found there.

[edit][add listing] Do

Con Dao has the best diving in Vietnam. You can dive most times of the year as there are 16 islands to choose from and you can get good visibility pretty much most of the year. Having dive insurance is mandatory in Con Dao due to it's remote location.

• Dive ! Dive ! Dive ![1] (36 Ton Duc Thang Street)is on Con Dao. It is affiliated with S.S.I. and owned by by an American. They are full time resident expats and are a fully western owned and operated business on the islands.They have extensive local experience and knowledge of the islands. They do daily dive and snorkeling trips from a 15 meter custom built dive boat or 5 meter speed boat and also have diving on the only penetrable wreck in Vietnam: A 60-meter steel freighter. They also have bicycles, snorkeling gear and camping gear for rental. Buy today, dive tomorrow diving and medical insurance available. Stop in for tourist information as they are likely the only people you will meet on the island who speak English, Dutch, French, and German. Also they are a terrific resource in regard to bookings for all of the new budget accommodation opening on the islands, from $15 a night double.

• There is a branch office of Rainbow Divers (Vietnam's most renowned and awarded PADI dive centers)that operates out of the Six Senses Resort on Dat Doc Beach. They offer daily dive trips with the archipelago's most experienced dive guides and crew. [2]

• Trips to the turtle sanctuary can be arranged through the National Park office North of the main town. Overnight stays can be arranged. This office will also provide very detailed information about possible treks and walking opportunities but be aware the island has plenty of no go areas due to the large military presence here. Be aware that the turtles are only nesting in July and August with a few hatch lings still coming out in September. Do not book a turtle tour outside of this time as it is very likely you will not see any, the national park will thoughtfully refund you 10% if this does happen.

[edit][add listing] Buy

There is a good fruit and vegetable market in Con Son town that starts early - 6am or so. Prices are cheap and the locals don't seem to overcharge foreign purchasers. As the number of budget travelers increases and the full blown screaming fits over 1000 dong on the part of the back pack crowd, you can be sure that the attitudes of the vendors will change. Please keep it under control, you may win the fight over 1000 dong but the next traveler behind you will surely pay the price for your "success". Everything here is simply more expensive as it has to come by ship or plane.

[edit][add listing] Eat

Dining options are still relatively limited, although new restaurants have opened in the last few months.

Highly recommended is the recently relocated and refurbished Thu Ba on Vo Thi Sau Street, just north of the market. In operation for many years in the market, the restaurant now enjoys new facilities, an expanded menu, attentive English speaking staff, although slightly more expensive then some other places it is highly recommended.

Phuong Han at 38C Nguyen Hue is becoming quite popular with the tourist crowd, atmosphere needs some work, but the food is good and it is reasonably priced. Very popular for lunch.

Tri Ky on Nguyen Duc Thuan St. offers tasty, fresh seafood at reasonable prices, and has an English menu available, although offerings are relatively sparse. If not well-versed in Vietnamese, the "pick and point" method is usually best for communicating to waitresses what seafood you want.

For lunchtime, you can also find some local restaurants that serve good noodle soups for 15000 dong. One is located on Nguyen Hue street, after the crossing with Vo Thi Sau street, when you drive towards East on the left side.

Most of the larger hotels have restaurants attached to them. The Seatravel Con Dao resort has an open-air lobby that doubles as a restaurant, and offers outside seating with excellent views of the ocean. Food prices are somewhat pricey (for Vietnam), but that is the case with most of the hotel restaurants on the island. English menu available, however, some of the better foods, such as their beef and veggie pho, are not listed and usually best ordered by simply asking the waitstaff directly. Western-style breakfast omelette is excellent as well.

The Saigon Con Dao resort also has a restaurant, with views of both the ocean and the old Con Dao prison museum. A pretty good variety of food, and excellent Vietnamese coffee. English menu available.

The Six Senses also offers some more upscale dining options for travelers, but the location of the hotel is outside of the main town. If staying at one of the other hotels (ATC, Seatravel, Con Dao Resort, Saigon Con Dao Resort)located closer to the main town, it is best to get to Six Senses by motorbike.

Decent food is available at most hotels, but be prepared to pay somewhat more than Saigon prices. Also, hotels may not have everything on their menu available. Ice for drinks may run out before the end of the evening.

[edit] Safety

Con Dao is remote.

Medical care is rudimentary, in fact the hospital has no film for its x-ray machine at this time and a very limited supply of medicine.

Evacuation by helicopter to Saigon takes 5 hours, costs $5,000 and must be prepaid in cash.

Serious issues that need evacuation to Thailand, will require 8 or more hours as a result of the government not allowing "Medical Wings" access to Con Dao with out first stopping in Saigon adding four hours to the trip and costing $30,000. We are working on this problem, incidentally the far more well known Phu Quoc Island faces the same issues.

If you are considering travel here, first class travel insurance is a must have and is quite inexpensive. I have had to watch several westerners in extreme distress having to wait for a commercial flight, which may not take them off the island, as they were not properly insured. 
If you are having difficulties getting adequate insurance in your home country, do try an American company. They will insure people from all over the world for as little as a dollar a day.

Please, when engaging in any activities keep this in mind. There are no strong pain medication on the island so a simple broken leg could have you in agony for 18 or more hours.

Street dogs...We have loads and people do get the occasional nip.

They become aggressive and territorial at night, during the day they can be found sleeping in the middle of the road. Walking the streets at night alone is not smart anywhere, regarding the dogs... DO NOT ACT SCARED OR RUN. STAND YOUR GROUND AND YELL AT THEM, bend down as to pick up a rock and they will run like they are on fire.

I am working on this problem and hope to address it at the next Peoples Committee meeting.

[edit] Health

There is NO malaria here.

Mosquito season is February to April.

There are sand flies that move around the island. The bites are painful and easily infected. Do NOT scratch. Immerse in hot water. Take a HOT shower to get relief to sleep. Mosquito repellant does not work well for sand flies.

Treat with hot water, hydro-cortisone cream or anti histamine tablets. Sand fly season is January to May

Dive! Dive! Dive! does have for sale a special home made sand fly repellent that works much better then DEET, and is safe, it may not smell great but it works !

Do Not Drink The WATER !

In the interest of environmental conservation and the reduction of plastic waste, refill your 1-2 liter water bottles at Dive! Dive! Dive! Cold water is 5000 dong a liter, half the market price and you will help reduce the amount of plastic waste generated on the island. Shop is open from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

[edit][add listing] Drink

Beer is available at hotels and restaurants. Cocktails and mixed drinks while offered on hotel menus will not always be available.

There is a shop near the market which has a surprisingly excellent selection of wine and sells cold beer.

Join the fishermen if you are in Con Dao during their few returns to dry land. They seemingly enjoy sitting on the street with a case of beer drinking and chatting. By and large they are very friendly but don't be surprised if you attract a fair few stares as a foreigner.

While a few drinks with the fishermen can be okay, in fact they are not supposed to be moored in this harbor. There have been incidents of indecent exposure and some harassment of western women. Ladies, please do cover up. Do not blame the behavior on the guys, they are drunk and entirely uneducated. This is not the west. We are working to get the laws governing the south harbor enforced in the hope that this on going problem 

can be eliminated.

[edit][add listing] Sleep

There are currently several relatively cheap resorts on the island although more are being built.

• National park guest house - just outside of town (300,000 Dong)(Currently fully booked with Six Senses Staff)
• A.T.C. resort - is slightly over priced compared to the other hotels but the food is good.
• Saigon Con Dao - (Government Owned) is lacking in character, but is clean and has a nice swimming pool.

There is also the Con Dao resort and the Con Dao Seatravel hotel towards the end of town. Both offer bungalows right on the beach at the end of town,where the beach is quiet and nice, although sometimes littered. The prices range from $45-70 USD. Seatravel is a bit of a dump, with reports of rats in the rooms, but the large bungalows open right onto the beach and offer some of the best views and locations for Con Dao, especially on a budget. The manager knows some English and is helpful with relocating unsatisfied customers to the Con Dao Resort, which is further from the beach but offers more standard, less "rustic" rooms, as well as a pool. Next to Condao Seatravel you find Condao Camping that offers similar bungalows on the beach. The price is $30-35 and the single room bungalow have a nice sea view. The manager speaks English and she's very helpful.

Elsewhere in Con Son there are small guesthouses and hotels which offer room rates from $15 - $35 US per night Whilst these are not on the beach they are usually clean and relatively new and comfortable. Contact www.dive-condao.com for recommendations, new places are opening everyday and they know the good, bad and ugly.

Only the larger resorts (Saigon Con Dao, Seatravel, Resort A and Con Dao resort) offer pick ups from the airport. As there are no taxis on the island it can be tricky to get transport into town! Most of the bus drivers however are very friendly and will offer stranded travelers a lift into the town.

The Six Senses resort and spa has recently opened but is located on a more isolated, separate beach between the town and the airport. The beach is more private and cleaner than the larger stretch of beach shared by the other hotels, and the resort is organized as private bungalows, with each bungalow having unobstructed views of the water. The resort is much more expensive than the other hotel options, but also offers visitors amenities not available at the other hotels.

[edit] Crime

Is almost non existent.

Having lived in Vietnam for 14 of the last 23 years. This is the only place I have lived where we leave bicycles and motorcycles out side of the house at night.

However common sense must prevail, hotel rooms do get pilfered when left unlocked, people get very complacent here as it does feel, and is so safe.

[edit] Get out

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