Con Dao travel guide

Located off the Southeast Coast of Vietnam, sat peacefully isolated in the South China Sea, is the stunning Con Dao Archipelago. Made up of 16 mountainous, craggy islands, this remote part of Vietnam feels like a truly forgotten corner of the planet.

With a population of roughly 7000 people and a relatively small number of tourists, the deserted beaches and deep thick jungles make Con Dao an alluring destination. Visitors to the island are greeted with phenomenal views of the rich green, jungle which covers the mountainous islands before fading off into sandy beaches and crystal waters. The islands’ isolation and dark past mean these islands have been beautifully preserved and mostly untouched by the rapid development which has stormed across Vietnam’s holiday destinations.

Con Son is the largest, and most well-known of the islands in the Con Dao Archipelago. To those arriving on the island with no knowledge of the island's dark past, it is understandable to be absorbed by the stunning beauty of the surroundings. However, for many Vietnamese people, the island is associated with the brutality and torture faced by the thousands of prisoners who were incarcerated on the islands. This somewhat split personality of the island is both a reminder of the past and look into the future for this remote and beautiful island.

Originally part of the Khmer Empire, the area was claimed by the Vietnamese in the 17th century. In 1702, the British East India Trading Company established a base on the Con Son island with a factory and a settlement. This, however, was short-lived as in 1705 the English on Con Son were massacred, and the settlement and factory were destroyed.

Historical recreation of Vietnamese prisoners.

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For many travelling to Con Dao, the idyllic beaches and quiet shores are the main allure. Although the beaches are thin, and some only accessible at low tide, there are plenty to choose from and dotted around the perimeter of the island.

Con Son, the main island has some of the most incredible beaches in the whole of Vietnam. The thin wisps of soft white sand are bordered on one side by palm trees and the other sprawling, turquoise waters.

An Hai Beach is one of the most popular on the beach owing to its beautiful scenery and ease of access from Con Son Town. It's a great beach for lounging in the sun and looking out to sea at the occasional fishing boat.

One of the best ways to see the dense primary forest is by hiring a local guide who can take you to the hidden waterfalls and secluded beaches. Their expert knowledge may also help you spot some of the animals inhabiting the area. Black giant squirrels and crab-eating macaques can be seen high in the trees whilst small lizards such as the bow-fingered gecko scuttle between the branches.

A popular place to visit whilst exploring the island is the So Ray fruit plantations which sit roughly 260 meters above sea level. Once the sight of a forced labour camp for prisoners who were forced to grow crops for their French imprisoners, the plantation is now the playground for the tribes of monkeys who eagerly await gifts of bananas from the visitors.

One of the reasons that the incredible landscape of the island has been kept in such remarkably good condition is that until 1975 it was the setting some of the most savage prisons imaginable.

Known as The Devil's Island, thousands upon thousands of prisoners were incarcerated on the penal colony for crimes against the ruling forces. The oldest and biggest prison on the island is Phu Hai. The tiny, hot cells were crammed with hundreds of prisoners, many of whom died because of the squalid conditions. Today the grounds have been preserved as a museum with skeletal mannequins depicting the horrific conditions.

Phu Tong Camp is also open to the public known for its practice of torturing prisoners in the tiger cages. The infamous tiger cages are also open to the public. Upon viewing the nightmare inducing, dehumanising cells there is gut wrenching smack of reality, these were used until as recently as the 1970s. Prisoners were locked in the underground cages and guards would douse them in caustic lime and beat them through the bars above. It wasn't until photographer Tom Harkin detoured from his governmental tour and photographed the harrowing scenes that this system was condemned and shut down.

The majority of prisoners who lost their lives in the camp were buried in unmarked mass graves, but they have now been moved to Hang Duong Cemetery. Whilst some of the graves in the cemetery bear names, a large number are left unidentified and sadly, nameless. Each night people come to pay their respects to those who died in the prisons. The sombre and evocative ceremony takes place daily at midnight with people bringing offerings and pray at the graves of family, friends and respected independence fighters.

One of the most high-profile cases from the penal colony on Con Son is the execution of the young woman named Vo Thi Sau. This tragic story tells of a girl who was captured at just 17 and later sent Con Son for her actions as part of a French resistance group. At the age of 19 she was sentenced to execution, and after just one night on Con Son, she was brutally executed by firing squad. Vo Thi Sau has been canonized and is regarded as a national martyr for the stoicism and bravery she showed in the face of such cruelty. It is said the Vo Thi Sau refused to wear a blindfold as she was brutally executed and was calmly singing songs of flowers in bloom. Her enduring faith in the fight for independence and resolute belief that bloodshed would one day cleanse the soil of Vietnam, have led to Vo Thi Sau becoming a revered patriotic symbol.

The culture of Con Son is unique to this island destination. The small population and relatively low number of tourists create a laid-back culture on the island. There is a sense of community and safety that comes only with small, isolated populations and people here seem more carefree than their city-dwelling counterparts. The quiet promenade which flanks the beach, devoid of traffic, provides a place for people to stop and take a moment, to chat with friends, play games or bask in the beauty of the island. Moments and places like this surely influence the relaxed mentality of the island.

The daily market is one of the best places to experience a bit of local culture with the flurry of activity peaking in the early hours of the morning. Each day, the small modest building fills with a crowd of stalls selling fresh produce and wholesome, satisfying breakfast dishes. This is a fantastic opportunity to grab some delicious food and do a spot of people watching.

Folklore also plays a role in the island's cultural identity. The tragic story of Phi Yen tells of a young heroine who was trapped between her loyalty to her husband and her undying motherly love for her son. The story which straddles the realms of history can be uncovered at the Phi Yen Shrine. Phi Yen or Flying Swallow was the wife of Lord Nguyen Anh, a ruler known for his cooperation with the French. It is said that during their time taking refuge in Con Dau, Nguyen Anh promised their son as an insurance in a deal with the French. Phi Yen protested, fearing for her son and outraged, Nguyen An ordered that their son was to be thrown into the sea and drowned. The tale has it that even after this horrific ordeal, Phi Yen remained loyal to her husband. In a final show of loyalty to her cruel husband, to avoid the advances of another man, she cast herself into the sea. The story of Phi Yen and Nguyen Anh is surrounded by uncertainty but is ingrained in the culture of the island. People visit the Phi Yen Shrine to pray for the ideals the loving mother and loyal wife represented.

The son of Nguyen Anh and Phi Yen also has its own temple on the island. Prince Cai Temple has a shrine to the young boy and the small grave. The white model of a horse speaks of the youth and innocence lost in the death of the child.

The food scene on Con Son is still relatively limited but is growing with the slowly increasing levels of visitors to the island.

The night market on Tran Huy Lieu street is a great place to pick up a flavoursome Vietnamese dish to refuel after a day of exploring the wild island. The menus feature a ion of freshly prepared seafood dishes as well as the regular Vietnamese staples. The seafood options vary daily depending on what is available, but the fresh produce along with mouthwatering Vietnamese sauces always makes for a winning combination. One of the more popular, and readily available, seafood dishes on the island is the thick, flavoursome oyster porridge. Vendors have perfected their recipe over time and serve up steaming bowls of the porridge from their stalls.

Shellfish is also popular on the island. Red lobsters and moon crabs make regular appearances on the menu.

For those in search of some home comforts, Caffe Infiniti and La Caffe Deli offer some great western options.

As well as celebrating all of the National Holidays in Vietnam, once a year, local people and visitors to the island flock to the Phi Yen Temple to make offerings to devoted mother and wife.

Although the main celebration takes place on the 18th day of the 10th lunar month, preparations begin well in advance with each person being assigned a different task. In order to show their respect for Phi Yen's actions and the ideals she represented, nine groups make offerings of special food at the shrine. Local music, dance performances and traditional games bring joy to the celebration of Phi Yen's life.