Con Dao Islands

Overview

Con Dao is an archipelago 230 km offshore with some of Vietnam's most undeveloped beaches, outstanding diving and sobering colonial prison history.

What to Do

• Snorkeling and diving — some of Vietnam's healthiest coral reefs
• Sea turtle watching — June–September, nightly patrols at Dam Trau Beach
• Con Dao Prison (Phu Hai Camp) — haunting French colonial-era prison cells museum
• Dam Trau Beach — a contender for Vietnam's most beautiful beach

Best Time to Visit

March to September.

Getting There

Flights from Ho Chi Minh City (45 min) or Hanoi.