Con Dao is ready for new discoveries and experiences before the tourist season.

Con Dao is a National Tourist Area with a synchronous, modern technical infrastructure system, branded and competitive with the region and the world. (Photo: Huynh Son/ VNA)

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Located about 185km from the mainland, Con Dao is not only famous for its wild beauty but also an ideal destination for exploring and experiencing ecology.

The island district of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province has an area of about 76km2, possessing beautiful beaches, diverse ecosystems and heroic history.

Discover the heroic history of Con Dao

In the history of the revolutionary struggle for independence and national unification, Con Dao is a place that witnessed and preserved the historical values of the country with many famous revolutionary historical relics such as Con Dao Prison, Pier 914, Hang Duong Cemetery, Hang Keo Cemetery, Cow Shed, and Firewood Department.

This place is also a National Tourist Area, a Biodiversity Conservation Area, playing a particularly important role in the strategy for sustainable development of the national marine economy and protecting the national defense and security of the Fatherland.

To promote the value of the relic, combining conservation and tourism development is an important direction, helping visitors better understand the history when experiencing the unique space of this island.

Ms. Pham Thi Tam, Deputy Director of Ba Ria-Vung Tau Provincial Museum-Library, said that from 2023 to present, Con Dao Special National Monument Site has focused on implementing relic restoration projects.

Heritage trees in the Con Dao prison system. (Photo: Huynh Son/VNA)

These relics have been restored and effectively promoted in the work of educating the cultural and historical traditions of the nation in general and in Con Dao district in particular.

To promote the value of Con Dao National Special Monument and at the same time highlight its historical significance, the project to recreate the life and activities of Con Dao prisoners through wax statues has been implemented.

To date, the relic site has deployed 440 wax statues at the prison system and Con Dao Museum, attracting a large number of tourists to visit and study; at the same time contributing to developing local tourism destinations.

Every year, the unit has welcomed hundreds of thousands of domestic and foreign tourists to pay tribute, commemorate, visit and learn about the cultural and historical traditions on the sacred land of Con Dao.

Currently, visitors can reach Con Dao by both air and sea. Flights from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Can Tho to Con Dao airport save time; while speedboats from Ho Chi Minh City, Vung Tau, Can Tho, Soc Trang offer an exciting experience at sea.

Con Dao district has 146 accommodation establishments with a total of 2,923 rooms, a capacity of 7,598 people/day, and an average room occupancy rate of about 58%.

The district's tourism industry has developed and announced stimulus packages to attract tourists, and organized programs and events to serve residents and tourists.

In May, the total number of visitors to Con Dao reached about 90,000 (including 13,000 international visitors).

In 2025, Con Dao tourism industry aims to strongly develop green-sustainable tourism, eco-tourism and resorts; the target is for the number of tourists to increase by 4.4%, and accommodation service revenue to increase by 13.22%.

Ms. Nguyen Thuy Nga, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Con Dao district, said that during the peak summer season of 2025, Con Dao district expects the tourism industry to grow by over 5% compared to the same period in 2024.

Pier 914 and the modern passenger port are where high-speed boats from Can Tho to Soc Trang take visitors to Con Dao. (Photo: Huynh Son/VNA)

Typical tourism products of Con Dao district include eco-tourism products; cultural-historical and spiritual tourism; beach resort tourism products with entertainment experiences, combined with check-in on beautiful roads around the island; pilot sites for tourism models combined with circular economy, health care services, and sea sports.

However, the biggest difficulty for the locality at present is the means of transporting tourists to Con Dao by air. The airport is small, has not been upgraded or repaired, and cannot receive large, modern aircraft; there are limitations in airlines and the number of aircraft, making it difficult to increase the number of flights per day. In addition, tourists have difficulty accessing air tickets.

Ms. Nguyen Thuy Nga proposed that all levels and sectors pay attention to and promptly implement the upgrading of Con Dao airport; develop a pilot policy for a number of mechanisms and policies to develop Con Dao.

Unique Eco-experience Activities

One of the most attractive activities in Con Dao is scuba diving to see coral. Visitors have the opportunity to admire diverse coral reefs and rich marine life.

In addition, trekking through the primeval forest paths is also an interesting experience to explore the rich flora of the island.

Tourists are excited to release baby turtles back into the natural environment in Con Dao. (Photo: Huynh Son/ VNA)

During the sea turtle breeding season (April to October every year), visitors can participate in the turtle conservation program, witnessing baby turtles hatching and returning to the marine environment. This is a meaningful experience that helps raise awareness of environmental protection.

Ms. Tang Thi Huyen Tran, CEO of Fabulous Mekong Limited Liability Company, said that Con Dao is a place with many tourism models such as spiritual tourism, trekking, learning about the environment, experiencing the forest and sea ecosystems.

International visitors can experience turtle laying, trekking trails, forest and marine ecosystems at Con Dao National Park.

For domestic tourists, Con Dao is famous for spiritual tourism. Through experience, Con Dao tourism has enough identity for tourists to stay long-term and experience nature. This is also an activity to educate people to love history, culture and protect nature and living environment.

Ms. Marianna Henken (German tourist) shared that Con Dao National Park is a place to preserve important species and biodiversity. Through practical experience, she saw the efforts of the Con Dao National Park Management Board, international organizations, authorities and local people in preserving and protecting the landscape here. She experienced releasing baby turtles into the sea, after 20-30 years they will return to nest and lay eggs.

Con Dao impresses with its majestic and wild natural landscape. The beaches with clear blue water; limestone mountains and primeval forests are home to many rare animals.

Con Dao National Park is a must-see destination with its vast ecosystem of tropical forests, mangroves and marine reserves.

This is home to many rare animals such as sea turtles, dugongs and hundreds of colorful coral species.

Coral reefs at low tide in Con Dao waters. (Photo: VNA)

Mr. Nguyen Van Nga, Head of Tourism and Environmental Education Department, Con Dao National Park Management Board said that the unit continues to develop plans for eco-tourism development, creating many high-quality products to match existing resources, meeting the needs of tourists, creating attractiveness to attract international and domestic visitors.

Con Dao National Park Management Board is implementing ecotourism and resort projects under the forest canopy in accordance with the Forestry Law 2017 and the Ecotourism and Recreation Project of Con Dao National Park until 2030 approved by the People's Committee of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province.

In the last 6 months of the year, the unit continues to organize practical tourism activities such as: relocation, rescue, and conservation of sea turtles for 7-10 days on small islands of Con Dao National Park for tourists who love nature and enjoy practical exploration.

In addition, the Management Board also renovated the channels, creeks, and canoe paths on the small islands to facilitate visitors' convenient and safe visits without destroying the natural landscape; at the same time, the walking path from the Hon Tai Nature Management, Protection and Conservation Station to the A3 base landmark was renovated to serve visitors.

The unit promotes the value of the Environmental Interpretation Center to widely propagate and introduce the forest, marine and wetland ecosystems of Con Dao National Park; thereby, educating environmental protection awareness for tourists.

A trip to Con Dao will bring visitors unforgettable experiences, more love for nature and appreciation of national historical values./.

(Vietnam News Agency/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/con-dao-san-sang-voi-nhung-kham-pha-va-trai-nghiem-moi-truoc-mua-du-lich-post1041411.vnp