Everything you should know before visiting Con Dao island

Con Dao Archipelago, also called Con Lon or Con Son, is an archipelago belonging to Ba Ria – Vung Tau province. It is about a one-hour fly from Ho Chi Minh City. Being known as "The hell on Earth," the island witnesses Vietnam's history of the colonial times and the sacrifice of many heroes. Today Con Dao is an ideal attraction for those interested in discovering Vietnamese history and enjoying the pristine beauty and escape from the daily bustle life. Con Dao has long and white sandy beaches, a beautiful ocean world with colorful coral reefs, and primary rain forests with rich flora and fauna.

Visiting heroine Vo Thi Sau in Con Dao spiritual tour breaks into top 50 unique tours in Vietnam

The top 50 tours that bring interesting experiences to visitors in Vietnam have been named by Top Vietnam Center and Vietnam Record Organization (VietKings) for the first time in 2022.

Spring tour to the relic area

Coming to Con Dao in the journey of Spring New Year, visitors often choose to visit historical sites. This is not only about the origin but also the cultural beauty of the nation.

Relics and scenic spots of Nui Mọt Pagoda (Van Son Tu)

Con Dao town today

Today’s Con Dao is one of the most attractive tourist destinations in Vietnam, a heritage of the country.

The Legend of Trac Island – Tai Island ( Hon Trac – Hon Tai)

Revolutionary Historical Site of Con Dao Prison

Con Dao is located on the East-West intersection, so merchant ships from Italy, Spain, Portugal, England, France, etc. have visited the island since the 13th century. Two East India companies of Britain and France have sent people to the island to study the terrain and draw maps many times.

Special historical relic - Hang Duong Cemetery

The cemetery used to be called a prison cemetery under the French and American period then is called Hang Duong cemetery after liberation. This is a special relic among the overall Con Dao prison relic. The cemetery has been built on an area of about 20 hectares. It was started to be built and embellished on December 19, 1992. It includes 4 zones: A-B-C, and D (zone B is divided into two parts which are B1 and B2), with 1.922 graves, of which 714 graves have names.

Hang Keo Cemetery

Hang Keo is one of the two most famous cemeteries in Con Dao. It was built by the French colonialists on an area of 80.000m2 and is the resting place of more than 10.000 patriotic political prisoners who were killed by the French at Con Dao prison from the beginning of the 20th century until the White terrorism in 1940- 1941 period. It was named Hang Keo (which means rows of Acacia trees) because there used to be rows of Acacia trees around the cemetery.

Ma Thien Lanh Bridge

Ma Thien Lanh Bridge was built on July 12, 1941. The core force in bridge construction was mainly prisoners at Camp Phu Hai.

Investigating Area

Built in Western style, these rooms were used as houses during the French colonial period

Cong Quan House

The front entrance of Cong Quan House looks over the Southeast of the sea, the rear is adjacent to Ton Duc Thang Street to its Northwest, the right side borders a  coast to the Northeast, and the left side is adjacent to the Net Department to the  Southwest.

The Island Lord Palace

This historical relic was built in 1862 and is located in an area of about 2 hectares in the heart of town. The entrance of the palace overlooks The Pier and the Net  Department. It served as the living and working place of 53 generations of Island Lord and Prison Lord.

Department of Salt

The Department of Salt was one of 18 departments of prisons where forced labor was implemented during the French colonial period. This was the place where prisoners were imprisoned, exiled and had to do forced labor to make salt for the whole island. During peak hours, there were about 600 prisoners participating in salt making.

Department of Lime Kiln

The Lime Kiln Department was built by the French colonialists, commonly known as the Lo Voi (Limestone Kiln) Department from December 3, 1864,  which is considered typical evidence of the policy of brutally exploiting the laborers, along with a draconian regime to quell the will of the patriots against the  French at that time.

Department of Cowshed (Solitary Cowshed Zone)

As the name suggests, the Cowshed was the prison where people raised beef  cattle, dairy cows, goats, horses, pigs, chickens, ducks, and pigeons. It was established in the late 19th century. Sometimes, the people in this Cowshed Department also farmed and cut wood. Therefore, the Department also had a dual name: The Department of Farming – Cowshed, The Department of Wood –  Cowshed. However, it is often called Cowshed. ​​​​​​​

Net Department (So Luoi)

Along with the prison system, the French colonialists set up many prison departments in Con Dao to exploit the forced laborers. So Luoi was the earliest prison to be built in 1871, at the same time with Tau Bridge’s establishment.

Tiger cages

Since 1862, the French had used Con Dao as a place to imprison indigenous people who were anti-Government. In 1910, France began to build the first solid prison on Con Son Island. In 1955, Major Aloise Blank handed over Con Dao prison to the Saigon regime, ending nearly a century of barbaric crimes of the French colonialists. Not until the period under the U.S imperialism was this place developed into "Con Son Correctional Center" with 10 prisons and 2 Tiger Cages to brutally torture and kill prisoners

Camp VIII (Phu Hung Camp)

It is also known as Phu Hung Camp, which is not very far from Camp VI and Camp VII. Its structure is similar to Camp VI. Camp VIII was an unfinished project which was stopped at the end of 1972. That time was also the preparation phase for signing the Paris Peace Accords the U.S. troops decided to withdraw, the contractor RMK-BRJ also went back to their country, leaving Camp IX construction unfinished with two new- build blocks, 10 new-build rooms. The construction of Camp IX and Camp X was also left unfinished with foundations, columns and some unfinished walls.