Con Dao (Côn Đảo) — 2026 guide: prisons, turtles, how to get there

Con Dao isn't a beach resort in the usual sense. People come for two things at once: a heavy history as a former penal colony, and the near-untouched nature of a national park. It is calm and not cheap — you reach it only by plane or high-speed ferry, there is no nightlife, and part of any visit is about memory and memorials rather than fun. If that is your kind of trip, there is nothing else like it in Vietnam.

Below: what Con Dao actually is, who it suits, and how to plan a visit — getting there, when to go, the prison museums and turtles, beaches and reefs, prices, and a ready 2–3 day plan. For a point-by-point deep dive, see the guide to things to do in Con Dao.

Information and prices are current as of July 2026. Exchange rate used: ~26,000 VND ≈ $1.

Where Con Dao is — the archipelago on the map

The archipelago sits in the South China Sea, about 230 km southeast of Ho Chi Minh City and 185 km from Vũng Tàu (part of Ho Chi Minh City since 2025; formerly Ba Ria-Vung Tau province). Sixteen islands, 75.79 km² in total. Only one is inhabited: Côn Sơn (Con Son), home to nearly all of the special zone's residents (about 6,100), the single airport and all the infrastructure.

• Con Dao National Park (Côn Đảo National Park): Ramsar site, ASEAN Heritage Park — Half the island, 80% of coastal waters
• Dam Trau Beach (Bãi Đầm Trầu): Best beach on Con Dao — 14 km from town, white sand
• An Hai Beach (Bãi An Hải): Town beach — 5 min from Con Son centre
• Con Dao Prison (Tiger Cages): Museum and memorial — Ticket: about 40,000 VND (~$1.50)
• Hang Duong Cemetery (Hàng Dương Cemetery): Memorial cemetery — Grave of Võ Thị Sáu
• Con Dao Museum (10 Nguyễn Huệ): 2,000 artefacts, 4 halls — 40–60 min to visit
• Nui Chua Peak (Núi Chúa (Lover's Peak)): Viewpoint — Panorama over the archipelago
• Ong Dung Beach (Bãi Ông Đụng): 2-hour hike from the park office — Snorkelling from shore
• Dam Tre Lagoon (Đầm Tre): Sheltered bay in the north-east — 2 hours through mangroves, snorkelling
• Lo Voi Beach (Bãi Lò Vôi): Town beach near the museum — Shallow water, casuarina shade
• Hon Cau Island (Hòn Cau): Dive site 2–8 m, visibility >20 m — Branching corals, nudibranchs
• Hon Tai Island (Hòn Tài): Dive site 5–15 m, visibility 15–20 m — High fish density
• Bay Canh Island (Hòn Bảy Cạnh): Dive site 3–12 m, visibility 15–25 m — Turtles, soft corals
• Six Senses Con Dao (Bãi Đất Dốc): 50 villas, private pools — from ~$800/night
• Thu Ba Restaurant (Võ Thị Sáu, Khu 7): Con Dao legend, seafood — ~$16–24 for two

Fun fact: Marco Polo mentioned Con Dao back in the 13th century.

Half of Con Son is national park: a Ramsar site since 2013 and an ASEAN Heritage Park since 2023. In practice that means: no high-rises, no malls, no beer streets à la Phu Quoc. Development is tightly capped.

A little history

Before the French arrived, this was a sleepy fishing archipelago. In 1862 the colonists built a prison — and for 113 years the islands were a byword for suffering: first a French penal colony for political prisoners, later South-Vietnam jails. More than 20,000 people were held here and thousands died. That is why, to Vietnamese, Con Dao is a place of memory first and beaches second. After the country was reunified in 1975 the prison closed, and the islands slowly turned into a nature reserve. Those two faces — the memorials and the wilderness — sit right next to each other.

The island is being developed as a national tourist zone, and visitor numbers grow every year.

Which island to choose

You can only stay on Con Son — the other 15 islands are uninhabited. Some belong to the national park, some are closed to visitors. A few (Hòn Bảy Cạnh, Hòn Cau, Hòn Tài) can be reached by tour or chartered boat.

Con Son itself runs southwest to northeast, about 15 km long. The one settlement is Côn Sơn town: market, museum, restaurants, a few dozen hotels. Beyond that "town" it is all jungle, mountains and beaches.

How to get to Con Dao

Two ways in: by plane or by high-speed ferry. Flying is faster and more reliable; the ferry is cheaper and skips the airport stress. Either way there are no international arrivals on the island, so you first have to reach southern Vietnam.

• By plane (the main option). Cỏ Ống Airport (Co Ong, code VCS) takes domestic flights on Vietnam Airlines / VASCO, VietJet and Bamboo from Ho Chi Minh City (~45 min) and Can Tho. Pricey and weather-dependent, but it saves a day.
• By high-speed ferry. Modern catamarans (Phu Quoc Express / Thang Long) run from Vũng Tàu (~4 h), Can Tho and Soc Trang. Cheaper than flying, but during the northeast monsoon (October–February) sailings are often cancelled in rough seas.

…on the way back we sailed to Soc Trang. That very day a strong wind picked up. We should have taken Phu Quoc Express, but we made a mistake — we took a small Superdong ferry…Khanun, Vinsky Forum, 2025, translated by VietnamSpot

Flights from Ho Chi Minh City

Getting to Ho Chi Minh City first

Con Dao has no international airport, so nearly everyone routes through Ho Chi Minh City (Tan Son Nhat, SGN). From most of the world you fly into HCMC — direct from major Asian hubs, one stop from Europe, North America or Australia. From there it is either the 45-minute flight to Con Dao, or a bus/transfer to Vung Tau (about 2 h) and the high-speed ferry across.

Cỏ Ống Airport (VCS)

The airport is tiny: one 1,830 m runway, one terminal. It is 15 km from Con Son town. Three- to five-star hotels usually send a free transfer. No transfer? A taxi runs 300,000–450,000 VND (~$12–17).

Flight tips

• Baggage: VASCO has a stricter carry-on limit — confirm when booking. Vietnam Airlines is standard: 7 kg carry-on + 20–23 kg checked.
• Delays: VCS closes in strong wind. In the rainy season (June–October), delays of 2–4 hours are normal.
• Return flight: book round-trip up front. Finding a return seat on the spot can be a headache.
• Ferry instead of flying: the catamaran from Vung Tau takes ~4 hours and costs less. But from October to February the sea is rough and sailings are often cancelled, so leave slack in your dates.

When to go — Con Dao weather month by month

For a beach trip, February to April is the sweet spot: dry, air 26–33°C, water 27–29°C. Divers get a wider window — March to September, when the sea is calm and visibility hits 30 metres. Want to see turtles? Aim for late May to October.

The island gets ~2,000 mm of rain a year, but unevenly. October is wettest (350 mm), February driest (18 mm). Air temperature barely moves all year: 25–33°C.

Rain here isn't endless drizzle. It is usually a hard hour-long storm, after which the sun is back out. In September and October, though, it can settle in for the whole day.

When prices are lowest

Counterintuitive point: the dry season (January–April) is not the most expensive. The price peak lands in August, when Vietnamese families travel en masse for the holidays:

• January: average hotel ~$54/night
• March: ~$80/night — the sweet spot
• August: ~$149/night

What to pack

• Light natural-fabric clothing — it is 25–33°C year-round
• Closed trainers for the jungle trails
• Your own mask and snorkel — always comfier than a rental
• SPF 50+ and plenty of it — at least two tubes a week
• A torch if you are doing the night turtle tour
• A waterproof phone case

Con Dao beaches — the top six

Around 20 beaches — and on none of them will you find rental loungers, cocktail hawkers or "Massage 100 baht" signs. You spread a towel, lie down, and hear only the waves.

1. Bãi Đầm Trầu (Dam Trau)

The island's main beach and arguably one of the best in all of Vietnam. White sand, turquoise water, casuarina trees along the shore. The airport is nearby, so planes pass right overhead. Sounds odd, but it only adds to the character.

2. Bãi Đất Dốc (Dat Doc)

Six Senses' private beach. Reddish sand, mountains behind, immaculate upkeep. Officially guests-only, but you can slip in via the restaurant: order a drink and enjoy the view.

3. Bãi Ông Đụng (Ong Dung)

A genuinely wild beach. Getting there means a two-hour hike through the national-park jungle. The reward: excellent snorkelling and total solitude. Bring water and snacks — there is nothing on the beach.

4. Bãi An Hải

The town beach — the closest to central Con Son. The sand is darker than Dam Trau, but it is a 5-minute walk from your hotel. Locals jog here in the morning; in the evening it is a quiet, empty sunset.

5. Bãi Lò Vôi

The second town beach, on the eastern edge of Con Son near the museum. Shallow water and the shade of old casuarinas make it easy with children.

6. Đầm Tre Lagoon

More a lagoon than a beach, set inside the island. The route is a 2-hour walk through mangroves. Worth the effort: an enclosed bay with crystal water and some of the best snorkelling in the whole archipelago.

Which beach to pick

It is no accident Con Dao lands on best-beach lists for Vietnam. There are no crowds, and the water is noticeably clearer than at Phu Quoc or Nha Trang.

Diving and snorkelling — Vietnam's best reefs

Put simply: these are the best reefs in Vietnam. For context: Nha Trang's coral was badly hit by construction, while on Con Dao visibility in season reaches 20–30 metres.

Top dive sites

What you will see down there: rays, barracuda, turtles, moray eels, cuttlefish, clownfish, batfish. From March to June, reef sharks occasionally drop by — small and completely harmless.

Practical info

Diving season by month

In Nha Trang, dive boats go out by the dozen; here you dive in a group of 2–4. The reefs aren't overloaded, the fish aren't skittish. All things considered, it is one of the best dive spots in all of Southeast Asia. Eight dive sites, center prices and the month-by-month season are in our Con Dao diving guide.

Eco-tourism and turtles — Con Dao's headline act

This is the largest green sea turtle nesting site in all of Southeast Asia. From late May to October, females come ashore to lay eggs. Over the 2024 season, park rangers relocated 1,800 nests and released around 120,000 hatchlings into the ocean.

How to see the turtles

The night tours are run by the national park together with hotels and dive centres. This is not a mass excursion — visitors are let onto the beach in small groups, under strict rules.

The national park's overnight tour on the island costs 2,150,000–5,100,000 VND (~$85–195, park price list as of September 2026). Booked through Six Senses it costs noticeably more, but that includes an eco-guide and dinner.

Con Dao National Park

The park covers more than half of Con Son and 80% of the coastal waters. It became a Ramsar site in 2013 and an ASEAN Heritage Park in 2023.

Beyond turtles, the park is home to:

• Long-tailed macaques — you will definitely meet them on the So Ray trail
• Black giant squirrels
• The endemic gecko Cyrtodactylus condorensis
• Dugongs (sea cows) — recorded off Con Dao only rarely

How the night turtle tour works

1. Contact Con Dao Dive Center or your hotel reception 2–3 days ahead
2. The group forms in the evening — meet-up around 20:00–21:00
3. Boat out to Hòn Bảy Cạnh (~30 min)
4. Ranger briefing: silence, no lights, phones away
5. You sit on the beach and wait for a female to start laying
6. You watch from 5–10 metres away
7. Back the next morning

Let's be clear: eco-tourism here isn't a marketing wrapper. The authorities genuinely cap visitor numbers, fine violations and put money into conservation. Con Dao is one of the few places where the "eco" prefix means exactly what it should.

Things to see — from the prison to the jungle

Con Dao is not just beaches. Behind the island lies a heavy history: for 113 years (1862–1975) it held one of Asia's cruellest prisons. Today the prison complex has been turned into a museum and memorial.

Con Dao Prison and the "tiger cages"

The French built the prison in 1862 to isolate political prisoners. Over 113 years, more than 20,000 people passed through it. The most harrowing part is the "tiger cages" (chuồng cọp): cramped cells where people were held in contorted positions.

Con Dao Museum

At 10 Nguyễn Huệ. Opened in 2013: 2 hectares, around 2,000 artefacts. Four halls — nature and people, hell on earth, schools and battlefields, and modern Con Dao. Reckon on 40–60 minutes.

Hàng Dương Cemetery (Hang Duong)

Thousands of prisoners who died in the jail are buried here. The most-visited grave is that of Võ Thị Sáu (Vo Thi Sau), a 19-year-old resistance fighter executed by the French in 1952. To Vietnamese, she is a national hero and a symbol of resistance.

Locals come at night, with flowers and incense. The atmosphere gives you chills even if you know nothing about the history of the place.

Hiking on the island

All trails need a national-park permit — issued on the spot, quick to sort out.

Lighthouse and pagoda

The Hải Đăng Côn Đảo lighthouse is not on Con Son but on the eastern headland of Hòn Bảy Cạnh: the French moved it there in 1883, and you can only reach it by boat. And Chùa Côn Sơn pagoda in the town centre is a calm spot, especially fine at sunset.

An ideal 3–5 day route

Only three days? Take the first three items. If you have a week, add a bike loop around the island and a day of unplanned beach time.

Con Dao earns its place among Vietnam's top sights. The prison and the nature both hit hard, in very different ways. For the full point-by-point rundown — every site, with prices and seasons — see the guide to things to do in Con Dao.

VietnamSpot on InstagramTips, lifehacks and news for living in VietnamFollow@vietnamspot

Con Dao hotels — from hostel to Six Senses

The whole island has 40–50 places to stay. Not many, but the price spread is striking: from about $10 for a hostel bed to $800 and up for a villa with a pool. The general rule: everything is ~20% pricier than on the mainland.

Luxury (5★)

Mid-range (3–4★)

I stayed several times in mid-range chain hotels, quite decent ones, for example "Saigonturist Condao" and "Condao resort".Baypasha, Vinsky Forum, 2025, translated by VietnamSpot

Budget

Where to stay — by area

Town (Con Son): budget and mid-range hotels, restaurants, the market, the museum. It is a 5-minute walk to An Hải beach. Good for anyone who wants to eat out and stroll in the evening.

Beaches out of town (Đất Dốc, Bãi Vông): the luxury resorts. Six Senses sits on Bãi Đất Dốc, ~5 km northeast of town on the airport road; Poulo Condor is on Bãi Vông at the foot of Chúa mountain, ~4 km from the airport. Quieter, prettier, but 5–12 km from town. You need a bike out here. For those who came to switch off. Every hotel on the island with prices, pros and cons is in our Con Dao hotels guide.

Food and restaurants — what to try on the island

There is no restaurant boom here — forget food courts and a place on every corner. But the quality of what exists is a pleasant surprise. The headliner is seafood: the surrounding water is pristine, and the fish reaches the table hours after being caught.

What you have to try

Food prices

Where to eat

• Thu Ba Restaurant — a local legend. The freshest seafood, plain surroundings, generous portions. For two: 400,000–600,000 VND (~$16–24).
• Quán Tri Kỷ — grilled squid and lobster hotpot. Ask any local and they will send you here.
• Infiniti Café & Resto — Western food, good coffee. Seafood tacos, pasta, burgers.
• Con Son night market — banh mi, grilled seafood, fruit. The most budget-friendly option.

Average bill: 100,000–300,000 VND (~$4–12) per person. That is 10–20% pricier than in Ho Chi Minh City, but for island cooking of this level it is more than fair.

Useful words for ordering

Coffee is made the classic way — through a phin filter, with condensed milk. Same taste as on the mainland.

Con Dao prices in 2026 — what a trip costs

Con Dao is pricier than Phu Quoc and Nha Trang. The 10–20% island markup lands on everything — from a room to a bottle of water at the shop. That said, by the global standards of eco-islands it is still cheap.

Cost summary (per person, per day)

How much to budget for the trip

How it compares with other resorts

Yes, Con Dao runs 20–40% higher. But for that difference you get empty beaches, clear water and living reefs — Phu Quoc no longer has those.

Money and cards

• ATMs: Agribank and BIDV in central Con Son. Fee: ~22,000 VND per withdrawal, plus your own bank's fee.
• Cards: resorts and larger places take Visa/Mastercard, but small shops, stalls and bike rentals are cash-only. Carry VND.
• US dollars: some hotels take cash USD, but the rate is poor. Better to change money in Ho Chi Minh City before flying.

Prices are approximate and can shift with the season. Data current as of July 2026.

Getting around the island — bike, bicycle, on foot

Grab doesn't work on Con Dao: the app opens, but there are no cars on the island. There is one bus, route 173, running since June 2026 (details in the Con Dao transport guide). You won't find the usual Vietnamese chaos of a thousand motorbikes: out here the only thing likely to overtake you is a chicken.

Motorbike

The main and comfiest way to get around. The roads are good and traffic is essentially zero — even a first-time rider can manage.

Bike routes

The road surface is good — tarmac, road markings, barely a pothole. The only hazard is cows and dogs on the verge. Lighting is scarce after dark, so ease off once the sun is down.

SIM and internet

4G covers all of Con Son. All three carriers work: Viettel, Mobifone, Vinaphone. The speed is enough for messaging, video calls and navigation.

Wi-Fi is in every hotel and most cafés. At Six Senses and Poulo Condor it is stable and fast. At budget guesthouses it can lag. In the jungle and on the outer islands there is no signal — download offline maps ahead of time (Google Maps or Maps.me).

Safety and healthcare

One of the safest places in all of Vietnam. Crime is essentially nil: the island is small, everyone knows everyone, and there are few tourists.

Risks

More on snakes: yes, the island has several species, including the green tree pit viper. Running into one in tourist areas is next to impossible. In the jungle, wear closed shoes and watch your step.

For solo women travellers

For women travelling alone, Con Dao has a reputation as a calm place. The island is tiny, there are few tourists, and everyone knows each other. Street lighting is sparse in the evening, so take extra care on a bike at night.

This is general guidance only. For current medical advice, check the CDC travel site. Data current as of July 2026.

Con Dao or Phu Quoc — which to choose

Two islands, two poles of Vietnamese tourism. In short: Phu Quoc is comfort and entertainment; Con Dao is quiet and nature.

Travelling with kids and want water parks? Look at Phu Quoc. Dreaming of waking to the sound of the jungle, diving with turtles and eating lobster on an empty beach? Con Dao is your island.

Compared with Phu Quoc, we liked it here much more. Very quiet, few people… the only thing is that hotels are still better and cheaper on Phu Quoc, but here it's relaxed, while Phu Quoc is crowded…Khanun, Vinsky Forum, 2025, translated by VietnamSpot

One more thing: Phu Quoc is developing fast. Everything Con Dao still has — wild beaches, quiet, untouched nature — could be gone in 5–10 years. If you are thinking of going, don't put it off.

More detail in the full Phu Quoc guide.

Tips and hacks

1. Book the flight early. There are few flights, especially in January–March. Two to three weeks ahead is fine; two days out and you risk not getting on.
2. Carry cash. Agribank and BIDV ATMs exist, but they can run empty by evening. Small places are cash-only.
3. Buy your SIM in HCMC — or set up a Vietnam eSIM before you leave home. Details in Vietnam SIM cards.
4. Download offline maps. In the jungle and on far beaches the signal drops.
5. SPF 50+, no exceptions. The equatorial sun is harsher than it looks.
6. Book diving ahead. Only two PADI centres have a base on the island — Con Dao Dive Center and Amadive.
7. Visa. Con Dao is domestic Vietnam, so your usual visa rules apply — 45 days visa-free for many nationalities, or the e-visa at evisa.gov.vn.
8. Shoes for the trails. The jungle is no place for flip-flops — bring closed trainers.
9. Take a morning flight — you will be on the beach by evening.
10. Fish sauce in the suitcase — wrap it in at least three bags, or buy it in a plastic container.

Who should go, and who shouldn't

You will love it here if: you value quiet and nature, you dive or snorkel, you care about eco-tourism, you want to touch some history, and you are happy to pay a little more for quality.

Pick somewhere else if: you need malls and water parks, you are travelling with toddlers, you want nightlife, or your budget is very tight.

FAQ