Within hours, the 6,954 male and 494 female prisoners had freed themselves, bringing an end to 113 years of the island’s role in imprisonment, torture, forced work, and death. “On May 1, 1975, Shop the #1 dancewear store offering the biggest selection of quality leotards, dance shoes, dance tights and costumes at great prices with free shipping. Lưỡi dao bằng thép không gỉ. Lưỡi dao không gỉ cao cấp, khỏe mạnh giúp cắt thức ăn đơn giản và hiệu quả nhất. Bên ngoài của lưỡi máy xay cầm tay thiết kế chụp dạng gợn sóng đặc biệt, đảm bảo không văng thức ăn ra ngoài hoặc bị dính bẩn trong khi trộn, xay. May is the hottest month in Con Dao with temperature averaging between 29.7°C (85.46°F) and 29.0°C (84.2°F). When does Con Dao have the most sunshine? May has an average of 12.4h of sunshine , making it the month with the most sunshine in Con Dao. Remote enough to relish, close enough to touch. Six Senses Con Dao is an exclusive island hideaway resort amidst a pristine marine and national park, and the only Six Senses beach resort in Vietnam’s archipelago of Con Dao. Step into a relaxed community of sun-bleached bamboo Villas, inspired by traditional fishing villages. Fast Money. Con Dao, Vietnam is one of those quiet and relatively unknown places that needs to be on your South Vietnam itinerary. Located in the southeast part of Vietnam in the Ba Ria – Vung Tau Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu province, Con Dao Côn Đảo in Vietnamese is an archipelago of 16 islands. Con Son Côn Sơn is the largest island and most populated island. From the island’s dark past as a former prison for 113 years and the use of the infamous “tiger cages” to the current unspoiled, stunning beaches, you can’t go wrong with a trip here. In this post, we’re sharing our top recommendations of the 8 best things to do in Con Dao and helpful tips to plan your trip here. We highly recommend that you visit Con Dao as soon as possible. Con Dao’s tourism is still not heavily developed so there are fewer crowds and a lack of mega-resorts along the beachfront. We love how this beautiful island maintains its local lifestyle as many local restaurants close early by 800pm. If you’re into nightlife, then you’re out of luck as there isn’t any. All you need is to spend a weekend from Ho Chi Minh City or at least 3+ days on Con Dao to feel relaxed and rejuvenated. Click on the links below to skip to your Con Dao Islands topic of choice Top Things to Do in Con Dao How to Get to Con Dao How to Get Around Con Dao Where to Stay in Con Dao If you’re looking for other Vietnam beach destinations, check out our other posts on Danang, Nha Trang, Mui Ne, Phu Quoc, Quy Nhon, and Ly Son Island. *Disclosure This post contains affiliate links. If you click on them and make a purchase, we receive a small commission. There is no additional cost to you. Appreciate the support. Incredible 8 Best Things to Do in Con Dao We’re sharing our recommended attractions to visit in Con Dao Islands. Most of the Con Dao sightseeing is on Con Son Island. 1. Con Dao Museum Con Dao Museum Bảo Tàng Côn Đảo is a good introduction to the history of Con Dao and its dark past. First the French then the Americans occupied Con Dao and used it as a prison also known as “Hell on Earth” from 1862 – 1975. We recommend that you visit the museum before checking out the prison cells on the island. The museum has plenty of English-translated signs as you walk through the galleries. There are two parts to visit – 1 Overview of Con Dao’s biodiversity and 2 History of the prison system. The history section is extensive with over 2000 artifacts and photos of life in the prison and its influential Vietnamese fighters, including Vo Thi Sau Võ Thị Sáu who fought against the French, was captured, tried, and executed at 19 years old. You’ll also see how two Congressmen, Augustus Hawkins and William Anderson, exposed the gruesome tiger cages to the world. If the outdoors of Con Dao are too hot for you, the museum is where you can cool off with AC units everywhere. Admission 10,000 VND $.40 USD Address Số 10 Đường Nguyễn Huệ Opening Hours 730am – 1100am, 130pm – 430pm 2. Con Dao Prisons Con Dao Prisons is a must-visit attraction. The three main prison sites are open to the public for you to explore – Phu Hai, American Tiger Cages, and French Tiger Cages. It’s a solemn experience to think about how far the human race went to torture and kill thousands of Vietnamese fighters and revolutionary soldiers. You’ll see the tiger cages which were cells with bars and barbed wire so prisoners could get tortured and abused like animals. Phu Hai Prison Di Tích Phú Hải was built in 1862 and was named No. 1 Prison and No. 2 Prison before officially called Phu Hai Prison in 1974. As the largest and oldest prison on the island, there are 10 large rooms and 20 smaller blocks of prison cells for you to glance at how life was like back then. Some of the rooms are dark and damp so it can be a bit spooky. You’ll see mannequins representing their anguish with their ankles chained. The center of the prison has a memorial which also shows a video on Con Dao history. Address Along Lê Văn Việt Visiting the Con Dao Prisons is one of the unique things to do in Con Dao. American Tiger Cages also called Di Tích Chuồng Cọp Mỹ and Trại Phú Bình is the prison area with the Americans style tiger cages used during the Vietnam War. When you inside the prison cells near the entrance, you’ll see bars in the ceiling that guards used to torture the prisoners. The idea is that prisoners were captured and placed in cages cells just like a tiger. Check out the A-H Buildings with 48 cells in each building. After you see one of the buildings, the others look the same so you don’t necessarily need to go to them. Across from this prison is the Phu An Camp Trại Phú An which has two sections of cells to browse through. There isn’t any additional fee to visit and an admission ticket isn’t necessary. Address Off of Nguyễn Chí Thanh French Tiger Cages Di Tích Chuồng Cọp Pháp was built in the 1940s and located next to the American tiger cages prison. Even though the area is much smaller between the other two prisons, the French tiger cages were more brutal. One of the more infamous rooms was one large cell area that had open ceiling bars where guards poked and abused the prisoners from above. You’ll need to walk up a set of stairs so you can see the guards’ perspective. Another cell area didn’t have roofs so prisoners exposed to sunlight all day eventually became blind. Address Off of Nguyễn Chí Thanh It’s a humbling experience to visit the French Tiger Cages and imagine the pain and torture that people went through. With the increase in tourism, we hope that these prison cells increase their signage to describe the various area. Otherwise, it was a quick look for us as we navigated to the next prison area. Admission 40,000 VND $ which provides you access to all four locations on the same day, including the Palace of Island’s Governor Di Tích Nhà Chúa Dảo Opening Hours 730am – 11am, 200pm – 450pm 3. Relax on the Beaches Con Son Island doesn’t have a shortage of beaches. You’ll find that many of the public beaches are in pristine conditions with the superfine white sand and the lack of garbage. It’s truly paradise! Let’s hope everyone makes an effort to sustain these beautiful beaches for future visitors. Here are the top beaches that we went to Nhat Beach Bãi Nhất – This unassuming beach is off of the main road, Bến Đầm. It’s the perfect spot to see the stunning sunset from the warm and clear waters. Unfortunately, there isn’t anything interesting to see in the water. Many minivans stop by here in the late afternoon for the sunset view. Dam Trau Beach Bãi Đầm Trầu – Located on the north side of the island near the airport is the Dam Trau Beach. If you want a good place to relax and see the propeller planes fly by, then this is the place to visit. It’s a neat experience to have them fly right overhead and so close to you. Dam Trau Beach has a unique view where you can see planes from Ho Chi Minh City land in Con Dao. An Hai Beach Bãi An Hải – It’s an early wake-up call to see the orange and pink hues of the sunrise at 500am. Since you’re hanging out in the area, check out the fishermen’s daily catch of fresh seafood in the morning. The beach turns into a mini-market with the sale of squid, fish, and rays. Admission Free for public beaches As a heads up, Con Son has numerous beaches that do not have sand. These are shingle beaches where the water hits an area full of large and small rocks. For these beaches, it’s recommended to go swimming. 4. Take a boat trip and snorkel on Con Dao’s other islands. While riding your motorbike around Con Son, you’ll see many signs for boat day trips and phone numbers listed. By collecting these numbers and calling around, you can find yourself a boat tour operator to explore the other Con Dao islands via a day trip. It’s recommended to speak Vietnamese to make the arrangements as English isn’t widely spoken. An easier way is to pre-book a tour on Klook here! We met our tour contact and the boat operator at the ferry terminal Cầu tàu du lịch which is in the downtown area. The boat holds 7-8 people so the more people that you have in your group, the cheaper it costs per person. Foreigners need to carry their passports for the trip to register at the port. The day trip includes two swimming excursions and hanging out at a private island. The coral reefs were the most impressive that have seen in Vietnam, even after snorkeling in Ly Son, Phu Quoc, and Quy Nhon. The water was also super blue and clear due to the low number of visitors. We saw no one else at our “private” island and just 2-3 groups snorkeling at the second swimming spot. Admission 3 million VND $128 for the boat ride and paid an extra 300,000 VND $ to visit a private island. If you’re a beach addict, check out these clean beaches and clear waters in Con Dao! 5. Con Son Night Market Vietnam loves having night markets! Con Son Night Market is an impressive size as the intersection between is closed to vehicles every night. Check out the various sections of fresh grilled seafood, Vietnamese local delicacies, and desserts. Or, sing your heart out in the public karaoke section and also try traditional Vietnamese games such as balancing on a beam. Admission Free, additional costs for food Address Intersection of Lê Hồng Phong and Nguyễn Huệ 6. Con Dao National Park If you want some hiking and to experience nature through the forest, then you must visit Con Dao National Park Vườn Quốc Gia Côn Đảo. Depending on your interest and time, feel free to spend all day here. While we didn’t do any of the longer hikes, we’ve read that there are beautiful views from the mountain peaks. Due to the humidity and heat, we spent 4 hours at the park and we started at 800am. The highlights include Taking a short hike to Ave Maria holy cave Hang Đức Mẹ. Hiking to Ong Dung Beach Bãi Ông Đung to experience the crystal clear waters. Feel free to snorkel in the area. As a heads up, the walking path has steep steps. While there isn’t a sandy area to relax, you can rent lawn chairs for extra comfort. Ensure that you have your ticket as there will be a guard asking for it. Walking through the trees on unmarked paths to see the hundreds of years old Heritage Tree. We encountered lots of spider webs along the walking path so not too many people have seen the heritage tree. On the way, there are unique twisted branches to sit on and take photos with. The Con Dao National Park has trails to visit other beaches in the park, such as Bang Beach Bãi Bàng and Dat Tham Beach Bãi Đất Thắm but it’ll require more time. Expect to spend about 1-2 hours each way to get to the beaches. Come prepared with water and sunscreen. These are rocky beaches as we mentioned before. Admission 60,000 VND $ per person. Based on availability, you may hire a guide at the ticket office for an additional fee. Address Continue west from Huỳnh Thúc Kháng until you reach the entrance Related Check out fun hikes to do in Vietnam 7. Hang Duong Cemetery Hang Duong Cemetery Nghĩa Trang Hàng Dương is one of the somber locations which reminds you of Con Dao’s horrific past. While there are over 1900 graves with many unmarked tombstones, it’s a peaceful place to walk through. Most Vietnamese people pay respect to the unknown prisoners of wars and famous martyrs, such as Vo Thi Sau. You’ll see a crowd of people praying in front of her grave. The center of the cemetery also has an impressive memorial. Please wear appropriate clothes prior to entering the cemetery, such as no shorts above the knees. If you’re sensitive to incense smoke, you may want to avoid this place. Admission Free Address On Nguyễn An Ninh Street 8. Eat delicious food and seafood! Considering that Con Son is surrounded by the ocean, you won’t have any difficulties eating delicious and fresh seafood here. Check out our recommendations on places to eat in Con Dao’s Con Son. Don’t forget to bring cash as many places don’t accept credit cards. Quán Ốc Mai Thy is a snail ốc restaurant where all of the locals go. Sit on the small plastic chairs and enjoy cheap and delicious snails starting at 69,000 VND $ Pick what you want from their offerings such as clams, sea urchins, mussels, snails, and more, and have it cooked any way you’d like. If you order non-snailed items, you will wait a long time for them. It’ll be helpful to know Vietnamese here. Address Off of the smaller side street of Trần Huy Liệu and Nguyễn An Ninh The seafood is amazing on Con Dao Island. Nhà Hàng Thu Tâm is another recommended place to have seafood. We recommend any of the seafood hot pot, mango salad, and sliced conch in a ginger broth. The mango salad had a delicious umami flavor of slightly spicy and sweet mixed with herbs and peanuts. The cost is slightly higher compared to the local places, but it’s still worth it. Address Off of Nguyễn Đức Thuận and Lương Thế Trân Bún Riêu Cua Bà Hai Khiêm has one of the best bun rieu bún riêu noodle soup that we’ve eaten. The hot soup and generous amount of fish cakes have lots of flavors. Pair the noodle soup with a fresh-pressed sugarcane juice nước mía and eat away. We ate here three times during our stay. This place is popular at all hours including breakfast. Plus, you won’t be able to find a cheaper joint at 25,000 VND $ a bowl. Address 22 Đường Nguyễn Huệ How to Get to Con Dao What is great about living in Ho Chi Minh City, is that visiting Con Dao is easy with a little bit of planning. What is the easiest way to get from Ho Chi Minh to Con Dao? There are several options to take depending on your budget and your preferred transportation method. 1. Take a flight on Vietnam Airlines directly to Con Dao Airport. Bamboo Airlines and VASCO, partnering with Vietnam Airlines, are two airlines that have nonstop flights to Con Dao airport code VCS from Ho Chi Minh City airport code SGN. It also has flights from Can Tho airport code VCA. The flight from HCMC is convenient and quick as it’s a one-hour flight, yet it’s one of the most expensive options. Flights from Hanoi to Con Dao are also available on Bamboo Airlines and VASCO. The Bamboo Airlines from Hanoi airport code HAN has a direct flight to Con Dao. The direct flight is 2 hours and 20 minutes. Cost $155-$275 round trip depending on your time of visit 2. Take the speedboat that departs from Vung Tau or Can Tho. A new speedboat route started from Vung Tau to Con Dao in February 2019. The other speedboat route is from Soc Trang, south of Can Tho, which is still running. Vung Tau is located 2 hours south of Ho Chi Minh City, so you’ll first need to take a bus or a minivan to get from Ho Chi Minh City to Vung Tau. Bus Option We love taking bus rides from Futa Bus as the buses are comfortable. The earliest departure from Ho Chi Minh to Vung Tau is at 600am, and the last departure is at 700pm. Therefore, you’ll need to arrive in Vung Tau the night before in order to catch the speedboat on time. Cost 115,000 VND $ one way Address 272 Đường Đề Thám, Phường Phạm Ngũ Lão, District 1, Ho Chi Minh Minivan Option Another option is to take the 16 seater minivan option that departs at 430am from Ho Chi Minh. We used Hoa Mai transportation in District 1. You can prepay and reserve a seat on Or, show up before 430am, pay cash directly to the driver, and tell the driver that you need to go to Con Dao. The driver will drop you off in front of the speedboat dock. Cost 120,000 VND $ one way Address 44 Nguyễn Thái Bình, Phường Nguyễn Thái Bìn, District 1, Ho Chi Minh Speedboat We’re finally taking the speedboat! Phu Quoc Express is a large boat that transports 600 people between Vung Tau and Con Dao’s Con Son Island daily. Enjoy a comfortable and smooth 4-hour ride each way with spacious legroom and the ability to recline your seat. It’s also a cheaper way to travel to Con Son Island. The daily speedboat ride departs Vung Tau at 800am and arrives in Con Son at 1150am. The boat returns to Vung Tau at 130pm and arrives in Vung Tau at 520pm. All guests must have their ticket scanned prior to boarding the boat and will receive a small bottle of water and a wet napkin. Free wifi is available on the boat but only works when closer to the mainland. Otherwise, guests can relax and watch the three consecutive Jackie Chan movies shown on TV screens. These guys are big Jackie Chan fans. It’s recommended that you make your reservation in advance. Click here to find out how to make reservations directly on the website. Or, click here to purchase on Klook. We reserved seats over 1 month prior to departure as we also traveled during a holiday time frame so seats WILL SELL OUT. Cost 660,000 VND $ for Monday – Thursday travels; 880,000 VND $ one way for Friday – Sunday travels and holidays Address 9 Hạ Long, Tp. Vũng Tàu, Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu 78000 If you’re coming from Can Tho, there is a new speedboat via Trung Trac line. The Can Tho route departs at 700am and arrives at Con Son at 1045am. To return to Con Dao, the boat departs Con Son at 1200pm and arrives at 345pm. It takes about hours one-way. **Note The route has been temporarily stopped. Check out this site for more info. Cost 660,000 VND $28 for Monday – Thursday travels; 690,000 VND $30 one way for Friday – Sunday travels In conclusion, the combination of taking a bus from HCMC to Vung Tau and speedboat will save you money depending on which days you travel. How to Get Around Con Dao Driving a motorbike is the best way to get around Con Son. Since we arrived in Con Dao via speedboat, we rented motorbikes from the dock area for 150,000 VND $ per day. Otherwise, inquire with your guesthouse on rentals. The roads in Con Son have very little traffic many times empty! and also road quality is pretty good so you can technically learn how to drive a motorbike on this island. Your guesthouse may also have bicycles for rent which is an environmentally friendly option. However, you’ll need to do some pedaling strength going up the hills. Otherwise, metered taxis and electric golf carts are available around the island. Where to Stay in Con Dao For your Con Dao accommodation, we suggest that you stay in the main Con Son downtown area as you’ll be close to the restaurants and the beaches. Click here and find a place to stay on Con Dao here. Budget We stayed at Lan Anh’s Home and loved our time here. It’s a brand new guesthouse with friendly owners and clean rooms with private bathrooms. The bathrooms come with shampoo and body wash. They will help out with any inquiries that you have. If you need to purchase snacks or drinks, visit their convenience store on the ground level. Check availability and reserve a room at Lan Anh here. Splurge If you fancy posh accommodations with your own private beach and exclusivity, stay at Six Senses. While it’s about a 20-minute motorbike ride from the downtown area, maximize the resort lifestyle here. Many of the celebrities such as Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie stayed here. One of our friends tried to reserve one of the tables at their restaurant for dinner but they are only available for guests. Check availability and reserve a room at Six Senses here. We hope that you’re inspired to visit Con Dao Islands and visit these incredible attractions. There are plenty of activities for everyone. Definitely, plan a trip to visit this place soon and admire its beauty before the tourism boom. If you extending your Vietnam trip and need more ideas on what to do, check out our other Vietnam posts Fun things to do in Vietnam Day trips from Ho Chi Minh City How to spend 3 days in Dalat Souvenirs to buy in Vietnam Visit Can Gio Island Wander through Tan Lap Floating Village Interested in visiting Con Dao Island in South Vietnam? Let us know if you have questions or comments in the comment box below. Enjoy this post? Pin it to your Vietnam Pinterest board! Mơ thấy con dao đánh cặp số mấy gặp may? Đây là giấc chiêm bao khá đặc biệt với nhiều người. Tại sao bạn lại mơ thấy nó? Đây là điềm báo gì? Tất cả những thắc mắc này sẽ sớm được giải đáp qua bài viết dưới đây. Cùng theo dõi nhé. 1. Mơ thấy con dao đánh cặp số nào gặp may? Tại chuyên mục giải mã giấc mơ, chúng tôi không chỉ giải mã ý nghĩa của mỗi giấc mơ cho thấy điềm báo mang đến là gì mà còn cung cấp các con số mang đến giá trị có thể thay đổi tương lai của bạn đấy. Chiêm bao thấy con dao đánh cặp số mấy gặp may? Là điềm gì? ⭐ Ngủ mê thấy con dao chung chung tham khảo ngay 56-65 ⭐ Nằm mộng thấy con dao mác tham khảo ngay cặp 60-06 ⭐ Ngủ mê thấy con dao bầu tham khảo ngay cặp số 68-86 ⭐ Nằm mộng thấy con dao to tham khảo ngay cặp số 88-99 ⭐ Ngủ mê thấy dao bị gãy soi cau xsmb vip về cặp số 13-52 ⭐ Nằm mộng thấy hai con dao tham khảo ngay cặp số 61-16 ⭐ Ngủ mê thấy ba con dao tham khảo ngay cặp số đẹp 67-76 ⭐ Nằm mộng thấy nhiều con dao tham khảo ngay cặp 12-21 ⭐ Ngủ mê thấy đang bán dao tham khảo ngay cặp số 80-09 ⭐ Nằm mộng thấy con dao phay tham khảo ngay cặp số 22-00 ⭐ Ngủ mê thấy chém nhau bằng dao tham khảo ngay số 43-34 ⭐ Nằm mộng thấy bố mẹ đang cầm dao tham khảo ngay 12-92 ⭐ Ngủ mê thấy người yêu đang cầm dao tham khảo ngay 73-37 ⭐ Nằm mộng thấy người khác cầm dao đâm mình tham khảo ngay 25-52 ⭐ Ngủ mê thấy mình cầm dao đưa cho người khác tham khảo ngay 56-65. 2. Mơ thấy con dao điềm hên hay xui? Chiêm bao thấy mình đi mua dao Khi bạn nằm mộng mị thấy mình đang đi mua dao điều này theo các chuyên gia xo so 3 mien cho biết chuyện tình cảm của bạn đang đi theo đúng hướng của bạn mong muốn. Và hai người đang có chuyện tình cảm đẹp được nhiều người ngưỡng mộ. Hãy nuôi dưỡng và tiếp tục câu chuyện này nhé. Mơ thấy con dao sắc nhọn Nếu bạn thấy hình ảnh dao sắc nhọn trong giấc mơ thì hãy cẩn thận. Bởi đây là điềm báo không may mắn, nó cho biết xung quanh bạn đang có nhiều kẻ đố kỵ với tài năng cũng như thành công của bạn. Họ luôn rình rập và muốn hãm hại. Những kẻ đó cũng giống như những chiếc dao sắc nhọn. Vô cùng nguy hiểm và sẽ giết chết bạn bất cứ lúc nào. Ngủ mê thấy cầm dao chặt đồ ăn Nằm chiêm bao thấy mình đang cầm dao để chặt đồ ăn thì theo giải mã giấc mơ điều này cho biết bạn đang cô đơn. Bạn luôn cảm thấy cần có người bên cạnh để chia sẻ nỗi buồn. Thời gian gần đây chuyện gia đình và công việc đã khiến bản thân bạn mệt mỏi và thi thoảng có những suy nghĩ tiêu cực. Nằm mộng thấy có người cầm dao đâm mình Ngủ mê thấy có người cầm dao đâm mình đây chính là điềm báo cho biết bạn sẽ vượt qua được sự khủng hoảng về mặt tinh thần. Ngược lại, chiêm bao thấy mình cầm một con dao nhỏ đâm ai đó là điềm báo sắp có kiện tụng. Sẽ phát sinh nhiều vấn đề liên quan đến pháp luật. Qua giấc ngủ mê thấy con dao hẳn anh em đã biết được điềm báo mình sẽ gặp được trong tương lai. Chúc vui vẻ và may mắn với hình ảnh này! Con Dao is in a way an unknown place. But I am sure in a couple of years we will all hear about it more often. And If you want to have a 100% local experience, island life without the crowds. Well, this one is for you. Island Phu Quoc and beach town Nha Trang definitely have competition. Let me introduce you to the remote islands of Vietnam Con Dao. Con Dao is a group of 16 islands off the southeast coast of Vietnam. There is only one problem How to get there? Getting to Con Dao is quite complicated. We say that the harder/longer the trip the better the island. In this article, I will present several different ways on how to get to Con Dao. And how you can get to Con Dao on a budget as we did. THREE WAYS HOW TO GET TO CON DAO THE BEST WAY HOW TO GET TO CON DAO ON A BUDGETBOOK YOUR TICKET IN ADVANCEHOW TO GET TO CON DAO ON A BUDGET FROM HO CHI MINH CITYGETTING BACKAbout The Authors Dam Trau Beach THREE WAYS HOW TO GET TO CON DAO There are 3 ways how to get to Con Dao. Most of the travel guides mention only two. Hon Bai Canh 1. EXPENSIVE TAKE A PLANE The first option and the most comfortable one is to fly there. Con Son, the main island, has a small airport and there are a couple of airlines flying there. However, the tickets are very expensive and quickly sold out as the planes are very little so only a small number of people can get their hands on tickets. So we crossed out this option. AND UNCERTAIN A LONG FERRY RIDE Another way is to get there by a very slow ferry. In most travel guides, including it is recommended not to take the ferry but to rather fly. Well, this is true. The ferry takes more or less 12 hours. It departs from Vung Tau on the mainland and it is described by locals as a horrible experience. There are times when the ferry won’t even go because of the weather, so it is also an unreliable option. THE BEST WAY HOW TO GET TO CON DAO ON A BUDGET 3. TAKE THE SPEED BOAT NO JOKE SUPERDONG However, we found another way. The best way possible and the cheapest how to get to Con Dao on a budget and without losing a lot of time. We got this information by coincidence. Our friends had a guide for a Mekong River Tour and he told them how to get to Con Dao by speed boat. The company is called SUPERDONG and their ticket office is located in Soc Trang. Soc Trang can be reached by bus from Ho Chi Minh City. The tickets cost around 14 €. It also includes the transfer from the ticket office in Soc Trang to the harbor where the speed boats depart. The boats run from Tran De Soc Trang, returning from Ben Dam Con Dao and vice versa. You can check the schedule for Superdong HERE. Unfortunately, at the time of writing, the information is only in Vietnamese. BOOK YOUR TICKET IN ADVANCE Another great option for you is to book your tickets online. If you would like to have stress-free holidays, then we highly recommend booking your transport in advance. We really like to use an online platform called Bookaway. You simply buy your tickets online and you do not need to print any ticket as your confirmation will come to your email. BOOK YOUR TICKETS TO CON DAO HERE HOW TO GET TO CON DAO ON A BUDGET FROM HO CHI MINH CITY We arrived in Ho Chi Min City and from there we took a Futa Bus to Soc Trang. The bus ride was really cool. I have never seen anything like that and I have never slept so well on a bus before. Well, the night before we “slept” at Bangkok Airport thanks to AirAsia so we probably could have slept everywhere. But, it was still very, very comfy. The bus is equipped with reclining chairs and allows one to lie down. Europeans cannot fully stretch out their legs but it is still much better than conventional buses. We paid 5$ for a 5-hour ride and we were the only tourists on the bus. Inside Futa Bus TAKE A BUS TO SOC TRANG Somehow I totally forgot that Vietnam is still run by communism and arriving in Soc Trang reminded us of that. There were no other tourists aside from us and this made us very happy as we felt like proper adventurers. I guess not many people know about this city as it is as far as we know not mentioned in any guides. I am pretty sure we were the only 4 Europeans our 2 friends from Germany and us in the whole city. Wherever we went, people would be staring at us, smiling and waving. It was a very nice experience. The city was quite big and polluted with scooters. The only disadvantage is that there are barely any restaurants where you can get food. But if you like local food, there are few where you can try local street food. We didn’t try as we didn’t want to risk food poisoning and upsetting our stomachs before a boat ride across the open sea. Soc Trang TAKE A BUS TO THE HARBOUR The next day we took a taxi to the Superdong ticket office in Soc Trang. From there we traveled by bus to the harbor. It was just a 1-hour drive included in the ticket and again we were traveling with locals. One of them brought a durian to the bus so you can imagine how stinky it was. Not sure if you tried it but I just don’t like it and the smell is unbearable in closed rooms. However, one local girl noticed that I was complaining and gave me a mask as a gift. That was very nice of her. SUPERDONG BOAT RIDE The boat ride to Con Son harbor takes 2 to 3 hours and can be REALLY rough. The boat was modern and rather new. I really liked the name. SUPERDONG. I think that kinda made me think that the trip will be super. Well, I forgot that you will cross the OPEN SEA. Here I made one of my worst decisions during our trip which didn’t really make it that super. Rather the most terrible trip of my life. I didn’t take a motion sickness pill. The boat ride was just unbelievable. It was jumping, going from one side to the other up and down. It was like this crazy rollercoaster but 10 times worse. So after 30 mins, I got sick. I took the pill, but it was too late. I threw up way beyond the point where there is something to be thrown up and spent the rest of the boat ride at the back of the boat trying to look out of the window. The worst thing was that I wasn’t the only one feeling like sh*t. ADVICE IF YOU DO GET SICK ON THE BOAT, PLEASE TAKE A MOTION SICKNESS PILL AT LEAST 30MIN BEFORE DEPARTURE AND YOU WILL BE FINE. I WASN’T THE ONLY ONE… At some point, I thought it is just me being sick. But then I noticed that there are other people running to the bathroom. Later Nico told me that everyone sitting around them was throwing up. They didn’t even go to the bathroom. The people working on the boat were just distributing plastic bags like crazy. 2 hours of hell and another lesson learned. Locals, I guess, don’t use them and simply throw up. Once you will arrive on the main island Con San, you can take a local taxi to town. GETTING BACK You can get tickets at the ticket office on Con Son. Go up a short staircase and turn to the right. This time, I did take a motion sickness pill and I was just fine. I was so sorry to see several locals running to the bathroom. This ride was better than the first one as the sea was much calmer. However, it was so funny because it was a little disco club. The music was so loud that even with earplugs you could hear everything. So yeah. Every boat ride is different and you don’t know what is coming for you. A bus took us back to Soc Trang and from there we took a Futa Bus to Can Tho. Of course, you can also easily reach Ho Chi Minh City. You can reach the Futa Bus stop easily by foot from the Superdong Office where you will be dropped. The trip was definitely worth it and I hope we could help you to find the best way to Con Dao on a budget. LIKE IT ? PIN HOW TO GET TO CON DAO ON A BUDGET TRAVELING AROUND SOUTHEAST ASIA? THEN, YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Bali best beaches to visit this summer. Explore beautiful and diverse Bohol Island, Philippines Would you like to see unique komodo dragons? Then, visit Flores in Indonesia. Would you like to see baby turtles in Malaysia? Visit Selingaan turtle island Karimunjawa Islands, a perfect hidden gem and escape from the Indonesian bustle. A tropical splendor in Indonesia, why should you visit the Gili islands? About The Authors Gretka Since I was little I always wanted to see the world. Travel to new places, get to know new cultures, see how other people live. I love beaches and I love discovering tropical destinations. That is why, together with my partner Nico, we created this blog to share with you the most beautiful beaches and stunning holiday destinations which we visited during our travels.

con dao so may