Con Dau

TET holiday and we have a chance to explore another part of Vietnam - so this time we decided to visit the islands of Con Dau, just east of Vung Tau.

Con Dau has an amazing history - formerly known as 'Hell on Earth' due to the cruelty and torturous prisons that had existed there for 113 years during the colonisation years of the French and of course during the American/Vietnam war, it is now being invested into by the Government through the National Park service and marine sanctuary systems.

For us, Con Dau was going to provide us with a place to hike, snorkel, and explore. What struck us most though was how peaceful, quiet and clean it was in comparison to many other Vietnamese destinations. It seems that this place is being set up as 'the pearl' - a great example of how to preserve history and the natural environment. The national park has a good website here but we were amazed at the fact that we went in and out of the park, on 3 different hikes, at no charge. Each time we needed to call in and register our intentions, but, no fees. Nice touch!

Hiring a motorbike is always the best way to get around whilst on holiday here, so on the first afternoon once we'd unpacked and set up the hotel room, we visited 'DiveDiveDive' and sorted out our snorkeling trip and hired the bike. Hiring from a local business saved 50% off the hotel's charges - and of course supports the local economy - so once we were sorted it was off exploring.

With long stretches of beach, rainforest walks, rocky shores and a small village to explore, it is entirely feasible to see the whole island while you're here. We were really impressed and found it one of the most relaxing and enjoyable places we've ever visited here in SE Asia. It's only an hour away on a plane, so I think it's highly likely we will return someday.

Here's a Haikudeck with a few of the highlights....




Con Dau - Created with Haiku Deck, presentation software that inspires

I've also been playing around with 'Canva' - see what you think here:
Condau Canva

Footnotes:
For those who plan on heading to Con Dau at some point, here are some useful links:

I usually book via Agoda.com and just look for the best value - the 'camping' place is highly recommended, but we couldn't get in so stayed at 'ATC' instead. It was fine - bed was comfortable, location was great, but the bathroom drains had a pretty bad odour which made showering a bit unpleasant! 

Two local places to recommend for advice and great service would be 'DiveDiveDive' and 'Bar200'. Both providing services for tourists, but very helpful and good prices. 

Eating - lots of local options, try them - they are inclined towards seafood, and won't necessarily be cheap, but will be tasty. For more western fare try Infiniti cafe and Bar200. Both great! 

Lonely Planet accommodation suggestions 

Bike rides in HCM

Sometimes we kiwis just need to see some green.


It doesn't need to be pretty, and it doesn't matter if the roads are a bit rough, but green spaces do something for our souls.

Bike riding in Ho Chi Minh can be something of a mixed adventure - from the polluted highways with adrenalin-inducing manoevres from other traffic, to the side streets which narrow down to barely 2 metres wide, to coming out onto wide open green space with hardly anyone about.

We've enjoyed exploring on bikes several times, and today decided to go off a road we had been down before many times, but never taken the 'left over the bridge'. Today, we did.  The 'left over the bridge' turned out to be a great choice - the roads were quiet, the buildings gave way to wide open spaces, and the sights were wonderful - making me kick myself for not bringing my 'good' camera. So - there's my excuse - but please enjoy the images!!

Previous bike rides have included an area opposite District 2 across that part of the river called Binh Quoi.  Another great spot to get out of the concrete jungle...