DAY 1: CON DAO (-/-/-)
Upon arrival at the Con Dao airport, you will be picked up and transferred to your hotel. You will be free to discover the island of immense natural beauty with forested hills and deserted, pristine sandy beaches.
DAY 2 : CON DAO (B/-/-)
After breakfast,you have free time at your leisure.
DAY 3 : CON DAO DEPARTURE (B/-/-)
You will be free until the car takes you to Con Dao airport for a flight to the next destination.
ACTIVITIES OF YOUR CHOICE
Historical tour | Duration : 3 hours
The island has an incredibly historic past, dating right the way from the days when the East India Company and Portuguese merchants frequented the island through to the French colonial era and on to the Vietnam War. In 1861 the French colonial government opened prisons on the island to house political prisoners. The prisons were in use up until the end of the Vietnam War, being used by the Americans as a POW camp up to 1975. Experienced fluent English speaking local tour guides will detail the history of the island, with fascinating and heroic stories of Con Dao’s past. Starting at the impressive museum, then taking you to the oldest prison built, the infamous “Tiger Cages” and the American prison camp, your guide will tell you the captivating history of Con Dao’s past. Afterwards visit the cemetery, where thousands of people visit every year to pay their respects to Vietnam’s lost heroes.
Sunset boat trip | Duration : 2 hours
With out a doubt the best place to see the Con Dao sunset from is from the ocean. Depart from the main harbor in the late afternoon on our spacious boat, to anchor off out to sea and have the most picturesque back drop on Con Dao to enjoy your evening. Listen to chilled out music while sipping a glass of wine and soaking up the stunning views…. After sunset lay back in one of our chairs on the top deck and gaze at the thousands of stars, again the best views you will see of the Con Dao night sky. We cater for all food preferences and budgets. The perfect way to end the day in the ocean
Diving&snokelling
Con Dao with over 20 dive sites, from simple novice dives to challenging offshore drifts and deep dives.
You can take daily trips to the 16 islands around Con Dao. With depths ranging from 5 to 25 meters, for recreational diving and sheltered, shallow areas for snorkeling, Con Dao offers divers a unique opportunity to interact with the amazing variety of underwater life. Explore the untouched and pristine corals, with a chance to see rays, turtles, giant barracuda, cobia, batfish and small bamboo sharks, as well as a whole host of tropical reef fish.
The high season for diving in Con Dao is from April through to September. During this time (July, August and September) Con Dao experiences the rainy season, though these are not long monsoons, just spells of heavy rain for around an hour, usually in the afternoon and evenings. The low season for diving is from November to February, due to high winds, though on many occasions there are spells of weather good enough to dive.
Trekking tour | Duration : 3 – 6 hours
So much of the islands are covered in evergreen forests, it would be a shame not to get in amongst it and see the beauty of The National Park yourself! We offer a range of trekking tours, with an experienced trekking guide who will also tell you about the natural history of the islands and what to look for, hidden in the jungle! Black squirrels, geckos, lizards, birds and bats are amongst the jungle critters you can spot. It is also very common to see the long tailed Macaque Monkey during your trek. Bring your camera for some stunning panoramic views of Con Son Bay, from a height of 260m at the old fruit plantation or visit the second largest island to hike to the old French Lighthouse built in the 19th century. Take a full or half day trek – easy, steady – or hard going treks for the energetic!
Turtle tour
Con Dao is one of the last places in Vietnam where turtles lay eggs. Roughly 80% of the land area in the island chain is part of Con Dao National Park, which protects Vietnam’s most important sea turtle nesting grounds. For the last decade the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) has been working with local park rangers on a long-term monitoring program. During nesting season (May to November) the park sets up ranger stations to rescue threatened nests and move them to the safe haven of hatcheries. From May to September visitors can visit the islands and see the turtles coming on to the beach to lay their eggs, from September you can visit to see the turtles being released into the ocean. This is a truly unique experience and not one to be missed during your stay! Our fluent English speaking guide will take you through the forests to the hidden beaches and explain the life cycle of this gentle creature. This tour can also be included as part of your diving or snorkeling trip.