- Con Dao Museum
- Con Dao Prisons
- Relax on the Beaches
- Take a boat trip and snorkel on Con Dao’s other islands.
- Con Son Night Market
- Con Dao National Park
- Hang Duong Cemetery
- Eat delicious food and seafood!
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
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 U.S. 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.
Address: Số 10 Đường Nguyễn Huệ
Opening Hours: 7:30am – 11:00am, 1:30pm – 4:30pm
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
- 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
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
Opening Hours: 7:30am – 11am, 2:00pm – 4:50pm
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
Address: Continue west from Huỳnh Thúc Kháng until you reach the entrance.
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
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.