Con Dao National Park is centered on an archipelago of 14 islands, the largest of which is Con Son. The topographyof Con Son Island is mountainous and dominated by a granite ridge whichruns from south-west to north-east, sheltering the bays on both sidesof the island from strong winds. The highest points on the island arethe summits of Mount Thanh Gia and Mount Chua, at 577 and 515 mrespectively. The smaller islands reach a maximum elevation of 200 m.

There are no permanent watercourses on the Con Dao archipelago, onlyseasonal streams. In the rainy season, water is plentiful; however,there is a serious lack of water in the dry season. Three reservoirscollect water during the rainy season to supply the local populationduring the dry season.

Themarine ecosystems at the national park include mangroves, coral reefsand sea grass beds. Mangroves cover a total of 15 ha, and aredistributed around Ba Island and along the west coast of Bay CanhIsland, and along the north and south coasts of Con Son Island. Thecoral reefs at Con Daoare among the most pristine in Vietnam, and are distributed in shallowwaters around the islands, covering a total area of around 1,000 ha.

Conservation efforts

TheWorld Wide Fund for Nature has been active in protecting sea turtlesand dugong. in Con Dao National Park. Since 1995, more than 300,000baby turtles have been released to the sea and nearly 1,000 matureturtles have been tagged.

Con Dao National Park is now considered one of the best examples of marine conservationin Vietnam  with regulations to limit fishing activities and prohibitdestructive fishing. There are plans for eco-friendly developmentwithin the park’s boundaries.

Fast boat or aeroplane?

Afast boat service linking with Con Lon was established last year whilein May 2004. The national flag carrier - Vietnam Airlines - beganoperating six flights a week from Ho Chi Minh City to Con Dao. Theaeroplane takes about 50 minutes while the boat takes twelve hours.

The Con Dao archipelago has already been developed for tourism which is now one of the most important sectors of the islands' economy. Comingto Con Dao, tourists are sure to have comfortable and relaxing holidaysdeeply sunk in wild nature and experience rare species in the worldsurviving in Con Dao National Park. The Con Dao archipelagohas historical significance as the site of several prisons used by theFrench colonial and South Vietnamese regime. Many famousrevolutionaries were imprisoned on the island prior to 1975, and thesite is considered a national memorial. A 30 ha site incorporating theprisons have been formally recognized as a national heritage site.There is great potential to further develop ecotourism at the nationalpark, in the form of hiking, bird watching, snorkeling, diving andwatching nesting turtles.

Facilities

There are no taxis on the islands and virtually no ‘xe om’, often called motorbike taxis. However, it’s easy for you to hire a small motorbike to get around the island.

Now, if you are in Ho Chi Minh City and ready for a new tour to Con Dao National Park, this brief itinerary may be useful for you:

Day 1: Hochiminh City - Con Dao Islands (-/L/-)

AM: Transfer to Tan Son Nhat Airport for departure Con Dao by VN1421 at 05:55

07:05arrival at Ben Dam Airport, pick up and transfer to visit  the featureshistorical sites in town such as the Con Dao Museum and the notoriousformer prison tiger cages.
PM: Visit the Con Dao National Park, followed by a seminar on turtle rescue if available.

Day 2: Con Dao (B/L/-)

AM: A cluster of wild islets surrounded by emerald tranquil waters,ConDao is home to a number of species of sea turtle and dugong. Escortedby a park ranger, take a full-day boat ride to Bay Canh Islet and CauIslet, their natural habitat. Picnic lunch of seafood is arranged onboard.
PM: Enjoy snorkeling and sunbathing on primitive beaches.

 Day 3: Con Dao - Hochiminh City (B/-/-)

 AM:Transfer to the airport for flight VN1422 to Hochiminh City at 07:45and arrival at Tan Son Nhat Int'l Airport at 08:55. Pick up andtransfer to a hotel in Hochiminh City centre.