Vietnam forum

Hi epkhelt,

Where have you tried already? Most of the places are fairly small -- under 20 rooms, but some of the larger rambling places have stacks and it is difficult to imagine them being full...

Even if you have to camp it's worth going - Phu quoc is stunning

Vietnam Airlines has multiple flights a day from Saigon and also flies from Rach Gia, but as their website still isn't back in action it's difficult to check availability -- their website is supposed to reopen this month...

You can also head out there by ferry from Rach Gia, though you'll need to overnight in Rach Gia to catch the morning boat -- no big deal - Rach Gia is a nice enough place (for a night!) and you can reach Rach Gia by bus of taxi in 5-8 hours (depending on vehicle, traffic, delays, phase of the blue moon etc)

Epkhelt:
It appears that Phu Quoc, as with a certain inn in Jerusalem many years ago, is full.

So what about Con Dao Island - south and east off Vung Tau?

The tourism infrastructure is as about developed as Phu Quoc and has dibing (the drunks from Rainbow), beaches, boating, fishing -just about everything you would expect.

One gushing description reads:

"Once you arrive at Con Dao Island off the coast of southern Vietnam, after taking a 35-minute flight to Con Dao on a Vietnam Air Service Company΄s (Vasco)(Vasco (VFC), Ho Chi Minh City, Tel: +84-(0)-8-997-1707) 60-seater at a reasonable price and you΄ve escaped the hustle and bustle of city life in no time. "Away from civilization!"

Apart from historical vestiges such as the Con Dao Prison, the Con Dao Museum, tiger cages, the Hang Duong Cemetery, Lady Phi Yen Temple, Ma Thien Lanh Bridge, you can enjoy viewing many islets and strolling on white­sand beaches.

Visit the islets by boat, usually to the Hon Tai and Hon Bay islets. On the Hon Tai, some 5km away from town, tourists can climb some rock cliffs, watch monkeys, swim in the sea and particularly skin-dive with a snorkel to watch corals. However, they can have a real impression of being marooned on a deserted island when they leave the kayak to land on the Bay Canh Islet.

Crossing a wood bridge spanning over a ravine to enter the Con Dao National Park, tourists can play with tiny sea turtles held in their palm. In this season, many tourists prefer to stay overnight on the island to watch the birth of sea turtles. Other interesting features include a visit by sampan to the mangrove forests on the island; here tourists will discover the flora of the island and go fishing. They will take a ravishing picnic lunch with seafood. Con Dao Island is known to have many unique, rare, and interesting species of fish; therefore, all the meals are prepared from broiled seafood.

Residents of Con Dao rarely go to pagoda but on such occasions as the lunar New Year΄s Eve and Tet, some national holidays and the fifteen day of lunar months, they come to the Tomb of revolutionary heroine Vo Thi Sau, to bum incense and pray for luck and happiness.

Evenings on Con Dao Island are quiet and relaxing but in the after­noons tourists can play tennis stroll on the beach and go on tandem bicycles under the shade of flamboyant trees with red blossoms.

If you have time, do not miss a visit to the Nhat beach where you can watch the splendid sunset behind the Love Mountain peak across the Ben Dam Bay with its crystal clear water and nice sand beaches.

If you are with your family or in a group, the Nhat beach is good venue for camp fires and a "buffalo throw" treat. Tourists will certainly retain splendid memories of Con Dao Island and its many marvels, especially the national park."

LINKS:
Weather: < http://www.vietnam.virtuallythere.ca/weather/wpops/p-ConSon-01.htm >
< http://www.visit-mekong.com/saigon-con-dao-resort/ >
< http://www.condao.com/ >

I think you will enjoy your Christmas!

You can also read more about Con Dao on Travelfish of course ;-) Con Dao profile...

Thank's a lot!
I will check that immediately.