Rough Guide to Vietnam - Jan Dodd [153]
The unmarked graves in the Hang Duong Cemetery continue the tragic theme, though bright-coloured combs deposited on the grave of revolutionary heroine Vo Thi Sau add a poignant touch. She was the first woman to be executed here, in 1952, aged 19, and clearly loved combing her long black hair. If the morbid mood gets you, you could even visit the bovine manure enclosure, located just off Vo Thi Sau on the way to the national park headquarters. The prison warders used to march prisoners into this windowless room, then pump it full of manure as a form of torture or execution, depending on their whim. Oh, and if you’re wondering where Pier 914 got its name, that’s one estimate (others being 915, 917 & 871) of the number of prisoners who died during its construction.
The south–central coast | The Con Dao Archipelago | Con Son Island |
Inland Con Son
A hike along one of the island’s many trails in the National Park may be more appealing than a tour of the prisons. Some trails, such as one heading straight north to Ong Dung Beach, are well marked and can be followed independently, while others, such as to Thanh Gia Mountain, the island’s highest peak at 577m, require the services of a guide. Birdwatchers might be lucky enough to spot rare species such as the Red-billed Tropicbird or the Pied Imperial Pigeon. Make sure to take plenty of water and food, as there is nothing available outside the town. The Con Dao National Park headquarters are located north of the town centre at 29 Vo Thi Sau, and are worth dropping by for information about hiking trails.
If trekking in the hills seems too much like hard work, a stroll along the seafront of Con Son Town is pleasant enough; on your way you can admire the huge gnarled trunks of the unusual malabar almond trees that line the promenade and watch the colourful fishing boats bobbing in the bay.
The south–central coast | The Con Dao Archipelago | Con Son Island |
Beaches and islands
After visiting the historic monuments and trekking across the island you may want to focus on some serious relaxation. Lo Voi and An Hai beaches, which front the town, are not bad, though the bay is often cluttered with fishing boats. Other good beaches around the island are Dam Trau and Bai Ong Dung in the north and Bai Dat Doc to the east of town, but you’ll need to trek or rent a motorbike (ask your hotel; about 120,000đ per day) to get there. If you fancy a trip to the offshore islands, where there are plenty of deserted beaches and healthy coral reefs, try to get a group together as boats, available for hire through hotels or the national park, cost around four million dong a day. The best diving months are April and May, when visibility can be over twenty metres. From June to October it is possible to watch sea turtles laying eggs at night on nearby Bay Canh Island; less predictable are occasional sightings of dugongs, which are endearing mammals (also known as sea cows) that feed only on seagrass, grow up to three metres long and weigh up to four hundred kilos. There are a few basic rooms on Bay Canh Island operated by the national park.
The south–central coast | The Con Dao Archipelago | Con Son Island |
Accommodation and eating
Accommodation options reflect strong confidence in the island’s potential as a slice of paradise, with the opening of one luxury resort and a smart new mid-range place in 2009. The new Six Senses Hideaway (www.sixsenses.com; US$151 and over) at Dat Doc Beach, a few minutes’ drive up the