Con Dao Islands – Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu Province

Con Dao Islands – Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu Province
Con Dao Islands are an archipelago that consists of 16 islands in the Southeast region of Vietnam. Once you reach it, you will constantly have a feeling that you’ve found yourself on a picture from some beautiful postcard! Wherever you go, you will see breathtaking sceneries of a wild untouched nature. Except this, Con Dao is also an important place in the history of Vietnam. It really seems that even time stops here. This is a real paradise off the beaten track, which you will, probably, never forget! South Vietnam tours

Con Dao Islands – Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu Province

How to get there?
By plane
Côn Sơn Island, which is the biggest island of the archipelago, has an airport that serves domestic flights from Ho Chi Minh City and Cần Thơ, operated by VASCO (Vietnam Airlines). The round trip from Ho Chi Minh City costs nearly $350.
To get from the airport to the city centre, you can use any hotel bus – the drivers will be only happy to give you a ride only for $2 (50,000 VND). The taxi from the airport will cost approximately $15 (300,000 VND). JAHAN CRUISE

By boat
You can hire a boat at the national park office on the Côn Sơn Island, in a case you want to explore the islands around by boat. A 12-person boat costs about $50 (1,200,000 VND) per day.  Dragon Pearl Junk

Things to do at Con Dao Islands

Enjoy a day on the beach
Probably, spending a lazy day on the beach will be your biggest wish after a flight and long travel to the island. Be careful, the Con Dao beaches are so beautiful that you may easily spend here the rest of your trip, but there’s still a lot of other interesting things to do and to see! If you stay on the Con Son Island, you may check Bai Dat Doc beach, which is considered to be one of the most beautiful on the island. It’s a lot of less crowded with tourists, but no less awesome than other beaches on the smaller islands around. If you want to explore them as well, visit a beautiful white sand beach of Tre Lon Island, located to the west of Con Son.

Take a tour in Phu Hai Prison

Phu Hai Prison was built in 1862 to house the first anti-colonial agitators. Nowadays this is an important historical site of the country that attracts visitors from all the parts of the world. It is known that the prisoners were kept here in the terrible conditions and more than 20,000 of them have died here. Next to the prison, you may find a Revolutionary Museum, where the guided informative tour costs less than $1 (20,000 VND).

See the turtle sanctuary
If you want to see an exciting natural phenomenon of turtles laying eggs, you can book a special turtle tour at the National Park Office. When booking your trip, remember that the turtle season lasts only from June till the middle of September. It may still happen that the office will sell you tickets out of season and promise turtles, but in the end you will see nothing. However, if you come during the right season, use your chance to see it!

Scuba Dive!
Con Dao has a reputation of one of the best destinations for diving in Vietnam. It’s corals are untouched, the underwater life is diverse and the flocks of fish are colourful and impressive! Among the reliable and trustful companies that provide diving service there are Dive! Dive! Dive!, Rainbow Divers and Senses Diving Con Dao. The prices start at $75. Pay attention that the medical insurance is obligatory due to the island’s remote location.

Visit the Con Dao National Park
Almost 80% of the land area of the archipelago are a National park. Here you can see the unique animals, for example, the endemic black squirrel and the crab eating macaque. Part of the territory is covered with wild rainforests with beautiful lakes and waterfalls. Remember to plan and check your route in advance. Doesn’t matter how beautiful are the landscapes, it’s never a good idea to get lost!

Khau Vai Love Market

Khau Vai love market belongs to Khau Vai commune, Meo Vac District, Ha Giang, province. This is a unique market of Vietnam in particular and the world in general. The Khau Vai fair is located in the village of the Nung, in a wide valley and full of people. There have colorful costumers of the ethnic H’Mong, Dao, Giay, Nung… The girls, boys even elder are not hiding restless in the face. North Vietnam packages

From the previous day, canvas-tents were built throughout the valley; the most numerous is place buying corn wine, thang co… In the evening before, many couples follow the mountainside to the Khau Vai love market on time.

Life in the mountains is often tedious. One year has only fair so many families include parents, father in law, son come to love market for fun. Even more couples got married more than 10 years and have 4 children try to join the special fair in this year.

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The oldest person of Khau Vai commune did not know the time that Khau Vai love market began. According to the legend, the love story between the boy of the H’Mong and the girl of the Giay led to the grudge between two tribes. In order to avoid a bloody confrontation, they were forced away from each other. However, the boy and the girl vowed that they would meet once on the March 26th at Khau Vai market. Khau Vai love market began from that. Up to now, Khau Vai love market became the dating fair, finding love from young to married people. BASSAC CRUISE

Khau Vai Love Market

Khau Vai love market at night becomes more quite, the only conversation and sound of “khen”. If visitors have opportunities to come this market, they will have unforgettable impression.

Top 7 Things to do in Halong Bay Vietnam

Top 7 Things to do in Halong Bay Vietnam
Many travellers to majestic Halong Bay spend a day cruising the emerald waters admiring the mysterious limestone rocks that rise up majestically. But there is so much more to do in Halong Bay such as kayaking, exploring the caves and hiking on the islands.

Over 3,000 amazing islands rise up from the Gulf of Tonkin, some with their own caves, beaches and inlets. It’s this stunning and mystic landscape that earns Halong Bay its place on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994.  Many visitors spend a day or two on a traditional junk, bobbing along on the serene waters, watching everyday Vietnamese life going by. North Vietnam tours

Spot the Wildlife and Birdlife on Cat Ba Island

There are many larger islands within Halong Bay, including Cat Ba Island, which is the largest and home to a lush national park, teeming with over 30 different mammal species and 70 bird species. The Cat Ba National Park offers fantastic opportunities for hiking and maybe spotting the rare golden-headed ‘Cat Ba Langur’ monkey. The primate is thought to number less than 100 and is officially the most engendered monkey in the world, despite local conservation efforts. The park covers both land and water and keen walkers can spot giant oriental squirrels, wild boar, the civet cat and deer. Bird species include cuckoos, hornbills and hawks. Try climbing the peak viewing tower which is a two hour round trip, cool off at one of the many pristine beaches and take a boat trip over to Monkey Island. Pelican Cruise

Chill out on Lan Ha Bay’s beautiful beaches

Whilst Halong Bay has many inlets and caves, it doesn’t have many real beaches, except at Lan Ha Bay, which has around 100 deliciously sandy stretches of beach. Pitch up for a few days to take in the stunning views, explore the floating villages and enjoy rock climbing, scuba diving, swimming and kayaking. Or simply chill out on one of the beaches and watch daily life go by.

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Walk through the Cave of Wonders

Don your most comfortable walking shoes and climb through the Dau Go Caves, aka the Cave of Wonders. Lit up in various colours, the caves systems offer an insight into the intriguing natural rock formations. The caves offer respite from the fierce hit with their eerie atmosphere, where natural daylight rarely pokes through the rocks.

Top 7 Things to do in Halong Bay Vietnam

Spend a day kayaking in Halong Bay

Slow the pace down somewhat with a kayaking trip, which allows you to meander through the giant limestone rocks. It’s a great opportunity to get away from the crowds, explore some of the quieter caves, inlets and beaches. Paddle to Ti Top Island, admire the views and hone your kayaking skills in a unique location. Find out for yourself why Halong Bay is one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature!

Traverse the Sung Sot Grottoes

In the heart of Halong Bay are the Sung Sot Caves, which are also known as the ‘Surprise Grottoes’. Located on Bo Hon Island, these are widely touted as both the widest and best cave systems in Halong Bay. You’ll take a short hike up to the grottoes through forest and the caves themselves are separated into two natural sections. Admire the forms of the stalactites and the rock formations.

Try hiking on Ban Sen Island

To really get off the beaten tourist trail, try a hiking adventure on Ban Sen Island. The island is thickly forested and just about uninhabited which makes for a peaceful getaway! Take a ferry to Quan Lan from Cai Rong to enjoy your own little piece of paradise. Hire a local guide for the day who will regale you with stories of local folklore including mysterious monster sightings!

Take a Halong Bay Cruise

The ubiquitous cruise on Halong Bay is an absolute must-do! Opt for a traditional junk for that really authentic experience. And to really get into the local spirit, opt to stay for several days, sleeping overnight on the calm emerald waters. You’ll pass floating villages where families, livestock and pets live and trade as part of their daily life. You can also stop off at swimming and snorkelling spots.