Posted by admin on July 29, 2011 under Attractions, Vietnam Travel Guide | 
Quiet yellow-sand beaches and historical sites may lure visitors to Con Dao but it’s the old tropical trees that protect them from the scorching sunshine in the archipelago off the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau.
There are a number of cay bang trees which are over 100 years old and hang over Ton Duc Thang and other roads in Con Dao to provide respite from the heat for tourists, who ride past on their motorbikes or stroll around.
Strong winds and sunshine may be not be your idea of a nice break but these noticeable characteristics have turned out to contribute to shaping the trees into distinctive bonsais. The trees are spread out over two lanes of the seaside roads and they shield pedestrians taking a leisurely stroll on the pavement between the tree lines and mossy yellow walls of the old prisons, from the sun.
From tourists resorts, beyond the lines of tropical trees in the esplanade, you can witness the calm of the sea, with fishing boats bobbing on the water and the distant mountains.
At a little coffee shop called Con Son, you can sip a cup of coffee and rest after a long trek at the seaside or in the forests.
Breaths of wind blow in from the ocean sending red leaves of the tropical trees down onto your table as drops of coffee are slowly seeping through the filter, and whet traveler’s appetite for more adventure in the quiet town of Con Dao.
Inside and outside this small town there are other types of ancient trees including the banyan whose roots cover the ruins of historical sites. Underneath these roots contain untold stories about the bravery of revolutionary fighters who shed blood for the independence of Vietnam.
Source: SGT
Posted by admin on February 9, 2011 under Attractions, Vietnam Travel in the North, Vietnam travel News |
By Mong Binh in HCMC
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| A foreign tourist lies on Dam Trau Beach in Con Dao – Photo: Mong Binh |
The white and pink peach blossoms in Con Dao signal the beginning of spring and the market in town is vibrant with floral colors.
Spring is the windy season in Con Dao, the archipelago off the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau. Strong winds increase the swell. The ocean is full of white caps and the crashing waves send white water high up the island’s many cliff faces. There are also havens for visitors to swim in the turquoise, calm sea.
Dam Trau Beach is one of the protected beaches on Con Dao, where locals and foreign tourists opt for relaxing strolls, rests and camping. This yellow-sand beach earned its name from an island legend about two lovers. The girl in the doomed love affair, Mai Thi Trau, committed suicide from the cliffs because she couldn’t tie the knot with the man she loved, who was revealed by her father to be her half-brother.
The love story has a sad ending, but a trip to Dam Trau Beach will certainly end in happiness for nature lovers. The small sandy bay is perfect for sunbathing, long walks and exploring the black cliffs that stretch into the water.
The cliffs divide Dam Trau Beach into two parts. The furthest beach from the road can be reached best at low tide. The tree-lined beach has a fresh water stream shadowed by a giant tropical almond tree whose leaves have turned red.
Red-leaved almond trees also line the esplanade and many of the streets in the sleepy little town on Con Dao. Most of them were planted over 100 years ago.
The best time to tour Con Dao is summertime when the sea and the weather are calm, but a visit to the archipelago in the windy season promises a lot of excitement.
Posted by admin on January 6, 2011 under Attractions, Vietnam Travel Guide, Vietnam Travel in the South, vietnam beauty |
Con Dao Activities
Tourists can enjoy hiking and trekking in the main land since the national park headquarters offer tourists to explore the and enjoy the mainland, they can also help tourists show the trails and camping sites of the place. If you love bar hoping then you should love island hoping in Con Dao island, most islands can be traveled by motors while some are secluded that you need to ride a boat in order to get to that island.
Con Dao Accommodation & Dining
on Dao Island has fewer hotels, they have local place to stay in but the hotels are at a normal state. Places like apartments or rooms to sleepover are well known in the area. Foods in the area are typical, it is a must that tourists should get to excited among unique foods, most of the restaurants offer unique foods but instead they serve fruits to the tourists. Although they serve fruits in a different way the sea food in Con Dao is the best in its region.
i visit Con Dao and in Con Dao Seatravel Resort, it very good
Con Dao Shopping & Nightlife
Nightlife in con Dao Island depends on you, surely there are night parties and live bands for tourists to enjoy, much like typical Vietnam scene in the movies. Tourists should remember that con Dao Island is at development state so not much is happening mostly if you’re alone travelling.
Getting To & Around Con Dao
You can reach Con Dao islands via boat service from con to Vung Tao, the Vietnam airlines also started to have flights six times a week from the city of ho chi minh to con Dao directly. The boat ride wills take12 hours while the aero plane will take 40 to 50 minutes.
Posted by admin on November 30, 2010 under Vietnam Food and Drink, Vietnam travel News |
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 Con Dao island ’s unique local specialty is a type of nut that the islanders call mut hat bang (malabar almond jam). |
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| Despite the name (mut means jam) it’s not really a jam, it’s a nut that tastes like walnut. Vendors sell the nuts in jars along the waterfront in the evenings. There are two kinds, salted and sweet.
To make mut hat bang, the ripe Malabar almond fruits are collected after they have been eaten by birds and fallen to the ground. The fruit are dried for four or five days and then peeled and the seeds are removed. Then the seeds are fried with either salt or sugar. Like walnuts they are dark brown outside and white inside. The small nuts are quite expensive because of all the labor to prepare them and are crisp and buttery to eat.
The coastal streets of Con Dao are lined with Malabar almond trees that are all fixed with a sign to identify them.
Malabar almond season is during summer in July or August.
Mut hat bang is sold for VND45,000 per 200gram for sweet nuts and VND55,000 per 200gram for salted.
By thesaigontimes.vn
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