The remote Con Dao group of islands is about 180km from Vung Tau, Vietnam’s main fishing port near Ho Chi Minh City, and has a local population of around 5,000. The main island, Con Son, was a much-feared former penal colony until 1975.
The infamous Con Son prison complex was established by the French colonial authority early in the nineteenth century. From then until 1975 the French colonial administration, followed by the Saigon government, incarcerated political prisoners in brutal conditions, often in tiny underground boxes known as ‘tiger cages’. The Hang Duong cemetery holds the remains of the many prisoners that died there.
Throughout the colonial period and its use by the Saigon regime, Con Dao’s only inhabitants were the prisoners, their guards, and a small contingent of soldiers and administrators. The true extent of the appalling treatment of inmates only became known after victory and reunification in May 1975. Today, numerous vestiges of these prisons remain open as museums for the visitor and they provide a fascinating insight into a little known aspect of Vietnam’s war history.
Despite its violent past, Con Dao today is arguably Vietnam’s most pristine natural environment. The island is a shining example of good conservation. 80% of the land area of the archipelago is a National park offering primary jungle teeming with interesting life such as the endemic black squirrel and the crab eating macaque. Con Dao National Park is now considered one of the best examples of marine conservation in Vietnam, complete with regulations to limit fishing activities and prohibit destructive fishing, and is a model for marine conservation throughout the country. There are plans for eco-friendly development within the park’s boundaries.
The numerous beaches are sweeping, lapped by blue, azure waters, and very typically empty of visitors, except during the Vietnamese summer months (June to August) when tourists swamp the island with the local airline increasing its flight capacity from 4 to 8 flights per day.
The one major resort on the island, Six Senses, seamlessly blends into the bay it sits on like nature intended. It is a prime example of modern day hotel development that carefully and tastefully enhances the lure of the destination rather than detract from it. My focus on this particular assignement was to use the property as the backdrop (or forefront in this case) and interject a more distinct Vietnamese scene with the placement of a model dressed in ‘ao dai’ – Vietnam’s traditional dress, to showcase the beauty of the setting with its heritage.
The inclement weather at the time may not have made for ideal ‘beach type’ scenes, however, the dramatic cloud cover and touches of light through the mountains set the mood for my work of the day. Where one side of the island was awash with roving clouds the other side was in a deep clear blue sky, hence the feel that the photos below were shot during different periods.
There is no doubt in my mind that Con Dao is a destination like no other in Vietnam. Whilst the emptiness and peaceful environment does feel rather ‘strange’ for over populated Vietnam, the close proximity to nature and the (for now) careful development of the island’s residential and tourist areas, I doubt if I will ever give the beaches of Phan Thiet, Nha Trang and Danang another look. Those locations, destroyed by crass development, pale in comparison to the sheer natural beauty and solitude of Con Dao.
The island leaves a lasting impression on you. How can one not be enthralled by this delicate beauty of an island. The big question is, however, can Con Dao really avoid the pressures of development that have so swamped the Vietnam coastline? For the time being I can only hope so as it deserves so much more respect.
