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Con Dao and Phu Quoc, both are archipelagos located in Southern Vietnam. Con Dao belongs to Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province, while Phu Quoc belongs to Kien Giang Province. However, each island possesses own unique charm, leaving many travelers in a dilemma when choosing their ideal Lunar New Year holiday getaway.
Phu Quoc possesses a wild but charming beauty with a long stretch of white, smooth sand and clear blue seawater. In addition, Phu Quoc is also favored by nature, the pleasant weather creates a beautiful and poetic Phu Quoc true to the name “Pearl Island”.
Phu Quoc is known as the Pearl Island of Vietnam. Source: Bao Nguoi Lao Dong
Con Dao is the most charming island in Vietnam with wild and peaceful beauty. Con Dao is truly a great destination if you want to find a quiet place without any urban noise.
Today, Asia King Travel will compare these two islands based on various factors. Hopefully, these assessments can help travelers know whether better to travel to Con Dao or Phu Quoc for a great tropical trip to Vietnam.
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Con Dao is the most charming island in Vietnam with wild and peaceful beauty. Source: Traveloka
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Phu Quoc and Con Dao both have important historical sites. In the French colonial period, Con Dao was known as hell on earth. Con Dao Prison still exists now as evidence of the historical imprint of a period of Vietnamese struggle against the French & Americans. Phu Quoc also has historical sites such as Phu Quoc Prison and ancient temples.
Phu Quoc offers many tourist and entertainment activities such as scuba diving, fishing, and boating. If you love nature, you can explore Phu Quoc National Park, watch the sunset at Bai Truong or swim at Bai Sao,...
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Phu Quoc National Park is a biosphere reserve of the world. Source: WANEE Vietnam
Coming to Con Dao, you can choose some ecotourism activities such as swimming, fishing, diving to see coral, visiting Con Dao National Park, exploring deserted islands and watching turtles lay eggs,...
If you like to learn about history, you can visit Hang Duong Cemetery, explore Con Dao Prison and visit the grave of Vo Thi Sau and other heroic martyrs sacrificed in the resistance war to save the country.
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Con Dao Prison used to be hell on earth. Source: Tau Cao Toc Con Dao Express
Phu Quoc and Con Dao have rich ecosystems with many rare flora and fauna species. Phu Quoc National Park has a full range of terrains from forests and mountains to streams and the sea. The vegetation includes many layers, from low to high, from small low trees to old trees (melaleuca, beans, pellets, oil sand, chestnuts…) in the primary forest area.
Spanning over 19,883 hectares, Con Dao National Park has an impressive biodiversity, with 155 forest animal species, 1,725 marine organisms species and 1,077 forest plant species recorded within borders.
It conserves rare and endemic species, including the critically endangered Con Dao black squirrel and the globally threatened hawksbill turtle.
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The ecosystem in Con Dao National Park is classified as an island tropical forest. Source: Traveloka
Phu Quoc has an international airport that provides direct flights from major cities in Vietnam and some international destinations such as Siem Reap, Bangkok, Singapore, etc. Some airlines often operate flights to Phu Quoc, offering many options in terms of schedules and prices. The island is also connected by boat to Kien Giang Province.
On the other hand, Con Dao has a domestic airport with regular flights. However, flights to Con Dao are often more limited than Phu Quoc and the number of flights may vary depending on the season.
In addition to flights, boat services are also available from Vung Tau to Con Dao, although times are less frequent and depend on weather conditions. When the weather is good, boats operate approximately every two days. However, in the stormy season, from November to March, the crossing may be reduced to once a month.
Dam Trau Beach is next to Con Dao Airport. Source: baohaiduong.vn
Phu Quoc has recently seen major changes in tourism infrastructure, a new international airport inaugurated in 2012, widened and paved roads, new coastal and inner-city roads, new ports and luxury resorts stretch along the beaches.
During the Lunar New Year holiday (January or February), accommodations can be full and some beaches such as Bai Sao and Bai Ganh Dau are very crowded. Larger than Con Dao, Phu Quoc could absorb more development, but for peaceful tropical islands.
On the other hand, Con Dao is developing at a much slower rate, which is a good thing because it is small, with a very rugged coastline. Today, the majority of visitors to Con Dao are Vietnamese pilgrims, coming to commemorate former prisoners. The number of foreign visitors remains extremely low, most of the time you will have the beaches, roads, museums and restaurants almost to yourself.
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Phu Quoc has recently seen major changes in tourism infrastructure. Source: vinpearlphuquocresort.com
Due to the rapid development in Phu Quoc in recent years, competition keeps prices at an acceptable level. Accommodation, food and boat trips offer good value for money. However, during high season (December to April), prices increase by up to 50%. For tight budgets, Phu Quoc is more affordable.
In Con Dao, prices are higher because the island is far from the mainland and almost everything has to be imported. The lack of development and competition also causes high prices. Accommodation, food, drinks, transportation and excursions are more expensive there than in Phu Quoc. However, prices in Vietnam are generally cheap: even with an additional cost of $5 to $10, your costs are still reasonable.
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Phu Quoc is more reasonably priced for those on a restricted budget. Source: www.booking.com
Phu Quoc offers a variety of accommodations to suit all budgets. In Phu Quoc, the most concentrated places are Duong Dong and Bai Dai, which have affordable prices, especially mid-range resorts such as Thanh Kieu Resort, Long Beach Resort, etc.
Ong Lang Beach has lovely resorts like Mango Bay, Peppercorn Beach Resort in the North. Budget travelers will find local motels in Duong Dong.
There are many sea view resorts in Phu Quoc. Source: Booking.com
Almost all accommodation in Con Dao is in Con Son Town. On quiet streets, motels offer rooms for $10-20, while some beachfront resorts charge around $100 per night for the prime location.
For an affordable beachside vacation, you should choose Con Dao Campground, but for the best ocean views, choose Con Dao Resort or Six Senses Con Dao.
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A part of Con Dao Island as seen from above. Vietourist
Not surprising that seafood is famous in Phu Quoc and Con Dao. However, finding truly delicious seafood is not easy on these islands because most of the daily catch is sent to Ho Chi Minh City.
In Phu Quoc, Duong Dong Night Market is noted for fresh seafood although it has become quite touristy. Long Beach Resort also has good restaurants, while international restaurants have recently opened along the route.
When talking about sea cuisine, seafood is indispensable. Source: phuquoc247.vn
When comes to food, Con Dao is an anomaly: it is the only place in Vietnam without a thriving street food scene. There are very few dining options on the island. Larger hotels and resorts have decent restaurants, the best of which is ATC Resort.
In Con Son, some popular places around the market sell hot pots and BBQ grills. A night market that has not recently become more vibrant than in Phu Quoc.
Fresh seafood in Con Dao. Source: Traveloka
While most of Phu Quoc islands are lined with sandy beaches, Con Dao's steep coastline, while more spectacular than Phu Quoc, has far fewer beaches. Phu Quoc's West Coast is essentially one of Vietnam's longest and most beautiful beaches. The famous Bai Dai Coast is in the center but the sand stretches north and south to the end of the island.
The Northwest beaches, Vung Bau are especially peaceful. Phu Quoc's East Coast is less attractive, with the main ship terminals occupying large bays and the presence of jellyfish making swimming nearly impossible. However, Bai Sao on the east coast is an exception, with white sand and jade waters.
In Con Dao, you can only count the beaches on the fingers of one hand. However, some of these beaches are especially beautiful. Con Son Town is in the north on a small white sand beach, shaded by palm trees and casuarinas and in the south are majestic mountains covered with jungle. At the southern end of the island, at low tide, Bai Nhat appears as a strip of white sand and breathtaking blue water.
Romantic sunset scene at the beach on Con Dao Island. Source: Vietnam Plus
This article will help you choose Phu Quoc and Con Dao for your Vietnam trip. Contact Asia King Travel, our local travel agency in Vietnam and we suggest the most suitable Vietnam beach trip.
Read more: South Vietnam Tour 1-day: Underwater Adventure in Phu Quoc
