Guide to Traveling to Con Dao – Visiting Hang Duong Cemetery

If one day you have plans, difficulties beyond your control, or you want to switch from pure tourism to spiritual tourism, then traveling to Con Dao is an excellent choice. And going to Con Dao without visiting the Hang Duong cemetery would be a waste of half a lifetime.

Where is Con Dao located

Con Dao is a district in Ba Ria Vung Tau province. To get to Con Dao from the mainland, you can go from Vung Tau, Can Tho, or Soc Trang. Both times I went, I traveled from Soc Trang because it is the closest and most cost-effective route. Additionally, those who are wealthier can take a round-trip flight from Tan Son Nhat airport for about 4 million VND.

Guide to Con Dao

Guide to Con Dao from Saigon by high-speed boat 

It is advisable to depart early. Based on experience, at 4:20 am, we arrived at Mien Dong Bus Station to catch the Hoa Mai bus to Cau Da port – Vung Tau (ticket 110k/person). There is a restaurant called Ganh Hao 2 here that serves delicious breakfast ranging from 40k-60k. We arrived at the port at 6:30 am and had breakfast there while waiting to board the boat.

It’s about a 2.5-hour journey on the sea. On calm days, the trip is very comfortable, and you can go up on the deck to take pictures. However, on rough days like my last trip, with big waves, almost everyone felt nauseous and vomited. It’s best to prepare motion sickness medication early if you plan to go.

Traveling to Con Dao by Plane

The Con Dao airport is very small, with a short runway, so only Vasco’s ATR72 aircraft operates on this route. You can choose to depart from either Can Tho or Saigon to Con Dao. When I went in the 7th lunar month, there was a lot of rain and rough seas, so there were no boats to the island. Personally, I think flying is a better option, it’s fast and convenient and not too bad.

The only downside of the trip is perhaps that Vasco’s ATR72 aircraft is quite old and small, that’s all.

When is the best time to visit Con Dao?

Ideal from the beginning of the year to September: During this time, the sea is calm, and you can take a canoe to visit the small islands. Or you can explore the island, which has countless beautiful landscapes.

Transportation in Con Dao

Once you arrive on the island, you can get around by renting a car or using an electric car.

• Taxi: You can negotiate the price with the driver, and it depends on the distance traveled, similar to prices on the mainland.
• Electric car: Most tourists on tours choose electric cars here. The daytime price is calculated per kilometer, with 3k for each kilometer, and it increases accordingly. However, in the evening, electric cars charge per trip, not per kilometer like during the day.
• Renting a motorbike in Con Dao: A great thing here is that you won’t lose money for parking your bike anywhere, as you can leave it anywhere without worrying about theft. The rental price for a scooter ranges from 120k/day (automatic).Remember to get the phone number of the bike owner or hotel, because if you run out of gas or have a breakdown on the road, you can leave the bike by the roadside and call the owner to send a taxi to pick you up. (You only need to pay 30k to get around Con Dao)

Hotels in Con Dao

Hotels in Con Dao are mostly of good quality, but slightly more expensive than on the mainland, with prices ranging around 400k/room with 1 bed. Any hotel in the town is suitable for staying, as the town is very small and moving around is very convenient.

What to Eat in Con Dao

Con Dao has markets and dining areas in the center, with no shortage of dishes from the mainland (except for mixed rice paper), so eating is not a problem when traveling here. Fresh seafood can be bought, but prices are quite high here, as everything, even the smallest, is brought from the mainland, with high transportation costs, so it is accepted.

• The cheapest seafood can be bought at the port or Con Dao market: crabs 150k/kg, squid 220k/kg, mantis shrimp 450k/kg, prawns 180k/kg.
•  Binh Nguyen night snail restaurant, you should try the specialty of lady snail.
•  Crab noodle soup at Mrs. Hai Khiem’s 30k/bowl, fresh orange juice 20k/glass.
•  Grilled skewers at Con Dao market 5k/skewer, grilled rice paper, grilled quail eggs.
•  Chè 88 tea house with various types of sweet soup: Thai sweet soup, mixed sweet soup.
•  The Land milk tea 35k full topping.
•  Hot tofu 15k at Dam Trau beach.
•  Coconut ice cream in front of Mrs. Phi Yen’s temple.
•  Buy gifts: candied seeds 35k/100g, various dried goods at Thanh Lanh store in Con Dao market, pia cake to bring back to Soc Trang.
•  Beautiful coffee shops: Phien Khuc cafe, Infiniti cafe, Ba Le Cafe.
•  Buy snacks, soft drinks… visit Thu Tam grocery store.

Restaurant Reviews in Con Dao

• On our first day, we were recommended to eat at Tre restaurant, the prices were reasonable but nothing special, very cheap for a crowded place. The next day we found a new restaurant (3-region restaurant) that was extremely impressive. There, we could choose the region’s flavor (North, Central, South) and they would prepare the dish accordingly. I tried the Central Vietnamese dish, and I must say it was excellent, I felt like gaining a few pounds after eating. The price was a bit high, around 200k per person.
• Restaurant: Tuan Bien, Le Duan street. A plate of seafood fried rice + a large soup, for 2-4 people, costs around 200k-250k, sharing is still cheaper than eating at other noted places online. The owner is very lovely, and the food is delicious, well-seasoned.Also, if you want to order chicken rice, you can order it here, place the order around 3-5 hours before, pick it up at 9-10 pm. The chicken rice is delicious, hot, cooked with green beans. Many places serve bland chicken rice, not here.A portion of chicken rice is 500k.

Con Dao has many cozy cafes. Like Infiniti, on Tran Phu street behind Con Dao market, with a 100% Western style, mostly visited by Western tourists. The coffee price is around 40k, a bit high but very delicious. The food is quite expensive but worth every penny, prepared in a European style with authentic taste. Young people with aesthetic taste who like taking Instagram photos should come here and sit down.

Tourist Attractions in Con Dao

Visiting Con Dao should not expect grand tourist spots, as it is a spiritual place, known as the altar of the motherland, all revolving around worship.

Check out the tourist spots in Con Dao as follows:

HANG DUONG CEMETERY AND MS. SAU’S TOMB:

This is the main and most important part of every trip here. Most tourists visit the cemetery around 10 pm to 12 am. After 12 am, the cemetery will be closed, so tourists cannot visit and worship. This place is not only the resting place of revolutionary soldiers but also where all ordinary prisoners are buried, so it is sensitive and sacred. Surely, everyone who comes here brings a wish, big or small. But the only thing not to ask for is related to marriage or family, the reason for this, I do not know.

CÔN ĐẢO PRISON

This is actually the most terrifying prison in the French and American prison systems. Go to see the difference between the Empire and the Colonies. The French built very solid, artistic prisons, while the Americans built the most intelligent and economically efficient ones. As for the brutal acts, I won’t discuss them, because that was war, and no one shows mercy to the enemy. Also, at this place, on the wall, I read a sentence that I will never forget:

“Those who mend the sky when they make a wrong step,

Hardship is just a story, life is life.”

BRIDGE 914

This is a small bridge, but it witnessed the most pain and glory. 914 is the number of people who died during the bridge construction, counted by the prisoners themselves. Also at this place, political prisoners received the light of revolution and regained their power.

MIEU BA PHI YEN

Here worships Ba Phi Yen, a concubine of Lord Trinh, who cut off her own hand and committed suicide just because someone touched her hand. Respecting that chastity, people built a temple to worship her. She and Co Sau are the two most revered deities on the island.

CHUA NUI MOT

Visitors often wear black bracelets, which are obtained at this temple. Each guest will receive a bracelet and a wish card. On two occasions visiting here, the wishes on the cards came true. It’s a bit scary.When visiting Chua Nui Mot, after performing the front ritual, you will proceed to the back ritual. In the temple’s merit area, they will give out protective bracelets and draw gift cards for visitors to bring joy.

HANG KEO CEMETERY

Located on the road from the French tiger cage to the American tiger cage. If you are on a guided tour, you cannot stop here. Remember to come back and light incense for the soldiers here before leaving.

SITE 198

Sea-crossers are located on the way to Năm Cô temple. Right next to the island’s garbage collection site. The sea cliff here is very beautiful, not inferior to Shark Cape, you can stop to pay respects and take beautiful photos.

SKULL BEACH SITE AND ISOLATED CATTLE CAGE AREA

Continuing deeper into the route will lead to Con Dao National Park, right at the entrance is the ghostly bridge of Ma Thien Lanh. Buy a ticket for 60k/person to go 200m in to switch to walking uphill for 15 minutes to reach Hang Duc Me. The road is quite slippery, so be careful if visiting during the rainy season. If the weather is nice, there will be a boat to the island to see turtles laying eggs at night in the National Park. They guarantee a 50% refund if no turtles are seen.

Finally, you should arrange a visit to the Con Dao Museum, which introduces and preserves many precious artifacts, reenacting the history of the formation, development, and heinous crimes of the French colonial and American regime against our Communist soldiers. The museum is quite empty, relatively spacious. It takes about 45 – 60 minutes to see everything, but it’s really worth it.

Photo Check-in Locations in Con Dao

• The road to the shark fin cape
•  Shark fin cape
•  Coastal road
•  914 bridge
•  Dam Trau beach (near the airport)
•  Nhat beach (the most beautiful beach in Con Dao)
•  Sen An Hai lotus pond
•  National Park
•  Con Dao Museum
•  Ong Dung beach

Guide to Visiting Hang Duong Cemetery

Offering incense at Hang Duong Cemetery during the day

When visiting Con Dao after eating, I will go to Hang Duong Cemetery to offer incense first. (everyone offers incense at the monument first).I recommend offering as much incense as possible. In the morning, everyone should offer incense in areas A, D, C, because these grave areas are visited less, so they are very lonely. At night, it’s a bit dark, so everyone who wants to offer incense in those areas may find it difficult, so in my opinion, it’s best to offer incense during the day.

Thắp hương nghĩa trang Hàng Dương Ban Đêm –  Viếng mộ cô Võ Thị Sáu

Visiting hours are from 9am to 11pm (this is when most people come to pay their respects). Remember to prepare offerings beforehand.

 Preparing offerings for visiting Ms. Sau’s grave

 You can buy offerings at the market on the way to the cemetery or prepare them at home. When you arrive at Hang Duong cemetery, the first place to visit is the monument commemorating the fallen heroes. You should prepare two sets of offerings, one for the monument and one for Ms. Sau. Offerings can be purchased at any convenience store, just mention that they are for Ms. Sau and they will prepare everything you need. Generally, offerings include: 1 bouquet of yellow flowers and a set of offerings for the unknown soldiers, 1 bouquet of white chrysanthemums and a set of 13 offerings for Ms. Sau. Everything must be correct and nothing should be missing.

 A basic set of offerings for visiting Ms. Sau’s grave includes:

1.  1 conical hat (when offering, remember to turn the hat upside down for good luck)
2.  White chrysanthemums (remember, white chrysanthemums, as yellow chrysanthemums are for the monument)
3.  Fruits (must include kiwi fruit)
4.  A white ao ba ba garment, also prepare an additional white ao dai
5.  A handkerchief (additional purchase)
6.  Jewelry (optional)
7.  1 envelope of mixed gold and silver coins
8.  1 comb and mirror set
9.  1 envelope of gold bars
10.  1 lipstick (additional purchase, remember to ask Ms. Sau for blessings)
11.  Additional money for blessings
12.  1 bottle of mineral water
13.  1 bunch of incense sticks
14.  1 pair of candles
15.  A plate of chicken sticky rice (optional)

How to Visit Ms. Sau’s Grave

10:00 PM: Arrive at Hang Duong cemetery to prepare for the offerings. The entrance may seem eerie at first, but since many people visit, you can feel reassured. Start by offering at the monument for the fallen heroes. Then proceed to Ms. Sau’s grave, which is extremely crowded and filled with incense smoke. Prepare your offerings for Ms. Sau. You may have to wait about 15 minutes to find a spot to place your offerings and prayers.

Please note that only pray for career success, not for romantic relationships, and do not call each other’s names in the cemetery area. When praying, it is advisable not to close your eyes because there are many spirits of fallen soldiers here. Our team had a lady who closed her eyes and someone behind her teased her, while I felt a cold shiver down my spine when closing my eyes… After 15 minutes of offering, I asked for blessings (1-2 fruits, chicken sticky rice) to take back and present my offerings (fake items turned into gold, real items like mirrors, lipstick, perfume sent back). Then return to the memorial area to exchange the gold items for real ones. Light a cigarette to invite the fallen heroes.

A small tip for you:

• As photography is prohibited in the cemetery, I did not take any photos. When waiting, everyone should hold the offerings in their hands, not place them on the ground or on the graves of other fallen heroes.
• Aside from honoring Mrs. Sau, let’s not forget the other fallen heroes. If possible, people should also offer incense to the graves deep inside like in sections A, D, C as those places are less visited for offerings. Mrs. Sau’s grave in section B is the most visited for offerings.
• The more offerings, the better, but don’t be sad if you can’t offer to all due to your own limitations.

Review of Con Dao

The scenery in Con Dao is very beautiful with 2/3 of the area covered in pristine forests. The air is extremely fresh. The weather can be unpredictable with sudden rain or sunshine, but not as heavy as on the mainland, although the wind can be quite strong at times (during the rainy season or storms), so travelers should be cautious.

Life in Con Dao is incredibly peaceful. The people are gentle, hospitable, and friendly. They deeply believe in Mrs. Sau, Mrs. Phi Yen, and have many spiritual stories to share about Con Dao. Almost everyone is willing to tell these stories. And when talking about Mrs. Sau, they all have a common phrase to start with: “Mrs. Sau is very sacred!”. Our group rented an electric car for a night tour around the island, with the driver narrating stories along the way, creating a scary and thrilling experience, something unique.

What to buy when visiting Con Dao

The only thing you can buy as a souvenir in Con Dao is the bàng seed, which is delicious and fragrant like sunflower seeds.

Con Dao Travel Itinerary

There are many different routes and ways to travel. Here we share a few directions for travelers to consider.

2-day 1-night itinerary to Con Dao by high-speed boat

Con Dao itinerary for those who want to pay respects, visit a spiritual and historical land. You can return multiple times a year to pay respects because this itinerary is very cost-effective.

Day 1: Saigon Con Dao – Visit Hàng Dương Cemetery

•  4:20 AM we arrived at Miền Đông Bus Station to catch the Hoa Mai bus to Cầu Đá Port Vũng Tàu (ticket 110k/person). There is Gành Hào 2 Restaurant here serving delicious breakfast ranging from 40k-60k. We arrived at 6:30 AM and had breakfast here while waiting to board the boat.
•  8:00 AM the boat departed (we booked Phú Quốc ExPress boat to Con Dao in advance online for 660k/person) 4 hours on the boat with no internet, so bring headphones to listen to music or something to pass the time. Note: take motion sickness medicine 30 minutes before boarding as it’s easy to get seasick on the boat and taking it before sleeping will help avoid feeling sick while not being able to use your phone.
•  12:00 PM we arrived at Bến Đầm Port Con Dao: our group of 7 people chose a taxi as our means of transportation. If you are traveling with fewer people or want to explore more places, you can rent a cheap motorbike for around 100-150k. Checked into the hotel. We stayed at SaiGon68 Hotel near the center, clean, comfortable, fully equipped, priced at 600-800k per night for a room with 2 large beds for 4 people, our group of 7 people booked 2 rooms.
•  1:30 PM we had lunch nearby and bought offerings. Many people bring offerings from Saigon, but in my opinion, the offerings here are more beautiful and elaborate, and the prices are reasonable, so I didn’t have to carry them from home. I bought offerings at “Vạn Hạnh Con Dao Offerings” which has many reviews on Facebook because the offerings here are complete and different from the ones I bought elsewhere. A set of offerings for a deity costs 400k/person, chicken rice 500k, fruit basket, deity flowers around 500-600k. Additionally, we bought offerings for Đền Thờ Bà Phi Yến, Chùa núi một, Đền Cậu Cải, Miếu Năm Cô…we bought offerings for all these places together. Total offerings cost around 1.2 million/person for all the mentioned places. For Cô Sáu’s offerings, we could arrange for delivery in the evening at Hàng Dương Cemetery (as we would visit the grave from 10 PM to 12 AM).
•  2:15 PM: Chùa núi Một Vân Sơn Tự. The only temple in Con Dao. Lotus flowers are sold in front of the temple for 50-100k/bunch. To enter the temple, you have to climb about 100 steps to reach the main hall. Here, there is free cool water to drink and the monk gives you a bracelet.
•  3:00 PM: Đền Thờ Bà Phi Yến. Famous for love prayers.
•  4:00 PM: Đền Cậu Cải.
•  4:30 PM: Miếu Năm Cô
•  5:00 PM: We visited Viet Nga Resort to take beautiful sunset photos.
•  6:00 PM: Back to the hotel to freshen up and rest.
•  7:00 PM: Dinner. Drink water at Coffee Phiên Khúc. The place has an ancient style with Acoustic music, trumpet, flute…very chill, many foreign guests here. The owner is very friendly.
•  10:00 PM: Went to Hàng Dương Cemetery to prepare offerings. After 15 minutes of offering, I asked for blessings (12 fruits, chicken rice) to take back and present my offerings (fake gold offerings, real offerings to be returned). Then returned to the memorial area to exchange the fake gold offerings for real ones. Lit a cigarette to offer to the fallen soldiers.
•  12:00 AM: Back to the hotel to sleep.

Day 2: Check out of the hotel – Saigon

•  8:00 AM: We were very tired from the previous day, so we had breakfast at Ksan. (the breakfast at Ksan is not good, but there is a man selling delicious coconut ice cream in front of Ksan. Price 35k)
• 10:00 AM: Visit Hàng Keo Cemetery.
• 11:00 AM: Stop by a hammock coffee shop to rest, drink coconut water in Con Dao.
• 12:00 PM: Check out of Ksan. Visit the market to buy some souvenirs. The specialty here is bàng seeds (available in various flavors like satay, ginger, salt, pandan leaf, priced at 60-70k/pack) tastes unique like almonds.
• 12:30 PM: Head to Bến Đầm Port. Have lunch at the port.
• 1:30 PM – 5:30 PM: Boat ride back to Vũng Tàu.
• 5:40 PM: Take the Hoa Mai bus back to Saigon.

Travel Itinerary to Con Dao from Can Tho 3 days 2 nights

 Transportation:

•  Motorbike from Can Tho to Tran De Port, Soc Trang about 70km, parking at the port costs 20k/day.
•  Superdong ferry ticket 310k/ ticket, round trip 620k, book in advance to secure tickets, remember to choose the comfortable VIP cabin at the same price.
•  Renting a scooter on the island: automatic scooter 120k/day, plenty of rental options available upon arrival without prior booking.

 Accommodation:

 Phiên khúc homestay 580k/day.

 Homestay Uyên’s house 600k/day.

These two places are popular, so book early as rooms tend to fill up quickly, there are also many hotels around 500k/day.

 Places to visit:

•  Phu Hai Prison, French-style tiger cages, American-style 40k/ticket for 3 places.
•  914 Bridge.
•  Hang Duong Cemetery, visit the grave of Vo Thi Sau around 10-12pm, buy offerings at the market, ask the sellers for advice.
•  Con Dao Museum 10k/ticket.
•  Con Dao National Park, Ma Thien Lanh Bridge 60k/person. There are snorkeling tours to see coral reefs, watch sea turtles lay eggs…
•  Vân Sơn Pagoda, on the way there is a large lotus pond and a beautiful photo spot with a small lake.
•  Phi Yen Temple.
•  An Hai Beach near 914 Bridge.
•  Dam Trau Beach about 18km from the center.
•  Dam Wharf, Shark Cape on the way from the port to the town.

 Total cost is around 3 million/person including seafood meals, souvenirs, staying at beautiful homestays, those who are budget-conscious can spend less.

Visit Con Dao to understand that what we enjoy today is not just blood, tears but also a greatness that creates miracles of many people from previous generations, which no words in the dictionary can adequately describe… from there we must appreciate, preserve, and develop even more. In conclusion, for those with health and financial means, it is recommended to experience Con Dao, the sacred land of the motherland!