Con Dao listed in top ten best islands

Viet Nam's Con Dao Island has been named as one of the top ten romantic destinations in the world for 2011 by the UK's Lonely Planet magazine.

Photo: Internet

Other islands on the list were Yemen's Socotra in Yemen, Australia's Torres Strait Islands, Japan's Yacyana, French Guiana's Iles du Salut, the Republic of Korea's Ulleungdo, Panama's San Blas archipelago, Chinese Taipei's Penghu, the Bay archipelago and Hog island off the coast of Honduras and Uganda's Ssese.

Con Dao Island has a strong political and cultural history. Under the French, Con Dao was used as a major prison for opponents of French colonialism.

Con Dao National Park, one of the country's top six biodiversity hotspots for both land and sea, contains thousands of plant and animal species, and provides a range of eco-tourism options.

The island is home to playful black and brown squirrels, many species of native and migratory birds, and even endangered marine animals like the sea cow, green turtle and hawk's bill turtle.

According to the Sai Gon Travel Service Company (Saigontourist), in the wedding season this year Con Dao was one of the most popular honeymoon destinations for young couples.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News