Con Dao, an island district in the southern province of Ba Ria - Vung Tau, has been included in Lonely Planet's travel magazine as one of the top nine mysterious islands in the world.
The nine most mysterious islands include Torres Strait (Australia), Yaeyama (Japan), Con Dao (Vietnam), Iles du Salut (Guiana, France), Ulleungdo (the Republic of Korea), San Blas (Panama), Penghu (Taiwan), Bay and Hog islands (Honduras) and Ssese (Uganda).
With 16 large and small islands, Con Dao is now considered a tourist paradise. It was formerly a penal colony that housed Vietnamese political prisoners who participated in the fight against colonial and imperial domination. The islands are home to tropical forests.
The sea water is turquoise, and has an incredibly diverse marine species, from dolphins, sea turtles to beautiful coral reefs.
Tourism development is controlled in moderation so as not to damage the pristine, wild islands.