The Con Dao Archipelago lies 180 km south of Vung Tau, exposed in the South China Sea. Its isolation makes it unsurprising that Con Son, its main island, was a penal colony until 1975.  Today the small town that has developed round the remains of the penal colony is friendly and attractive. The group has evergreen trees and cool sea breezes. Dolphins jumping and playing round the boat when you visit Con Dao’s smaller islands. Photo by: Cmicblog

With potential infrastructure already in place, major tourist development is inevitable unless Con Dao as a whole is elevated from its present National Park to full-blooded UNESCO World Heritage status. The dense forest cover -especially the humid forest growing above 500 m – is pristine. Over 1,000 hectares of Con Dao’s living coral reefs survive in shallow waters. The terrestrial and marine biodiversity is colossial: Con Dao’s habitants attract hawksbill and green turtles and dugong among 1,300 species of sea animals. Photo by: vinh_hcmc

When to go: Con Dao’s climate is governed by the convergence of warm and cool ocean currents. Frequent, violent storms hit the archipelago’s western side from June to September, then reverse to hit the eastern side form October to December. Come between March and early June when the sea is at its most calm. Population: 5,000. Photo by: John Patrick Tobin