Con Co Island – a floating green pearl

Located not far from the coast of Quang Tri province, the small island of Con Co has its own long and interesting history.

Con Co looks like a plump green pearl rising from the ocean and experts consider its geology, biology and scenery a museum of biodiversity.

The evergreen island is 80 percent natural primeval forest, which has remained in pristine condition despite the passage of time. It was formed by a volcano which left behind giant, strange shaped basalt rocks and many stunning beaches that have turned the island into a charming and splendid place.

The flora on the island is very diverse, with many giant trees, measuring 15 to 20 feet across. Some are unique to islands, such as the striped-trunk trees and many kinds of wild potatoes with huge leaves.

The island is also home to a rich array of marine life with 113 types of coral, 57 kinds of seaweed, 19 different crustaceans, and 224 saltwater fish species, as well as 164 species of flora and 68 types of fauna and seafood such as oysters, lobsters, crabs and mussels.

There are two endangered species of crabs on the island that are able to live on the ground or in the water and are strictly protected.

The island also has some historical relics including a 20-kilometer-long military tunnel, a number of blockhouses along the beaches

People have come from the mainland to settle on Con Co for hundreds of years and many soldiers have sacrificed their lives to protect it.

Local authorities plan to invest about VND300 billion to develop infrastructure on the island to improve local living standards and tourism.

If you had seen the island of Con Co a few years ago, you would be taken aback now to see. In addition to the heaving rocks, dense primeval forests and military barracks, many tall buildings, including the headquarters of the district People’s Committee, police and tax offices, a health center, power and water services, as well as television and telecommunications systems.

However, there are no guesthouses or hotels. Local tourism is still very much in its infantry.

Con Co Island – floating green pearl

Located close to the mainland, the small island of Con Co off Quang Tri Province has a long and interesting history of its own. To describe the island from offshore, it looks like a plump pearl emerging amidst the ocean. Experts consider the island’s geology, biology and scenery as a museum of diverse nature.

The evergreen island is 80% natural forest and that primeval forest despite the passage of time still remains in pristine condition. The island was formed by a volcano and the remaining vestiges are giant basalt rocks in weird shapes and many stunning and pristine beaches, making the island more charming and splendid.
The flora system on the island is diverse with a lot of giant trees with trunks measuring some 15 to 20 feet long.
Some of the trees are unique to islands, such as the stripped-trunk variety like dau mau, sam cau or nhau nhau and many kinds of wild potatoes with huge leaves.
The island is also home to enriched marine life with 113 coral, 57 seaweed, 19 crustaceans, 224 saltwater fish and 164 flora and 68 fauna species, and seafood such as oysters, lobsters, holothurians, crabs and mussels.
Especially, there are two crab species which are able to live on the ground or water and are strictly protected as they are endangered.
The island also has historical relics with a 20-kilometer-long military tunnel, many blockhouses along the beaches and firecracker houses.
People from the mainland came here to settle from the primitive ages with so many soldiers sacrificing themselves for the island.
The local authorities will invest about VND300 billion to develop an infrastructure system on the island to serve local living standards and promote tourism.
If you had gone to the more primitive Con Co several years ago, you would be certainly surprised at the island today. It now not only has heaving rocks, dense primeval forests and barracks but also high buildings, including the headquarters of the district’s People’s Committee, the police and tax offices, a health center, power and water services as well as television and telecommunications are also available.
However, it has no guest houses or hotels for tourists and other tourism services are still poor. In the next three years local authorities and residents will put great effort into making the island a tourist haven.
 
Source: SGT
 

Con Co Island – floating green pearl

Located close to the mainland, the small island of Con Co off Quang Tri Province has a long and interesting history of its own.

 

A view of Con Co Island in Quang Tri Province - Photo: Offi cial website of the province

To describe the island from offshore, it looks like a plump pearl emerging amidst the ocean. Experts consider the island’s geology, biology and scenery as a museum of diverse nature.

The evergreen island is 80% natural forest and that primeval forest despite the passage of time still remains in pristine condition. The island was formed by a volcano and the remaining vestiges are giant basalt rocks in weird shapes and many stunning and pristine beaches, making the island more charming and splendid.

The flora system on the island is diverse with a lot of giant trees with trunks measuring some 15 to 20 feet long.

Some of the trees are unique to islands, such as the stripped-trunk variety like dau mau, sam cau or nhau nhau and many kinds of wild potatoes with huge leaves.

The island is also home to enriched marine life with 113 coral, 57 seaweed, 19 crustaceans, 224 saltwater fish and 164 flora and 68 fauna species, and seafood such as oysters, lobsters, holothurians, crabs and mussels.

Especially, there are two crab species which are able to live on the ground or water and are strictly protected as they are endangered.

The island also has historical relics with a 20-kilometer-long military tunnel, many blockhouses along the beaches and firecracker houses.

People from the mainland came here to settle from the primitive ages with so many soldiers sacrificing themselves for the island.

The local authorities will invest about VND300 billion to develop an infrastructure system on the island to serve local living standards and promote tourism.

If you had gone to the more primitive Con Co several years ago, you would be certainly surprised at the island today. It now not only has heaving rocks, dense primeval forests and barracks but also high buildings, including the headquarters of the district’s People’s Committee, the police and tax offices, a health center, power and water services as well as television and telecommunications are also available.

However, it has no guest houses or hotels for tourists and other tourism services are still poor. In the next three years local authorities and residents will put great effort into making the island a tourist haven.

Don’t miss Mun Island off Nha Trang

Though it is 10km offshore the central resort town of Nha Trang, Mun Island is one of the must-see destinations for local and international tourists.

There are a couple of things which visitors are advised to do when they arrive there but most popular are seeing corals on board a glass-bottom boat, scuba diving and snorkeling.

Tourists can hire a speedboat to get to the island, south of the picturesque Nha Trang Bay, or merely buy a package tour arranged by a local travel firm. Just google to get some helpful reviews of numerous Nha Trang island tours before booking one. Normally Mun Island is one of several islands that are included in a one-day tour.

At Mun Island, one should not miss taking a glass-bottom boat ride to watch corals. The sight is fantastic on sunny days. Travelers can use a guided scuba diving service available on the island. But there is also a scuba diving tour in which tourists are taken to places where they can enjoy seeing corals and marine creatures. If visitors don’t know how to dive, they can do a little snorkeling to take a fascinating look at fish.

What’s more enjoyable about the multiple-island tour is that tourists can float gently in the crystal-clear water off the nearby Tre Island sipping some champagne.

There are several more side activities during the tour, so why not try visiting some of the beautiful islands in Nha Trang Bay, one of the world’s most beautiful, when in Nha Trang. And those who make it won’t regret that.

(source: SGT)

Don’t miss Mun Island off Nha Trang

Though it is 10km offshore the central resort town of Nha Trang, Mun Island is one of the must-see destinations for local and international tourists.

There are a couple of things which visitors are advised to do when they arrive there but most popular are seeing corals on board a glass-bottom boat, scuba diving and snorkeling.

Tourists can hire a speedboat to get to the island, south of the picturesque Nha Trang Bay, or merely buy a package tour arranged by a local travel firm. Just google to get some helpful reviews of numerous Nha Trang island tours before booking one. Normally Mun Island is one of several islands that are included in a one-day tour.

At Mun Island, one should not miss taking a glass-bottom boat ride to watch corals. The sight is fantastic on sunny days. Travelers can use a guided scuba diving service available on the island. But there is also a scuba diving tour in which tourists are taken to places where they can enjoy seeing corals and marine creatures. If visitors don’t know how to dive, they can do a little snorkeling to take a fascinating look at fish.

What’s more enjoyable about the multiple-island tour is that tourists can float gently in the crystal-clear water off the nearby Tre Island sipping some champagne.

There are several more side activities during the tour, so why not try visiting some of the beautiful islands in Nha Trang Bay, one of the world’s most beautiful, when in Nha Trang. And those who make it won’t regret that.

(source: SGT)

Phu Quoc National Park

Situated in the North-East of Phu Quoc Island in the southern province of Kien Giang, the park has special and unique biodiversity values compared to other national parks across the country.

Located on an island that has a mixture of continental and coastal climate, the park possesses a rich ecosystem of primeval, secondary and indigo forests.

 

Its indigo forests are distributed across sloping hills and lowlands that are flooded in the rainy season.

The topography of the national park is hilly, although not particularly steep, with its highest point at 603m on Mount Chua.

Drained by numerous, mainly seasonal, streams, the only sizeable river on the island is the Rach Cua Can River, which winds through the southern part of the park before flowing into the sea on the west coast of the island.

Remarkably, the national park alone is home to more than 920 species of plants and a large diversity of coral reef. Phu Quoc Island supports 12,794 ha of lowland evergreen forest, 86 percent of which is within the national park itself.

At lower elevations, the national park shows distinctive formations of Melaleuca, a family of trees that sport evergreen leaves, alternately arranged in dark green and grey-green colours.

In regards to local fauna, a list of 43 mammal species belonging to 18 families and 6 orders has been compiled in the park.

Silvered langur, slow loris, pygmy loris, crab-eating macaque, stump-tailed macaque, small-clawed otter and fruit bats are just some of the rare species that conservationists are concerned about.

Due to the plentiful coral reef on the south of the island, there are over 120 species of fish, 130 species of mollusk and 62 species of sea weed recorded in the area.

Interestingly enough, Phu Quoc is also one of only two places in Vietnam where the Dugong, a marine species on the brink of extinction, can be found.

Phu Quoc National Park proves to be a fantastic destination for tourists as it offers a wide range of activities such as camping, trekking and swimming. It is also ideal for those who want to study a wide variety of tropical forests.