Forest trails to So Ray and Ong Dung bay

Climb through the jungle to an abandoned prison-era plantation above the town, then walk down to a hidden bay where the reef starts a few strokes from the stones.

Area

Con Dao

Start from

Con Son town, Con Dao

Distance

about 2–3 km on each trail, each way

Time needed

1 day

Best season

Drier months are best; trails get slippery in heavy rain

Difficulty

Moderate

Transport

Taxi or scooter to the trailheads; on foot

Tickets & rules

National park ticket for the trails; ask at the park office in town

Why go

Most of Côn Sơn island is steep forest, and the national park keeps a handful of marked trails through it. They are short by mountain standards, a couple of kilometres each, but they feel properly wild: the canopy closes overhead, roots form natural staircases, and the only sounds are cicadas, the wind in the crowns and, now and then, a troop of macaques crashing through the branches.

The So Ray trail climbs from the pass above town to an old clearing high on the hillside, where you look straight down over the red roofs of Con Son and the curve of the bay. It is a good morning walk, before the heat.

The Ông Đụng trail drops instead through tall forest to a stony bay on the other side of the island. There is no road, no café and usually nobody else, just clear water and coral close to shore. Doing both in one day gives you the island in miniature: forest, history and sea.

The story

Sở Rẫy means roughly ‘the farm’ or ‘the upland field’, and the clearing was once a plantation worked by prisoners during the colonial period. Fruit trees planted generations ago still grow among the forest, and the macaques that live there have learned to take full advantage of them. Pause a moment and you’ll hear them before you see them.

Con Dao National Park, founded in 1993, protects most of the islands’ land and a large area of the surrounding sea. The forest is a mix of evergreen and semi-deciduous trees, with huge figs, rattans and orchids, and the islands’ isolation means some plants and animals here differ subtly from their mainland relatives. The black giant squirrel and several island forms of birds are among the things birdwatchers come for.

Ông Đụng is a small bay of round stones and pebbles rather than sand, facing a stretch of reef. In the calm season, snorkellers can see hard and soft corals, parrotfish, angelfish and sometimes turtles feeding further out. The park also runs boat trips from here to nearby islands such as Hòn Cau, when conditions allow.

Rangers built and maintain the trails partly to steer visitors onto a few routes rather than letting them wander. Staying on the path protects the forest floor and keeps you from getting lost, which is easier than it sounds in a forest this dense.

Getting there

Both trailheads are on the roads leading out of Con Son town, a short scooter or taxi ride away. Pick up a simple map and check conditions and opening times at the national park office in town; trails can be closed after storms.

There is no water or food on the trails. Carry everything you need, including snorkelling gear for Ông Đụng, and bring your rubbish back.

A suggested plan

1. 6:30Early start for the So Ray trail; climb steadily through the forest in the cool.
2. 8:00Rest at the old plantation clearing and the viewpoint over Con Son and the bay.
3. 9:30Back down to the road; a quick drink and snack in town.
4. 10:30Walk the Ông Đụng trail down through tall forest to the bay.
5. 11:15–14:00Snorkel along the reef edge, picnic in the shade, swim again.
6. 14:30Walk back up before the afternoon showers, then a long rest in town.

Where to stay

Stay in Con Son town, where the park office, rentals and food are; both trails are easy day trips from there. Bring a bag for wet snorkelling gear and dry clothes for the ride back.

Good to know

• Wear shoes with real grip; roots and rocks are slick even in the dry season.
• Bring at least two litres of water each; the forest is very humid.
• Snorkel only when the bay is calm; ask the rangers about conditions on the day.