Vietnam - Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Northern Thailand - page 250

Open-tour buses are the best option for Mui Ne. Several companies have daily services
to/from HCMC (120,000d to 149,000d, six hours), Nha Trang (120,000d, five hours) and
Dalat (110,000d, four hours). Sleeper buses usually cost more: Sinh Tourist's prices are
HCMC (209,000d), Nha Trang (209,000d), Hoi An (378,000d) and Hue (477,000d).
Phuong Trang ( www.futabuslines.com.vn ; 97 Ð Nguyen Dinh Chieu) has four to five comfortable
buses a day running between Mui Ne and HCMC (135,000d).
Local buses run from nearby Phan Thiet to Mui Ne. Mai Linh ( 062-389 8989) operates
metered taxis. Xe om charge 20,000d to 40,000d for rides up and down the coast.
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Con Dao Islands
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Isolated from the mainland, the Con Dao Islands are one of the star attractions in Viet-
nam. Once the Devil's Island of Indochina - the preserve of political prisoners and un-
desirables - this place is now turning heads thanks to its striking natural beauty. Con Son,
the largest of this chain of 15 islands and islets, is ringed with lovely beaches, coral reefs
and scenic bays, and remains partially covered in thick forests. Hiking, diving and deser-
ted beaches are all a big draw.
More than three-quarters of the land area in the island chain is part of Con Dao Nation-
al Park, which protects Vietnam's most important sea turtle nesting grounds .
A TEENAGE ICON
If breeze is blowing from the north, you can probably smell the incense from a specific grave in Con
Son's cemetery: the tomb of Vo Thi Sau , a national icon.
A teenage resistance fighter executed in Con Dao during the French occupation, Vo Thi Sau was
politically active from a very early age. She killed a French captain in a grenade attack at the age of
14, and was only captured years later following a second assassination attempt, after which she was
taken to Con Dao and executed at the age of 19.
Visit Con Son Town's Hanh Duong cemetery at midnight and you'll find crowds of people packed
around her grave, saying prayers and making offerings. The Vietnamese believe that this is the most
auspicious time to pay respects and venerate the spirit of this national heroine, who was killed in the
early hours of 23 January 1952.