A commercial sea transport route from the Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang to Con Dao islands was launched on July 14 with the first ship setting sail from Tran De sea mouth at 8:30 am.

The Superdong ship operating on the Soc Trang - Con Dao islands sea route 

The trip, operated by the Superdong – Kien Giang Speedboat Corporation, reached Con Dao’s Ben Dam port in 2 hours and a half.

The two-storey Superdong vessel is capable of accommodating 306 passengers and runs at an average speed of 26 nautical miles per hour.

As from July 14, there will be one roundtrip on the route every day, with boat departing from at 8 am and returning from Con Dao at 1 pm.

Con Dao is an archipelago in the southern province of Ba Ria –Vung Tau. Once served as a prison island for political prisoners during the French colonial era, it has become an international tourist destination, attracting visitors for primitive beauty, rich fauna and flora ecosystem, pure water, silky sand banks and blue skies.

Some remote spots that worth visit while in Con Dao are Dam Tre Bay lagoon and a French-era lighthouse on Bay Canh island’s eastern tip.

The 16-island archipelago until now can only be reached by flights from Ho Chi Minh City and Can Tho or by ferry from Vung Tau.

Con Dao was ranked fourth in the top 10 best places to travel in Asia by Lonely Planet Magazine last year.

VNA