Why Côn Đảo Was Named the World’s Most Hidden Island to Discover?
Recently ranked first by Travel + Leisure in its list of the world’s best hidden islands to discover, Côn Đảo continues to affirm its appeal as one of Vietnam’s most distinctive island destinations – a place where untouched beauty, diverse landscapes, and a genuine spirit of discovery still remain.
While names like Bali, Hawaii, Santorini, or Phuket often come to mind when people think of island escapes, Côn Đảo is seen by Travel + Leisure from a different perspective: an island for those looking to step away from the crowds and experience a truly off-the-grid journey.
So what makes Côn Đảo worthy of the top spot?
- A destination beyond familiar travel experiences
Côn Đảo is not the kind of island destination where every itinerary feels pre-arranged. Its charm lies in the open space it still offers for exploration – routes that unfold between mountains and the sea, stops that feel far removed from mass tourism, and a sense of privacy that allows travellers to connect more deeply with the place they are visiting.
Just about an hour’s flight from Ho Chi Minh City, Côn Đảo is close enough to reach with ease, yet distant enough to feel like a true escape from familiar destinations. This is the spirit Travel + Leisure highlights: a place for travellers who want to go beyond popular choices and discover a more authentic, more surprising kind of beauty.
An untouched shoreline where silence is as much a part of the landscape as the sea itself. Source: The Secret Côn Đảo
- A mountain, forest, and sea landscape that creates a sense of adventure
What makes Côn Đảo distinctive is not only its clear blue waters or quiet beaches. The island is shaped by a powerful meeting of mountains, forests, and the sea – where green slopes descend towards the water, coastal roads follow rocky cliffs, and each view can shift quickly from open ocean to dense tropical greenery.
This natural terrain gives Côn Đảo its own sense of adventure. A journey across the island may begin on a coastal road, continue through lush green landscapes, and suddenly open up to a secluded bay, a rocky hillside facing the ocean, or a wide sky beyond layers of forest.
In Côn Đảo, adventure does not come from overly staged activities, but from the island’s natural landscape itself. The mountains create depth. The forests invite exploration. The sea evokes freedom. And the quiet roads allow each journey to retain the true spirit of being off the grid.
Some of the world’s most memorable journeys are measured not in distance, but in the views that stay with you long after the road ends. Source: The Secret Côn Đảo
- A real sense of discovery
One of the reasons Côn Đảo stands out in Travel + Leisure’s list is the genuine sense of discovery that still exists here. Visitors can travel by motorbike or with a local guide to reach more remote parts of the island, from a hilltop lighthouse to Đầm Tre Bay – where nature opens up in a secluded setting filled with a sense of adventure.
Côn Đảo is therefore more than a beach retreat. It is a destination for travellers who want to go, see, touch, and feel a place for themselves. Each route, each stop, and each view suggests that the island still holds many things waiting to be discovered in its own way.
Mỗi vịnh biển ở Côn Đảo đều như một thế giới riêng — nơi thiên nhiên vẫn giữ nguyên vẻ nguyên sơ mà thời gian hiếm khi chạm tới. Nguồn: The Secret Côn Đảo
- A beauty with depth
Beyond its natural scenery, Côn Đảo carries a rare depth shaped by history, local life, and conservation stories. From historical sites to the peaceful rhythm of its small town, from forest-and-sea ecosystems to the seasons when sea turtles return, the island leaves an impression through many layers of experience rather than a single travel image.
Perhaps this is why Travel + Leisure placed Côn Đảo at the top of its list. Not because it is the most famous island, but because it still preserves what many well-known destinations are gradually losing: original landscapes, diverse ecosystems, true space for discovery, and a connection to a place with depth.
Every island has its rhythm. Côn Đảo keeps its through the quiet rituals of those who have long called it home. Source: The Secret Côn Đảo
Côn Đảo being named the world’s top hidden island to discover is more than an international recognition to be proud of. It is also a reminder that the island’s greatest beauty lies in what it has managed to keep – mountains, forests, the sea, quiet roads, rich ecosystems, and a spirit of discovery that is not meant for the crowds./.
