Swim, dive or hike in the tropical Con Dao Islands

VIETNAM // With Thailand's beaches straining, shrewd travellers look elsewhere for adventurous getaways. The low-key Con Dao archipelago may just fit the bill. The main island, Con Son, has turquoise waters and coral reefs, a mountainous interior and forests for hikes and wildlife watching and a tiny capital for market breakfasts and strolls past French colonial-era villas. It's a pretty face with a complex history. Thousands of prisoners once languished - former prisons tell their story.