Inside The Largest high-speed Ferry in Vietnam operating on the route between Ho Chi Minh City and Con Dao

On the morning of May 13th, at the Sai Gon - Hiep Phuoc Port (located in Nha Be District, Ho Chi Minh City), the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transportation and the Phu Quoc High-Speed Ferry Company jointly announced the fixed passenger transportation route from the shore to the island, operating between Ho Chi Minh City and Con Dao (Ba Ria - Vung Tau province) and vice versa.

The Ho Chi Minh City - Con Dao high-speed ferry docked at the Hiep Phuoc Port in Nha Be on the morning of May 13th.

Mr. Vu Van Khuong, General Director of Phu Quoc High-Speed Ferry Joint Stock Company (the investor of the Ho Chi Minh City - Con Dao route), stated: "After nearly 8 years of operation, we have collaborated with Vitechco ship design company and Z189 - Ministry of Defense to build and successfully put into operation the 4th generation "Thang Long Super Ferry" with international standards, capable of accommodating up to 1017 passengers."

According to Phu Quoc High-Speed Ferry Joint Stock Company, equipped with modern facilities and ensuring the highest standards of maritime safety systems globally, the Thang Long ferry is not only the largest ferry in Vietnam currently but also operates at speeds of up to 35 nautical miles per hour.

Under favorable weather conditions, the journey from Ho Chi Minh City to Con Dao can take just over 4 hours, and from Vung Tau City to Con Dao just over 3 hours.

Ticket prices for the Ho Chi Minh City - Con Dao route range from 615,000 VND to 1.1 million VND per trip, depending on passenger categories, ticket class, and departure time.

The ferry can accommodate up to 1,017 passengers. Images show some seating areas on the ferry.

The space of the bar area on the ferry.

Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee - Nguyen Ho Hai (in the middle) and Deputy Chairperson of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee - Bui Xuan Cuong (left in the photo) experiencing the Ho Chi Minh City - Con Dao high-speed ferry.

This route will operate 3 trips per week (spaced out) departing from each port. The ferry departs at 7:00 AM from Sai Gon - Hiep Phuoc Port to Con Dao and at 1:00 PM from Con Dao back to Ho Chi Minh City at Ben Dam Port.

It is scheduled that on May 15th, the first ferry from Ho Chi Minh City to Con Dao will depart.

Mr. Bui Hoa An, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transportation, stated that the operation of the Ho Chi Minh City - Con Dao passenger ferry route will contribute to enhancing the connectivity between Ho Chi Minh City and the provinces in the Southeast region. Additionally, it will provide passengers with more options when traveling from Ho Chi Minh City to Con Dao, an attractive tourist destination known for its beautiful beaches, pristine natural landscapes, and historical sites closely associated with the glorious struggle for independence, freedom, and national unification of our nation.

When put into operation, this passenger transportation route will meet the travel demand, and enhance trade connections, passenger transportation, and tourism development between Ho Chi Minh City and Ba Ria-Vung Tau province. Consequently, it will contribute to the socioeconomic development and connectivity of the region, while also helping to alleviate the burden and support passengers during the upgrade and expansion construction period of Con Dao Airport.

According to Mr. An, in recent times, Ho Chi Minh City has seen many passenger transportation products via waterways invested through socialization, such as The Waterway Bus route No. 1, Can Gio - Vung Tau ferry, Can Gio - Can Giuoc ferry, and now the fixed passenger transportation route Ho Chi Minh City - Con Dao (and vice versa).
"This indicates that the city's waterway passenger transportation sector is increasingly attracting many capable and dedicated investors, who together with the city government, are creating numerous new waterway passenger transportation products. These products are attracting domestic and international passengers, thus improving the living standards of the city's residents," stated Mr. Bui Hoa An, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transportation.