The Côn Đảo Archipelago in Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu Province was included on the list of “52 places to love in 2021” by the New York Times last week. VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY – The Côn Đảo Archipelago in Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu Province was included on the list of “52 places to love in 2021” by the New York Times last week.

The American newspaper described Côn Đảo as a "tropical paradise with a terrible past."

From a list of more than 2,000 suggestions, The New York Times compiled the final list of 52 destinations.

The paper typically releases an annual list of 52 best travel destinations. However, due to Covid-19 travel restrictions, it termed this year’s version "52 places to love in 2021" and instead of using recommendations from travel writers, asked readers to write about a place of special significance.

Located around 230 kilometers southeast of HCM City, Côn Đảo Archipelago was once dubbed ‘Hell on Earth', home to a brutal prison where the French and American invaders jailed and tortured many Vietnamese freedom fighters during the 19th and 20th centuries.

This is not the first time that Việt Nam’s prison island has been highlighted by prestigious publications.

In 2017, CNN praised it as one of 12 paradise islands in Asia. – VNS