The destinations were selected from more than 2,000 suggestions the paper received after asking its readers about spots that have delighted, inspired and comforted them in a dark year. It said these places remind us that the world still awaits. Located around 230 kilometers southeast of Ho Chi Minh City, Con Dao island 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 Vietnam’s prison island has been highlighted by prestigious publications. In 2017, CNN praised it as one of 12 paradise islands in Asia, while US magazine Time included Con Dao in a list of 13 places around the world to amaze travelers with its blue water./.