Phu Quoc Island

Phu Quoc Island

Phu Quoc Island

Phu Quoc Island

Phu Quoc, 45km from the coast of Vietnam, can be reached by a quick flight from Ho Chi Minh City or a lot longer boat trip from Rach Gai, 250km from Ho Chi Minh City by road.

It’s a large, teardrop formed island, about 50km from top to bottom and around 30km across at its widest point, and a population of approximately 75,000. There is a sizeable military presence in the north of the island as it’s claimed by Cambodia, only 15km away.

Phu Quoc is a part of an archipelago of one hundred and five islands in the Gulf of Thailand; of makes it which 13 are in shut proximity to its shores. A land area of 1,320km Vietnam’s largest island. It has among the best seashores in Vietnam, a large forest area, and coral around the small islands to the south. Although comparatively underdeveloped, the island is turning into a tourist attraction.

Phu Quoc Nature Reserve

The north-east corner of the island is hilly and covered in dense forest. It was originally designated as a nature reserve in 1993. Though it was upgraded to National Park status in 2001 and extended to cover a lot of the island, little is understood about its bio-diversity. The islands and their surrounding marine areas are at present being considered for ‘biosphere’ itemizing by UNESCO.

Attractions

Phu Quoc’s seashores are by far the main reason for the rising interest in Phu Quoc as a major tourist destination. They’re considered the best in Vietnam – experienced travelers have described a few of them as the best they have ever seen. Fringed by coconut palms, the sands often stretch as far as the eye can see with hardly a person in sight.

The aptly named Bai Kem (Ice Cream Seashore) is likely one of the best. A stretch of dazzling-white mushy coral sand tucked away in a wide cove, it has been compared with the Seychelles.

The main town, Duong Dong, is half-means up the island on the western side. It’s a nice, but unrewarding a position small seaport with several ‘nuoc mam’ (fish sauce) factories and Dinh Cau, a temple dedicated to the Whale God. The latter contains skeletons of whales and different large sea mammals used by devotees of the mysterious whale cult. Duong Dong’s fresh seafood is delicious. The local market is lively, and properly worth a visit.

A Tho, a fishing city on the point of the teardrop, is hugeger, noisier and extra crowded than Duong Dong however decidedly un-photogenic. It’s not worth adding to your itinerary unless you are keen on the smell of rotting fish.

Critical trekking is curtailed by the in depth navy restricted areas, but long hikes along the filth tracks and paths by means of the pepper and cashew plantations are straightforward.

More glamorous, however less properly-recognized, are Phu Quoc’s pearls. Once collected from the ocean, local pearl farms now produce the iridescent gems. A go to is fascinating, and you should buy the merchandise for far less than they’d cost overseas.

Despite a heavy reliance upon ‘dynamite fishing’ by local fishermen, some of the coral reef has survived, largely around the islets on the south of the island. Boats for snorkeling will be helloed in An Thoi.

A 5 star PADI diving centre has lately opened on Phu Quoc. Turtle Island off the north-west is reputed to be one of the best dive websites in Vietnam.

On the downside!  

The tourism infrastructure on Phu Quoc remains to be fundamental compared to other resort areas in the nation (although this could be a large plus if you do not mind roughing it!). There is just one tarred road. The remaining are grime tracks, so traveling around includes utilizing local ‘xe-Om’ (motorcycle taxis) or hiring a motor bike.

There are a number of hotels, however they are almost all local standard. The not too long ago constructed three-star Saigon Phu Quoc, is better, but has some method to go to match its counterparts on Mui Ne seashore and elsewhere. Cafes and restaurants are plentiful; however international dishes are virtually non-existent.

Nevertheless, its unspoilt beaches, laid-back environment and lack of tourists makes it an excellent ‘get away from all of it’ holiday for travelers or honeymooners who can survive without the creature comforts of international standard resorts.