Phu Quoc Island – Vietnam

Posted on Aug 13, 2016 in Places

Located in the Gulf of Thailand, Phu Quoc is a Vietnamese island that’s actually closer to Cambodia (12 kilometres) than Vietnam (38 kilometres). And yes, this has been a source of contention amongst both nationalities over the years! One of the island’s primary industries is fishing and evidence of this can be seen in the eye-catching trawlers crowding ports and anchored around the coast.

National park covers over half of the island and while it’s long been known in travel circles for it’s gorgeous, white beaches, recently I’ve heard more people refer to it as the largest building site in the world and I can certainly see why. The big hotels have arrived and in all my travels (and at home), I have never seen anything like it. The magnitude of development is mind blowing. The local people are scared for their home and their culture. However…

If you haven’t visited Phu Quoc before, you might see it totally differently. It is possible to avoid the biggest of the developments and focus on the smaller spots and if you do, you’ll see something like this…

Duong Dong is the main town and centre for administration, banks, markets, etc. It also has the greatest concentration of restaurants so if you’re the type of traveler who likes to get out of your accommodation and off the beach, consider the distance to ‘town’.

With things changing so fast in Phu Quoc, many of the restaurants that we’ve loved are the older, traditional style and they’re the first to go when the developers come in. The ones that have survived probably won’t last much longer so just a list from me, no big reviews this time. I will say that the Dinh Cau Night Market is my holy grail of seafood so if you’re a seafood lover, I’ll cover that in a separate review. Other places in town that we frequent include:

Tam Restaurant – lovely service, fresh food
Bien 48 – great pizza, overlooking the beach
Vic’s Café – it’s a café/wine bar/restaurant so a bit of everything with lovely people
Xin Chao Café – happy people, modern style (if you need a less ‘Asian’ atmosphere, this would be my pic)
Pepper’s Pizza – perfectly acceptable pizza, welcoming staff
Buddy’s Ice Cream & Café – a well known tourist stop with cold drinks, good food and lots of tourist information

While I’m on food, don’t be afraid to try the street food. Banh mi (crunchy baguettes with crisp pork belly, pate, chilli and pickles), banh bao (pork buns), donuts, ice cream. It’s so inexpensive that if you don’t like it, it’s not a huge investment for the experience.

Long Beach (running south from Duong Dong) is probably the best all-round package. It is long but the first section to the little headland is only 30 minutes with hotels, restaurants and bars along the entire stretch. The sand can be a little coarse (not the tropical white sand variety) and the water is not as gentle at times but with the exception of the monsoon season, it’s usually a pleasant swimming beach.

Until our recent trip, Sao Beach was my ideal but not any more. It still has the blindingly white sand and crystal clear water but hordes of tourists have invaded. The 20-plus buses in the parking area when we arrived should have been a warning sign but what we saw when we went down to the sand made me want to cry. Over 95% of the tourists we saw were Asian and according to the few locals we met, it’s generally a mix of mainland-Vietnamese and Chinese. I accept the fact that every nationality has different priorities when it comes to standard of living but to see tourists treat the coastline and ocean with such contempt is hard to comprehend. The rubbish they bring to the beach and leave behind is appalling. We managed to find a spot away from the crowds but it was the only spot available and while the water was lovely, the sand here was still not pristine like it used to be and watching the careless behavior of others nearby was not relaxing. We didn’t stay long.

To the north of Duong Dong, Ong Lang also has some lovely beaches. Monsoon season means that most are a little rough for most people to swim but in high season they’re delightful. Accommodation options are scattered through here with a few independent restaurants as well but unless you plan to spend days sitting, it would be wise to ensure the hotel you choose has a convenient shuttle to Duong Dong otherwise you will need transport.

Things to do? There are many. In addition to the beaching, swimming, reading, eating routine there are many day trips on and around the island. My favourite is the snorkeling type. The inlets and bays around the An Thoi Islands are pristine and teaming with life and amazing to witness. We’ve used John’s Tours previously and they’ve surprised us with their service and facilities.

On the north west tip of the island, along what used to be a sleepy little coastal stretch, is Vinpearl Land. It’s a Disneyland-esque type fun park attached to a mega resort/villa development – this place should have it’s own postcode! I must admit that I haven’t been inside so my opinion is based solely on what I see from the gigantic carpark outside and the billboards all over town and the tour buses ferrying thousands in and out every day (in addition to the thousands staying on site I expect). But what I do see is water slides, ferris wheels, roller coasters, an international hospital… it’s all that and more. It may possibly be a bonus for families visiting the island and maybe even for young adults so I’ll leave it at that!

Motorbikes are easy to hire (around VND200,000/day) and the traffic isn’t bad for driving (except for the tour buses!) but I would still recommend a little riding experience prior to hiring. We’ve explored almost every road on the island, we’ve seen massive changes and to be honest, I suppose this is one of the biggest indicators to me. Red mud roads that are now four lane highways (no traffic though!), rickety bridges that are now shiny new, concrete models. As much as I think this signals a loss of character, I can’t deny that the locals can move around quicker and more safely so that has to be a good thing.

So that’s my Phu Quoc summary. Re-reading it, I feel that it might come across a little negative and that’s not my intention but if you’ve heard me rave on about the pristine little paradise that used to be here, that’s no longer the full picture. That doesn’t mean there aren’t still pockets of it to be found. I’m not sure how much longer that will be the case but Phu Quoc is still worth a visit and I’m sure we will return.

Visited: August 2016