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Phu Quoc (+Photos)

Posted on September 15, 2007

As we were heading down the coast of Vietnam we were trying to figure out whether to go to Nha Trang or Mui Ne. They are both beach towns. Nha Trang is heavily developed, and pitched as a top class tourist resort. Mui Ne has more of a backpacker and windsurfer / kite boarder scene. We weren’t too excited about the reports from either of these places, and the logistics of getting there and out again were a little daunting.

Then we read about Phu Quoc island. It is off the south-west coast of Vietnam, in the Gulf of Thailand. Famous for its fish sauce, a laid back beach vibe and cheap return flights from Saigon. It sounded perfect.

We booked in to Bo Resort for 2 nights. They arranged for a taxi pick up from the airport. It was a bumpy ride. The sealed road ended after a few kilometers, then it was on to hilly, pot-holed dirt roads. Our driver was familiar with this kind of driving and we made it there in one piece after about 20 minutes.

The resort was beautiful, a handful of bungalows set amongst the trees on a steep hillside garden with a path down to the beach front restaurant. The bungalow was open to the elements, and mosquito nets were provided for the beds, which was essential because there were many many creepy crawlies. We decided to stay two nights and then move to a more luxurious spot. On our second night we were woken by a deafeningly loud clap of thunder that shook the whole bungalow, followed by a bright flash and a second huge clap a few seconds later. Nature certainly makes its presence felt at Bo Resort!

Our second home on the island was La Veranda, a new luxury resort with some temptingly cheap introductory rates and air conditioning. We enjoyed three days in relative luxury, and toured around the island on a scooter made for two.

In 10 years Phu Quoc will be firmly on the map as a tourist destination. We counted over 20 new developments going up as we traveled around. Hopefully they will seal the roads too. For the moment it’s a delightful slice of paradise, and with any luck the development on the island will remain in keeping with the current low-impact ethos.

Check the photos for some helmet madness.

Or, check out the flickr slideshow (full screen baby!)

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