Phu Quoc (Kien Giang province) is the largest (total area 574 km2) and the first island city of Vietnam. It's been very popular and has become a tourism spot for years. The island itself has many other small islands (22 large and small in total) and long beaches with white sand and clear water which attracts a large number of domestic and foreign tourists visiting each year. If you do a search on google, you will be presented with stunning pictures of the island and ntural scenery. It is said that it's tropical paradise that is highly not missed when in Viet Nam.
Throwback my travel diary in 2019, my friend @thaolaven and I plan to travel together to the island and we were really excited. Unfortunately, it was stormy on the day we arrived and I had a terrible sickness on the next day. However, we still handled to rent a scooter and visited some places. It wasn't the best but memorable though.
How to get there?
There was no direct flight from our city - Da Nang to Phu Quoc during that time so we stopped over in Ho Chi Minh. Nevertheless, if you travel by bus from other parts in the South to Kien Giang province, you can transfer from there to the Island by speedboat. For me, I still prefer taking plane π
To get around on the island, I suggest to rent a motorbike at the hotel or the motorbike rental shop. It's easy and more convenient to stop any destination you plan to visit.
When to visit?
Our mistake was that we did not check the weather forecast before planning the tour. Therefore, I had the lession that the weather signficantly determines of the success and joy of the trip. As I'm not keen on driving around in rainy and stormy days.
Like many other places in the country, there are 2 seasons: dry season (Nov-Apr) and rainy season (Apr-Oct). The annual average temperature is about 28 degrees and you can travel anytime of the year. But I recommend dry season is the suitable time to visit when it's sunny and beautiful weather. It's very important to keep an eye on the weather forecast to avoid stormy days.
Where to stay?
It's one of the most tourism destination so not hard to find a affordable to high-class accomodations. If you like luxury hotel and 5-star resorts, this is the paradise to enjoy the holiday.
What to eat?
Visiting the island, of course, the first thing we want to eat is seafood, right? Phu Quoc seafood is very diverse and very fresh. Don't miss the night market where you can find delicious local and seafood dishes. π
My thoughts
Phu Quoc is an attractive place in both beautiful scenery and friendly people. I can see the point that why it has been popularly choosen as the most ideal place for holiday and honeymoon trip.
Maybe I visited at the wrong season, I did not stay in the resort or my time was not enough to discover the area so I couldn't see all the beauty that the Island offers. I visited some Islands in the Phillipines and I felt that they are still unspoiled and retain its natural beauty and charm. When I heard that Phu Quoc is the Pearl Island of the country, to be honest, I was a bit disappointed. Because there are increasingly developed constructions in the Island. As a result, many beaches and natural sceneries have been seriously destroyed from tourism and humans.
Overall, our trip was ok. We spent 3D2N in the Island then flying back to Ho Chi Minh City. My friend flew back to Da Nang for her work and I ontinued my trip to Can Tho- another city in the Mekong Delta region. π
