Beachfront, Phu Quoc
I’ve arrived on Phu Quoc, the largest and southernmost island of Vietnam. I’d been looking at this island every time I’ve been in Kampot or Kep as Phu Quoc is closer to Cambodia (12km) than to Vietnam (40km). I’ve heard positive reviews of the island from fellow travelers, so I was excited to go. I hopped on a 8am ferry from Ha Tien and arrived at this tropical paradise for 10:30.
Phu Quoc is an important island in the recent history of Vietnam. It served as a prison camp for captured North Vietnamese soldiers during the American War. It was historically part of Cambodia, but French Colonists put it under control of the Vietnam Governor, creating what today remains a dispute over whether or not the island belongs to Vietnam or Cambodia. And the Khmer Rouge attacked the island killing thousands, an event that directly lead to Vietnam going to war against Pol Pot’s regime.
Ha Tien to Phu Quoc
I’m here because it is a tropical island with lots of gorgeous beaches. I want to swim, to hang my hammock on the beach, drink from coconuts I find, read a couple books, and get a tan. And in my first day, I’ve done it all, in style.
Pepper Plantation, Quo Quoc
Phu Quoc is roughly 50km from north to south and 25km east to west. It is nearly all national park. There are many beaches here, including Long Beach, which is uninterrupted for over 15km. Different from the rest of Vietnam, there is virtually no agriculture here as the soil has not been enriched by thousands of years of the Mekong. The only significant crop grown commercially here is pepper (and is a distant second to the world-famous Kampot Pepper). This is a fishing island. Phu Quoc is known for producing the best fish sauce in Vietnam. It’s also a well-loved weekend getaway for Vietnamese mainlanders.
I’d been told “it’s already too late to see Phu Quoc”, referring to development and bending to tourism. I was concerned that the island would be full of resorts, grimy, loud bars, and all the tourist trappings of other places in the region like Sihanookville or Phuket. Happily, I was greeted by an island that is still relatively unchanged. Yes, there are hotels and resorts, but they are not stacked one upon the other down the beach. And those that are here, occupy a small stretch of Long Beach, which can easily be avoided if one chooses so. My best guess is that it will be best to see Phu Quoc in the next year or two, after which it will rapidly fall into the category of ‘tourist island’.
Sign Announcing New High-End Hotel, Residential & Commercial Project
To wit: A new international airport was just completed in 2012. There is currently a 700-room hotel, water park, amusement park and 27-hole golf course being build in the north of the island which will be called Vin Pearl Phu Quoc. It’s a monstrosity, and what was once ten kilometers of uninterrupted wild beach, is now home to this billion-dollar, Russian-money-backed project. Direct Russian Charter flights are already showing up on the island.
Very soon, there will be new large-scale hotels built by Intercontinental, Novotel, and CEO. Ground is currently being broken on the island for dozens of projects and thousands of hotel rooms. There are signs all over the island advertising ‘what’s to come’. It’s progress, in a sad, culturally dilutive way.
Phu Quoc is already one of the more expensive places to travel in Vietnam. Soon, this will be especially so. And with all that development and money will come the attendant ‘features’ like petty crime, all-night bars, and drugs. The locals I’ve talked to here have conflicting opinions on the island’s commercial growth.
As a motorbiker, I must make a note about the roads; they are as varied as imaginable. There are some roads on the island that have been paved and sealed as recently as this week. There are roads that simply should not be driven in a car, and perhaps not even on a motorbike for less-than-experienced riders. There are ‘roads’ best described as ‘rivers of mud’, and there are roads made of rough rock piles. For me, on my bike, I love it all. And there is virtually no traffic outside of the main town of Duong Dong.
Regarding the infrastructure, generally speaking this is a well-serviced island. Power and water, for example, are all readily available; waste management is taking place in a semi-responsible way. More importantly, the government seems to be anticipating what’s to come on the island and is undertaking many more basic and social service projects.
My first day in Phu Quoc, I’ve set out to explore the southern end of the island. I leisurely drive past long stretches of beach totally devoid of people. I drive the motorbike on the beach from time to time, a rare pleasure in most places in the world. I love riding here as I can take off my helmet and shirt, put on the headphones to listen to music and get some sun; there seems to be absolutely no police presence in this part of the island.
I stop in a totally deserted stretch and find a palm tree that has unloaded it’s bounty for me to claim. I cut open coconuts and rehydrate. It is warm, the sun intense here; there’s a light breeze. I strip down and swim nekked, floating around in the water for an hour. The water is warm, clear and full of life – brightly colored starfish are plentiful here. There are no waves whatsoever, and I can go out 200 meters and still easily touch the sandy bottom.
As I drive south, I find a tiny fishing village. There are a couple dozen boats anchored offshore and there are people drying Anchovies in the sun. It’s busy, lively, and people are excited to see me, waving frantically to get my attention as I pass through.
I head to the southern most tip of the island where one can see the other 14 smaller islands that hand off the tip. In the village of An Thoi, there is a nave base, but this is a fishing village. Hundreds of boats are at the docks, unloading the previous night’s catch.
A man taps me on the shoulder and asks (in Vietnamese) for what I presume to be a ride. I say yes and motion over my shoulder. I take him from the docks to the city center where he invited me into a cafe to join him for a coffee. He is there to meet five friends for a drink and I sit with these fishermen for an hour. Two of them speak a very little bit of English, but it doesn’t matter. We laugh heartily and enjoy each other’s company. They seem to love having a westerner at their table and are often flagging people down off the street to show off their biggest catch of the day.
I am staying at a hostel called Mush’rooms. It’s a small hostel and one of only three on the island. Dorm bunks are sold for $6US per night. The place is clean, comfortable, , beers are cheap, they have Sunday Barbecues, and the other guests are all laid-back travelers. The staff is welcoming and warm, the owner, John-O is friendly and generous with his time and advice. It’s a place I’d definitely recommend to others.
I find Phu Quoc to be easily accessible and totally relaxed.
Scene From Long Beach, Phu Quoc
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