After some deliberations, Mark and I decided that our first foray outside Ho Chi Minh City would be to
Phu Quoc. This is an island, roughly the same size as the Isle of Skye (after checking Wikipedia, it is actually a third the size), 12km south of Cambodia.
Phu Quoc was chosen as it was only a short 1 hour flight on Vietnam Airlines from Ho Chi Minh City. On the flight to the island, I could see the shallow waters of the Gulf of Thailand from my window seat. There were many shoals and lovely small islands circled with white sand.
Apparently, sovereignty of this island is disputed between Vietnam and Cambodia, hence perhaps the reason for seeing a Vietnamese Navy frigate berthed at the southernmost tip.
Some brief research on suitable hotels on the island saw us opt for the
Eden Resort, a short 10 minute taxi journey from the new and modern airport arrivals terminal. The hotel rooms were adequate, but nothing special. I had some problems getting hot water flowing from the shower, apparently due to the hotel having to use a diesel generator as the island does not yet have a fully functioning electricity grid. Another irritant was the constant knocking noise from the air-conditioner in my room, although not a big problem as the climate was quite comfortable, even with the air-conditioner turned off.
On the first night, we took a taxi to a nearby town to see the night market and find potential places to eat and drink. One pleasant surprise was that we were not harassed constantly by taxi or scooter drivers, as had been the case in Ho Chi Minh City. The port was crammed full of fishing boats, hence the night market consisting mainly of stalls selling a bewildering array of fresh (and still writhing) seafood.
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| Vietnamese street snack |
Our evenings (and perhaps our days) were spent drinking in the local bars and talking to the mostly extremely welcoming local population. We took a taxi to the very south of the island along a slippery muddy road and then spent a few hours walking around a rather ramshackle and dirty little town. Although the local Vietnamese obviously did not have much wealth or comforts, they seemed happy and provided us with unconditional welcomes and smiles.
Although not overly impressed with the Eden Resort room, I can certainly say that the dinner and drinks on the last night were exceptional. As I am a noodle lover, I experienced Vietnamese rice noodles for the first time with beef and local vegetables - wonderful!
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| Eden Resort Beach Bar |
The best memory I have of our visit to Phu Quoc Island is the sandy beach which completely circles the island. Although we visited in the off season, the waters from the Gulf of Thailand were warm and pleasant. On a couple of occasions, both by day and by night, we strolled barefoot in the surf and enjoyed the strong wind and rather dangerous waves.
Overall, Phu Quoc Island is still a bit rough and ready. Roads and other infrastructure are still not in place and some of the small villages and towns are dirty with pot-holed roads and with ill-kempt people walking about. It looks like the Vietnamese Government has big plans for the island (probably to strengthen the claim against Cambodia) evidenced by the sparkly new airport, road building, and resort construction. It is clear that the island will be a very different place in 5 or 10 years time.
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| Beach outside the Eden Resort |
Having spread our wings in the extreme south of Vietnam, Mark and I decided we would next venture north of Ho Chi Minh City, to the coastal town of Da Nang. More to come on Da Nang soon.
