Phu Quoc Island

After less than a week in Ho Chi Minh City we took our first mini-trip to Phu Quoc Island. Still adapting to Vietnam's heat, post-Nepali freeze, we thought it was smart to take to the water. Phu Quoc is a southern Vietnamese island that sits just below Cambodia. It is a short one hour flight from Ho Chi Minh. One of those flights were you aren't cruising for long.

As we flew into Phu Quoc, I debated whether to wake Rob up from his nap. The sea around the island looked beautiful as was lit up by many boats. I let him sleep and wake up as we hit the tarmac. (This is not as mean as it sounds. We have established the same rule goes for buses and planes, Rob would prefer the sudden jolt of landing or stiffness in his neck to being woken.) 

We chose to stay at a guesthouse listed on airbnb called The Venue. It was a good location as long as you don't mind a 400 metre walk to the beach. There were lots of food options at the end of the street and on the beach nearby. 

For a fair chunk of the weekend we beached ourselves. The island has some nice beaches,

though as always, it depends on your point of comparison. The beach closest to us did not have much of a coast but we were away from the main strip and it was peaceful. The lack of sand didn't really matter as it was too hot for us to lie in the full sun for a lot of the day and we preferred to be near the smoothies, fruit platters, spring rolls, cocktails and other delights. Reading, swimming and eating was the order of the day! That evening we enjoyed a sunset and saw my Mum's youngest brother's doppleganger. (Hi Peter if you happen to read this!)

Enjoying the beach near our guesthouse

Yoga at sunset

On our second full day at Phu Quoc we rented a motorbike from a restaurant. We were advised by their owner that under no circumstances were we to speak English, French or Vietnamese if pulled over by the police. "Pretend you don't understand anything", we were told. There have been tourist accidents in recent years on the island and the police have been cracking down on foreigners riding bikes. (Later, upon reading and thinking more on the subject we decided we probably wouldn't rent a motorbike again whilst in the country. After all, we don't ride motorbikes back home and aren't really on top of the Vietnamese road rules.) 

Anyway, on this particular day we set off with the idea that we would encounter small amounts of island traffic and if we drove safely would be okay. This turned out to be the case and we didn't spot the police anywhere. We stopped off at a cafe for a morning coffee before heading to the north-east part of the island. It took longer than we thought to get there and navigating the island wasn't quite as straight forward as we thought. Eventually we had lunch on a quiet fishing beach.

Child playing in the sand on a Northern beach

After lunch we found a bumpy dirt track that took us to a beach on the north-west side of the island. I made the ride more fun/dangerous by driving us slightly too fast at one point. Riding wasn't too comfortable but it was nice to be able to travel independently for awhile. Some of the island's resorts were on the north-west coast, perhaps positioned here more for the peace than the beach itself. We went for a nice afternoon dip before jumping back on our bike and heading south for the wet market. Though the market was interesting to see, Rob had a challenging time navigating us through the sea of motorbikes and stalls whilst suffering an overpowering stench of fish. After further wanderings we found the night market just in time for dinner. 

Something fishy in a market full of motorbikes

On our last day we journeyed to the southern beaches to spend more time reading on the beach. The beach was nice but very busy with large groups and lots of beach chairs covering the sand. (Yes, I know we are spoilt in Australia with quiet, often "untouched" beaches so this will always shade my thoughts on beaches overseas!) Towards the end of the afternoon people cleared off and it began to look like paradise! 

Reading on the beach

South-facing beach

All of a sudden everyone left!

We would recommend Phu Quoc as a great choice for a relaxing beach weekend trip from Ho Chi Minh.


Phu Quoc Costs and Tips 

Flight: AUD$346 return for two people

Accommodation: AUD$30/night for a double room at the Venue

Motorbike hire: ~70,000 dong (~AUD$4.40) for a day

Sun lounge hire: ~100,000 dong for a day (Or just got a few metres back on the sand and order a drink or some food and use their lounges. We were never made to feel like we should leave or continue to eat!)

Choosing a beach: There is something to like about most of the beaches but if you don't feel like exploring what each has to offer, we would recommend the east facing beach. If you walk a little south of the main bar and restaurant area it is both peaceful and beautiful.

General tip for Vietnam: Don't forget your passport! Everywhere in Vietnam requires your passport to register it locally and many keep it during your stay. Try not to be like us and leave it at the hotel!