Travelling Phu Quoc - Phu Quoc island
The tear-shaped Phu Quoc (Vietnamese Phú Quốc) is part of the Kien Giang province. The distance from Phu Quoc to mainland Viet Nam is 45 km to Ha Tien and 120 km to Rach Gia. The island is 50 km long (from north to south) and 25 km wide (from east to west at its widest part).
Surrounded by more than 40 km of white beaches decorated with coconut palms, Phu Quoc , situated in the Gulf of Thailand near the Cambodian border, is Vietnam’s largest island. Its western coastline is sparsely populated while the interior is largely covered with jungle and mainly deserted.
You can start exploring the island in Duong Dong, the biggest town on the island (west of Phu Quoc), where most of hotels and resorts are located. Going south, you can drive along Bãi Trường (Long Beach), which is a 20 km long, spectacular beach. You will see two pearl farms on the right, the second is worth a visit. At the end of the road turn left (you can’t miss it) and follow the signs, you will reach the fisherman village An Thới and the An Thới pier, the island’s southern tip. From here the An Thới Islands, a very nice snorkelling and diving area consisting of 15 small islands and islets surrounded by coral reefs in crystal clear water, can be visited by boat.
Continuing to travel north-east, you will see a sign to Bãi Sao (the sign is somewhat hidden, around 1 km away from the main road). Bãi Sao, with its marvelous white sand and green-turquoise water, is one of the most beautiful, quite untouched beaches on Phu Quoc island. There are a number of simple, on-the-sand restaurants with tasty, fresh seafood in this area.
Before going back to Dương Đông, there are some recommendable springs and falls: Suoi Tranh and Suoi Da Ban. Suoi Tranh (some 10 km north of Bai Sao) is a stream connecting tiny ponds at different levels through small waterfalls. Suoi Da Ban (a stony surface stream, north-east of Duong Dong) is an easily accessible white-water creek, gracefully flowing down huge granite boulders, on which you can wake; in some places there are natural pools waiting for a refreshing swim.
A stay on Phu Quoc Island would not be complete without visiting one of the factories producing Nuoc Mam (fish sauce), one of the most popular ingredients of the Vietnamese cooking as well as one of the pearl farms with panels describing the formation of pearls and shops selling pearl jewellery.
The island has a unique species of dogs, the Phu Quoc Ridgeback, which has a ridge of hair that runs along its back in the opposite direction to the rest of the coat. Much of this island’s nature is still protected. Around 70% of the island, an area of 31,422 hectares, became a national park in 2001. The rainy season on Phu Quoc is from July to November and the peak season for tourism is midwinter, when the sky is blue and the sea is calm.
Travelers who know the Thai islands Ko Samui and Phuket often comment: “The island of Phú Quốc is still natural and untouched like Ko Samui 10 years and Phuket 20 years ago”. Not surprising, a larger international airport is being built on the island of Phú Quốc, expected to operate within five years. A golf course and a casino will also be completed. If you like untouched nature and pre-touristic surrounding, you should hurry up!
Source from VietNam
You may be wondering that should you stay a night exploring Rach Gia before getting to Phu Quoc island, and you may ask that is Rach Gia worth seeing. My quick answer is, yes, It's worth seeing. You can stay in somewhere near the beach enjoying your night life by exploring some exciting coffe shops, drinking bars. It's more exciting to enjoy local people night life, and you may be impressived because they are friendly and easy to talk to. If you are looking for local homestay in Rach Gia then also contact Mr.Lane at Exploringmekong@gmail.com for more information. Or you are just looking to meet up someone for a drink, do not hesitate to write him a message. He will help you planning your trip and show your his beautiful photographs.
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