During my time in Vietnam I occasionally had a “down week”, which is the week we had between terms when there are no classes. At one point it had been quite a while since I’d had a beach holiday and I was tired and burnt out and needed to relax, so I booked myself a flight to Phú Quốc Island, waaaaaay down off the South coast of Vietnam.
Phu Quoc is a typical tropical island, with stunning beaches that go on for miles and are completely empty, warm clear blue water, and an abundance of seafood.
The only ‘bad’ thing about Phu Quoc is that it’s somewhat more expensive than the rest of Vietnam. After some searching, I ended up booking myself a spot at Freedomland, which I highly recommend! There are some basic bungalows in a garden setting, and a communal dinner with amazing food every night. Read all about Freedomland here.
Activities abound. There’s plenty of swimming and sunbathing, of course, but also snorkelling, diving, sea kayaking, and other water sports. Or you can rent a bicycle or motorbike and explore the island!
A German couple and I rented bicycles one day, riding through quaint fishing villages with the fishermen relaxing in their boats, and where the children ran to check out us ‘Tays’ (Westerners) and have their pictures taken. We stopped on one of the Northern beaches at a little seafood restaurant with beachside huts and hammocks. The fish was delicious, and this was a great spot to chill out during the hottest part of the day!
Another day I rode by myself, South this time, to the main town on the island, Dương Đông, where there were more fishing boats and a lively market.
There’s plenty of wildlife on the island, too, and most of it found its way into my bungalow at some point or another!
I often found these little frogs hanging out in my outdoor bathroom.
It rained really hard for a few hours one day, which obviously delighted them because that night they were SO LOUD!
Little crabs like this were digging their holes all over the beach.
And there was this enormous freaky looking bug on my bungalow’s balcony.
If you’re in or near Vietnam and you want a beachy holiday, Phú Quốc is a great choice. And for a chilled out place with great food, go stay at Freedomland!
Loved the images on your site! Phu Quoc has changed quite a bit as seen here: http://www.phuquocislandguide.com
There is now a theme park on the island!
A theme park! That just seems so wrong. I’ll just remember it the way it was when I visited, thanks! Glad you liked my pictures!