I am a beach person first and foremost. I adore mountains and I will always be fond of the great plains and even desert speckled with cactus…but there is just something about the ocean that consumes me in the best way nature can. All Bradley and I really need are palm trees and the beach. So after reading a lot of great travel blogs raving about Phu Quoc, we decided it was a place we wanted to see. Vietnam had only been open for a short time and the country was still getting tourism ramped up. With a lack of flights and last minute bookings, we had to stay six nights on the island to save a few hundred bucks. Staying a bit longer would prove to save more money and for us, six nights on the beach is never a bad thing!
Phu Quoc is a beautiful island with white sand beaches just off the coast of Cambodia in the Gulf of Thailand. I had read nothing but great things about how clear the water is and the perfectly long 150 km coastline covered in palm trees. The island also offers adventurers dense jungle with waterfalls and great hiking. All the pictures I could find were gorgeous and more than half of the island is a part of Phu Quoc National Park! We both had good expectations about the place.
Getting there was a little grueling. The airport was teeming with travelers and the airport staff were incredibly unhelpful. Everyone was confused about everything and it seemed like more than half of the travelers were completely lost. We learned that the Vietnamese people had not been allowed to travel outside of their residential province during the pandemic. Just as international travelers had been welcomed again, the Vietnamese were finally allowed to travel within their country too. It was an overstimulating experience to say the least. Vietnamese culture is an intense one and combining that with an airport and a very tiny plane, we were exhausted by the time we landed on the island. It was dark and the second we walked out of the airport doors, we were hit with the thickness that only comes from the coast on an island full of jungle and sand.
We checked in, threw our bags down and immediately set off on a walk to find some dinner. It was a little late and it was a ghost town. It reminded me of being in Ao Nang when we had just arrived as the country of Thailand had reopened back in November 2021. After all the chaos and traveling we enjoyed a hot meal, relaxing beer, and some puppy love from some of the local dogs at a place down the road from our villa.
Phu Quoc Villa is a short 10 minute walk off of the north end of Long Beach. It was much cheaper to stay off the beach instead of the resorts. This place had a pool and fantastic little villas for $19 a night! We got a corner villa with a lot more privacy than most places and was surrounded by a touch of jungle magic. A quaint little oasis to relax and hang out in the peace of nature.
The following day, we were heading for the beach after a delicious Bahn Mi and the sun was blazing! Bradley and I know our fair share of heat being from Texas, but experiencing Southeast Asia is another thing altogether. We discussed the temperature nuances of the places we have been within this part of the world as we trudged along. The main road that separated us from the beach was wide and full of white dust. A combination of sand, concrete, and rock. It seemed to reflect the sun onto everything the same way snow does. Everywhere we looked there was construction. New and huge resorts were going up in every corner, businesses were doing repair work, and roads were being worked on. Some places were completely abandoned while others had never been completed. I saw job sites barely breaking ground and older sites that hadn’t been touched in at least two years. Whatever the sand and salt hadn’t ruined, the jungle was starting to take back. It was a constant contrast everywhere you looked. Along with all the dust, the island was littered in everyday debris and trash. It was so sad to see. An absolutely beautiful place completely covered in a giant mess and surrounded by cacophonous noise.
This first path to the beach we took, we only took once. We had to pass in between two resorts to get to the beach from the restaurant we had lunch at. There were hardly any souls around with the exception of construction workers so there was no following the crowds or getting any kind of guidance from the public. We ended up passing through this sketchy alleyway that led directly to the waves washing onto shore. We saw the side of beach resorts guests usually never see. Underneath one of the resorts we were walking along was a large pond of wastewater. It unsettled me and my excitement for the beach was dwindling.
The path led to weathered and barnacle crusted steps right into the water. It was too hot to try and figure out another way so we just went for it. Dry bags are essential! Resorts lined the coast back to back and took up the entire beach. We couldn’t just walk down the beach along the water like you can almost everywhere else. Some of the resorts had long walls of concrete that touched the waters edge, blocking off the sandy beach to anyone who was not staying at the resort. It was a task wading through the crashing waves in the heat hoping for a patch of sand to give us some relief. As we continued on we began to realize that the beach was owned by the resorts and public access was slim to none. The beach was a ghost town, more so than anywhere else on the island. No locals and a handful of tourists.
It wasn’t until we came across a completely abandoned resort that we decided to set up camp to salvage our beach day. Trash and debris were everywhere. Some of the resorts still open looked rough. The abandoned resort was eerie but kind of cool in a spooky way. The waves were strong and the sight of trash rolling onto the shore was putting me off so I didn’t swim long. I tried my best to appreciate being on the island and having the opportunity to enjoy this place but it was challenging. I was expecting at least some part of the beach to be public where you could rent chairs and grab a smoothie or snack from a food cart. However, it turns out that there aren’t really public beaches on the island even though they are listed that way on Google Maps. I was also expecting a place that’s half a National Park to be a bit more protected from all the litter around us. I was expecting the locals to appreciate their beautiful home. Post pandemic, the situation was even worse. Bradley and I sat there deflated and wondered how we were going to enjoy five more nights. We regretted choosing this island over a few other places that were originally on our Vietnam travel list.
Setting all that aside, it was nice to cool off after all that trekking and we were refreshed enough to check out the path to the beach directly across from our villa. We wanted to see what kind of future plans we could make to enjoy our stay. Thankfully we came upon a lone little beach bar directly down the path in between some resorts and had a couple of Bia Saigon’s. They were just opening and we may have been some of their first customers. They hadn’t even put up their sign yet! This bar’s patch of sand was about as public as it would get for us and I was thankful to have found it. We enjoyed some local smoothies from a lady down our alley way and took a refreshing dip in the pool at our place. A lovely rain storm came through after our dinner and I spent a good while sitting outside just watching and listening. I was resolved to enjoy our remaining time and find every opportunity to heal, reflect, and be present.
The next day we had a relaxing morning and Bradley stumbled upon a brunch lover’s dream, Nora’s Cafe. It was a two minute walk from our villa and became our designated brunch time spot for the remainder of our stay. We were immediately greeted by two beautiful Vietnamese women and puppies! It was a really cute and inviting place, a hidden gem. The Vietnamese take pride in their fresh and high quality food. It is very much a farm to table culture and that is just one reason why Vietnamese cuisine is unmatched. Nora’s Cafe was no different and served some of the freshest food I have ever had!
We hung around playing with dogs and enjoyed watching the locals go about their day. We spent the afternoon lounging and watching another huge rain storm come through before heading out on the town for dinner. Beach Burger was just a ten minute stroll down the main road and we hadn’t had a good burger since Cambodia! It was a great experience and the staff were so kind and excited to have American travelers coming to enjoy their food. The young man taking care of us exuded joy and I could tell he was thrilled to practice his English once again. We determined the burgers were some of the best we had after a rigorous ranking discussion. Satisfied, we sat in the traditional tiny chairs on the sidewalk and watched the city pass us by while the street dogs made their evening rounds. Phu Quoc seemed to be charming me in small ways.
After another day of leisure, delicious food, and making more animal friends, we planned for a day of theme park fun. We had been looking for something a little different to do and came across the Sun World Hon Thom Nature Park. Sun World in Phu Quoc offers the longest non-stop three-way cable car in the world, the new Aquatopia water park, and much more. We decided we would take the 15 minute cable car ride over the ocean to the island where the Aquatopia water park is and spend the day being a kid again.
Getting to the park was an easy 40 minute taxi ride. We got there as soon as the cable car began to operate to avoid the crowds and take advantage of the cooler part of the day. It was the first time either Bradley or I had been on a cable car and what an experience it was!
Our car was full of a large jubilant Vietnamese family. Each time we would go up the towers and continue down, the family would count 1, 2, 3, and exclaim “woah!” Laughter filled the car as the butterflies would rush through our tummies on the slight drop. My cheeks were hurting from smiling so hard and I said “wow” a lot. Bradley tends to get nervous about heights and I was really proud of how well he was doing. It was insane to think about how high up we were.
Usually heights make me anxious but I had zero qualms during the ride. I was floored by how beautiful Phu Quoc looked from the heights of the cable car. I could barely see the trash and debris floating in the sea-foam water. As we progressed towards the south end of Phu Quoc to the park we could see storms on the horizon and crossed our fingers for luck!
There was still an hour before Aquatopia would open so we grabbed a coffee and took in the serene garden area that surrounded the entrance. The entrance alone was stunning. There were gorgeous ponds full of Koi fish, bright colored flowers, modern art sculptures, and trees galore. It was the perfect place for tourists to take selfies, group photos, and snap that Instagramable shot.
The sun stayed behind the clouds and our weather luck held strong. The waterpark was impressive and it seemed as though Sun World spared no expense in making this place beautiful, outrageously fun, and easy to get around. The theme work was fantastically done down to the tiny details. The rides were top notch and we hardly waited in line even though they were at half staff. It was by far the nicest waterpark I have ever been to and worth every penny. We even had the fortune to meet two European men who helped engineer the cable car while we were waiting to ride a roller coaster. They were kind men who were enjoying the perks of working for a theme park and making new friends. We shared our stories and created that unique bond that only seems to form when you’re traveling.
After a long day of being a kid again, we made our way back. The sun had just defeated the clouds and was illuminating the late afternoon by the time we were getting in the cable car. It was perfect timing! The second ride was just as great as the first, only the sun gave us some better lighting for the view.
Phu Quoc is said to have spectacular sunsets so we decided we would head to the Little Paradise Beach Bar and hang out for the evening. It was much more lively in town than it had been our entire stay and it was nice to see. The bar had finally put up their sign and put out tables and lights. Things were coming together and visitors were trickling in. The beach was crawling with sweet dogs and happy people. Even though we couldn’t see the sunset through the storm clouds, the evening was wonderful. It had been a magical day.
Our last full day on the island was spent focusing on things that bring us joy. We ate brunch at Nora’s, relaxed by the pool, read good books, and firmed out plans for the next leg of our journey. Before sunset we grabbed a couple of beers at Little Paradise Bar and said our goodbyes to the beach dogs. Since we loved the Beach Burgers and the staff so much, we went right back to have more for our last dinner. The delight on their faces when we returned made the meal taste even better.
Phu Quoc was nothing I expected it to be. It is not the type of island I want to spend my time on and I was disappointed in how little regard and care there was for the environment. It’s not appealing to walk around and see litter and debris everywhere. It seemed the island was more concerned with building more places for people to spend money than trying to maintain and care for the island itself. It made no sense to me! Phu Quoc caters to certain kinds of tourists and we aren’t them. I’m sure if you have the ability to stay at one of the resorts on the water it is a completely different experience as well. People enjoy different things when they travel and I know Phu Quoc is loved by many. I am thankful for the time that we had there. It helped us reflect and refocus and it was nice to slow down a little. Traveling like gypsies wears on you but it helps you appreciate the littlest of things. And at the end of the day…it always is the little things that make up the big things.