Phú Quốc is a beautiful, peaceful and relaxing island in the very south of Vietnam, almost closer to Cambodia than it is to mainland Vietnam. You can reach it by high-speed or slower boats or plane, and many people in Vietnam and from abroad do choose to come here. Yet despite it's popularity it remains relatively quiet and it is not (yet) over-developed as a travel destination. Perhaps one reason is that the airstrip is small, only Turbo-props and the like can land/take-off from here.Last year, Bảo and I were almost within striking distance of Phú Quốc when we trekked south to Rạch Gía and Hà Tiên on the April/May national holidays. This year, together with An, and aided by the decision of Vietnam Airlines to put on additional flights, we took the extra step ...
... staying in a small, beachside resort along Long Beach. It wasn't plush and wide like it's neighbours but it was comfortable and clean and the right price for our collective budget. It was also just a couple of kilometres south of the main town, Dương Đông, a walkable distance.On our first afternoon/evening we tried out the beach, encountering the first of many jellyfish that would be part of our visit. Then we walked into town to take a look at what is translated to English as Cau Castle,
but which is in fact a tiny lighthouse combined with a temple dedicated to the goddess of the sea, and standing at the entrance to Dương Đông port. It is also adjacent to the town beach, which was crowded with swimmers, walkers and young guys jumping from the rocks into the sea. 
Finally, we had dinner in the night market - very hungrily as we had missed out on lunch :(
The next morning we rented two motorbikes so that we could explore the island further afield. Our intended destination was Bãi Sao (not to be confused with Vung Tau's Bãi Sau!) but with a visit to the pearl producers along the way. Pearls, along with fish sauce and pepper, appear to be the main products of Phú Quốc, and there are very many "factories" set up around the southern areas of the island. We spent a few hours beside and in the beautifully clear water - again in the company of many jellyfish, although I discovered if I swam slowly enough they were aware of me and would move away. Unfortunately I acquired a rather red skin as well (sunburn).In the mid-afternoon we sought out the prison near An Thới town. Like many islands around the world, Phú Quốc was used as a political prison in the past - by both the French and the Americans. While the Lonely Planet website says otherwise, there is actually a museum here recording the crimes inflicted on the Việt Công and Việt Minh by the foreign nations and the South Vietnam government. We didn't linger because Bảo and An overheard some remarks directed towards me ...! Finally, we completed a round trip of the southern part of the island by stopping off at the national park, and then a pepper farm. An enjoyable ride, without a lot of traffic, but with a lot of red dust. There is also some massive road-building going on, leaving me wondering about expectations for the future population of the island.
Phú Quốc is actually famous for its fish sauce, and Bảo wanted to try and find the factory for the brand that his family prefers. After some driving around we tracked it down, and although really the factory was closed for the holiday, the owner gave us a look inside and told us a bit about production. This factory is different from many because they continue to use wooden casks for brewing? fermenting? the fish sauce in. Actually the smell was not too bad and it was interesting to see the process.Afterwards Bảo and I rode north to Bãi Dài, another long, beautiful and only sparsely frequented beach. One of the lovely things about much of the coastline on Phú Quốc is that it is lined by pine trees that leave a blanket of needles on the sand almost down to the sea. Everywhere the water is clear and clean. Out this way there are a few resorts - imagine how it might be to stay in this tranquility.
And then ... the trip was over. Back to work.
