Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam

The nice thing about living in a very long country is that to escape the drizzle and cold of Hanoi we just flew south for two hours to Phu Quoc, an island in the Gulf of Thailand, which is closer to Cambodia than Vietnam. Throughout history, the island has changed hands frequently between the Cambodians and the Vietnamese. During the American war it had one of the largest prison camps in the South of Vietnam. Now the island is famous for fish sauce, peppercorns, pearls, and some curious local dogs – the Phu Quoc Ridgeback. More to come on this interesting primitive breed in another post…

Sadly, there are big plans for developing the island for tourism. An international airport is under construction and Vietnamese statisticians have apparently done a precise body count of the number of people (if everyone were to lie down – body to body) that can fit on every beach in order to determine the island’s potential capacity – slightly worrying! We stayed at the delightful Mango Bay, an eco resort, which has been built with natural, local products. Beautifully designed bungalows and restaurant along with great cocktails and seafood!