Phu Quoc Island is the pearl of Vietnam, a tropical paradise. Is it really? Not really. The island has a whole heap of sores and shortcomings. We will tell you about all the disadvantages and show what you will not see on the websites of travel agencies. Only true, only hardcore!
We do not want to frighten you with the disadvantages of the island and do not discourage you from coming to Phu Quoc. But it's worth knowing about the problems and disadvantages, because they can ruin the rest. So here's what we didn't like on the island.
Find out: 7 reasons to vacation in Fukuoka
Construction and noise
The island is now one big construction site. Roads, large and small hotels, cafes are being built. There is noise and dust, trucks roaring on the roads. The Vietnamese work like ants: another 5-10 years, and there will be a developed infrastructure.
As in all Vietnamese cities and villages, Duong Dong is noisy (and not only because of the workers - the Vietnamese are just noisy people). If you want tranquility and relaxation, settle in resorts. True, there may be a construction site there, so you need to read the reviews - suddenly a new hotel is being built nearby. Otherwise, every morning you will wake up from the noise.
And by the way, do not be afraid of the fire - just give the Vietnamese a reason to set something on fire:
Garbage in the city and on the beaches
Where can there be no garbage in Vietnam? You can find mountains of construction rubbish in the city! The sidewalks are often littered with household waste.
The beaches and the sea are really nice here. With one BUT - only a few. The resorts clean their section of the beach, but if you go to where there is no one ... A striking example is the southern part of the famous paradise Bai Sao with snow-white sand. Do you recognize the beach from the brochures?
Clay roads
The roads are still under construction, there are some good paved roads. However, it is mostly gravel road outside of Duong Dong. There are places where there is solid impassable mud - for example, such a road to a waterfall. On the other hand, you can find adventure and return in the dark 20 km along the road torn up by repairmen. An unforgettable experience!
Boring sights
Few interesting sights. They are there, but some are boring. Even just reading the names and it becomes boring: black pepper plantations and a bee farm, a waterfall and pagodas, a fish sauce factory ... There is not even a photo for illustration. True, there are really cool places - read our review: what to see in Fukuoka.
Duong Dong town is small and unsightly. There is nowhere to walk, there is nothing special to watch - except for the life of the Vietnamese. The beach is far away.
Infrastructure
The island's infrastructure is still in its infancy. One supermarket was found in Duong Dong - Mini Mart Duong Dong. However, there are entirely imported expensive goods, including Russian brands.
There are private shops where you can buy all kinds of nonsense: cookies, chocolate, chips, beer. There is an A1 supermarket along Long Beach, but there is nothing significant to find there either. And there is no question of any shopping center, of course.
Taxi Monopoly
In fact, you can only get from the airport (and vice versa) by taxi. There is information about a minibus from Jetstar to Long Beach and the city for 50 thousand dong, but we did not find it at the airport. It is also unclear where to look for him in the city. The orange Jetstar minibus stood in the bushes in the evenings, but there was no driver, let alone a company representative. The office was also not observed - I had to take a taxi (about 110-150 thousand dongs, better by the meter).
Prices and quality of food
Resting in Fukuoka is expensive. Prices for hotels, food and fruit are overpriced (compared to Nha Trang and Mui Ne). Air tickets for an hour flight from Ho Chi Minh City cannot be called cheap even with low-cost airlines.
It is difficult to find inexpensive and tasty food in the tourist area. Almost everywhere we were not satisfied with something: they would bring half-baked squid, or cold meat, or simply tasteless. And this is with our great love for Vietnamese cuisine!
Unfortunately, good coffee was found only in two cafes in Duong Dong. In the tourist zone, it is watery and burnt and resembles a coffee drink.
Unsanitary conditions
Imagine how hot it is on the island. However, the sellers of raw meat are not worried - they do not store the goods in the refrigerator and do not even cover it with anything. Needless to say, flies sit on the meat. Having looked at this, we sharply wanted to become vegetarians for the duration of the trip. By the way, this attitude towards food is everywhere - you will not find a refrigerator or freezer in any Vietnamese market.
Long Beach is occupied by resorts
It is difficult to find a way to the most popular beach on the island - Long Beach. Basically, all roads are through protected resorts, where it is not always allowed to pass through the territory.
Find a signpost to the beach here:
Verdict
The island has much more minuses than pluses (as usual, however). However, we still liked Fukuoka, because you can close your eyes to many of the shortcomings. There are really cool beaches here and there are very few tourists - you need to use this until the resort is up and running.
We would only return here for two purposes:
Ethnographic tourism. The locals are not spoiled by tourists yet. They are friendly, smiling, willingly take pictures - especially children. It's nice to travel around the island and observe people and their way of life.
Beach vacation. If you choose among the Vietnamese resorts, then Phu Quoc is the best. But we would not choose from Vietnamese, the same beaches in Thailand are much cooler!
