An unusually beautiful island is located in the Gulf of Thailand. They call him Phu Quoc. Map of Vietnam shows that it is the south of the country. The area of the island is 574 square meters. km The highest point is Mount Chua (565 m), located in the north of the island. The population of the island is more than one hundred thousand people. The nearest town to the island - Hatien - is located on the border with Cambodia.
Phu Quoc is located three degrees south of the Thai resort of Pattaya, and two degrees north of Phuket. The island has a somewhat elongated shape. Its length is 62 km, its width is from 3 to 28 km.
How to get to the island
Vietnam and its resorts are still not very popular with Russian tourists, although every year there are more and more people who want to spend their holidays here. The most famous among Russians visiting Vietnam is Phu Quoc. How to get to this exotic island from Russia? Simple enough, although the road will take a lot of time.
From Moscow, you will fly to Ho Chi Minh City by direct flight. Phu Quoc is fifty minutes of summer from this city.
Today, the tourism industry on the island began to develop rapidly. Naturally, passenger traffic increases to Fukuok every year. The airport (the only one on the island) can no longer cope with the loads. It was built in 1930, underwent some changes during the Vietnam War. At the beginning of operation, it had a 996-meter runway. After the liberation of Saigon (1975), the airport began to operate commercial flights. In 1983, the length of its runway was increased to 1496 meters.
The government has decided to build a new international airport. Its maximum throughput at the beginning of operation will be seven million passengers per year.
Many vacationers prefer to get to the island by sea. You can do this way from the cities of Rachza or Hatien. You will get to these cities from Saigon by bus or taxi in about eight hours. Then you will be offered to transfer to a boat, which will take you to the island in two hours.
We can say that the road to Phu Quoc (reviews of tourists indicate this) is quite tiring. This is especially true for those who decided to relax on the island with children.
Climate, weather
The island of Fukuok monsoon, subequatorial climate. Weather is determined by two factors. This is a dry season lasting almost the whole year (from November to September) and the rainy season (October) is unfavorable for recreation. You can relax here all year, but no doubt, it is better to exclude October. The rest of the months are very comfortable here.
All year the water temperature is between +28 and +30 degrees, and its average values are +27 degrees. Naturally, these indicators may vary slightly in different years on the island of Phu Quoc. In August 2014, the air temperature ranged from +24 to +31 degrees, and the water temperature remained +28 degrees. As you can see, for the Russians, accustomed in recent years to the sweltering heat of the summer months, the weather is very comfortable on the island of Fukuok. Reviews of tourists say that the heat even at 30 degrees is almost not felt here.
Holidays on the island with children
Despite the not very easy road, many tourists claim that rest in Fukuoka with children will bring great pleasure to both adults and very young tourists. There are a number of objective reasons for this statement. First of all, this, of course, is a mild, favorable climate. In addition, there are immaculately clean, gently sloping beaches with white sand. Many hotels on the island are designed for families. Let us introduce you some of them.
Phu Quos 4 *
Here you will be offered the services of a professional nanny, on request you can order a special diet or children's menu. Children under the age of six stay at the hotel for free. For them, the rooms have cribs, a well-equipped playground, where experienced tutors are engaged with the kids.
Resort Phu Quos 5 *
I must say that young travelers are happy to host many hotels. Phu Quoc (Vietnam) seeks to create comfortable conditions for small tourists. This hotel, unlike the previous one, offers free accommodation for children under twelve years of age (provided that they sleep on existing beds). In addition, you can take advantage of the services of a nanny, in the restaurant at the hotel a special children's menu is developed.
Vietnamese are very fond of children, highly value family values. Whatever hotels you choose, Phu Quoc (Vietnam) impresses all the guests of the island with the warm and friendly attitude of the local population towards children, the desire to help parents in case of any problems.
Other hotels
It should be noted that the luxurious island of Phu Quoc Hotels has on its territory a different level of comfort.
The original complex consists of fourteen bungalows Mai House Resort 2 *. There is a private beach. Vacationers receive free sun loungers, umbrellas, beach towels. There is a restaurant serving Vietnamese and European cuisines. There is an outdoor pool. The staff is multilingual. Vacationers can use the services of a beauty salon, bike rental and motorbike rental.
Eden Resort 4 *
Eden Resort 4 * - a new hotel, which received its first visitors in 2010. This is a multi-storey building and detached bungalows. The hotel offers 64 rooms - standard, suite, junior suite, apartments. There is a private beach. All necessary beach items are free of charge. The hotel has a restaurant with European and Asian cuisine, a cafe, a bar, a snack bar, a barbecue. Can I have breakfast in my room.
A tour desk has been created for holidaymakers, and you can use free Internet. There is a car rental point, free parking, a gift shop, a nightclub, non-smoking rooms. The hotel rooms are serviced around the clock, there is an LCD TV, air conditioning, satellite TV, safe, minibar.
There are many more hotels on Phu Quoc Island. Reviews of tourists about living in them are different. Some consider the service presented to be below the European level, while others, on the contrary, are sure that the hotel services are well organized, and therefore staying in them is very comfortable.
Fun for kids
The island has a small amusement park with carousels, trampolines, cars and very modest animation. This park is located in Zion Dong. There are also several shops where you can buy baby clothes and shoes, toys, hygiene products for babies.
Medical service
There are several private clinics and a hospital on the island. If necessary, in each hotel you can call a doctor or take to his appointment. Many who have visited the island of Fukuok note a high level of medical care. In addition, they consider the cost of medical services very affordable. There are many pharmacies on the island, and the prices for medicines are low. However, a certain set of drugs (especially if you have chronic diseases) is better to take with you from home.
Beaches in Phu Quoc
This paradise has many attractions, but most of the tourists who visited Fukuok Island, their reviews (enthusiastic) are associated primarily with luxurious beaches. It is for the sake of relaxation that people from all over the world come here.
Fukuok is a clean, quiet and incredibly cozy and beautiful place. This is a very young, but rapidly developing resort. While there are no shopping malls, water parks, entertainment centers and zoos. Therefore, if you prefer an active holiday with a vibrant nightlife, this place is not for you.
Lovers of a relaxing holiday, privacy, boat trips and bright colors of pristine nature will feel very comfortable here.
Bai Chong
This is the largest beach of the island. Its length is more than eighteen kilometers. Along the sandy shore are hotels, guest houses, bungalows and cafes. This is the most popular place in Fukuoka. However, even in the midst of the holiday season, there are not too many people here, which, of course, will appeal to lovers of a relaxing and secluded vacation.
Bai Sao
This beach is near the port. It features incredibly white sand and a sea of bright blue. No photograph can convey the beauty of this place. There are very few vacationers here.
Wild beach
If you drive to the northwest of the island, you will see fishing villages, and then you will find yourself on a practically wild beach. No one even knows its name. However, recently several hammocks and a tiny cafe have appeared here on the shore. This is a very beautiful beach, many like it even more than the famous and popular Bai Sao.
Island Attractions: Pearl Farm
This company appeared in 1998. Today it is the most visited attraction in Fukuoka. Here you can watch for free how pearls grow and how they are processed. In the old years, these valuable pebbles were mined by professional divers. Today they are grown artificially in the waters of the Gulf of Thailand. Experts consider this place ideal for this procedure.
Natural pearls in these places are quite small, and do not always have an ideal shape. But the stones, grown artificially, are distinguished by their ideal shape, large size and beauty.
To obtain such specimens, particles cut out of shells of no more than four millimeters are placed in the body of an oyster. It takes from one and a half to two years to grow pearls with a size of 10-18 mm. It depends on the temperature of the water and some other conditions.
National park
This is a huge territory with an area of 31,400 hectares. Arriving here, you should first climb Mount Nuit. Its height is more than 500 meters. This is the highest point of the reserve. Most of the park is occupied by impenetrable rainforests. The temperature here is never lower than +25 degrees. High humidity at first may seem uncomfortable, but a little later this feeling disappears.
The most beautiful part of the park is in the north. Here, tourists fall into a real dense forest, without any trace of civilization. In the park you can see thousands of exotic plants that strike Europeans with their shapes, colors and subtle smells.
More than fifty species of mammals, including quite friendly primates, feel quite comfortable here. In addition, in the National Park you will have a unique opportunity to see a rare animal of a very touching kind - a sea cow (dugong).
You can come to the reserve by taxi. The fare is $ 5-10.
Kaodai Religion Temple
It was on the island of Phu Quoc that a new religion was born. The former governor of the island had a vision - the image of the Third Eye. This may surprise someone, but the most revered saints of this religion are Victor Hugo, Vladimir Lenin, Leo Tolstoy, Benito Mussolini, William Shakespeare. Today, this religion is preached by more than ten million Vietnamese. The basic dogma of this faith is the concept of the third salvation. According to the kaodaists, humanity has already been saved twice - the first time by Amitabha and Moses, the second time by Confucius and Jesus. Kaodoism preaches that this is the right path to the third salvation of mankind.
Tourists can get to the service in the temple, which is held not every day, but according to a special schedule. During it, the monks in snow-white clothes, with enchanting music, praise the huge eye. Then, the participants in the ceremony, accompanied by quiet and calm music, begin collective meditation.
The easiest way to arrive at the temple is by taxi. From anywhere in the island, the trip will cost you no more than $ 10.
Vietnam: rest, prices
Everyone who wants to spend a vacation in Vietnam, no doubt, are interested in the prices of such a trip. If you intend to use the services of a travel agency, then it will be useful for you to find out that last-minute tours are much cheaper. And another tip - book a tour a few months before the date of the proposed trip. This will significantly reduce your costs - on average by forty percent.
The average price of a tour to Vietnam per person for 7-10 days is from 35,000 to 85,000 rubles (without discounts). The cost of the tour largely depends on the time of the trip, the selected resort, the level of hotel comfort, etc. For example, a tour to the Fukuok described by us will cost 49,000 rubles for ten days.
If you want to visit Vietnam, go to Phu Quoc Island. Reviews of tourists say that here you can really relax and relax your body and soul.