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Looking for a visa-free island with few people and beautiful scenery, want to go to a pristine paradise, want a journey to avoid the crowds, want a worry-free trip with direct flights from China, want to have a delicious and affordable table of fresh seafood, enjoy a family outing with ease. Then Phu Quoc Island can meet all of the above!
Most people are familiar with Nha Trang in Vietnam, but besides Nha Trang, Vietnam also has a new Internet celebrity island hidden away – Phu Quoc Island. Phu Quoc Island is a vacation paradise for Vietnamese locals and one of the most popular vacation islands for Europeans and Americans. Importantly, Phu Quoc Island is the only visa-free destination in Vietnam!!! I believe that Phu Quoc Island is definitely your best choice for travel!
l Introduction
Phu Quoc Island is located on the southwestern border of Vietnam, the largest island in Vietnam, with a population of about 75,000 and an area similar to Singapore. It is rich in natural resources, and is known as the “Pearl Island” because of its abundance of pearls. It is a vacation destination in the eyes of Europeans and Americans, and was once ranked among the top three best winter tourist destinations in the world by National Geographic, and one of the top ten honeymoon destinations in the world by the British travel guide Rough Guide. The island produces jade, anthracite, wood, pepper, cocoa, coffee, betel nut and coconut, and its fishing industry is developed. The forest coverage rate is as high as 90%, the whole island is a natural oxygen bar.
l Location
Phu Quoc Island is located in Kien Giang Province, Vietnam, in the southernmost part of Vietnam, a beautiful island like a shell. It is 40 kilometers from the Vietnamese coast to the east, 12 kilometers from the Cambodian coast to the north, facing the Kra Isthmus across the sea to the west, and facing the Malay Peninsula across the sea to the south.
l Climate
Most of Vietnam’s territory belongs to a tropical monsoon climate, with an average annual temperature of 23-27℃, 23-25℃ in most parts of the north, and 26-27℃ in most parts of the south. The dry season is from November to the following April, and the rainy season is from May to October in most areas, but the rainy season is often torrential rain or sudden rain, and often after a heavy rain, the climate will be more refreshing. The dry season in Vietnam is sunny and sunny in the cities, the most beautiful season in Vietnam, and the best time to travel to Vietnam.
l Visa
Visa-free. Chinese citizens can stay visa-free for 30 days (limited to the island, cannot go to other parts of Vietnam except Phu Quoc Island). Those with old passports starting with G can pass directly, and those with electronic chip passports starting with E need to prepare two white background ID photos in advance, and they can also apply for a visa on arrival at the airport, but don’t expect the Vietnamese people to be efficient.
l Transportation on the island
Phu Quoc Island is not large, the island is basically a main road with asphalt roads, the following are some recommendations for transportation on the island:
① Motorcycle
Recommended index:☆☆☆
Tourists who are confident in their driving skills can rent a motorcycle, about tens of RMB per day, but for safety reasons, it is not recommended.
② Bicycle
Recommended index:☆☆☆☆
Many hotels on the island provide free bicycles, you can ride a bicycle.
③ Taxi or chartered car
Recommended index:☆☆☆☆☆
If you want to save time and effort, you can take a taxi or rent a car, which is relatively expensive than renting a car, but the overall cost-effectiveness is still good if there are many people.
Currency
The official currency of Vietnam is the Vietnamese dong, 1 RMB ≈ 3500 Vietnamese dong (July 2018). The Vietnamese dong has a large denomination, usually converted by dividing by 3 with 3 zeros removed (10000 minus 3 zeros, 10 divided by 3 ≈ 3 yuan RMB).
① Exchange: You can’t exchange Vietnamese dong at Bank of China in China. You can exchange RMB for US dollars at Bank of China before going abroad, and then exchange for Vietnamese dong in Vietnam. It is very convenient to exchange US dollars in Vietnam. Banks, gold shops on the side of the road, all hotels and travel agencies can exchange, and the exchange rates are not much different, tour guides can also provide RMB or US dollar exchange.
② UnionPay: You can directly withdraw Vietnamese dong with your bank card at ATMs with UnionPay logo, the exchange rate is calculated according to the Vietnamese dong selling price announced by Bank of China on that day, but the issuing bank will charge a certain handling fee (usually 0.3%-0.5%, at least 10 yuan RMB per transaction), and the withdrawing bank will also charge a 1%-1.5% handling fee of the withdrawn amount.
③ Card swiping: Vietnam tourism is relatively mature, many shopping malls, restaurants and supermarkets can swipe cards, even some Chinese-owned restaurants in Nha Trang can pay with WeChat or Alipay. You can check if there is a UnionPay logo before swiping your card, it is more convenient to use the UnionPay channel
Communication
① Local SIM card: Buy a Vietnamese SIM card, it is very cost-effective, and the Internet speed is also very fast. There are two types of local SIM cards, Vinaphone and Mobifone. The charging standards of Vinaphone and Mobifone are similar, both are very cheap, but Vinaphone has a better signal. Both SIM cards can be purchased in advance in China, or purchased at local airports and mobile phone stores.
② WI-FI: Vietnam WIFI is very developed, almost every hotel and restaurant will have free WIFI available. You can also rent a mobile WIFI in advance in China, which is also very convenient to use locally.
Clothing
You can wear light summer clothes in Vietnam during the day, you can bring a thin jacket to avoid getting cold in air-conditioned rooms and vehicles, it may be cooler at night, you need to wear an autumn jacket; when entering formal occasions, you should not wear slippers, shorts, skirts, sleeveless shirts, etc., please pay attention to bring; When going to jungles and wild areas with many mosquitoes, you should wear long sleeves and trousers, please bring; Shoes should be light and comfortable, suitable for walking, and new shoes and high heels should not be worn. Da Lat is at a high altitude and the temperature is lower, so you need to wear a jacket at night to avoid catching a cold. The air conditioner on the plane is very low, and you also need a jacket.
Sockets
The voltage in Vietnam is 220 volts. The sockets in Vietnam are the same as those in China, which are two-pin flat plugs. You don’t need a power adapter and you can use it directly. However, if you are using a three-pin socket, you need to bring a plug adapter or extension cord.
l Phu Quoc Island Vinpearl Phu Quoc Resort
Address: BAI DAI, GANH DAU
We all know that Nha Trang in Vietnam is very popular among Chinese people. But do you know? 50% of people go to Nha Trang to stay at Vinpearl Resort! How great is this resort? Resort = Amusement Park + Water World + Underwater World + Wildlife Park. It is most suitable for people who don’t like to hustle, especially those with elderly people and children. As long as you stay at the resort, you can play everything in the resort for free. The resort has 750 rooms, located on the beautiful beach of Phu Quoc Island, the southernmost tip of Vietnam, with a unique geographical location. Starting from the hotel, you can take a shuttle bus to Vinpearl Land, embark on a long-awaited island amusement park trip, start a parent-child time with love, happily spend a family vacation in the amusement park, here is full of surprises for babies, take a walk in this wonderful amusement world, or take your cute babies to explore the mysteries of the animal world up close, making the whole family feel relaxed and happy, enjoying a dream vacation.
Hotel facilities:
Hotel actual scene:
l Phu Quoc Island Novotel Phu Quoc Resort
Address: Duong Bao Hamlet, Duong To Commune, Kien Giang Province
Novotel Phu Quoc Resort has 364 rooms, located in Me Lodge, Novotel Phu Quoc Resort is the perfect place to stay when visiting Phu Quoc Island. The hotel is equipped with a full range of facilities to provide guests with comfortable accommodation. All rooms have free Wi-Fi, 24-hour security, daily housekeeping, fax machine, souvenir shop, etc., all equipped for guests to use. The rooms are designed to be extremely comfortable and elegantly decorated. In addition, they are also equipped with many convenient facilities. Some rooms are also equipped with free tea and coffee, wardrobes, towels, wooden floors, slippers, etc. Guests can enjoy the hotel’s leisure facilities, including yoga room, snorkeling, private beach, fitness center, sauna, etc. Staying at Novotel Phu Quoc Resort, you can easily go to various areas of Phu Quoc Island.
Hotel facilities:
Hotel actual scene:
l The Shells Resort & Spa Phu Quoc
Address: Ganh Gio Beach, Duong Dong Town
This is an old five-star hotel, the first choice for comfort can go to his house, the hotel has lounge chairs and swimming pools outside, you can swim, boat or snorkel. The hotel is located in the middle of Phu Quoc Island, about 25 minutes’ drive from the airport on the west coast, the hotel consists of two parts: luxurious rooms with stunning ocean views and garden villas that are not by the sea. Here, you can experience the ultimate ocean view, with endless ocean views in full view, at the same time, you can quietly listen to the sound of the sea breeze hitting the coast, and enjoy your vacation!
The hotel restaurant welcomes you with a wide range of culinary styles, rich breakfast options, a variety of breakfast fruits, colorful salads, making your mornings incredibly wonderful and starting your beautiful new day!
Hotel facilities:
Hotel actual scene:
If you find the above methods troublesome, you can choose Phu Quoc Island semi-free travel products! The most direct, most worry-free, more free itinerary, you can choose to depart from Shanghai or Hangzhou:
l Vinpearl Land Phu Quoc (Water park + Children’s amusement park)
Address: Gành Dầu tp. Phú Quốc tỉnh Kiên Giang
It is divided into three areas: The outdoor amusement area has roller coasters, giant Ferris wheels, UFO frisbees, high-altitude rotations, flying eagles, bumper cars, etc., as well as a dolphin show hall that can accommodate 3,000 people at the same time. The indoor amusement area has 5D cinemas and various large-scale video games. In addition, the water world park has a large outdoor swimming pool, various water games, high-speed slides, lazy pools, wave pools…
l Phu Quoc Island SAFARI Wildlife Park
Address: Long Beach, Ganh Dau commune, Phu Quoc Island, Kien Giang Province
About 170,000 square meters, with 150 species of animals, 3,000 individual animals, 1,200 species of plants, is the largest wildlife park in Vietnam. It is divided into two areas: one is the wildlife park area, and the other is the open area, where you can bring your children to interact with animals, watch Animal Shows, and appreciate a variety of bird performances. There is also a game that requires courage to challenge – interacting with snakes. Through these unique ways of getting along with animals, we can also better protect nature.
l Take a mud bath
Address: Tổ 2, Ấp Cửa Lấp, Xã Dương Tơ, Huyện Phú Quốc, Tỉnh Kiên Giang
Put yourself in the mud and get a spa treatment. In every country in Southeast Asia, massage is a must-have after playing. The characteristic of Vietnam is mud bath, spa in the mud, this is a very popular project in Nha Trang, and Phu Quoc Island also has it. If you have time, you might as well go and experience it.
l Play on Long Beach
Long Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in Phu Quoc Island. It has not been overdeveloped and has been rated as “unpolluted beach” by many travel magazines. The clear blue water, swaying palm trees, and white and delicate sandy beaches are beautiful. Whether you swim in the sea or lie on a beach chair to sunbathe, it is a good choice. There are also several bars and delicious local restaurants on the beach, blowing sea breeze, drinking a cocktail, very comfortable.
l Diving in An Thoi Archipelago
The seawater of Phu Quoc Island is not only clear and transparent, but also has distinct color layers. Every kind of blue is beautiful to the heart, especially the An Thoi Archipelago in the south. The water is clear and the seawater is as green as turquoise. When you snorkel into the seabed, you can see colorful coral reefs, dance with the fish, and play with the starfish, experiencing the wonderful underwater world of Phu Quoc Island.
l Visit the local Bee Farm
Address: Hamlet 2, Cua Can Town, Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam
This is a happy farm that advocates for the protection of the ecological environment, with large graffiti on the farm. Here, people can visit the place where Phu Quoc Island’s characteristic pepper grows, which is the pepper farm, and they can also pick and fish. Families with children usually like to come and experience such projects, enjoying the ecological environment while also exercising their children’s hands-on ability.
l Teach you how to make Vietnamese food step by step
Address: Hamlet 2, Cua Can Town, Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam
Let the local chef give you a cooking class. Vietnamese cuisine is one of the very characteristic Southeast Asian cuisines. Don’t just eat it fresh, you can also learn how to make Vietnamese cuisine with the local chef. The cooking class is also in the happy farm. Vietnamese pho, spring rolls, etc., the teacher will point out how to make them one by one, and you can taste the food you make after you finish, full of a sense of accomplishment. However, the staff here currently only speak English, so guests who come to experience should consider whether the language is acceptable.
l Tree House Restaurant
Address: Hamlet 4, Cua Can Commune, Nam Nghi Resort, Phu Quoc Island 920000, Vietnam
Features: Thai cuisine, Vietnamese cuisine, Asian cuisine
l Duong Dong night market
Transportation: Taxi, chartered car, or motorcycle; Address: thi tran duong dong
Duong Dong night market is the most lively night market in Phu Quoc Island. The food stalls are very tempting. Shrimp, crab, fish, razor clams, squid, scallops, sea urchins, etc. are large and fresh, and the price is not expensive. You can eat well for about 100 yuan per person. All kinds of fruits, sugar apple, wax apple, durian, mangosteen, etc. can be eaten to your heart’s content! In addition to delicious seafood, don’t forget to eat a bowl of Vietnamese-style beef pho, as well as spring rolls with thin skin and thick shrimp meat!
l Bup Restaurant
Address: 108, Street 30 Thang 4 | Duong Dong, Phu Quoc Island 920000, Vietnam
Features: Seafood, Vietnamese cuisine
l The Pepper Tree Restaurant
Address: Tran Hung Dao Street | La veranda hotel, Duong Dong, Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam
Features: French cuisine, seafood, European
l Rock Island Club
Address: Nam Nghi Resort | Hamlet 04, Cua Can Commune, Phu Quoc Island 920000, Vietnam
Features: Bar meals
Well, the food, drink, play and travel in Phu Quoc Island are enough to make you excited. With a ticket in hand, the visa-free Phu Quoc Island is just a walk away.
Let your heart fly to the distance and listen to the sound of the waves~
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