25/05/2023
A moment of Phu Quy’s sunset, Phan Thiet, Viet Nam 🌊🏝️🇻🇳🌅
A fascinating drop of land in the East Sea, Phu Quy is yet another of Vietnam’s previously ‘unknown’ islands that’s recently opened its doors to domestic and foreign travellers. A flat, green island rising gently to two volcanic peaks, Phu Quy is very isolated – far out in the ocean, 120km east of Phan Thiet on the mainland. Like other such islands in Vietnam, Phu Quy is on the cusp of a tourism boom: its name is on the lips of most young Vietnamese backpackers, and developers are scouting the island for suitable locations to build. There’s very little tourist development yet, but infrastructure – roads, ports, ferries – is all in place. As the island is still controlled by the military, until recently all foreign travellers had to obtain a permit to visit Phu Quy. However, as of September 2020, this is no longer required. There are daily fast boats from the mainland, good, cheap guest houses, beautiful bays, beaches and island vistas, inexpensive seafood, hospitable people, dozens of local temples, empty coast roads, and an exhilarating sense of isolation. Now is the time to visit.
