Vignettes of the World
One of the most looked-forward to tour in this trip was Island Hopping in the southern waters of Phu Quoc. From the scenery to the activities to the food, this one-day shuttling between the open sea and beautiful islets served every purpose for which I …
One cannot understand the human face of the Outback without a fair appreciation of the state of affairs concerning the aborigines in Australia. In this last entry on the Outback, I attempt to provide a brief overview of the historical issues that have direct bearings …
I always think that the ocean bears enormous powers of healing.
I would be coming to the Khem Beach many times during this trip.
In my first evening in Phu Quoc, I took a walk and arrived at Khem Beach a little before dusk hour. The plan was to enjoy the sea breezes and then have dinner at a very local restaurant at the very far end of the beach.
As I said in a previous entry, Khem Beach is the key feature in the Khem Beach Resort area. It appears to be a resort that caters exclusively to foreign tourists. One can expect top of the line offers in all respects. I passed by a stretch of hotel and restaurant establishments on my way to Khem Beach. The scenery soon opened up to the welcoming sound of the waves and the views of a lush patch of palm trees. There were enough palm trees there to call it a woods.
I had the impression that, during the prime hours of the day, one would have to pay to sit at the beach chairs beneath the copious shades of the palm trees. That area should belong to the JW Marriot.
As I walked toward the restaurant, my steps syncopated in the soft sand that caved in beneath the weight of my body. I would take off my shoes if not for the trouble to untie the runners and then having to carry them. Initially, it appeared to me that this beach was very clean. The water was relatively calm at that hour of the day. The gentle waves looked pristine to me. Afar, I observed the glimmers of dusk colors at the sky, which slowly morphed into palettes of warm organge first and then impending hues of mauve. Khem Beach is on the southeastern coast of Phu Quoc, and I would not see a sunset there.
The walk was interesting. Maybe it was due to hunger, or the fatigue of the day from the rather long walks back and forth the Coconut Tree Prison, I found it increasingly difficult to walk through the beach before arriving at the local seafood restaurant. My feet seemed to be sinking deeper into the sand as I lifted them through each repetitive motion. I did wonder if I should just head back and find a restaurant that was sure to cost much more for the same food. There were a lot of higher-end restaurants along the way.
I was at a point where it was perhaps more of a trouble to head back than to grind ahead, when I encountered a real challenge: there was a section that was somewhat submerged in the sea water. In fact, this section of the beach began to present itself as rather unkempt as well. I started seeing quite a bit of trash on the way. I figured that the cleanliness of the beach was a deliberate result of workmen’s cleaning, hired by the higher-end hospitality businesses.
Long story short, I made it to the local restaurant finally, after a bit of frustration. And it did come with the typical annoyances of dining in very local places in Vietnam. There were flies here and there, and the hygiene conditions in the surrounding area were not ideal. But at the table, the experience was good.
This was the meal I had and it cost 400,000 ₫. It is considered pricy because the general living standard of Phu Quoc is quite low. To make a comparison, the local pork chop rice that I had earlier costed 40,000 ₫. But of course, this is a proper restaurant serving seafood, and you can’t miss the seafood in Phu Quoc.
From what I remember, this is the first time that I have seafood the Vietnamese way. I ordered clams and a grilled fish dish. The morning glory is a favorite wok fried veggies dish, so I had that too.
In this meal, the soul is the Vietnamese sauces that are served along with the dish, as well as those that are freely available to diners at the table. There were quite a few pieces of steamed clams, so I dipped them amply in the sauces and it was heavenly.
The grilled fish was very “fishy” in taste but I don’t have a problem with that. Together these two dishes were plenty of food for one person. I was very stuffed.
Day 1 in Phu Quoc ended well. In my mind I had this image of submerging in the waves at Khem Beach. I would certainly be back for a proper dip.
The Coconut Tree Prison is the most unhappy place in Phu Quoc, and that is an understatement. It stands testament to the ubiquity of political division that haunted the nation during much of the 20th century. In the Coconut Tree Prison, this political division manifested …
I stepped out of the airplane and could smell the ocean already. It is properly “winter” time even for this part of the world. The humidity greeted me all the same, in a somewhat tamed tropical heat. I hoped for some really sunny days on …
Phu Quoc, meaning “prosperous land” in Vietnamese, is an island that lies south of Cambodia and west of Vietnam in the Gulf of Thailand. Known as the “Pearl Island,” this largest island of Vietnam is blessed with pristine waters and long stretches of beautiful white sand beaches. Moreover, it has 21 islets. The islets and fishing villages are must-visit sites for ocean lovers, myself being one.
Phu Quoc is also the only part of Vietnam that does not require a VISA for U.S. passport holders. I went on a vacation in Phu Quoc earlier this year in 2026.
Its economy being increasingly dependent on tourism, Phu Quoc comes up with many initiatives that cater to the full spectrum of tourist expectations. I tend to like things that are “natural,” and so island hopping and sandy beaches were top priority to me. I spent 5 days and 4 nights there and honestly it was not long enough for me. I could be visiting the same beach every day for 7 days without a whiff of boredom.
There are direct flights to Phu Quoc from Hong Kong. Only budget airlines fly this route, however, so you would be taking the same plane (once daily) whether you are a Cathay Pacific designated flyer or a Hong Kong Express commoner.
In terms of hotels, the choices are plenty. There are budget hotels and special theme hotels as well. You can opt for a cottage-styled “room” by the sandy beaches. I chose a boutique hotel situated 10 minutes by walk from the beautiful Khem Beach. The hotel is called Skyline Hotel and it is within a resort town. The price was very affordable. Its being within a resort town also means that there are many choices for food and leisure if you do not feel like venturing out to the island at large. I wanted to seriously clock in some beach time and that I did do.
Note that Phu Quoc is a big island, and if you decide to stay in the southern part of the island, getting to the northern part would entail transportation costs and quite a bit of time — likewise in the eastern-western direction.
Therefore, depending on the kinds of activities that you want to do, choose your accommodation that is closer to most of the sites you want to visit. Since island hopping was the most-anticipated activity for me, I stayed in the southern tip of the island, in the town of An Toi. Coincidentally, it was also close to the Coconut Tree Prison, which would really be the only significant site of history and heritage that is worthwhile to visit in Phu Quoc. I walked from my hotel to the prison in my first day there.
Many bloggers recommend a host of things to do in Phu Quoc and I will share my two pennies here. I have ruled out activities that appeal to families and young children, such as the Vinpearl Safari Phu Quoc; as well as gimmicky touristy things like the Kiss Bridge (but I did have coffee at Sunset Town).
I did not think I would enjoy the night market scene either, so I also did not visit the Cho Dem Phu Quoc Market. If you do plan on visiting the Cho Dem Phu Quoc Market, there is a whole lot of information online for navigating the food scene alone.
I was very interested in hiking in the national parks, but guided tours were few, and I learned that a popular trail was changed due to some construction plans. Out of safety concerns I did not do any hiking on my own.
In terms of religious and heritage sites, the Ho Quoc Pagoda is known for sunrise viewing, since it is on the eastern seaside. I found this temple to be a bit too “new” as a religious venue, so I did not pay a visit there.
These are the things that I opted to do:
I visited the Coconut Tree Prison, which tells stories of hatred and torture that sprang from the ideological battles of the 20th century in Vietnam. I went to Khem Beach countless times. For the ocean, I did a one-day island-hopping tour. There was a very touristy “ocean walk.”
For more ocean still, I visited the fishing village of Rach Vem and from there the fishing boats took me to the Starfish Beach. I had to hire a car for the whole day there, as Rach Vem is in the far north of the island, as such I also visited the Hai Duong Pepper Farm. My touring of that part of the island ended in a brief visit at the Dinh Cau Temple, which is perhaps “old” enough as a heritage site for me.
Phu Quoc is famous for its pearls, so I did visit a pearl vendor and bought some pricy jewelry.
Needless to say, Vietnamese food is the staple in the island. Seafood is good, especially done in the Vietnamese style, but it is not exactly cheap anywhere. There are many options for more adventurous cuisines. I had a pizza lunch and it was beyond satisfying. A food entry is forthcoming, as always.
These two items should be taken care of upon your arrival at the airport. Be connected before you head out to the island. A SIM with unlimited data costs 185,000 ₫ and the staff will change your SIM for you right there. Likewise with exchanging DONG. I prefer bringing USD with me anywhere for money exchange. Once you are in the island, it is a hassle to have to look for money exchange vendors, and the rates likely won’t be much better either.
In my resort town there was an ATM, where I successfully withdrew cash in the local currency with my U.S. credit card. But ALL of my Hong Kong cards, credit or debit, did not work.
The only point of frustration that I had with Phu Quoc was the long wait at the immigration checkpoints at the airport, and it was a major frustration. Phu Quoc is notorious in that department. Allow for at least one hour of a wait to exit the airport on your arrival.
For departure, you had better allow for 3-3.5 hours to navigate the incredibly chaotic check-in counters at the airport. In fact, my flight out of Phu Quoc was delayed simply because the passengers didn’t manage to get through the check-in on time for departure.
Now, I have been to Vietnam five times by now and I have never had the occasion where people approach me to suggest slipping in a little money to shorten the wait at immigration. Apparently, that practice remains today, and depending on whether someone approaches you at the airport, a US $20 bill will get you through much faster. I can’t speak on this because I have never had such personal experience, but even if I were approached, I would rather wait an hour.
As with all of Vietnam, Grab is the go-to ride-calling app. You would have to tie your credit card with Grab, but the great thing is that it is fully bilingual now. It is a good idea to get it set up before your trip.
I was all set, and looked forward to getting pampered in Phu Quoc, the prosperous land.
The Old Wan Chai Post Office is the oldest surviving post office in Hong Kong. Built circa 1913, the Old Wan Chai Post Office served its original purpose since 1915 for 77 years, until 1992. Thereafter, it served as the resource center for the Environmental …
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority Information Centre Exhibition really is a lesser-known thing in Hong Kong. It has been there since 2003 and I had never known about it. I went for a look a couple days ago and enjoyed myself thoroughly. The Hong Kong …
Australia’s aboriginal art features distinctive and unique elements that are full of unspoken meanings. They convey the contemporary reinterpretations of the native worldview.
I visited an art gallery, Yubu Napa, in Alice Springs. This gallery features all kinds of aboriginal themed handicrafts, besides the display of finished and yet-to-be-finished artwork.
The first impression of the art there is the prolific engagement of dots in the paintings. As a collective these dots seem to convey motion, fluidity and the enormous possibilities in the living universe. I seemed to sense the dialogue behind these paintings, as art that brings forth the tensions between the identity of being an aboriginal artist and the commitment to contemporary notions of aesthetic creativity.
I have learned previously that the aboriginal art at the Outback serve both expressive and pragmatic purposes that concern survival. The feeling I got from viewing the aboriginal art of today is that the expressive elements are primarily vehicles for artistic exploration and emotional engagement.
While some of the symbolisms may be traced to their traditional usage and meanings in aboriginal art, the patterns and compositions together show the conscious breakaway from the aims with which the aborigines painted in the wild. The aboriginal art here takes the fundamental meanings in aboriginal worldviews and render them in what, to my untrained eye, seemed to be abstract manners.
Photo: There are standard representations of nature in aboriginal art. The feathers above show respectively the male bird (left) and the female bird (right).
The art being featured in an art gallery, they certainly come with a commercial dimension in the creative endeavor. They are done by artists that had proper training in schools, and so the techniques are markedly more sophisticated than the ones we saw at the cultural center in Uluru. The work-in-progress (photographs forbidden) that sit at the studio area are telling as well, as they reveal a given artist’s working thesis.
This following is a snapshot of the beautiful art that I saw at the Yubu Napa.
Compare this to the ones on display at the Cultural Center in Uluru:
The address of Yubu Napa is 65 Hartley St, Alice Springs NT 0870, Australia.
There are half-day tours that take you around the historical, cultural and natural sites in Alice Springs. I opted to keep things simple after three days of intense tours in the Outback. In the morning of my day of departure, I walked from my hotel …