Phu Quoc Island, "I have found paradise here"

Indochinavalue: If you are looking for tranquil and beautiful beaches, Bai Sao and Bai Dai (Star and Long) on Phu Quoc Island off Kien Giang Province are ideal destinations.

Bai Sao, located south of Phu Quoc, is 25 kilometers from Duong Dong Town. However, locals call the route to the beach ‘miserable’ due to heavy dust and its rugged surface so if you are on a motorbike you have to wear a mask and sunglasses.

However, the beach is worth the dusty 30-minute journey as it boasts an immense and peaceful space.

The seven-kilometer long beach is in the shape of a sickle with soft sand and pure green water. Tourists might think that God poured tons of white powder or ice-cream instead of sand on Sao Beach to make it that soft. Tourists can find entertainment activities like jet-ski priced at VND450,000, VND850,000 and VND1.3 million for 10 minutes, 20 minutes and 30 minutes respectively and a jetboat (canoe) or snorkeling at VND2 million (around US$100).

“I have found paradise here,” said Anissa, a traveler from Belgium who was on a first trip to Vietnam and spent three hours on the beach to get a nice tan.

Tourists just have to taste the fresh local seafood, including coi bien mai (bien mai shellfish) or ghe (small crab) and then take a cup or a bowl of tau hu (sweet tofu with brown sugar cereal and ginger in Vietnamese style) from beach vendors to keep the stomach warm.

In contrast to Sao Beach which has all the tourist facilities, Dai Beach in the north of the island is ideal for those who love to be on their own with no-one around to bother them.

If Sao Beach’s appeal is the white sand, Dai Beach’s lure is its yellow soft sand. It is named Long Beach as it stretches 15 km along the northwestern coastline of Phu Quoc from Ganh Dau Cape to Cua Can.

People should rent a motorbike priced from US$5 to US$7 and head to the north of the island and stop where you like and go for a swim, breathe in the fresh air or simply admire colorful fishing boats close to the beach.

Or you can rent a boat priced at VND300,000 to reach the small islet named Doi Moi, which is 800 meters from the beach, to see the coral, go fishing or lie on the 50 meter sand to relax and put headphones on to listen to some of your favorite songs.

Tourists might think that this is a Robinson Crusoe moment. In 2008 Bai Dai was voted the world’s most beautiful wild beach by the website www.Concierge.com majoring in travel and hotels of Australia.

Tourists are advised to visit the beaches between October and March to avoid rain, strong winds and high waves.

And the most important thing to do is to remember a tube of mosquito repellent to protect yourself from the little insects who love to prey on visitors’ skin.