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Phú Quý Island: the new destination for beach lovers

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by Văn Châu

Phú Quý Island in Bình Thuận Province is still very quiet, calm, undeveloped and off the beaten path. VNS Photo Văn Châu

If you are a lover of beautiful beaches and are too familiar with famous ones in Phú Quốc Island, Cam Ranh Bay or Đà Nẵng, and are looking for beaches that still retain their wild and idyllic beauty, then do not miss Phú Qúy Island in the southern central province of Bình Thuận.

As Phú Qúy is quite far out, situated about 120km off Phan Thiết City, it has that remote, wild allure. At the moment, it’s mostly young Vietnamese travellers who visit. So this is an up-and-coming destination that’s worth visiting while it remains rather undiscovered.

The small island (16−18sq.km) is home to approximately 30,000 people. That’s why it remains quite untouched by commercial tourism, so it’s less developed than other islands around the country. But it has good accommodations such as some affordable small guesthouses and homestays, abundant seafood and friendly locals.

Other reasons to visit include stunning seascapes, remote natural beauty, and rustic charm. Think big bays, volcanic-rock cliffs, crystal-clear waters, sacred sites, flourishing orchards and primeval forests. Hikers and snorkelers will be in heaven here, as there are viewpoints to climb to and coral reefs to explore. Read on to discover what to eat and do on the island.

Although much of Phú Quý Island’s coastline is rocky, the water quality is some of the best in Việt Nam. VNS Photo Văn Châu

In recent years, Phú Quý Island has become a more popular destination on the travel list.

Tourists have learned about Phú Quý only over the last two years, due to its location. The numbers of travellers remain at a high number, and are mostly backpackers.

During the Reunification Day holidays (April 29 to May 3) of this year, Phú Quý welcomed about 10,000 tourists, a third of the island’s population. In the whole year of 2022, the number of visitors to Phú Quý was about 93,000 people, the highest ever.

Nguyễn Thị Tú, who is from Phú Quý and works in HCM City, said: “After more than three years of not returning to my hometown, on this holiday I went back and I was very surprised by the thousands of tourists there.”

“The restaurants on the island are all overcrowded, and the roads are many times busier than before. Hundreds of colourful rental motorbikes move on the island. I was so surprised at this change,” she said.

Huỳnh Văn Mão, owner of a local restaurant, said: “When I first opened the restaurant, the customers were mainly locals. Since the COVID-19 pandemic has been controlled, Phú Quý tourism has developed rapidly. My restaurant has doubled its tables to 50, serving about 300 guests, but during national holidays, there are still not enough tables for guests.”

Attraction of untouched beauty

Nguyễn Văn Linh, deputy director of the Phú Quý Island Tourism Cooperative, said: “After the COVID-19 epidemic was under control, the travel trend changed. Tourists now tend to go to beaches that still retain their wild features rather than travelling in famous cities like Phú Quốc, Nha Trang or Đà Nẵng.”

Bãi Nhỏ is a strikingly beautiful beach accessed via a steep path just below Phú Quý Flagpole. VNS Photo Văn Châu

If you travel in Phú Quý, you should not miss attractive landmarks like Gành Hang Cliff, Triều Dương Bay, Linh Quang Pagoda, Phú Quý Flagpole, Phú Quý Lighthouse, Mộ Thầy Temple, Bãi Nhỏ Beach and more.

Surrounded by the deep blue ocean, the most distinctive characteristic of Phú Quý Island is the gorgeous beaches and bays. The water there is the best and clearest among the many islands of Việt Nam.

Bãi Nhỏ Beach and Gành Hang are in the southwest of the island and can be accessed via a steep and grassy path from the main road. In the shadow of the Phú Quý Flagpole, Bãi Nhỏ Beach looks like a slice of black rock and white sand with bright-blue water. This spot is not suitable for swimming but it’s a good idea to hike along the rugged cliffs that stretch on both sides of the beach.

Gành Hang is one of the most beautiful beaches of Phú Quý with a crescent shape hemmed in by rock outcroppings. The beach is small but very good for swimming. The sea here is blue year round. This is an ideal place for tourists who want to immerse themselves in nature.

There is a large cliff facing the sea, creating a majestic scenery.

Triều Dương Bay is another good place for swimming spot where you can spend a whole day. It boasts a long, wide stretch of white sand beach with casuarina forests in the background. Their shade is perfect for indulging at a lazy, peaceful picnic.

Snorkeling in coral reefs is an unforgettable experience in Phú Quý. VNS Photo Văn Châu

To enjoy more sparkling seas and soft sands, take a boat trip to some of the small islets around Phú Quý [which consists of more than 10 islets]. These include Hòn Tranh, Hòn Den, and Hòn Hai. For an all-round memorable ‘sea experience’, get your host to arrange a tour where you catch fish to eat on a raft house for lunch.

At 106m above sea level, the sacred mountain top of Cao Cát is one of the highest spots on the island. Over time, the volcanic rocks have eroded to form deep grooves featuring visually arresting horizontal lines. Climb to the top to see why it’s dubbed, “the Grand Canyon of Việt Nam”.

This is also the location of the Linh Sơn Pagoda, a monastery boasting a particularly majestic statue of Buddha. People often go on a pilgrimage here to pray for peace. But there are plenty of benches and lookout points for simply enjoying an epic sunset.

Another stunning vantage point is from the lighthouse at the foot of Cấm Mountain west of the port. Climb the stairs to enjoy the kind of sweeping views that make you marvel at the vastness of this beautiful world. Entry is free. But be sure to leave a donation to contribute to the upkeep of this attractive landmark.

Delicious seafood

Phú Quý is a seafood paradise. VNS Photo Văn Châu

Going to the island, the famous dish that no one can ignore is seafood. Seafood on Phú Quý Island includes the famous ‘moon’ crab, which is very tasty with fragrant meat. Some other delicious dishes to try are king crab, grouper, red grouper, and snail salad, so if you are seafood lover, come here and you will find the best ones in Việt Nam.

The most famous dining option in Phú Quý is fresh, delicious and affordable seafood straight from the ocean. Sea cucumbers and crabs are among the most popular seafood on the island.

Tourists can find informal local seafood restaurants set around the island. Trần Hưng Đạo Street in Tam Thanh Commune is the gathering point of bigger restaurants. Another option for seafood is floating restaurants clustered just offshore at Bai Phu Bay. These places are set up on open-air terraces and offer a relaxing atmosphere.

Phú Quý’s street food may not be varied but has still a decent selection. Street food vendors can be seen along the main streets, but the busiest places are Võ Văn Kiệt Street in Tam Thanh Commune and around Long Hải market.

The most popular street foods here are savoury pancakes filled with freshly caught shrimp and pork, fresh spring rolls filled with herbs, fish cake and pork, rice vermicelli with fried tofu and shrimp dipping sauce. VNS

Get to Phú Quý Island

The only way to go to Phú Quý is by speed boat. So you need to get to the port in Phan Thiết to catch a boat to the island. Depending on the type of boat, the journey will take 2.5 to 3.5 hours.

There’s no airport in Bình Thuận Province. However, the nearest airports to Phan Thiết are from Cam Ranh Airport (about 195km), and Tân Sơn Nhất Airport in HCM City (about 210km).

The option of flying to Tân Sơn Nhất Airport then continuing the journey to Phan Thiết is most popular among backpackers because there are plenty of buses and trains operating the route between HCM City and Phan Thiết.

It will take about two to three hours to get to Phan Thiết by bus or train from HCM City or Cam Ranh City.

Travellers prone to seasickness are advised to take motion-sickness medication beforehand. On the island, you can rent a bicycle or motorbike with a cost of only about VNĐ150,000-200,000 (US$6.5-8.5) per day.

The best time of the year to explore Phú Quý is during the dry season, between December and June. But the ideal swimming months are March through April, when the seas are calm.

On the island, there are currently no resorts or high-class hotels. It’s only motels, inns and hotels.

For regular days, you can comfortably book a hostel or homestay. But if you come here on public holiday seasons, you should book in advance. Also, staying in a homestay is the most interesting option, and will bring you close to local people and you will learn a lot.

The price of hotels and motels on the island is from VNĐ100,00 to 800,000 (US$4.3 to 34) per day. 

Source: http://ovietnam.vn/travel/phu-quy-islandthe-new-destination-for-beach-lovers_344385.html

Travel

Vietnam among top three attractive destinations for RoK visitors

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Vietnam is among the top three most favourite tourist destinations for Korean visitors in Asia, according to statistics from KB Kookmin Card of the Republic of Korea (RoK).

Vietnam among top three attractive destinations for RoK visitors hinh anh 1Vietnam among top three attractive destinations for RoK visitors. – Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)

Seoul – Vietnam is among the top three most favourite tourist destinations for Korean visitors in Asia, according to statistics from KB Kookmin Card
of the Republic of Korea (RoK).

Korean
tourists have spent money on travel abroad as soon as COVID-19 prevention measures being lifted.

Data
from to KB Kookmin Card  in January 1 – May 15 showed that in Asia, Taiwan (China), Vietnam, Japan and Thailand
are particularly popular destinations for Korean tourists with the growth rates
of 319%, 227%, 193% and 172% , respectively.

Vietnam among top three attractive destinations for RoK visitors hinh anh 2Korean passengers wait for check-in for a flight to Phu Quoc Island (Vietnam)at Incheon International Airport in Seoul (Photo: VNA)

Japan
and Vietnam – the two countries chosen by Korean tourists to visit the most,
still show their attractiveness, with increases of 222% and 163% respectively.

The number of air tickets to Vietnam booked by Korean tourists accounted for
12% of the total of air tickets for outbound tours, just after Japan with 52%.

According to KB Kookmin Card , the booking rate of air
tickets by Korean holiday-makers increased in all regions, with the highest
growth recorded for Asia with a year-on-year surge of 192%.

Travel agencies, airlines, and duty-free shops in the RoK witnessed
respective revenue surges of 409%, 150% and 88% compared to the same period last
year./.

Source: https://en.vietnamplus.vn/vietnam-among-top-three-attractive-destinations-for-rok-visitors/253857.vnp

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Foreign visitors to Vietnam surge over 12-fold year on year

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Vietnam welcomed nearly 4.6 million international arrivals in the first five months of this year, soaring 12.6-fold from the same period last year, the General Statistics Office said on May 29.

Of the international arrivals, 88% came to the country by air, 10.9% by road, and 1.1% by sea.

Revenue from tourism services went up 89% while earnings from accommodation and restaurant services rose 22%, the General Statistics Office said, attributing the increases partly to many holidays during the five months.

Recently, Vietnamese tourism has continually been honoured by foreign media, helping enhance its attractiveness to international travellers.

Notably, Cat Ba of Hai Phong city has been given the second place among the 10 most spectacular beaches in Asia by Microsoft Travel; Ninh Binh province named among the world’s top 10 best hidden family vacation spots to visit in 2023 by Canada’s The Travel magazine./.

Source: https://en.vietnamplus.vn/foreign-visitors-to-vietnam-surge-over-12fold-year-on-year/253872.vnp

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Việt Nam received 4.6 million foreign visitors in first five months, over half the year’s target

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Foreign tourists visiting the ancient town of Hội An in the central province of Quảng Nam. — VNA/VNS Photo Trịnh Bang Nhiệm

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam welcomed nearly 4.6 million international arrivals in the first five months of 2023, soaring 12.6-fold from the same period last year, according to the latest report from the General Statistics Office (GSO).

However, the number of foreign visitors in May fell 6.9 per cent from the previous month.

It should be noted that Việt Nam reopened its border and resumed international tourism activities from March 15, 2022.

The country aimed to receive five million foreign tourists in 2022, but only managed to draw in 3.66 million. Việt Nam set sight on eight million foreign tourists this year, but the target was made before China officially announced its reopening in early February and reallowed group tours to Việt Nam in mid-March.

Chinese tourists accounted for one-third of all international arrivals to Việt Nam in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic broke out.

The tourist arrivals figure for the first five months of 2023 is still only 63 per cent of the 2019 figure.

Of the international arrivals in the first five months, 88 per cent came to the country by air, 10.9 per cent by road, and 1.1 per cent by sea.

Most tourists to Việt Nam in the first five months are from Asia (3.4 million), Europe (621,000), and America (396,000).

171,000 visitors are from Oceania and 10,500 are from Africa, according to the GSO.

Regarding key markets, South Korea continues to have the most visitors coming to Việt Nam with over 1.3 million arrivals, followed by China (nearly 399,000), the United States (over 307,000), and China’s Taiwan (nearly 252,000).

Rounding up the top 10 markets are Thailand, Japan, Malaysia, Cambodia, Australia, and Singapore.

Revenue from tourism services went up 89.4 per cent while earnings from accommodation and restaurant services rose 22.1 per cent, the GSO said, attributing the increases partly to many holidays during the five months.

Recently, Vietnamese tourism has been featured by foreign media, helping enhance its attractiveness to international travellers.

Notably, Cát Bà Island of the northern port city of Hải Phòng was given second place among the 10 most spectacular beaches in Asia by Microsoft Travel, the northern province Ninh Bình was named among the world’s top 10 best hidden family vacation spots to visit in 2023 by Canada’s The Travel magazine, and the North-South, or Thống Nhất (Reunification), railway was listed as one of the world’s most amazing train journeys by the Australian version of renowned travel guide book publisher Lonely Planet.

Meanwhile, Vietnamese fried spring rolls (known as “nem rán” in the northern region and “chả giò” in the southern region) and summer rolls (“gỏi cuốn”) are on the list of 50 most popular appetizers in the world compiled by international food magazine Taste Atlas.

In May, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính signed off the Government’s Resolution No. 82/NQ-CP on the main tasks and measures for accelerating effective and sustainable tourism recovery and development. It specified many measures for developing tourism into a key economic sector so as to turn Việt Nam into one of the 30 countries with the highest tourism competitiveness. — VNS

Source: http://ovietnam.vn/travel/viet-nam-received-46-million-foreign-visitors-in-first-five-months-over-half-the-years-target_344703.html

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