Phu Quoc dubbed "Maldives of Vietnam"

A corner of the paradise-like Kem Beach in Phu Quoc.

Hanoi (VNA)- Kim Ji-won, a correspondent from the Republic of Korea (RoK)'s largest mainstream newspaper, the Chosun Ilbo, recently praised Phu Quoc island off the coast ofthe Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang as a destination that satisfiesall five senses.

Embarking on a 3-day, 2-night excursion to the island in February, Kim shared her impressions of the getaway in an article published in the daily onApril 9.

Theauthor said it has been a while since she took a red-eye flight. After sixhours in the air, she arrived in Phu Quoc when it was still pitch dark. Therewas no time to feel the excitement of setting foot on a new land, she wentstraight to the hotel and climbed into bed. She could not imagine that a fewhours later, she would wake up to the beautiful sunrise. The sparkling sunlightreflected on the emerald blue sea made she feel like she was still dreaming.

Accordingto her, there is no doubt that Phu Quoc is the most attractive destination inSoutheast Asia for Korean tourists since the COVID-19 pandemic. It took over 10years for the place – an island known simply for pepper cultivation and fishsauce production – to become the "Maldives of Vietnam".

The island still boasts pristine and refreshing natural landscapes, with overhalf of its area designated as a UNESCO biosphere reserve. Kim said she isimpressed by its southern area, which is being heavily invested in anddeveloped by the Sun Group and where visitors can enjoy their vacation onbeautiful beaches or embark on adventurous activities at a giant amusementpark.

Kem Beach - The first impression of Phu Quoc

Despitenot having slept for long and feeling disoriented from the long flight, Kimsaid she still manages to get out of bed to head to the balcony, captivated bythe sun rising over the horizon. She quickly put on a thin jacket and headed toKem Beach in front of the hotel, which is considered the only beach in theisland with white, soft sand, resembling cream, hence its name – Kem Beach.

The story went on describing the moment she took off her sandals and slowlywalked on the soft, smooth "cream sand". According to her, it wasrefreshing to feel the fine sand between her toes, with the waves crashing likefrothy cappuccino. After about a 10-minute walk, the pink sky and sea graduallyregained their original blue colour. Tourists flocked to the beach to enjoy thewarm morning sun. The tranquil beach quickly became lively.

Mostflights from the RoK to Phu Quoc arrive at around 5 or 6 in the morning.Therefore, there is usually more than half a day before check-in time at thehotel. Kim suggested visitors staying in a hotel in the southern part start theirjourney at Kem Beach.

Inher view, just 20 minutes from the airport to the hotel, a tourist can immerse himselfin the clear seawater, the soft sand between his toes and the refreshing seabreeze. Phu Quoc will leave him with the first impression of an experience thatsatisfies all five senses.

The Sunset Town, which reminds the reporter of the colourful Cinque Terre in Italy.

European-style "town" by the seasidewith million-dollar views

Accordingto Kim, visiting Sunset town, located in the heart of southern Phu Quoc, tourists will surely be amazed because they may feel lost in a Mediterranean seaside townrather than Vietnam. The perfect design of ancient European buildings isrecreated, from faded yellow walls and orange tiled roofs to arched windows. Atfirst glance, the colourful buildings lining the coastline might remind them ofthe famous Italian coastal town of Cinque Terre.

Sherecommended not to stop too long to snap photos in the colourful alleys ofSunset Town because the highlight of the Phu Quoc trip is still ahead. Passingthrough a building resembling the Roman Colosseum, visitors will reach the cable carstation leading to Hon Thom.

Witha length of about 8 kilometres, it is recognised by Guinness as the longest3-rope cable car in the world. Visitors will be amazed on the cable car byincredible views of the blue sea and the entire Sunset Town.

Twenty minutes on the cable car to Hon Thom goes by in the blink of an eye as they admire the ever-changing scenery below their feet. Especially, only from thecable car can they see the panoramic view of the fishing village where fishermenlive and countless boats floating on the sea.

The sea-view cable car to Hon Thom.

Entertainment paradise to beat the summer heat

HonThom is a completely different world, she said. The entire island is asuper-real amusement park. The round-trip cable car ticket is 650,000 VND (25.55USD) per adult, including the entrance fee to the theme park and the water parkon the island.

Tohelp her deal with the scorching Southeast Asian sun, Kim said a guide leadsher to the high-speed roller coaster area. While she hesitated due to the soundof the wooden rail creaking and the screams of the people on the previous ride,the safety bar was lowered.  She said she does not remember clearly what happened two minutes later, but her sweat flowingdown her back gradually cooled down, her arms got goosebumps and shesuccessfully cooled off.

The high-speed roller coaster "Moc xa thinh no" (the anger of the wooden snake) at Sun World Hon Thom.

Tobeat the heat even more, she suggested jumping into the wave pool at the waterpark. The biggest advantage is that visitors can take many different water slideswithout waiting in line. If they are in the RoK during peak seasons, they mayhave to wait more than an hour.

Notonly the water park, but the island also offers activities on the beach.Canoeing about 5 minutes from the beach, visitors will reach the "walking underthe sea" experience centre at Eco Beach Club.

Afterputting on a helmet resembling that of astronauts, they can walk on the oceanfloor as if walking on land and witness the colourful marine ecosystem andcorals.

Walking under the sea with an astronaut-like helmet is an experience not to be missed when visiting Hon Thom.

Sheshared her experience of ringing ears and interrupted breathing for a moment becauseof the water pressure. Then a school of hundreds of fish passed before hereyes. Suddenly, someone tapped her shoulder, and when she turned back, theguide put something on her hand. It was a live starfish covered in a pinkshell.

Love under the sunset

Latein the afternoon, Kim said she took a cable car from Hon Thom back to thetown. Gazing silently at the town in the twilight, she immediately understoodwhy it was named "Sunset Town". She reached the "KissBridge" before the sun completely set.

Designedby the Italian architect Marco Casamonti, the bridge has a unique concept. Itstwo branches, each 400 metres long, face each other but are separated by onlyabout 30 centimetres. This might be considered a real-life version of theOjakgyo Bridge in the "Gyunwoo and Jiknyeo" fairy tale (one of themost famous fairy tales in the RoK, similar to the story of “Ong Ngau - Ba Ngau”in Vietnam).

Accordingto Kim, when the red sun began to set on the horizon, each couple held handsand walked around the bridge. They positioned themselves at the two ends of thebridge to create romantic moments in the backdrop of the twilight sky.

Whenthey leaned over the railing and moved closer to the face of their loved onestanding on the other side, the crowd cheered excitedly. The silhouettes of thetwo lovers finally touching each other were like a scene from a Woody Allenmovie.

Kiss Bridge exudes romantic charm like a scene from a movie.

WhileKim was mesmerised by the romantic sunset scene, she started to hear music fromsomewhere. A parade of jet skis carrying the Vietnamese flag appeared, cuttingthrough the waves. She was excited, watching them move freely across the sea atastonishing speeds. The "Love Hurricane" show takes place daily atsunset.

Afterthe young men on the jet skis held torches and divided the water to form aheart shape, an athlete shot up from under the Kiss Bridge.

Theyhovered on a jet board at a height of 5 to 6 metres, then somersaulted manytimes for an amazing show, making visitors reminisce about Cirque du Soleil.

The world's top athletes perform the show "Love Hurricane" at sunset at the Kiss Bridge.

Themoment the sun completely set was when visitors gathered at a destination afterdinner. That place is the Infinity Theatre, modelled after the architecture ofthe Roman Colosseum.

Whenall 5,000 spectators were seated, the "Kiss of the Sea" show began onthe stage set upon the sea. Multimedia effects, lasers and water music narrateda futuristic story of "love forged through struggle". The grand fireworksdisplay immediately after the main show was the highlight. Adults and childrenalike gasped in awe at the colourful fireworks adorning the night sky.

The nightly fireworks art show at Sunset Town dazzles spectators with its explosive brilliance.

Evenafter the final fireworks lit up the sky, people were still reluctant to leave.Thousands of stars embroidered the dark canvas of the sky. Kim noted at thatmoment she knew, the journey to experience Phu Quoc had officially begun./.

VNA