ISLAND ADVENTURES # 1 - PHU QUOC

We have decided to go beyond the usual tourist destinations in Vietnam and take advantage of some of the cheap airfares to a couple of the islands – Phu Quoc in October and the much smaller Con Dao island in December. We were not to know, but while both holidays were packed with excitement and activity, the weather was not overly kind - Phu Quoc served up a severe storm that had friends packing and going back to

Saigon, but we persevered and even managed a significant motorbike ride amidst the worst of it! And Con Dao was punctuated by dark ominous clouds and verging on the "cold". Read on and click on videos below.

Map of southern Vietnam with Phu Quoc highlighted. Con Dao is south east of HCMC.
Click on maps to enlarge.

In October we flew to the large island of Phu Quoc south west of Saigon and near Cambodia (in fact Cambodia would say it was theirs). On the verge of being a part of the main tourist route Phu Quoc is rapidly changing. After a delayed flight we finally got to Cassia Cottage but not before having to drive through a road that had become a flowing creek. The rain had started to descend and it only really stopped intermittently over the next 4 days. This didn’t make for great swimming in the pool but the boys fell in love with the roar of the waves and found the courage to run in and out of the waves.

Undeterred and ever optimistic we hired a motorbike to tour the island. Packed with raincoats and enthusiasm off we ventured. The wind was strong but Andrew was sure it would ease as the day progressed – it got worse. The palm trees were no longer vertical and as the road further away from civilisation went from sealed to red mud the motorbike started to sway from side to side. We were forced to seek refuge in a local farmers hut to make a decision and see out the worst of it. Eventually we decided to keep going as the rain had stiopped and Andrew assured the family that once we stopped going south and turned to get to the other side of the island all would be blissfully peaceful.

It was a difficult ride and certainly an adventure with a quick stop at one of the pearl farms and a pair of earrings for Jaom! – why couldn’t Andrew have seen that one coming! Eventually the road turned away and stopped following the west coast and the difference was stark. The high winds were absorbed by the forest and the air was still and humid. The roads were still muddy and unsealed but at least we did not have to contend with extra variables. We finally made it to one of the beaches on the other side of the island where the water was so calm you could have water-skied. A nice place to relax and swim (and entertain the locals with our blonde haired boys). It was getting late and the rain was starting again. The journey was now through the hills of Phu Quoc and heading for town, Hamish was asleep between Jaom and Andrew and Flynn was beginning to nod in front.

We finally made it to the Buddy cafe wet and feeling cold. Hot drinks and ice-cream before going back exhausted to our resort where we discovered that we had missed a major storm that had come through and had blown all sorts of things down and away. Wow.

The rest of our time was spent at the beach in front of the resort or checking out Mango Bay further north with its own private beach – very nice. It was terrific travelling through small fishing villages, seeing house son stilts and the boats going off to fish. Or walking through the local market trying to find the famous Phu Quoc pepper. The boys are now good travellers and cope well with the attention and have learnt to brush it off. And Jaom and Andrew started to practise a little more of our Vietnamese which brings a smile to people’s faces – not sure if in recognition of our attempts or simply that our attempts are so poor!

Despite the weather we ended up having an adventurous holiday – not one of relaxing by the pool but certainly one filled with many stories and good times.