The Slow Life On Phu Quoc Island

  If you happened to find out about Phu Quoc Island through its Aquatopia water slides, Sun World Hon Thom National Park’s vertiginous cable...

 If you happened to find out about Phu Quoc Island through its Aquatopia water slides, Sun World Hon Thom National Park’s vertiginous cable cars, or the Vinpearl Safari Park, you might be reassured to know that the slow life still exists on this paradise island.

As the​​ world’s longest non-stop cable car glides out of the station to Sun World Hon Thom National Park, beginning its journey of almost 8km, you get to see Phu Quoc in its contradictory modern incarnation. Ahead are lush green islands with pristine white beaches. Below are fishing boats moored for the afternoon. But behind are the colorful newly-completed Mediterranean constructions of Sun Premier Village Primavera, Sun Grand City Hillside Residences, and the shophouses of Taomina: Central Village clinging to the hillside. 

Phu Quoc Island Is A New Star Of Tourism 

Phu Quoc Island is a place grasping its moment in the spotlight. At the start of the year, Travel + Leisure described Phu Quoc as “one of the new stars of Vietnam’s tourism” and “an enchanting place.” And at the end of 2022, at the World Travel Awards, Phu Quoc was named the world’s leading nature tourism destination.

See also: 6 Reasons to Visit Phu Quoc Island

Part of its newsworthiness comes from Phu Quoc’s increased accessibility. More people than ever have an interest in Phu Quoc due to direct access to Vietnam’s ‘Pearl Island.’ Last year VietJet began direct flights from Delhi and Mumbai, adding to existing direct flights to Phu Quoc from Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and Seoul. 

Additionally, Phu Quoc has been recognized as Vietnam’s first island city. And, not counting tourist numbers, by 2030, it’s estimated that the population of Phu Quoc Island will grow by three times, to over 500,000 residents. Debate continues about how to preserve the natural beauty of the island in the face of development, with, for example, plans proposed to employ only renewable energy. 

Resorts On Phu Quoc Island Where Time Stands Still

Despite the acclaim and the accessibility, Phu Quoc Island’s contradictions continue – for example, over half of Phu Quoc Island has been designated as a protected UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 2006. And the island remains a rural idyll that produces world-renowned fish sauce, spices like pepper, and pearls. 

So, to discover a different pace of life, far removed from the water parks and cable cars, you don’t need to venture to undiscovered parts of Phu Quoc Island. 

Even on the developed west coast of Phu Quoc, at beaches like Ba Keo, it’s possible to find places where time seems to stand still. The Phu Quoc resort Cassia Cottage is a good example. Back up the hill, Tran Hung Dao Street bustles with hop-on hop-off tourist buggies, and motorbikes and taxis, and lines of seafood restaurants light up their BBQs in preparation for another busy night. But at Cassia Cottage, ensconced in lush greenery, the sea lazily laps the shore of this Phu Quoc beachfront resort, and the winding stream that the spice-trader owner built the resort beside still gurgles contentedly. And the well in the center of the resort still hydrates its guests with fresh drinking water. 

While experts and the government discuss ways to preserve Phu Quoc Island’s future, resorts like Cassia Cottage continue to develop their commitment to the environment with solar heating, locally-sourced products, and natural approaches to sustaining the verdant gardens that avoid the use of chemicals.

Despite its proximity to Duong Dong Town, the most densely populated part of the island, with its busy night market – which is less than ten minutes drive away – Cassia Cottage is a cinnamon-scented refuge where life hasn’t changed much since it was built in 1998. It’s further proof that the slow life still exists on Phu Quoc Island, just as it always did. 

See Also: Phu Quoc Fish Sauce Factory