“You cannot discover new oceans until you have the courage to leave sight of the shore.”
I had asked the hotel in Phu Quoc for airport transfer. The English-speaking driver was quite voluble, explaining places to visit while in the Island and the tours he could take me on. According to him, the inauguration of the international airport about 12 years ago kindled tourism in the island. Indians, Chinese and Koreans make up most of the tourists to Phu Quoc, he said.
He mentioned that Koreans come to Phu Quoc for massage because they love it and it's cheaper in the island than in South Korea. He said that many of them set up businesses in Phu Quoc employing local labour. After that nugget of information, I started noticing many enterprises purely Korean like fashion stores, restaurants, etc.
As luck would have it, the minute I checked into the hotel in Phu Quoc and got ready for a long walk, the skies opened up such that I could not leave the room for about 15 minutes. Undeterred, I ventured out with an umbrella sought from the hotel. Fortune favours the bold, as it did me, during the walk. The heavens became kinder and sent me bright sunshine accompanied by blue skies in a while, permitting me to rest the umbrella. I walked all the way to the Phu Quoc night market and back soaking up, literally, the sights along the way.
I kept to the main road, the Duong Tran Hung Dao, with numerous sea facing resorts to my right and malls, cafes, restaurants and shopping experiences to my left. The prominent resorts I went past were the Sea Star resort, Angry Crab resort, Orange resort, L'Azure resort, Saigon Phu Quoc resort and the Seashells Phu Quoc Hotel resort. The last named is probably the biggest and the locationally best placed among all of them. It is shaped like a massive cruise vessel.
Beyond the Seashells resort is the public Phu Quoc beach, which was not very busy at the time of my visit, considering that the rain had eased just an hour ago. However, the bright sunshine gave the place and extra sheen. Just past that I came to the Dinh Cau Temple, which is not only a famous spiritual site in Phu Quoc but also a long-standing cultural symbol deeply tied to the island's fishing communities.
Perched on a rocky cape where the river meets the sea, it also offers one of the island's most breathtaking sunset views. The Dinh Cau Temple offers a calm atmosphere, where the waves crash against the rocks and the lighthouse beside it shines brightly. Recognized as a provincial relic in 2012, the temple stands as a powerful symbol of spiritual heritage in Phu Quoc.
A short distance away is the awesomely colorful Dinh Ba Thuy Long Thánh Mau, which is a beautiful and popular Vietnamese temple, just off the beach and the lighthouse of Phu Quoc city. This "female" temple (Dinh Ba) is dedicated to pray for the safety of the fisherfolk of the area, as this was the main activity in the island in the years gone by.
It was especially interesting to note that the idols on the altars were Chinese character representations of the deity's name. I was transfixed by the beautiful, engraved floor tiles! Of particular interest to me was the "fortune sticks", numbered 1 to 100, in the bamboo holders. I saw a lady worshipper shake them until a numbered stick fell out. She then read her 'fortune' written on the stick; she didn't seem greatly pleased by what she read!
The sheltered fishing harbor has an entertainment corniche where parties and programs are held. It is indeed a beautiful place to hang out, feel the wispy sea breeze on your body and relax. Walking around there, looking for some shop to buy a sim card, I chances upon a small eatery where I ordered a portion of chicken fried rice. The huge portion, served with chicken broth, overawed me. I patiently went through most of the delicious fried rice, sipping on a can of Heineken beer.
By the time I finished the meal, the famed night market of Phu Quoc started coming to life. This vibrant night market is full of energy and excitement. It offers a wide variety of food stalls, souvenir shops, restaurants, and retail. It’s the perfect place to spend an enjoyable evening strolling around, savoring delicious bites, sipping on drinks, and picking up bargains. It would not be wrong to say that the night market has something for everyone. If you want to see the aggregation of the tourists in Phu Quoc, the night market is the place to be.
On the walk back to the hotel, after a while, I lost count of the number of Indian restaurants that were soliciting customers. The restaurants started getting busy a bit after 7 pm. The numerous reflexology and massage centers were doing brisk business too. I had had a rather long day, and my legs would carry me no further. So back to the hotel room I retreated to after exchanging currency and buying a sim card.
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