Just off the coast of Vietnam in the east of Asia is a beautiful little island that has a lot to offer travellers. Things have started to look up in the UK weather-wise, as the sun comes out and spring is well underway. But if this is still not warm enough for you, Phu Quoc may be the place to visit. The Met Office says it was 32C there today, and predicts that temperatures could reach 33C later this week, with a minimum of 26C. The hottest it is forecast to get in London over the next several days is 19C tomorrow.
It could even slump to a low of 6C. The price of refreshments on the island is also an attraction. According to the travel site Nomads, beers in Phu Quoc (half a litre) cost $1.62, which is £1.23. Local brews include Saigon Beer, a well known Vietnamese brand, also known as Bia Saigon.
There’s also Hanoi Beer, and Bia Hoi to try.
Buying dinner on the island can also be friendly to your wallet, reportedly as cheap as $2.13, or £1.62.
The overall cost of living for a “nomad” is said to be around $1,098 per month, or £833, with hotels $361 (£274) a month and Airbnbs available for as little as $37 (£28) per night.
For people statying there long term, it is also a relatively rosey financial picture, with a one bedroom studio costing $648 (£491) a month in rent.
The cost of living for a family, Nomad says, is $2,312 (£1,753) a month.
Tripadvisor says that the island’s white sands and tropical waters “entice beachgoers from all over the globe”.
Visitors can enjoy snorkeling, scuba diving and fishing, which are the most popular water sports there.
Although, jet-skiing, wind sailing and squid fishing are also “at your holiday-making fingertips”.
In addition, experts suggest checking out the early-morning Duong Dong Market for “an authentic local experience”.
Some are not very keen on Phu Quoc, however. One person wrote: “If I was going to Vietnam for two weeks, this would be the last place I would go.
“We went in 2016 and at that time we stayed up by Cua Can on the north west corner of the island in a small fishing village and motorcycled the entire island.
“It does have some nice beaches on the island but there are far nicer places to see in Vietnam.”
A different person wrote that, although their visit was “pleasant enough”, the island has been “massively over developed without a thought for whether there are the visitor numbers to support it”.
They added: “We were shocked by how quiet it was, especially the the beach front restaurants – night life was also non-existent. There were many half-built skeleton hotels and to be honest, it felt a lot like travelling during Covid.
“The beaches are ok, but there’s a lot of rubbish – it depends what you’re looking for, but I would take Phuket or anywhere else in Thailand every time.”