Existing Member?

Every Journey Counts Working with a charity and taking a look around. Just enjoying meeting people and living a different way of life with new challenges.

Island Life

VIETNAM | Monday, 28 March 2011 | Views [1814]

First, there was Rabbit Island (Koh Tonsay).

I went there for my first weekend in Kampot. Taking a fishing boat from Kep (the village next to Kampot) it takes 45 mins for serene and blissful island life!

A beautiful beach, beach strolling monks, fresh crab to eat and coconut juice to drink.

That's about it for Koh Tonsay, you arrive relax and digest. Simples!

Then, there was Phu Quoc... or 'Koh Tral' to Cambodians.

Welcome to Phu Quoc, the island of fish sauce! (Phu Quoc is famous for making fish sauce) there were private beach resorts, white sand beaches and it is over 90% forest mainly because the soil is not rich enough to farm on.

Fisherwomen packing up at sunset after drying out the fish ready to prepare the fish sauce.

Two people, one moto and a lot of island to explore.

To visa or not to visa: Crossing the border from Cambodia to Vietnam wasn't as easy as we were led to believe. All the research I had done as to whether a visa is necessary for a short trip to Phu Quoc pointed to Yes! a visa is necessary, is $50 and takes a week to sort out! But there was still a small flash of hope from a tour guide who reassured us that this was not the case for 4 day trip, so long as we didn't go further eg. Ho Chi Minh City. After much inspection of my passport and reassuring the guard I would only be visiting for a short time and just to the border town etc. and returning in a few days, all was well and we were let in.

Fast or Slow: Can I recommend that when you get the boat to Phu Quoc that you take the slow three hour boat (it's half the price too) it's a comfortable ride. However, the port is further away from the main town and the road is unfinished and a very bumpy. The fast boat made me sick twice and I wasn't the only one, people were being sick all around me... lovely I know! It was a small cramped boat that bounces over the waves like a stomach churning rollercoaster ride, and two hours long!

Playing volleyball on the beach at sunset, bbq'd fish on the beach and cocktails! Pure luxury!

x

Tags: beaches, fish sauce, island, koh tonsay, koh tral, motorbike, phu quoc, vietnam border, visas, white sand

 

About gem_sky


Follow Me

Where I've been

Favourites

Photo Galleries

Highlights

My trip journals


See all my tags 


 

 

Travel Answers about Vietnam

Do you have a travel question? Ask other World Nomads.