Lonely Planet calls Phu Quoc the top beach destination of the decade

Coming to Phu Quoc to explore the southern part of the island, the editor of Lonely Planet - the world's leading travel guide, seemed to be 'enchanted' by the beauty of Kem beach, Hon Thom, Sunset Town and luxury resorts.

Recently, on July 19, Lonely Planet - a travel guidebook known as the "bible" of travelers around the world, published an article suggesting experiences in the south of Phu Quoc Island. The author of the article, editor James Pham, had a vacation with experiences beyond expectations here. "Vietnam's largest island has truly become a top beach destination in the past decade thanks to its 150km long coastline, visa-free policy and countless attractions and experiences," James commented.

Phu Quoc is rated the top beach destination of the decade thanks to beautiful beaches such as Kem beach in the southern part of the island.

"Surreal" vacation

One of the experiences that impressed Lonely Planet's editor the most was staying at hotels and resorts in Sunset Town and Kem Beach.

His first stop was La Festa Phu Quoc – the first resort in Southeast Asia in the Curio Collection of the famous Hilton hotel brand. With its Mediterranean-inspired beauty, soaring clock tower, vaulted ceilings and sparkling infinity pool overlooking the ocean, La Festa Phu Quoc - Curio Collection by Hilton completely conquered James.

[caption id="attachment_590037" align="aligncenter" width="1552"] [/caption]

Infinity pool of La Festa Phu Quoc, Curio Collection by Hilton

"This hotel is nothing short of surreal," James said, appreciating the resort's beauty. In addition, La Festa Phu Quoc's advantage is its prime location in the heart of the Sunset Town complex, allowing guests to easily access surrounding entertainment services such as taking the world's longest three-wire cable car to Hon Thom Island, or going to the port to explore tours of the pristine small islands.

The idyllic beach in front of La Festa Phu Quoc Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton

Moving from one surreal experience to another, Lonely Planet's editors chose JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay Resort on Kem Beach as their next resort. "This is a paradise for architecture lovers and those who love to take beautiful photos to post on Instagram," James commented. He praised the resort as a "visual feast", when designed by famous architect Bill Bensley with the theme of a fictional 19th-century French university, with each building having a different beauty, themed after different departments in the university.

Not only that, the best thing about the resort is that it is located next to Kem Beach - the beach that many tourists consider the most beautiful in Phu Quoc. "The sand here is as white as cream powder, the palm trees are swaying and the water is crystal clear," James described Kem Beach.

Cable car ride - favorite experience

The world's longest three-wire cable car to Hon Thom Island was Lonely Planet's editor's favorite experience during his Phu Quoc vacation. "The nearly 8km ride offers breathtaking views, passing fishing boats, lush islands and stunningly clear waters," James said of his first experience on the Hon Thom cable car.

The longest 3-wire cable car to Hon Thom, across the beautiful sea and sky of southern Phu Quoc island

After 20 minutes, visitors are taken to Sun World Hon Thom, a theme park with unique experiences such as 20 water slides at Aquatopia Water Park, or Rage Snake at Exotica Village - the first wooden roller coaster in Vietnam, which James describes as a "heart-pounding" experience. He suggests visitors try the "seawalking" experience to see coral and colorful schools of fish in the UNESCO-recognized biosphere reserve.

The price for the round-trip cable car experience with lunch buffet is 900,000 VND for adults and 650,000 VND for children, which is considered "extremely affordable" by Lonely Planet. This is the third time the guide has highlighted the reasonable price of this experience, following two articles in October 2023 and early July, respectively.

"Unexpected" experience

What surprised James Pham the most during his trip was that the southern part of Phu Quoc Island had more to offer at night than he thought. "Before, if you wanted to do something at night, you had to pay for a taxi to get to Duong Dong town," he recalled. Now, in Sunset Town, visitors can enjoy a Vietnamese puppet show at A Oi - the first puppet theater by the sea in Vietnam , and a host of other exciting art shows.

Kiss of the Sea Show is one of the best experiences in Phu Quoc

"Kiss of the Sea" - a multimedia show here is what amazed James Pham. "A wonderful multi-sensory experience combined with brilliant fireworks, acrobatics like Cirque du Soleil, sound, light on a screen made of sea water on a futuristic stage", he described this unique experience. The spectacular fireworks display after the show (which can also be admired in the corners of Sunset Town) and the vibrant Vui Phet night market with attractive street art shows, along with affordable food are also experiences that surprised and highly appreciated James Pham.

Fine dining is also what the Lonely Planet editor "fell in love with" when enjoying at the Pink Pearl restaurant of the JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay resort. He called the dinner with Japanese wagyu beef and French scallops "one of the best meals I've ever had". It seems that everything is even more delicious when served in a "crazy" beautiful space. "It's a genius architectural space. Imagine a flamingo covered in shells, a strange penguin, a white owl larger than a human... in a space full of pink - things that definitely shouldn't be combined together but somehow magically harmonize", he described.

[caption id="attachment_590041" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] [/caption]

Pink Pearl Restaurant of JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay Resort with unique architecture and cuisine

At the end of the trip, Lonely Planet's editors left many tips for tourists planning to explore Phu Quoc. Accordingly, you should divide your time to experience both the vibrant and locally-colored Duong Dong area, as well as spend time in the south of the island to immerse yourself in the picturesque beaches (Kem beach, Sao beach). If you want more affordable options than high-end resorts, visitors can refer to mini hotels, boutique hotels in Sunset Town, or "hunt" for deals that combine accommodation with experiences such as watching the Kiss of the Sea show or having fun on Hon Thom island.

Ha Khanh

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/lonely-planet-goi-phu-quoc-la-diem-den-bien-hang-dau-cua-thap-ky-185240730174931217.htm