ANTD.VN - As European and American countries begin to experience the cold, people tend to travel for long periods to lands with warm winters. Phu Quoc - the "new star" of Southeast Asia's tourism industry, is the most attractive choice to avoid the cold and enjoy an unforgettable winter vacation.
According to a study by National Geographic, global warming is creating a rather “paradoxical” phenomenon: winter will see more extreme weather, leading to more severe snowstorms and colder weather. This partly explains the number of European and American tourists choosing destinations with warm climates all year round to travel to “escape the winter”. Countries in the Southeast Asian region such as Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia… continuously record growth in this tourist flow during the year-end tourist season.
Discussion forums such as Quora and Reddit point out that, despite possessing picturesque coastal destinations in the Mediterranean, European tourists still tend to choose Southeast Asia as a long-term winter tourist destination. The main factors pointed out are the year-round warm climate, affordable prices and unique cultural experiences. Therefore, in the top 10 best islands in the world in Asia in the Reader's Choice Awards 2024 of the prestigious travel magazine Condé Nast Traveler, the number of islands in Southeast Asia accounts for 8/10, with very high scores compared to other regions in the world (from 90 points and above). This score is scored by global readers according to the level of satisfaction with the destination, from service quality, scenery, beaches, cuisine to hospitality.
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| Kem Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches on the planet. |
Phu Quoc is the most notable destination on the list. In 2024, from a “hidden gem”, the island was honored by Travel + Leisure as the second best island in the world after the Maldives, continuing its third consecutive year of being voted into the top best islands in the world by Condé Nast Traveler. According to the leading American travel magazine, Phu Quoc is an emerging destination in Asia, with all the characteristics of a tropical paradise such as fine white sand beaches and a sense of genuine serenity.
New destination
Compared to destinations that are already familiar to European and American tourists such as Bali (Indonesia) or Koh Samui (Thailand), Phu Quoc is a new destination. Therefore, in Phu Quoc, tourists will have a truly peaceful winter vacation, when they do not encounter traffic jams like in Bali, or get overwhelmed by the crowds when sunbathing on the beaches in Phuket.
Although still new to international visitors, Phu Quoc has "shed" its shell as a hidden gem to prove its attraction, with an increasing number of direct flights from cold European countries... to the Pearl Island with an average price of about 25,000,000 VND/round-trip ticket. At the end of the year, the Pearl Island welcomes direct and charter flights from Poland by Lot Polish Airlines with a frequency of 3 pairs of flights/week, from Russia by Iraero Airlines with a frequency of 1 pair of flights/week, from the Czech Republic and Slovakia by World2Fly airline with a frequency of 2 pairs of flights/week...
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| Tourists come to Phu Quoc to escape the cold of winter and immerse themselves in a tropical paradise. |
This is also one of the islands in the world with a superior visa policy. International visitors to Phu Quoc are exempted from visas for 30 days, very suitable for those who want to have a long winter vacation without worrying about procedures. Particularly, visitors from 13 countries: Russia, Japan, Korea, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, England, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Belarus... are exempted from visas for up to 45 days.
Ideal climate
Phu Quoc's best season starts from the end of October and lasts until May of the following year. At this time, the temperature on the Pearl Island always fluctuates between 28-30 degrees Celsius, there is little rain, the sea is calm, the waves are gentle and the sunshine is warm, suitable for outdoor tourism activities.
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| The sea color of South Phu Quoc Island turns emerald in winter |
The pleasant temperature and light wind allow visitors to sunbathe all day at the most beautiful beaches on the planet such as Sao Beach and Kem Beach in the South of the island without worrying about getting too hot. In addition, they can enjoy playing sea sports such as volleyball or kayaking... Phu Quoc's sea water this season is also crystal clear due to the calm sand, creating the unique emerald green color of the Pearl Island. This is the best time for visitors to participate in scuba diving activities, exploring the ecosystem and colorful corals in Phu Quoc.
Variety of resort options
For European and American tourists, Phu Quoc is a luxury resort paradise with reasonable prices, when the total cost of a month's stay at a 4-5 star hotel can be equal to or lower than the cost of living when they live in their own country. That is the reason why more and more European and American tourists choose to become digital nomads, traveling between Southeast Asian countries to both travel and experience long-term experiences and earn income.
Hotels just steps away from Kem Beach like Premier Residences Phu Quoc Emerald Bay are loved by many guests and chosen for long-term stays, with discounts for monthly stays. For a more upscale option, try the JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay if you want a change of pace for 2-3 nights during your vacation.
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| Sunset Town has a wide range of accommodation options for guests, from the 5-star La Festa Phu Quoc - Curio Collection by Hilton to budget mini hotels. |
To save more money for a long vacation, visitors can choose mini hotels in Sunset Town or Sun Grand City Hillside Residence Phu Quoc apartments with prices starting from only 600,000 VND/night (~24 USD), monthly rentals start from only 7,000,000 VND (~275 USD), including electricity and water costs.
Distinctive local imprint
If islands like Bali or Phuket are famous for European and American tourists thanks to their unique cultural experiences, Phu Quoc is also an interesting destination if tourists want to find new traditional cultural colors. Coming to Phu Quoc, tourists will have experiences imbued with Vietnamese indigenous colors, such as exploring spiritual tourist attractions such as Ho Quoc Pagoda, Dinh Cau, Nguyen Trung Truc Temple... to experiencing traditional occupations on the Pearl Island such as fishing, pearl farming, making fish sauce, visiting pepper gardens.
For animal lovers, you can visit Phu Quoc Dog Farm to learn about the dog breed that only exists on this island. This is a dog breed that is considered the smartest in Vietnam, identified by the hair swirls on its back and still retains many of the habits of a jackal such as digging burrows to give birth. The entrance fee is only 50,000 VND/person (~ 2 USD) with the money used to preserve this dog breed.
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| Vietnamese cultural experiences at A Oi Theater will be an unforgettable experience for visitors. |
Indigenous cultural imprints are also renewed and recreated through art. Welcoming guests to Sunset Town are shows exploring Vietnamese culture at the A Oi outdoor theater such as Dear Vietnam - a water puppet show combined with scenes recreating the lives of people in the South. In addition, the A Oi theater is also the place to organize the Vietnamese costume night, performing traditional Vietnamese costumes and allowing visitors to experience them themselves. Later this year, the Symphony of the Sea show with jetski and flyboard performances combined with Vietnamese folk elements such as drums and flags will debut at the Sunset beach, adding an unforgettable experience for visitors.
No shortage of experiences for a long vacation
In addition to peaceful moments lying on the beach to sunbathe and enjoy the pleasant warmth of Phu Quoc, Vietnam's Pearl Island has no shortage of experiences for visitors to slowly explore for a long vacation, especially in the South of the island.
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| Hon Thom cable car is recommended by Lonely Planet as a worthwhile experience |
The most internationally acclaimed experience is the Guinness World Record-breaking 3-wire cable car to Hon Thom Island, where visitors can enjoy a bird's eye view of Phu Quoc's sky and sea. The Kiss Bridge - the world's only "no-touch" bridge, praised by CNN, is a destination for couples to express their love and watch the most beautiful sunset in Phu Quoc. Another popular experience is the Kiss of the Sea multimedia show, featuring 60 international artists and combining 8 types of performances. Not only that, Phu Quoc is also an island that fires fireworks 365 days a year, making every night of your vacation memorable.
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| Phu Quoc is a special island with fireworks 365 days a year. |
People often say “summer never sleeps”, but in Phu Quoc, winter is like that. Endless joy on the Pearl Island is “flooded” with intoxication when the beer festival is held 365 days a year, with a special beer only available on the Pearl Island. At Phu Quoc Brew House restaurant and craft brewery, visitors will enjoy a special beer called Sun KraftBeer, brewed according to strict German regulations, allowing only 4 natural ingredients: water, barley, hops and yeast to brew beer. Unlike industrial beer, Sun KraftBeer is unfiltered and unpasteurized. This retains the delicious and healthy “proteins”, while ensuring the fresh taste of the beer.
Besides drinking beer, every day you can "party" to the vibrant atmosphere of international bands, a series of street entertainment shows and the charming Rainbow show performed by DJs and artists of mixed gender and race.
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| Tourists swim and enjoy the sunset with the Kissing Bridge - one of the tourist symbols of Phu Quoc |
With all these experiences, it is not difficult to understand why Phu Quoc is increasingly attractive and appealing to European and American tourists. Get your swimsuit, sunscreen and plane ticket to Phu Quoc ready, because this island will surprise you even more when you set foot on it.
Source: https://www.anninhthudo.vn/tai-sao-phu-quoc-la-diem-den-hang-dau-nam-a-cho-ky-nghi-dong-cua-khach-au-my-post594270.antd
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