When “heaven is not heaven”
Having imagined Maldives as a paradise with dreamlike scenery through Instagram, female reporter Kaza Panzer of the prestigious travel guide Fodors was completely disillusioned when she had to spend more than 350 USD (equivalent to about 8 million VND) to fly from India to the capital of Malé, the island nation of Maldives. Waiting for her in Malé were hours of waiting on a boat and an isolated island with no entertainment activities. After the trip, the female reporter of Fodors reflected: "paradise when you are alone is no longer paradise".
Phu Quoc was voted the second most beautiful island in the world, after Maldives, by the prestigious travel magazine Travel + Leisure.
Not only the female reporter but also many tourists have been “awakened” when spending thousands of USD to come to the “lonely” paradise of Maldives. With a not-so-pleasant price, an estimated 2,457 USD (about 60 million VND) is the average living cost for one person in Maldives for a week, including transportation, accommodation, food, and not including airfare.
Another paradise island is Phuket (Thailand), a destination famous for its affordable prices. However, recently, tourists are having to pay accommodation costs that do not match the quality of service. On average, a bed in a shared bedroom (a room for 8-12 people) costs about 14 USD/night, even up to 28 USD (from 350,000 - 750,000 VND) at guesthouses such as Lub d Phuket Patong. Although the prices are not high, the accommodation facilities are not as expected, lacking innovation, making this price difficult to convince tourists.
An American tourist shared on a forum about his experience after a trip to Phuket: "The hotel was fine, but that's about it. I don't hate anything, I just expected more variety. Plus, getting around the island is inconvenient and not cheap. Thai culture has been diluted a lot here, and the friendly hospitality you see in the North is completely absent." This person also shared: "I live in an expensive city in the US, so I think the cost in Phuket is not a big problem. But eating out in Phuket is 300% more expensive than in Bangkok, which is ridiculous."
International visitors play volleyball at Bai Kem - one of the most beautiful beaches on the planet in Phu Quoc
No less classy, but much more economical
Maldives, Phuket, Bali are beautiful and famous beach paradises. However, the increasing price situation has affected these destinations. Typical examples are the tourist tax policy in Bali, or the high price situation in Phuket, Maldives.
Learning from its predecessors, Phu Quoc has recently become increasingly popular with international tourists thanks to its good and sustainable tourism development. If in 2021 - 2022, the island was continuously criticized for its "rip-off" status, then in 2023 - 2024, Phu Quoc has changed in a positive direction, with international tourists continuously commenting that Phu Quoc is one of the destinations with reasonable prices.
That is also the reason why Travel + Leisure magazine in its article in December 2024 pointed out that one of the things that international tourists love about Phu Quoc is the value it brings compared to the cost, the experience is better than other famous tourist destinations. "A 3-day vacation in Phu Quoc has a total cost lower than a 3-day weekend in Singapore or Koh Samui (Thailand), only 1/3 - 1/4 compared to other famous destinations in the region", Travel + Leisure commented.
Korean tourists experience Vui Phet night market in Phu Quoc, very satisfied with reasonable cost
A night's stay at a hotel in Singapore can cost as little as SGD 150 (about VND 2.8 million), while the same hotel in Phu Quoc costs only SGD 50 (about VND 950,000), offering a quality vacation opportunity at a much more economical cost.
KBS of Korea - the market sending the most tourists to Phu Quoc at the present time, made a report in December 2024 comparing prices between Phu Quoc and Jeju - the two largest tourist islands of Korea and Vietnam. Accordingly, when interviewed, tourists from the land of kimchi all praised Phu Quoc. Although the Incheon - Phu Quoc flight route has an average airfare twice as high as Incheon - Jeju, however, the cheap accommodation and food with good quality make them very satisfied and choose Phu Quoc.
Lee Hyun Suk, a tourist from Busan, was satisfied with the cost of traveling to Phu Quoc. He shared that while a cup of coffee on Jeju Island costs nearly 10,000 won (about 180,000 VND), he only spent 5,000 won (about 90,000 VND) to have a full meal in Phu Quoc. Not only that, resorts with private pool villas near the beach such as New World Phu Quoc, Premier Village Phu Quoc or hotels with nightly fireworks right from the window such as La Festa Phu Quoc - Curio Collection by Hilton - services that are considered unique and luxurious in Korea, are all very reasonably priced on the pearl island.
According to a report from Savills Hotels, the average room rate of high-end hotels in Phu Quoc ranges from only 100 - 120 USD per night. In addition to the presence of international standard hotels and resorts such as JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay Resort, New World Phu Quoc ... in the Hoang Hon Town area, mini hotels and hotels with a close, modern style also have very affordable prices, from only 500,000 to more than 1 million VND per night, meeting all needs and budgets of tourists.
Not only natural landscapes, diverse experiences are what increasingly attract visitors to Phu Quoc.
The pearl island also has a series of fresh seafood restaurants, bustling night markets, and abundant local products. Female reporter Thasaneya Ratwong of Nation Story (Thailand) visited Phu Quoc in early 2024 and was extremely impressed with the cost of food on the pearl island. The female reporter shared: “The cost of living in Phu Quoc is not too high, and food is even cheaper than in Thailand. I found that the price of seafood here is only half that of Thailand.”
“As you know, Thailand with Phuket and Pattaya used to be very famous destinations, but in my opinion, Phu Quoc is much better than those places, because the infrastructure is ready, the constructions are new, the services are much better, and especially the people always smile. That is very important,” commented Mr. Mehmet Kin, Vice President of Crystal Bay Group.
Not only is the cost reasonable, Ngoc Island is also increasingly attractive to tourists compared to other destinations in the region thanks to many new, classy experiences and many iconic works. The world's longest 3-wire cable car to Hon Thom Island helps visitors admire the entire beauty of Phu Quoc's sea and sky from above, an attractive experience that is nowhere else in the world. Hoang Hon Town with the world's most unique "no-touch" Kissing Bridge once praised by CNN, world-class "Kiss of the Sea" and "Symphony of the Sea" shows with nightly fireworks... help visitors have unforgettable experiences when coming to Ngoc Island.
Sunset Town, Phu Quoc treats visitors to 2 fireworks displays in one night
According to many leading tourism businesses in the world, with the potential and performance that Phu Quoc has, this island should be compared to world-class tourism icons such as Hawaii or Maldives. “When infrastructure such as roads and tourist attractions are completed, we will witness the emergence of the "Hawaii of the East", Mr. Hong Jung Min, CEO of Hanatour Vietnam Company, expected.
Thanhnien.vn
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