Tourism
development on Phu Qoc is just starting to take off, with the
island's many clean and safe beaches easily outdoing anything
that Bali has to offer. The most accessible and one of the most
attractive is Truong Beach, stretching for nearly 20 km from
Dinh Cau to Khoe Tau Ru.
In the southeast,
Bai Kem ('Ice Cream Beach') has superfine white sand. It is
said that in bygone days this beach was the exclusive province
of wealthy aristocrats. Phu Qoc Island, in Vietnam's Kien Giang
province, is about the same size as Singapore, with a population
of 75,000 that swells to around 120,000 in the dry season, when
fishermen from Danang descend on the island to exploit the rich
catch. Development is being held back fortunately, with nearly
70% of the island being declared a National Park. The tracks
of Phu Qoc are mainly well-maintained dirt roads.
For a brief
period in 1975, Phu Qoc's population swelled to 300,000, as
forces still loyal to the South Vietnamese government took refuge
on the island. The barracks in which they were housed can still
be seen near the crossroads north of An Thoi. But it was not
long before the victors of the war took control of Phu Qoc,
with the refugees forced to flee once again or return to the
mainland.
The An Troi
Islands, off the southern tip of Phu Qoc, are popular for fishing
and snorkeling day-trips. But sadly, the corals around the reefs
have been nearly totaling destroyed by dynamite used in 'fishing'.
