Unspoilt beaches far from the madding crowd, virgin forests in abundance etc. make Phu Quoc one of the best holiday islands in Southeast Asia.

Phu Quoc Island 50 kilometers from the Vietnamese mainland and a 50-minute flight from Ho Chi Minh City is a green paradise that seems to float in the turquoise waters of the Gulf of Thailand.

The island is becoming well known for its stunning beaches, untouched natural environment, scuba diving and snorkeling, the easy-going atmosphere, and the friendly locals.

Despite the economic downturn, the island has attracted some 200,000 tourists in the first eight months, making an increase of 27.5 percent compared to last year’s figure

More than half of Phu Quoc is a national park, and much of the waters are protected too, which explains its relatively pristine state.

“In one day, visitors can experience the Vietnamese way of life at the local market in the morning, relax on a remote and stunning beach in the afternoon, enjoy drinks and a delicious dinner at one of the restaurants, and stay at any of the variety of hotels and resorts,” says Tran Thai, a tour guide with the Diem Hoan My Company.

Despite the economic downturn, 150,000 Vietnamese and 50,000 foreign tourists have visited Phu Quoc since the beginning of the year, up more than a quarter on 2008, according to Kien Giang Province’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The peak season is from November to March.

The Vietnamese government has drawn up a plan for developing Phu Quoc into a major international destination by 2020, when the number of visitors will range from two to three million annually and contain a greater proportion of foreigners if everything goes to plan.

The island is blessed with more than 37,000 hectares of virgin forest, white sandy beaches, coral gardens, and wildlife in abundance, so its tourist potential is easy to see.

Phu Quoc National Park covers more than half of the island and is well worth a visit.

Reported by Hoang Kien

The park takes up most of the island’s northern half and also has isolated pockets elsewhere. Its main boundary tracks the coastline but goes around the villages of Ganh Dau, Rach Vem and Cua Can.

At 603 meters above sea level, the highest point is Mount Chua. Plans are afoot to build a walking track to the summit, according to the park’s director, Pham Quang Binh.

The park contains a number of watercourses that flow in the wet season. The most sizable is Rach Cua Can, which flows to the western shore and empties into the Gulf of Thailand close by the village of Cua Can.

Previously a Natural Protected Area and Nature Reserve, the bigger national park covering 31,422 hectares of land and gazetted by the central government in 2001.

It includes 8,603 hectares of strictly protected area, 22,603 hectares of rejuvenation zones and 33 hectares for administration and services. The protected marine zones are yet to be finalized.

VietNamNet/Thanh Nien