A Malaysian foodie’s experience in Phu Quoc, Vietnam

Fresh seafood is available everywhere on the island of Phu Quoc.

Food, the arts, culture, adventure. These are just some of the reasons people travel to new destinations.

We discover diverse cultures, participate in customary events, understand local lifestyles, try new cuisines and appreciate their arts and craft.

For me, what I enjoy experiencing the most when I visit a new place is trying out local food. Food is essential, after all. I like eating street food and snacks throughout the day when I travel as this actually gives me the energy to walk around more and checking out cool places.

The local cuisine is simple and refreshing.

I travelled recently to a small island in Vietnam called Phu Quoc, where I stayed at a beachfront resort. The hotel had a wonderful breakfast buffet spread, ranging from healthy items like muesli and fruits to a hearty meal of pork ribs! I tried the local apple that’s about the size of a ping pong ball – it was sweet and delicious.

After breakfast, I spent time at the white sandy beach. The sky was blue and the breeze, gentle, though a little warm. To cool down, I had some tropical fruits and drinks.

The hotel organised some activities for guests including an origami class, poetry reading and local calligraphy writing, which I tried. It was similar to Chinese calligraphy and so much fun to do.

If you wanted to try something more adventurous, just walk along the beach to check out the many water sport activities offered by different tour companies. I went island hopping and swam at different parts of Phu Quoc. It was a good experience because the water conditions and waves were different at each place.

These local apples are the size of a ping pong ball.

Take note though: You need to be a fairly strong swimmer to be able to do this as I am told the water currents are quite unpredictable at Phu Quoc.

One of the best places to be on the island is Bai Sao, located on the east. The water here is crystal clear, the white sand is soft and the waves are mild.

On the southern part of the island, I went on one of the world’s longest non-stop cable car ride. It stopped at Pineapple Island (Hon Thom Island), the biggest island in the An Thoi archipelago. The panoramic views of the place from the cable car were simply gorgeous.

There’s a man-made beach at Pineapple Island too though it was more fun to swim at the natural beaches. I quickly hopped on over to Starfish Beach in the north to check out the views there. There were many tourists at this place, all hoping to get that one perfect shot for their Instagram.

Later, I took a free shuttle bus to a famous night market. I had been waiting for this trip because I wanted to try all the food!

There were lots of fish tanks filled with live seafood there and waiters called out to diners loudly. I looked at the many types of crabs in the tanks and checked out the price. The were fish, too, but those seemed more expensive. For dessert, I had rolled ice cream which was made fresh in front of me. Yum!

If you go early to the market, you may be able to enjoy the sunset by the fishing village. It’s a great place to wind down with some delicious food and a chilled beer or two. There’s even live singing and some fun dancing if you want to partake in that, too.

I really enjoyed my short trip to Phu Quoc. It’s a beautiful island with warm, kind-hearted locals. Best of all, the food choices there were excellent.

The views expressed are entirely the reader’s own.

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