TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM / SEPTEMBER 2019 69
This was the carefree tropical life I was expecting
when I touched back down on this visa-free idyll in the
Gulf of Thailand. Four years ago, when this was still the
beachy boondocks, it took me two planes to get here from
Bangkok. Now it’s an hour and a half direct, landing in
one of the easiest airports ever—new, compact, and zero
immigration line—meaning the destination is prepped
to make a play for tourism traffic from the Thai islands.
There are also daily non-stop flights from Kuala Lumpur,
and the number of Hong Kong flights is rising to six per
week, and Seoul, 14. International hotels have moved in,
with high-end Fairmont and Park Hyatt among those on
the way, and au courant gastro-bars are springing up to
feed the fancy folks who leave property.
But these days, we have an obligation to expect our
luxury to come with a big dose of sustainability, and
together those themes are also driving change on Phu
Quoc—practically in direct competition with the mass
tourism and planet-ruining. Divers once thrilled at
bamboo sharks, turtles, dugongs and seahorses in these
waters. Seahorses! Overfishing, irresponsible boat tours,
pollution from farming, the staggering construction and
even sunscreen, and the Chinese demand for rare species
are just some of the things that have chased these aquatic
populations away. But sundry stakeholders here, from
W WF and other environmentalists to conscientious
hoteliers, developers and independent proprietors, think
they can turn the tide. One major goal is creating more
marine sanctuaries. My sunglasses weren’t rose-colored,
but it seems like the fish have cause for optimism.W
HEN A ONCE-SLEEPY fishing hamlet has a
concept bar touted as the highest on the
island, you know things have changed. Atop
the new InterContinental Phu Quoc, a steel
octopus spreads its tentacles over Ink 360, a
sky bar made by prolific dystopian designer
Ashley Sutton with a deck that becomes a
hotspot come sunset. My favorite places on
the property, though, are at ground level:
the Harnn Heritage Spa is an edenic oasis hugging a
lake; and Lava is the resort’s impressive grill-centered
restaurant—order the sea snails and the duck breast.
Next door find Sailing Club, an outpost of a popular
beach-bar brand elsewhere in Vietnam, where you can
take your drinks by the melon-colored pool with a side of
deep house. Not far up the road is Bittersweet, a cocktail
bar without a menu, where the bartenders make bespoke
drinks based on your tastes and what’s in season. If you
prefer beer, the island’s largest range of drafts on tap—
diverse, delicious Vietnamese craft brews, mostly—flows
at The Bench, along with authentic Baja tacos, thanks to
the Mexican cravings of owner Van Ngo, who moved here
from California after running kitchens at Apple Inc.
Rounding out the on-trend F&B I never would’ve
imagined I’d find here is Saigonese Eatery, a kind of
nose-to-tail, kind of organic-veggie, kind of Asian-fusion
café with pulled-duck baos and roasted cauliflower plus a
smartly curated small-batch-wine menu.