Why Choosing the Right Phu Quoc Resort Enhances Your Island Getaway

Enjoy the green season! While the dry season of December to April offers the most ideal weather and sunny skies, many savvy travelers take advantage of the “green season”, dodging the brief showers and occasional storms with indoor activities like cooking classes and a soothing massage in exchange for steeply discounted accommodations. The rainy season also brings out the best in many of the island’s natural spots, including the Tranh Stream (“Suối Tranh”, pronounced “soo-ey tranh”) with rapids and several waterfalls where visitors can swim which makes for a great Phu Quoc day trip. Explore the island DIY If organized tours aren’t your thing, there are many places to visit on Phu Quoc which can be done on your own. Adventurous travelers can rent a scooter and explore the many beautiful beaches in Phu Quoc. Be aware that while scooter rentals are cheap at roughly USD 8 per day, technically you do need an International Driving Permit and if you get stopped by the police, expect to pay a hefty fine. On the plus side, most of the main roads around Phu Quoc are paved and without too much traffic, making driving quite easy for even the novice. Note that roads towards the north of the island and through the national park are mostly unpaved dirt roads which require some skill to navigate the sandy areas. Otherwise, taxis can be hired for half-day or full-day Phu Quoc island tours, usually either to the south or the north of the island. Negotiate with your driver exactly where you want to visit and the price beforehand. Otherwise, many of the organized Phu Quoc island tours are based on volume, which means if you don’t mind being on a boat with 30-40 other people, the costs are quite reasonable at around USD 20 for a full-day boat trip with lunch and snorkeling. Alternatively, many of the high-end resorts can put together an unforgettable Robinson Crusoe-like day with a picnic lunch on a deserted island beach all to yourself. Boats can also be hired out to visit the islands that make up the An Thoi archipelago in the south or the more sheltered islands in the northwest known for their shallow water and good macrodiving. Some islands that offer postcard-pretty beaches with few visitors include Fingernail Island, Coconut Island with its fish farms and the uninhabited Shadow Island in the south. Night market The night market in Duong Dong is mainly for tourists, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth a visit. Cheap souvenir stands vie for space with pop-up restaurants where fresh seafood can be cooked any way you like. Shopping While all the usual beach souvenirs can be easily found around the island, why not take something home that’s truly representative of Phu Quoc? Cooks back home will enjoy a package of famous Phu Quoc black pepper or a bottle of sweet sim wine. Authentic Phu Quoc pearls in a dazzling array of colors and quality are sold directly from the pearl farms along Long Beach and make for a stylish gift. Skip the Phu Quoc fish sauce though, as many airlines don’t allow them on the planes, in case of breakage. If you’ve ever smelled fish sauce up close, you’ll know exactly why!

Regarding countries with no visa exemption agreements with Vietnam, travelers have to contact the Vietnam Embassies or Consulates in their countries to register or extend the visa. And of course, for those with exemption agreements, their citizens do not need to get a visa to travel to Vietnam. They are allow to enter Vietnam for a certain time, depending on the agreements. (fabulouseyebrowthreading.com) The visa-exempted nations are as follows: Country Days Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia 30 Philippines 21 Japan, South Korea, Russia, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, the UK 15 Myanmar, Brunei 14 When you have arrived in Vietnam already, if any problems occur, you should contact you country’s embassies and consulates in Vietnam to ask for support. There are 80 embassies in Hanoi, and 58 consulates and 3 representations in other cities. Followings are the lists and contacts of the Embassies and Consulates in Vietnam. American Embassy The American Center 1 st Floor, Rose Garden Tower, 170 Ngoc Khanh Street HN 844-3850-5000 http://vietnam.usembassy.gov/ Argentinian Embassy 360 Kim Ma Street, Daeha Business Centre, BA Dinh District HN 84438315262 / 38315263 http://www.embargentina.org.vn Australian Consulate 5th Floor, The Landmark Building, 5B Ton Duc Thang, District 1 HCM 84-8 3521 8100 http://www.hcmc.vietnam.embassy.gov.au/ Australian Embassy 8 Dao Tan Street, Ba Dinh District HN 84-4 3774 0100 http://www.vietnam.embassy.gov.au/ Austrian Embassy Prime Center, 53 Quang Trung, 8. Floor, Hai Ba Trung District HN 84/4 3943 3050-3/3943 3051 http://www.aussenministerium.at/hanoi Bangladeshi Embassy Villa # D6B-05, Vuon Dao, Compound, Subway #675, Lac Long Quan Road, Tay Ho District HN 84-4-3771-6625,/3771-7829 Belarusian Embassy To Ngoc Van Road, 66, Tay Ho District HN 84 4 37 19 29 74 http://www.vietnam.belembassy.org/ Belgian Embassy Ha Noi tower, 9th floor, 49 Hai Ba Trung, Hoan Kiem District HN 84 4 3 934.61.77/7884 4 3 934.61.79/80/81 http://www.diplomatie.be/hanoi Brazilian Embassy 14, THUY KHUE STREET – villa D-6/7, Tay Ho District HN 844 843-0817/2544 British Embassy 31 Hai Ba Trung Street, Central Building HN 84 4 936050084 4 9360550 / 46 www.uk-vietnam.org/ Bulgarian Embassy 5 Nui Truc Str, Van Phuc, PO Box 10 HN 84 4 38-45-29-08 Cambodian Consulate No. 41, Phung Khac Khoan HCM 848 829 2751 Chinese Consulate General 39 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, District 1 HCM 848-8292457 Chinese Embassy 46 Hoang Dieu Road HN 844 8453736 http://vn.china-embassy.org/eng/ Consulate General of Canada 9th Floor, The Metropolitan, 235 Dong Khoi Street, District 1 HCM 011 84 8 827-9899 http://www.international.gc.ca/vietnam Consulate General of France 27 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, BP 307, District 1 HCM [84] 8 35 20 68 00 www.consulfrance-hcm.org/ Consulate General of Indonesia 1 8, Phung Khac Khoan Street, D 1 HCM 84-8 825-1888, 825-1889 Consulate General of Malaysia 1 208 Me Linh Point Tower, No. 2, Ngo Duc Ke Street, District 1 HCM 84-8-829 9023 www.kln.gov.my/perwakilan/hochiminh Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany 1 26 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, District 3 HCM 84 8 38 29 19 67 www.ho-chi-minh-stadt.diplo.de/ Consulate General of the Lao PDR 93 Pasteur St, District l HCM 84 8 829-7667or 829-9275 Consulate General of the Lao PDR 1 2 Tran Quy Cap Danang 84 51 821-208 Consulate General of the Netherlands Saigon Tower, suite 901, 29 Le Duan Boulevard, District 1 HCM 84 8 8235932/33 www. mfa.nl/hcm-en Consulate General of the Philippines 40-5 Pham Viet Chanh St., Ward 1 9, Binh Thanh District HCM 84 8 3518 0045

Visitors to Phu Quoc looking to access healthcare while staying at La Veranda Resort Phu Quoc have two main options on the island: public or private. The island’s main general hospital is the Benh Vien Da Khoa Phu Quoc (128 Street 30 Thang 4, tel: +84 77 3846 074). The hospital is equipped to deal with most common health concerns, however, for more complicated issues (eg. requiring surgery or full emergency), it is advised to fly to Ho Chi Minh City or head to the island’s private hospital, Vinmec. As with most hospitals in Vietnam, be prepared to pay cash for your visit, with a large up-front deposit in case of a protracted stay or for expensive procedures (eg. surgery). Expect standards to be lower than in international-standard hospitals. There is also a smaller, more limited public hospital near the town of An Thoi in the island’s south, approximately 200 m from the An Thoi market. The island’s only private hospital is the large, 6-storey Vinmec International Hospital, located within the Phu Quoc Vinpearl Resort to the island’s northwest. Open in June 2015, the 150-bed hospital is part of the Vinmec chain of hospitals with locations in places like Saigon, Nha Trang, Ha Long, etc. Facilities include 3 Operation Rooms, 2 Delivery Rooms, 6 Emergency Beds, 5 Intensive-care Beds and 2 Newborn Intensive-care Beds. In-patients can choose between standard, VIP or Presidential rooms. The hospital offers services in 10 specialties, including: – Emergency Care (24/7) – Outpatient Services – General Surgery including hepatic biliary surgery, gastrointestinal surgery, urology and orthopedics – Obstetrics / Gynecology – Pediatrics – Anesthetics – Gastrointestinal Endoscopy – Diagnostic Imaging Doctors are mostly from Vietnam, although there are a few foreign doctors as well. Many of the doctors speak good English. The feedback from foreign patients has been overwhelmingly positive. Fees start from VND 300,000 (~USD 15) for emergency examinations or examinations with a General Practitioner (not including medication). Expect to pay around USD 100 for a consultation, x-ray and medication. Ambulance service is also available. Certain insurance providers are accepted, otherwise the hospital accepts cash and credit cards. The town of Duong Dong has two major dental clinics and a host of small pharmacies. The emergency number to call for an ambulance in Vietnam is 115.