Visit Phu Quoc January 2020 Visitor's Guide

our island
Freedom
of the sea
By Rohan Barker
ISITPHUQUOC.INFO
Floating restaurantsare popping
up everywhere, what started in
the far north a few years ago
has continued all along the north
east coast with a range of places
offering that “off land” experience!
In some cases you would be
picked up by small boat and
whisked out a few hundred meters
offshore to a wooden platform
surrounded by pens of freshly
caught fish and shellfish or you
would simply walk a few hundred
metres along a rickety wooden pier.
Both of these experiences not
only offer stunning sea views but
they also giving one that feeling of
freedom, being all out at sea I say.
So we piled in the car and
headed off to a tiny town in the
north of the island called Rach Vem
in search of our sea freedom, it took
us about 40 minutes from Duong
Dong town and we were there.
Rach Vem is as rural as a
beachside village could be, dusty
paths with locals playing cards
wherever they could find shade and
chickens pecking away in search
of something nourishing, not much
going on really and we loved it.
We navigated our way along
a narrow path, thru some sort of
doorway with corrugated iron
hanging down looked a bit dodgy
and emerged in the warming
sunlight on the other side to make
our way along a rickety pier for
about 100 or so metres.
It was here there was a bridge
we nick named the “Golden Gate”
due to its (albeit miniature) liking
to the one in San Francisco, we
clambered over her finally making
it to our destination.
Here we were, only a few
hundred metres offshore yet
somehow immediately switched
off from the battles of the land
and focused on that freedom of
the sea!
Tranquillity on water with
amazingly fresh seafood that we
could even see through the glass
table down through to the sea
below, a great selection of all sorts
of live fish and shell fish cooked
however you liked!
With cold drinks in hand we
celebrated the feeling of being
immersed in the nature of the sea
yet somehow being in a restaurant!
The food that came out was
amazing and served with all
kinds of condiments on the side
that would suit any taste, not
much talking was going on as we
devoured our fresh catch imagining
the life at sea.
How to get there?
Rach Vem is situated on the
northern coast of Phu Quoc,
approximately 40km from Duong
Dong town and 10km from Ganh
Dau, on this day we went to Quoc
Thai restaurant but most of the
restaurants are very similar so take
your pick!
For more information about this
or other fantastic adventures go to
visitphuquoc.info
66 VISIT PHU QUOC • 12 th edition JAN-JUL 2020