Azure-hued water. Soft, white-sand beaches. Palm trees swaying in the ocean breeze. Deliciously fresh seafood. For most Westerners who've never been to the island of Phu Quoc, these aren't exactly images we would typically equate with Vietnam.
But the rapidly developing resort island in the Gulf of Thailand offers all that and more at a price point that even perpetually underemployed and overdebted millennials can afford. Imagine seaside resorts for $20-$60 a night, freshly caught and prepared seafood for a few bucks and a full body massage right on the beach for less than the price of a single cocktail in an American city.
A relatively new international airport and relaxed visa rules for Phu Quoc visitors make this paradise resort island the most accessible to Western tourists it's ever been. And with the monsoon rains of summer now in the rearview, the island comes alive for the dry season from November to March, when the humidity drops and average daily temperatures hover around a pleasant 80 degrees.
