Radisson Blue Resort Phu Quoc: one of many reasons to visit as yet unexplored Vietnamese island
- The family-friendly property is part of a large complex that includes water parks, a safari park and, very soon, a casino – all the more reason to go before everybody else does
What is it? The 514-room Radisson Blu is part of a large resort complex situated in Ganh Dau, in the northwest corner of Vietnam’s largest island, Phu Quoc.
Phu what? Phu (“foo”, not “poo”) Quoc is 574 square kilometres of relatively pristine tropical island – or relatively untapped tourism potential, depending on your outlook – in the Gulf of Thailand. It lies south of the Cambodian mainland, and is in fact far closer to Sihanoukville than to Ho Chi Minh City, from where most visitors fly in. Cambodia is clearly visible from one of the Radisson’s beach loungers.
What else is there in Ganh Dau? This is Vinpearl country – as opposed to Vinpearl Land, the theme park (more on which later) – the Vietnamese-owned resort company operating the 1,000-room-plus VinOasis hotel, a theatre, a convention centre, a spa complex, a zoo/safari park and not one but two water parks, as well as the property managed by Rad Blu.
The area was like a ghost town when we visited, as everyone awaited the peak season (mid-November to March) and, perhaps most importantly, the completing of the paperwork that would allow the Corona casino – the only one in Vietnam that Vietnamese will be permitted to gamble in – to begin operations. Currently, the Corona, which is next door to the Rad Blu and can be reached by covered walkway, is due to open its swing doors on December 11.
Are there any villas at the hotel? There are – 10 of them (ranging from two- to six-bedroom), spread across the lawns in front of the main building and angled to best catch the epic sunsets this coast enjoys. They appear to be designed for visitors who like to put it all on show, though, as nothing but curtains shield what goes on inside from the prying eyes of guests strolling or cycling the pathways between beach and swimming pool. The rooms on the top floor of the main building, the eighth, are reserved for the Corona’s high rollers.
