If you are looking for a Vietnamese island escape look no further than the beautiful island of Phu Quoc. It is located near Cambodia in the gulf of Thailand and is just the place for your next beachy va-cay.
Where to stay on the island you ask? Without a doubt the Intercontinental Phu Quoc Long Beach Resort is the best on the island!
The check in:
The Intercontinental invited myself and my partner to come and experience their all-inclusive resort shortly after they opened. The three days that we were there can only be described as bliss.
The airport pick-up was seamless, and even in the car there were fresh towels and local treats like roasted ginger with special Phu Quoc honey. Delicious!
We received a warm welcome from the hotel staff as we arrived, driving up to the impressive entrance of the hotel. This grand entryway, like many details about the resort were an homage to Phu Quoc and it’s local culture.
Instead of lights illuminating the lobby there were fishing boats acting as the lighting fixtures. The color pallete of the lobby was full of khaki and aqua tones mimicking it’s amazing view over the water.
The room:
After a tasty iced lychee and lemongrass tea we were shown our room. This gorgeous one bedroom looked over the main pool and out onto the ocean, I had to pinch myself! The view was spectacular. Just like everything at the hotel, the attention to detail was superb.
The hair dryer was amazing, the motion activated lights were genius and they even outfitted the room with a Nespresso machine and complimentary pods making us feel very caffeinated and fancy.
The food:
Our next three days consisted of eating some of the most amazing food we have come across and definitely the best being served at any resort! The Intercontinental has six on site restaurants and each of them specialize in a different cuisine ranging from Italian, to even Japanese!
Our first lunch was at their pool bar named Ombra which serves poolside favorites like sandwiches and fries but also has a wide array of Italian specialties.
We tasted much of the menu and were super impressed, little did we know this was just the tip of the delicious iceberg which was the food at the Intercontinental Phu Quoc.
The seafood at their Sea Shack restaurant was the best we had ever had! Lobster, oysters, salmon, you name it – they served it! Along with craft beer and specialty cocktails hand crafted by their talented mixologist, Giuseppe.
Sora and Umi, is the name of their main restaurant which serves Vietnamese and Japanese fusion food. Here we also remarked that it was some of the best Vietnamese food we had ever had – and we live here in Vietnam!
This is also the location where the enormous breakfast buffet takes place! Western breakfast favorites were prevalent as were local favorites like dumplings or noodles. If you prefer to dine in room this is also an option. A wide variety of breakfast foods can be delivered to your room!
Related: A Beginners Guide to Phu Quoc
The activities:
At the resort there is a TON to do. If lounging by one of their gorgeous pools isn’t enough they also offer different sea activities like hydro-biking or kayaking! Since the weather was a bit stormy while we were there, we got to utilize more of their indoor activities.
The Hideout was the perfect place to escape the rain for a bit as it was fully equipped with PlayStation’s, board games, darts and a pool table. On site there is also a movie theater, a gorgeous full gym (which if we had been good we would have gone to!), and a fully functioning spa.
If your feet are itching to explore the island you can get a taxi into town and explore! The Phu Quoc Night Market is a great evening activity and will give you a taste of local life. There are a myriad of different foods to try there along with fun souvenirs to buy.
We went to the market with our guide Yen, who showed us one of her favorite places to eat! This utterly magical seafood soup was called Bún Quậy meaning stirred noodle. This is a must try while you are at the market!
Overall impression:
Overall our stay at the Intercontinental Phu Quoc Long Beach Resort was amazing to say the least. Every single one of the team members were welcoming, and warm. People were happy to chat with us and always made sure that our needs were met. From the moment you get there you will feel like you are a celebrity of the island, getting the five-star treatment!
I cannot recommend this hotel highly enough. It was more than just a place to stay, the staff made it a luxurious home away from home!!
Disclosure: Our three-day stay was hosted by the Intercontinental Phu Quoc, I was not paid to write this article and all opinions as always are my own 🙂