I thought I would share my understanding of the Vietnamese Tết Lunar New Year from when we lived in Hanoi.
This year, 2023, Vietnam will be celebrating the year of the Cat. Even though China celebrates the new year on the same day, they have different traditions, and, in some years, the zodiac animals may differ. This year they will honor the year of the Rabbit.
The weeks leading up to Tết is an exceedingly busy time for the families as they prepare for the big day. But, the last week of the year, the excitement levels kick into another gear. On the 23rd of the 12th month of the lunar calendar, I witnessed countless people carrying clear plastic bags packed full of paper gifts, leaving their homes, and heading to the communal furnace outside each apartment block and burning it up. Why?
I asked my friend, and he told me his version of the Vietnamese festivities of bringing in the new lunar new year, also known as Tết Nguyên Đán. Tết traditionally starts building up on 23/12/2022 of the lunar calendar, precisely one week before the Lunar New Year’s Eve.
The week starts with families buying three goldfish (golden carp), usually found on every street corner or the back of motorbikes, as vendors drive along the streets selling to passersby needing fish to offer. They also head to their local paper merchant to purchase unique paper gifts. We walked along the famous Hang Ma Street in Hanoi’s Old Quarter. Where the locals buy anything from paper cell phones to shoes, designer handbags to iPads, and even washing machines, cars, houses, motorbikes, baths, and money, anything you can imagine but in the paper. Whatever they choose to buy, it’s all to be used as an offering to the Kitchen King known as Ong Tao. The residents burn incense in their homes, say prayers, and then leave offerings on their in-house altar before heading out with their paper gifts to burn their offerings in their nearest furnace in the hopes they will have good luck and prosperity in the new year. After they have burnt their offering, they take their three fish and release them into the nearest pond or river for the Kitchen God.
The story I have been told is that the Kitchen God goes to heaven riding on the carp, but not an ordinary carp, a special golden carp that can turn into a dragon. He goes to heaven to discuss each family’s situation with the Jade Emperor – The King of Heaven.
I had always wondered why I saw an enormous number of goldfish swimming around the lakes and rivers. It always seemed odd seeing the pop of orange as I would expect to see the common dull camouflaged version. Now I know why.
Vietnamese families prepare their houses for the coming new year by spring cleaning and polishing silver removing all the bad luck from the current year and being ready for a fresh start. They decorate their homes with kumquat trees, peach blossoms, chrysanthemums, and red gladiolas. They hold family meetings to resolve family feuds, ensuring the new year starts peacefully.
The main New Year’s Eve celebration will take place this year on Saturday, 21.01.2023. The families will attend festivals and watch the lion dancers perform. The lion symbolizes the removal of negative energies, as the lion is believed to bring good luck, health, and prosperity. They gift children with beautifully decorated envelopes filled with money. It’s called Lucky money, “lì-xì,” meaning gifts for good luck in the coming year. The money is given on the eve of the new year and can only be opened on New Year’s day. Then they celebrate as a family and watch fireworks displays.
Everything shuts down in the city for more than a week. It’s odd to see the bustling city become a ghost town with limited shops and restaurants open. After our first year, I learned I needed to stock up our fridge and cupboards with at least two weeks of food and drinking water to ensure we were not left with only rice to eat. It takes suppliers time to get back to work and restock the shops and return to normal.
Signing off Chúc Mừng Năm Mới on the 22 January 2023 ( Happy New Year’s Day)
Lion danceLucky moneyGifts from our lovely NeighborsBánh chưng is a traditional Vietnamese food eaten over the New Year, made from glutinous rice, mung beans, pork, and other ingredients.Fish vendors
The 4th Lockdown in Vietnam seemed never-ending. They started social distancing and restrictions on a few activities from the end of April. Unfortunately, it didn’t stop there. The government placed more restrictions on the people as the numbers increased rapidly. By Mid July, they had no other choice but to restrict everyone’s movement, no travel across municipal or provincial lines unless authorised to do so.
Finally, the government lifted restrictions on the 15th of October and granted free travel between green zones. Relief at the idea we could escape, and I immediately took to google to find a getaway on the outskirts of Hanoi. We had to Escape our bubble. We were becoming stir crazy looking at the same scenery day in day out.
I found a quirky little retreat situated on the banks of Đồng Đò lake, a mere 1-hour drive from the city. The well-appointed container home featured all the self-catering facilities with a bonus of a sandwich shop and bar situated on the roof terrace. Offering us all the amenities we would need to enjoy a peaceful getaway.
The weather was perfect, sunny, NO HUMIDITY with a cool breeze. It felt like the ideal South African weather I love and certainly miss, giving it the extra home-away-away-home feeling. A bit nostalgic, lazing next to the dam, enjoying the peace, tranquillity in a beautiful setting, chilling with the family.
Wherever we go, we always miss our country and people, so whenever we get the opportunity to light a braai, we pounce on it, rain or shine, we will braai! This holiday was no exception. Good meat, Salad and toasty garlic bread hit the spot! It was fantastic to hear the Little Rascals reminiscing and laughing about all our funny moments and adventures we have had, bonding around the fire, memorable moments we will always cherish together.
As much as the scenery and bonding were fabulous, our fishing was not. The giant finned slippery creatures still elude us in Vietnam. I believe the scale suckers know we are not Vietnamese and laugh at our lines, taunting us all the way. Regardless of the fishless fishing, everything was perfect, exactly what we needed.
If you are looking for a quirky, peaceful and relaxing getaway, you will love Gisy Lake House. The hosts are friendly and accommodating and offer a unique eco-friendly experience in a beautiful setting. Look them up when you need some fresh air and tranquillity.
As the world continues battling massive outbreaks and new COVID 19 waves, Vietnam has had its first real struggle on containing the disease. They have put up an enormous fight to keep the numbers low, but it has been challenging, sending most parts of the country into total lockdown.
Sigh, thanks to the new lockdown rules, I was forced to cancel our upcoming social distance holiday. What do I mean by a social distance holiday? I rented a private villa with a private pool situated on the riverfront for hubby to fish away from others. We planned to take our food and drink, ensuring we did not have to go near other people or leave the villa for the duration of our stay. I even booked a private car from our ‘Eco Bubble’ where we haven’t had a Covid case. It seemed like a responsible holiday plan. Anyway, now we can’t travel between provinces and districts, resulting in another holiday cancellation. I am going to call it #covidholidaycancellationisthenewnorm. No point fighting it. All we need to do is buckle down and wait it out patiently.
I can’t say life has been any more interesting when we weren’t in total lockdown. Daily life has remained irritatingly dull and tedious, but at least comfortably safe in our little ‘Eco Bubble’ since the start of the pandemic. We always had the option to venture out if and when we chose. This new wave has been very different in that we are forced to stay indoors. Unfortunately, this time we can’t go anywhere due to stringent rules, blockades, permit paper requirements, and negative covid tests that make it virtually impossible to move between towns, cities and provinces.
Usually, I would rely on online shopping to acquire everything I could not source in my 1km radius. Quick instant online order and prompt delivery from Hanoi was undoubtedly a fast, efficient and painless way to shop. This option certainly made my life easier, having everything at my fingertips. It seems pointless driving around to the different shops and malls. If I can order online within a second, saving time and energy not having to rush between shops. Unfortunately, this time I can’t order anything due to the blockades, making it virtually impossible for the delivery companies to enter Eco Park.
Now, with nothing to do, I have to wait for my vaccine patiently. You can agree or agree to disagree and have your opinion on the jab, and perhaps the pandemic is a hoax or a conspiracy theory. Still, whatever you believe it is, Covid is not going anywhere. I can only hope the majority of the community complies and accepts the injection for the world to finally reach herd immunity and grasp back the lives we seem to have lost, no matter where we are in the world. Everyone is still feeling the effects and frustrations. I have placed my name on the waiting list, but it just doesn’t seem like I’m any closer to getting my injection. I guess I have a fairytale notion of what worldwide vaccination could mean for all of us. I hope it would mean we can finally be free again? Free to travel any which way, free to walk in the fresh air maskless, and freedom to have our lives return to normal. I know it seems like an unattainable dream at the moment, as many people are refusing the vaccine. It is a silly idea believing a vaccine could eventually lead us back to our beloved way of life!
I guess only time will tell how long it will take to reach normality. Perhaps we must accept and ultimately evolve and embrace the new normal with all the restrictions, partial or complete lockdowns that intermittently happen during the new #covid-19era for a few more years.
Last night the owner of Nhà Hàng Hương Quê Restaurant in Hanoi invited us to join him and his family for a Vietnamese dining experience. His driver collected us from our apartment in a luxury minivan with fully reclinable seats and large screen TV, all the bells and whistle one would need on the open road. This car would have come in handy for our last trip to Mai Chau Hideaway.
The beautiful garden restaurant has many private wooden dining houses spaced out along a swan lake which allows for intimate dining with family and friends. They offered us an unlimited selection of food, including some delicacies placed on a rotating table. Each private dining house has its very own waiting staff tending to the dinners every need. There is no waiting to catch the staffs attention because your glass is always topped up before you can finish, and you never have a dirty plate in front of you.
We sampled spicy catfish, prawns, roast chicken, speciality rice, pork belly, selection of vegetables, followed by a rare fish Hot Pot, abalone porridge and finished off with pomelo fruit and tea.
On leaving, we were gifted with two bottles of Italian wine to end a memorable evening, and the chauffer shuttled us safely home.
As many of you know, I am not an adventurous eater, and this experience was way out of my comfort zone, but I did sample everything. I am not converted but happy that I tried and enjoyed the occasion with a very welcoming family.
It’s that time of the year again. We were in serious need of another short getaway. The destination of choice was Mai Chau Hideaway, situated on the banks of the Hoa Binh Reservoir.
We had an early start Monday morning waiting for our driver Mr Phong to transport us to Mai Chau, which was only 135km Southwest of Hanoi. As in all road trips in Vietnam, they seem to take much longer due to slower speed limits and not many highways allowing you to travel at high speed. The average travel was 60km/hour or less hence the 3.5 hour-long drive. We snaked along the scenic Thung Khe Pass through villages, rice paddies and sugar cane fields. Mr Phong kindly stopped a few times to look at the spectacular view of the reservoir, which is comparable to a land version of Ha Long Bay.
The Rascals were happy when we finally arrived at Mai Chau Hideaway. What a sight as we left the car, stretched our legs and caught a glimpse of the spectacular view from our balcony—a true hideaway, far away from the busy streets of Hanoi.
Mai Chau is a small town surrounded by by many ethnic villages. Set in a valley between tall mountains, tropical forests and lush green rice paddies. I was hoping to see the beautiful, Plum, and Peach flowers which are suppose to be visible during the months of March, April. I was hoping to find them over the next few days.
The birds singing outside and the gentle chugs from fishing boats as the fishermen tend their traps and set out nets was the perfect wake up call to start our day. But first, a quick stop for breakfast. There was something for everyone and no one went hungry, not the normal buffet spreads we have come to enjoy. The kids tucked into bacon and eggs and hubby enjoyed a hearty chicken Pho whilst taking in the lake view.
I arranged a private guide to take us round the local area and sights. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen due to miscommunication between bookings and reception department. Whatever it was we were not going to let this ruin our holiday. The hotel scrambled and arranged a taxi to shuttle us round and back to the hotel.
First stop Go Lao Waterfall, only a 6km drive from Mai Chau Hideaway – a beautiful hidden gem, not many visitors know about it. The Rascals were relieved to hear they would only had to tackle 40 steep steps to reach the base of the falls. Well, someone couldn’t count. Of course, if I give the kids a number, they have to count it out. By the time they reached 40, they were only at the halfway point. I can now confirm if you want to visit the falls, you will only have to conquer approximately 80 steeps steps down to the base of the falls. The water flows down to Hoa Binh lake and was flowing relatively well considering its not rain season. I would recommend a visit. Pay for parking and head down to the falls. I only wish people would take their litter with them. Then it would be a pristine sight.
Our taxi driver patiently waited for me to take my pictures before heading to our next stop Lac Village and Pom Coong Village. He dropped us off at the entrance and agreed on a time to meet and head back to the hotel. It was a pity we didn’t have an English speaking guide to show the Rascals around, to understand the villages way of life. It would have been insightful to watch the villages weave, make their tools and other handcrafted items, as well as explore the history behind their beautiful wooden houses built on stilts, continuing traditions as they did centuries ago. The villages live upstairs and work below. You can opt to walk, cycle or, better option on a hot day, jump into a golf buggy to ferry you around. You can take in the scenery as you pass all the rice paddies and mountains, watching the farmers hard at work. It’s a tranquil area as you take it all in #simplewayoflife.
After a refreshing drink, the Rascals were ready to head back to the hotel. Their tummies empty, and they couldn’t wait to sit down on the balcony for a light picnic lunch and delicious plums for dessert. The hotel kindly offered a daily plum basket which was a tasty treat.
Tummies filled and rested it was time to dive into the infinity pool to cool off. Late afternoon we headed down to the lake for a spot of fishing. Unfortunately the only thing we caught was flip flops caked in mud. Regardless it was a perfect way to end a day.
Every evening we went out to the Bamboo Restaurant for all our evening meals and breakfast. The view from their terrace is amazing.
Another early morning wake up. We headed down to the lake and boarded a metal tug, which slowly and noisily chugged along the lake. We passed some floating fish farms, loads of lime stone cliffs and islets. Enjoying a magnificent water view.
The rest of the day was as chilled as the morning. We enjoyed another picnic lunch with a view, a long afternoon swim, stone balancing and a spot of fishing on the rocky side of the resort away from the mud.
Mai Chau Hideaway offers every guest a peaceful spot to unwind. It is secluded relatively far from the city and towns, forcing you to slow down and take in the beautiful views, kick back on your balcony, watching the fishermen, boats, and birds pass by.
If you are looking for a slightly different experience in Hanoi, then take a tour sampling one of Vietnams most delicate handcrafted bean to bar chocolate sourced from cacao beans grown on the Cacaoken farm in the Da Lat Highlands.
Unfortunately, we couldn’t go directly to the farm, and it has been placed on our bucket list on must do when we visit Da Lat.
Thankfully you dont have to travel to enjoy the fine chocolate. Join a tour to Highlands Cocoa shop in Hanoi with Vũ Hồng Thanh. The staff members and Vũ Hồng Thanh will take you on a journey showing you how the cocoa beans are grown, harvested, then rested in wooden crates for a few days while the enzymes work to create a flavourful cocoa bean. After a few days, the beans are dried and transported to the factory where the finest Chocolate and various flavours are produced, utilising every part of the cocoa bean in multiple products like cocoa tea and wine.
Our outing included making cute chocolate pops, sampled various chocolates, tasting cocoa tea, and enjoyed the class on making the best hot chocolate using quality cocoa powder, and having the opportunity to make one ourselves.
The Highland cacao” brand has produced high-quality chocolate products for years, winning several international awards for their homegrown beans.
The rascals enjoyed the tour, giving it the thumbs up 👍. We hope to see the factory soon and experience the farm first hand.
Yes, we finally made it to Phu Quoc. It is a beautiful Vietnamese Island found off the coast of Cambodia! Last year, we booked our tickets to visit the Island at the end of July 2020. It wasn’t meant to be! The 2nd Covid 19 outbreak hit Danang and stopped us in our tracks. It happened the weekend before our flight, and as we watched numbers rapidly increase, we were concerned about possible flight cancellations and the probability of being stuck on the Island. Not the worst place to be trapped, but with pets at home and hubby’s work, we eventually decided it wasn’t worth the risk.
We took forever umming and ahing wondering when it would be safe to rebook our flight and eventually agreed TET holiday would be perfect for another family getaway. Of course, as fate has it, ten days before our flight, the 3rd Covid 19 outbreak occurred. No refund or flight vouchers an option. We were faced with losing another flight for our 2nd Phu Quoc trip. We decided to wait till the day before the flight to make the final decision. We watched the Covid updates and numbers and eventually agreed if we don’t go now, we won’t try going again. The numbers seem to be under control, and we decided to risk it. Bags packed, we were ready for some much needed “Vitamin Sea”.
We had an early start! 4 am wake up was not fun, but worth it in the end. Masks on and bottles of hand sanitiser we were ready.
Arriving at Noi Bai airport, to our surprise, it was ghostly quiet. With no queues, Bamboo airline staff ushered us to the check-in counter. Thankfully I was prepared with our online health declaration forms completed, which meant we had a fast check-in. The passport control and security counters were also desolate, and we breezed through. The Rascals were super surprised as they remembered the long lines they had to endure last year TET when we headed off to Singapore. We boarded the aeroplane and headed to our seats allocated behind everyone, with an entire row in front of us free and ten rows behind us empty, making social distancing possible for our entire journey. The flight arrived in Phu Quoc 30 minutes early, and as we arrived at the baggage turnstiles, our luggage was ready waiting. The flight was by far the smoothest flight we have ever experienced from departure to landing, what a pleasure!
Empty Noi Bai
Empty rows behind us
Empty Bamboo Flight
1st glimpse of the Island
Hopping into a taxi, our driver spoke decent English, and as he drove us to the Radisson Blu Hotel, situated on the Northern part of the island, he pointed out all the places we should stop and visit over the next few days. It was a wonderful surprise to have a taxi driver proud to show off the best parts of his home town.
On arrival at the Radisson Blu Hotel, we found the staff welcoming, kind and helpful. The check-in was speedy and efficient whilst we quenched our thirst with a complimentary refreshing Ice Tea. The staff quickly arranged our key cards for early check-in. A Guest relations staff member accompanied us straight to our connecting rooms. She was an absolute gem. She showed us around, making sure we had everything we needed. I can confirm the hotel has everything any family could desire, from excellent food, accommodating staff, kids centre, pool, dining, clean beach and immaculate gardens and surrounds. The hotel offers complimentary bicycle and kayak hire to keep their guests entertained during their stay.
The rascals woke up early, eager to start the day with a mighty buffet breakfast. The Radisson Blu Phu Quoc did not disappoint. They laid out a fantastic spread. They had a fresh fruit juice bar, honey counter, pate and continental selection including delightful baked treats, and chef on hand to prepare your freshly made eggs to perfection, catering to any taste bud, including my fussy little eater.
Everyone’s tummies full! We were ready to put in our steps and explore the Safari Park. Vinpearl Safari was by far the best Zoo I have seen, and all the animal enclosures were clean, large and had significant enrichment to keep the animals content. The Rascals loved feeding the giraffe and Asian elephants. It was their highlight of the day. They also loved watching the Gibbons swinging between branches and trees, but most of all, listening to their calls. All in all, a perfect outing for the whole family.
We ended the day with a swim, cocktails and early dinner at the pool bar before heading onto the beach for a sundowner to take in the beautiful sunset.
The following morning, after another hearty breakfast, Viet Jeep was waiting at reception to whisk us away in an authentic 1969 American Jeep. The jeeps were used in the Vietnam war and left behind after the war ended in 1975. Our driver and guide Nguyen Phi Dung, had arranged to take us around the northern part of the island.
1st stop was the bee farm, but unfortunately, they were closed due to the Lunar New Year holiday. We continued to the next stop, the Pepper Farm, where they farm black, white and red peppercorns. I had never really thought about where pepper comes from and found the tour interesting. The trees produce pepper all year round, and once the fruit is ready to harvest, it is picked and left to sun dry for three days. You can see in the picture below a fruit bunch with mostly green fruit and the odd red fruit. The green fruit, once dried, turns black into black pepper and the red fruit changes to a darker red, making it the spiciest peppercorn. Did you know that white pepper is actually a black peppercorn without the outer skin, and it is the mildest pepper flavour of all three? Once the peppers have dried, the farmers will separate and package them ready to sell. The Island produces about 1100 tones of organically farmed pepper annually. I suggest making a pepper farm tour a must-do on anyone’s visit to the Island.
Our tastebuds warmed, we were eager to cool off. The Rascals were ecstatic to find out our guide was taking them to Rach Vem Bai or StarFish Beach as it’s commonly known. The beach is on the northeastern side of the island. It is popular with the tourist as it has an abundance of red starfish. We had to walk quite far out into the Gulf to find starfish. I was not expecting to wade far from the beach, thankfully; the water was warm around 30°C, the ideal temperature for me to get my clothes wet. The water was clear, and we saw schools of small fish, several hermit crabs, and loads of live sand dollars everywhere we looked. Starfish beach should be on your bucket list if you love marine life.
The starfish were never removed out of the water and placed back where it was found.
sea urchin
Hermit crab
Sand Dollar
It would be rude of me not making sure we explore a small section of the Phu Quoc National Park which makes up 50% of the island, comprising of tropical rain forests, waterfalls, coral reefs, wetlands and other parts of the surrounding natural landscape. My motto is, if there is a forest, we must explore and look for interesting trees, bugs, spiders and fungus. Thankfully for Cailyn, There were no bugs or spiders on the trail, and she did not need to do her unique ‘bug dance’, which she performs every time a bug flies or crawls past. We did enjoy listening to the sound of monkeys and birds in the distance and finding some unique looking trees, and taking in the fresh air.
Nguyen Phi Dung ended our tour taking us to Mui Ganh Dau Beach, the closest point to Cambodia. You just need a big hop, skip and a jump, and you may find yourself on the Asian continent. It was just a lookout spot for us as the tiny beach covered by litter was not inviting —interesting fact: Phu Quoc belonged to Cambodia and was taken over by Vietnam about 100 years ago.
The following morning, Viet Jeep collected us from the hotel. We had planned to spend the morning fishing with some locals. The Rascals were happy to be cruising on the Jeep again but mostly looking forward to a fun day on the beach and fishing in the shallows. They loved helping the local fishermen set out a small net for them to catch some fish and also cast their rods from the shoreline. Hubby was happy to be out on the rocks casting his line out deeper, hoping to catch the ‘BIG ONE’. Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be. He had a few bites but only managed to land a dinky toy’😉. The rascals were ecstatic with their haul, even if it was only four small fish, but they were beautiful. All the fish were released to enjoy freedom again and grow to maturity.
On arriving back at the hotel, we were treated to a traditional Lion Dance performance to celebrate TET Vietnamese Lunar New Year Eve. The lion dance symbolises the removal of negative energies, because the lion is a creature believed to bring good luck, health, and prosperity. It was so loud you can feel the drum vibrations running through the ground and up through your body. It’s always wonderful for the Rascals to witness the local cultures and traditions, and it’s a good world schooling opportunity. Happy Lunar New Year or Chúc Mừng Năm Mới 2021 in Vietnamese
Sadly, our final day on Phu Quoc Island and our travel plans had been disrupted with an eight-hour flight delay. The rascals were a bit upset as they missed their pets and were looking forward to returning after lunch to collect their beloved #furbabies. Still, it was a small blessing and gave us some extra time for a final swim in the pool and play on the beach, making funny sand art before checking out and exploring the Southern part of the Island.
Turtle Island
We booked a private car through Viet Jeep to take us around the Island and drop us off at the airport. 1st stop Dinh Cau Rock or Cau fishing pagoda and lighthouse, where the fishermen believe Thien Hau (the goddess of the sea) will protect them while fishing in the open ocean. Dinh Cau Rock is close to the Duong Dong Fishing Harbour, where we saw many fishing and tour boats. This will the best place to hop onto a tour boat if you want to go Island hopping, snorkelling, fishing or scuba diving.
Our driver headed over to the Pearl Farm, unfortunately, the tour was closed being a public holiday, but the shop was open to glimpse some stunning pearls. Pearls are graded according to surface quality, luster, and perfection of shape, roundness and symmetry. We saw some dazzling pearls and products. Hubby treated me to a beautiful pair of pearl earings, and we bought our daughter her first pearl bracelet.
At our next stop, the driver gave us a tour of Coconut Prison. He was an excellent guide and explained that the prison was the largest in South Vietnam. He explained what the prisoners had to endure during their imprisonment at the facility. Coconut prison, as you see it today, is a museum and memorial, built with fake prison quarters and mannequins detailing their story. This was not a fun visit but historically an essential stop for us. The Rascals said it was creepy, but it was good for them to see and understand how brutal the wars were. The Americans soldiers were in charge of this this prison, and they had some brutal methods of torture. Of course, we all know the brutality happened in all prisoners of war, no matter which country was in charge.
The surrounding perimeter fence was made up of at least ten layers of barb wire, making it impossible to escape. The prisoners, however, did not give up and dug tunnels under the prison with metal spoons. The tunnels were tiny and only men weighing less than 40kg could move through. They say only 21 men escaped. Most escapees were recaptured and tortured again and again.
Tiger Cage, was a brutal torture method, leaving the men to be scorched by the sun for days with only their shorts on, given rice and salt to eat and no water.
Prison quaters
Digging their way out
Freedom, after escaping the prison
Our final stop before heading to the airport was Sao Beach the “crown jewels of Phu Quoc. I believe it could be, but as it seems with most public beaches in Phu Quoc, they are filthy and unloved, piles of litter everywhere. A pitty as the sand was snow-white and the water was emerald blue with some cute Instagramable frames and swings submerged during high tide which looked fun. We sat at the beach bar to take in the last view and wasting time before our flight.
We had another memorable family vacation, finding something fun for each of us to enjoy. Phu Quoc will be remembered as we made lifetime memories for our Rascals to look back on when they are older. If you are thinking about visiting the Island, I believe you will have an enjoyable stay. There is enough to do for a few days to enjoy the sights, beaches and food, and plenty of time for much-needed R&R
Lil Rascals Travel Adventures 