Farewell Phu Quoc

We're flying back to Ho Chi Minh instead of spending extra days on this island.

There are those instagrammable spots here, some picturesque beaches. But it feels that every pretty scene is just a facade.

I had wanted to go to Starfish Beach, for example. Once here though, we discovered locals take the native red starfish that are sprinkled on many beaches - and bring them to one remote place. Charge tourists to access it. But worst, the starfish die. They're mishandled, abused, for pretty pictures.

And the island feels like this to me. Soulless. Amazing adventure parks, but that's not really our thing.

We went to Sunset Town just to see it. It's packed with tourists in this pretend Italian /French /Greek town. The concept is huge and well executed. It was an ambitious project and they delivered on it. There's no real history here at all, and certainly no real sense of this country. But it's clean, true to concept for the most part, and I think they do really incredible shows here.

Canopies of trees, coconut palms, Jack fruit, teak - are being clear cut to build more resorts. The most appealing beaches are roped off to the public, access controlled by resorts.

I liked some parts here very much. Palm fringed beaches, golden sand and brilliant sunsets are still real. Brilliant flowers still tumble decoratively over shacks and farms and gas statins and homes with abandon. The North island so far remains less developed.

I love that they decommissioned an airport and turned the runways into highways.

The always smiling, always helpful, almost one man show at our local restaurant.

The charming humour of the tour guide at the pepper plantation.

But I leave with a bit of relief, and a lingering guilt. There's no environmental protection at all. Garbage everywhere, drains and sewers discharge right into the ocean in places. Peoples way of life in their beautiful home is being destroyed by big corporations, and us going there is contributory.

I wish I felt better about it. The idyllic tropical paradise described to us many years ago no longer exists. They literally paved paradise here.Read more