A massive statue of a gladiator stands alongside Roman ruins. There's a trattoria with a Vespa parked out the front,right next to that sign to Pompeii which is apparently mere metres from Siena. There's just one problem:we're not in Italy. We're not even in the same hemisphere. But visit Mediterranean Town on the Vietnamese island of Phu Quoc and it soon becomes clear there's a surprise around every corner.
Phu Quoc sits off Cambodia in the Gulf of Thailand and is about an hour's flight from Ho Chi Minh City. Ten years ago the island was covered in dense jungle. Happily,much of that remains,with the northern end home to Phu Quoc National Park,designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2010. In contrast,the southern part of the island is undergoing a building boom after some pandemic hiccups. It's home to the giant Sun Group's Mediterranean Town,mentioned above,but also one of the world's longest cable cars. There are new hotels and resorts,many of which have sprung up near the 17-kilometre Long Beach on the western side of the island.
So with such a mix of attractions it's a wonder that Phu Quoc has yet to establish itself on many Australian holiday radars,particularly seeing it has all of those things that have long wooed us to Vietnam:incredible food;beaches,warm and friendly people,and a fascinating history. And of course,enough good-natured chaos to make it intriguing:because a big part of Vietnam's attraction is that not everything makes immediate sense to outside eyes,reinforcing the fact that (thankfully) you're not in Kansas anymore.
When in Rome
First question. Why would you build a hybrid version of Italy on a Vietnamese island? This is followed by how does this jumble of terracotta and pastel terraces that tumble down to the island-dotted waters of the Gulf of Thailand look so convincing? And,strange to say,not too tacky. Everything you associate with Italy is here:the fountains,the mosaics,the pasta,pots of red geraniums,all presented in the best-looking Italian streets anywhere. And then there's the not-so-convincing:the signs to Pompeii,the Roman Square,the gladiators and the ancient ruins.
This 30-hectare part-folly,part private investment,part tourist attraction includes villas,big and small hotels,apartments and shophouses along a path leading to the new Kiss Bridge and will delight and confuse. Eventually this project,by the giant Vietnamese Sun Group,will be full of apartment dwellers,businesses and holiday-makers but the day we visit painters,builders and gardeners are making final touches toTruman Show-esque streets where there is not a leaf out of place and hardly a person to be seen. But hey,Rome wasn't built in a day.
The cable guys