|
|
What to Do ?
If you're in Rach Gia, you're most likely headed to the offshore Phu Quoc Island
or westward to Hon Chong and Ha Tien. If you're off to
Phu Quoc, you may find yourself
needing an overnight stay here if you miss the last boat to the island.
Missing
a boat and having to overnight in Rach Gia isn't a bad thing -- the town has a couple
of minor points of interest, including a small museum, and we found the locals here
to be particularly friendly. There's no shortage of good hotels, a handful of good
places to chow down at and the scenic fishing boats round out a good overall package.
In wet season, the boat timetables can be haphazard due to bad weather and the boats
often do not run. Because of this people often fly -- either from Saigon or
Rach
Gia, but even though there are multiple daily flights, the flights fill up quickly,
so if you arrive in Rach Gia and the weather is foul, book yourself on a flight
quicksmart -- the flight is only 100,000D more than the boat. Likewise, leaving
Phu Quoc by boat can be a little erratic in the wet season -- but according to locals
the flights almost always run, so if you're tight on time, wedging Phu Quoc into
the last few days of a Vietnam trip, consider flying back to Saigon to be sure of
not missing onwards connections out of the country.
One more word on the boats in bad weather fishing boats may still make the run to Phu Quoc from Ha Tien --
we strongly suggest you skip this option -- the run is dangerous -- and the boats
do sink. Be patient and wait for a ferry from
Rach Gia, or fly -- do not take a
boat from Ha Tien.
|
|
