#40: Raise anchor

02/24/2020

After yesterday's view of the islands off Phu Quoc from above, it's time today for a look under the water's surface. We are taking part in a snorkeling tour to the uninhabited islands south of Phu Quoc, Hon Gam Ghi and Hon Xuong.

We are picked up by bus at 9 am and taken to the port of An Thoi. Vanessa, I, and around 15 other amateur snorkelers are accompanied on our trip by Lee, our tour guide, a young local who motivates and leads us through the day.

In An Thoi, we all board the Red River 8 and the trip begins. The boat makes a good impression. It has two decks, one of which is the sun deck, from which we have a good view of the happenings around the boat. We drive about an hour to a location between the 13 islands off the southern tip of Phu Quoc. There is a half-hour fishing on the program. Fishing is done with a fishing line rolled up on a short plastic tube from the boat. While Vanessa fishes in the hope of not catching anything, Martin does everything to catch dinner. Unfortunately, he only manages to catch a small mini fish, which is released back into the water.

Then we continue to the first snorkeling spot. Here we snorkel for an hour between the coastal rocks of Hon Gam Ghi. Here you can see many fish, underwater plants, shells, and crabs. The coral reefs are particularly beautiful to see. The water is very clear, especially at the beginning, so snorkeling is a lot of fun.

After snorkeling, we have lunch on the boat. It is served in large bowls on the table, from which it is transferred to the smaller personal bowls in small portions. The menu includes rice, noodles, morning glory, chicken, tofu, and some fish snacks and shrimp. Watermelon is served as dessert. Since we are not very knowledgeable about Vietnamese eating customs, we wait a short moment and see what the locals do. We use the traditional chopsticks to eat. However, Martin must look particularly pitiful because after a short time, presumably local women hand him a fork and spoon. Even during the rest of the meal, he obviously does not appear very confident because he is regularly served food by the women or simply scooped up - no words of protest. When peeling a shrimp, he elicits amused laughter from the local tour participants. The women are now smiling and about to exchange the half-peeled shrimp with one that they have already peeled for him. However, he perseveres and bravely finishes peeling. The food is a lot of fun, especially because of the very nice local tour participants, and it tastes good too. We try a bit of everything. While Vanessa abstains from the shrimp, Martin leaves out the tofu.

Then we go to the second snorkeling spot. Here we stop at the island of Hon Xuong. The island looks like a small pirate hideout. It is completely covered in palm trees and surrounded by reefs and coral. We go to a secluded little side beach and lie in the two hammocks hanging there. The view and the feeling are fantastic, it looks like something out of a classic Caribbean movie. The snorkeling here is even better than at the previous island. Here it is just the two of us, and the underwater world is even more diverse. At the same time, swimming here is also more difficult because the water above the reef is very shallow.

The last stop of the day is back on the main island of Phu Quoc. Here we dock again in An Thoi and take the bus to Sao Beach. Unlike our home beach Long Beach, Sao Beach is located on the east side of the island. Sao Beach is a beach with the finest and whitest sand we have seen so far. It is lined with palm trees and is located in a crescent-shaped bay. Another paradise beach and a highlight of our trip. Here we spend time walking and swinging.

We arrive back at the hostel at 5:30 pm. Unfortunately, we just missed the free beer today. However, the trip was worth every Dong and even the free beer. After a quick dinner, we quickly fall asleep with lots of new impressions.