In my recent travel to Vietnam but also in the one a couple of years back, I was very suprised to see how they are working on development of the country of there. The economy is growing and that means that also the infrastructure should be growing.
In a lot of places there has been a lot of nice upgrades that really make it attractive to visit but they also still feel like the cultural values are still in place. There are also some places that are a total miss and are the weirdest places to visit that don't seem genuine at all.
Sunset Town on the island of Phu Quoc is one of those non-genuine places which to me..you could totally skip in your trip unless you like watching disasters going on.
And why? Because Sunset Town has the ambition to have 'the vibe' of some kind of Italian Town, but the reality is that nearly every building is empty and it is a ghost town and a charade behind the scenes and literally everything is fake.
Oke, I know it sounds a bit depressing. Let me explain!
Fake it until you make it
Honestly, when looking from a distance to Sunset Town, which is located in in Vietnam on the South of the island of Phu Quoc near the fishing village of An Thoi, it all looks super cool actually.
This articifial built town has been created out of thin air and has the theme of the Roman Empire. Honestly if you ask me, why would you build a Roman empire place when you have such a beautiful culture yourself. Why make something of that it is not and not stick to the recipe that works and where people are coming for?
Admittingly, they also did a good job on recreating this whole Roman Empire style. It feels like a lot of the things are in place and look a lot as the original always had looked.
The cobblestones are there on the roads, the palmtrees feel on fleek and even the front sides of all of the building look like how you would find them somewhere in Sicily or of Napels.
Even the paint on the outsides has been made 'old' and that is exactly why all of this just feels so fake. This whole town just isn't old. It was built just recently and had some delays due to covid and then later on some of the investment projects were cancelled.
That is where the issue is. Because some things were cancelled, all of a sudden this town had become an empty shell.
Sure...there are some restaurant and there are some hotels. But that is about it. Apart from the animation in the evening that is presented to you because there is nothing else to do, there is no reason to hoover around here.
For instance...there are no mini markets or supermarkets which makes you totally dependent on the restaurants there. But you also want an occasional juice or a snack somewhere without breaking the bank. And that is exactly the problem at these bars and restaurants. These are expensive compared to the rest of Vietnam and also have a totally Western influence while you just want a good old noodle or spring roll.
And yes there is a beach. But you aren't allowed to swim over there because it is all part of the 'fire work' show and is entirely used for this. Better said...no beach available
It's all just a bit mehh
Since it is all man made and there are hardly any green patches, it is hot as fak in this town as well. Which doesn't really make it appealing to head outside (also because there is no beach to chill). Everything that you are able to do here in this town, will cost you something additional.
Want to use the pool? Sure you can...at this certain hotel there is an available pool where it is super expensive, because your own hotel will not have a pool for sure.
Want to have dinner outside by one of the restaurants? Sure you can, you just have to pay the additional fireworks show fee that is mandatory or bug out before 19.30.
Again...everything is landscaped super pretty but everything just feels fake as if you are in an amusementpark where you have to participate in the chosen amusement.
I knew some of these things before hand but I just wanted to check out the waterpark that you can visit by taking the cablecar to one of the neighbouring islands.
That was the reason why I was here. Not because I wanted to see this ghosttown.
Honestly, the streets look super cool and the vibe is totally Mediterranean, you can feel it walking around. But most of the buildings are empty inside and if something is occupied, it is only the bottom floor.
This also does something for the people who have a small business here. Because in the evenings the town is mostly empty, business is not all that great and it is not really busy. I guess that also does something with the tips which also does something with the mood of the people working here.
Let me say that me most unfriendly people I met in Vietnam (those were just like 3 people in total) were all centered in this town.
So yeah...apart from the waterpark which was really fun to visit (but also super unfriendly staff in the slides) there was not a lot of reason to hang around here. So I left again as fast as I could.
I know a lot of people think that Phu Quoc has lost its charm, and I get where they are coming from. It is all feeling like one big Disney World. If you love this, you will love it here.
But for looking for some better hangouts Phu Quoc has a lot of other things to do which are a more authentic and also a lot more fun. I mean..if you love beaches, this island is truly stunning! For real, the beaches were fantastic on this island and not difficult to find. I enjoyed myself to the fullest here waterwise!
But this Sunset Town created by the Sunworld group, skipping it seems like a valid thing to do if you are fond of keeping your soul.
Wow! I didn't expect this kind of review from you... 😃 But, I can agree with you about creating "fake" things just to make it more "at home"... I found it dumb as in the first place, you go somewhere to explore the LOCAL culture, and not to "feel at home"... On the other side, living in a tourist place for 12 years, I saw that most "typical" tourists want to "feel at home"...
Anyway, it looks like the town you visited is more like a big amusement park and not a "classic" town... Thanks for sharing... I will try to stay away from Sunset Town! 😂
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Hahaha its very honest right? ;)
Well the thing is...when something is nice you should mention it but this is soooo weird. You deserve to know that you shouldnt be hanging a week around here because its boring.
And yeah I also get that it is cool for people who don't have Italy around the corner. But still...dont go for too long
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Exceptional content! The clarity of your explanation and the depth of your analysis are remarkable. Hive needs more posts like this.
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It's freaking crazy, are they trying to attract foreign or local tourists? If it's the former they've totally screwed up
What a beautiful place, I've never seen it before.♥️🙏
I totally here you - I would have visited as well out of curiousity. However, visiting Asia I want to experience their culture and not to see fake facades or recreation of another culture. I am sure tourists do not really appreciate it and the locals would prefer to see these places where they really belong.
I know that other places do this as well - for instance Las Vegas and in some cities of China etc. It is sort of absurd and a bit wierd but something to do on vacation I guess.
Wow, thanks for showing us this place. Your post was really nice also to inspire a reflection, to go beyond the appearances. At first it seemed wonderful to me: those statues look amazing, the place seems fascinating and it's true, the vibes are totally Mediterranean (said by a Mediterranean guy 😁).
On the other hand, going beyond the surface, I understand your disappointment because it's probably how I would feel if I was visiting this place in person. Anyway, it still has positive sides, and in general it's nice to know that it exists. Thank you so much for your contribution :)
Travel Digest #2482.
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