The roar of Saigon, the long beaches of Phú Quốc, and the empty, turtle nesting wilds of Côn Đảo, Vietnam with its feet in the sea.
Into Ho Chi Minh City, all scooters and skyline and energy. After the flight we keep it easy, a first bowl of bún and a rooftop sundowner over the neon, an early night before tomorrow.
The War Remnants Museum and the Reunification Palace tell the modern story straight; the Notre Dame and the old post office, the Ben Thanh market, and a street food scooter tour by night, riding pillion between plastic stool kitchens.
A short flight to Phú Quốc, Vietnam's beach island in the warm Gulf of Thailand. Settle on Long Beach, a first swim, and the night market for grilled scallops and sea urchin as the sun goes down.
The island's loveliest beaches, Sao and Khem in the south, the world's longest over sea cable car to Hòn Thơm, and an island hopping snorkel of the An Thới archipelago. A pepper farm and a fish sauce distillery for the island's two great exports.
A slow beach day on the quieter northern coves of Ông Lang, a squid fishing boat at sunset, or simply a lounger and a book. Phú Quốc asks very little of you, which is exactly why people come.
A flight to Côn Đảo, a remote archipelago of green peaks and empty white beaches with a sombre past as a prison island. The small town, the moving Phú Hải prison and the Hàng Dương cemetery, and a first quiet, almost private beach.
Côn Đảo guards some of Vietnam's healthiest reefs. Snorkel or dive off Bảy Cạnh island, and, from June to September, join the rangers at night as green turtles haul up the sand to nest, one of the great wildlife sights of the country.
Dam Trau beach below the airstrip, the forest trails, the temple to the war heroine Võ Thị Sáu the locals visit at midnight. A final southern sunset over a sea most travellers never reach.
A last island morning before the flight back via Saigon and home. Vietnam's south coast is its best kept secret, and you just spent a week in it.
Three ways to do the same route: Comfort, Premium or Luxe. Breakfasts in. Mix tiers city by city if you like, it is your trip.
Priced to your dates, your hotel tier and how the two of you like to travel. Ask, the first answer usually lands within minutes.
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