Kep - Ha Tien - Phu Quoc

Day 91

Ha Tien – Phu Quoc

Today we are going to cross the border to Vietnam. This border crossing is relatively new and there is no much information about it. The only thing we know - we paid for tuk tuk to get us to the other side of the border, to the town called Ha Tien.

so, we are on the way to the border...





The road was not too exciting, but still nice...


Finally we get to some place, where tuk tuk driver tells us that it can not go further and we have to take motobikes to cross the border. I start to panic, since we need to separate and go on 4 separate bikes with drivers. Tuk tuk guy and the motobike guys tell us that there is no problem and it is a really common way to cross the border (since tuk tuk is not allowed to cross to the other side - to Vietnam)


Well...we have no choice...


The entrance to the border...


and here is Vietnamese border...COMMUNISM!!! :-)))



Finally we arrive to Ha Tien. The guys from motobike say that in case we want to catch boat to Phu Quoc, we need to hurry up, since it is only 10 minutes left until it leaves. We go directly to the pier!!!! Somehow one of the guys from the motobikes, goes and buys us tickets for the boat, same time we are boarding and somehow we are on the boat and on the way to Phu Quoc! Miracle!! :-D


After arriving to Phu Quoc, long bridge takes us to the shore (and of course 100 tuk tuk drivers surrond you and try to sell you the best hotel, best ride, best taxi etc etc)


Finally we decide to take a mini van and it takes us to Long beach (famous place for budget accomodation). Unfotunately, all bungalows we found there were quite expensive (around 20 - 25 USD), so finally we decided to stay at Orient Hotel, close to the night market and at the entrance to the capital of Phu Quoc - Doung Doung. 17 USD double room with air con and breakfast was not bad at all.

Fist problem in communication happened at check in. Receptionist asked us for our passports, which we had to leave there and get back next day. We tried to have a discussion, but the girl did not speak English. Finally we agreed, and later on we got that it was a common practice in Vietnam - some kind of security measure, when hotels are obliged to register the visitors and pass their data to local police, confirming visa dates.

Anyway, Phu Quoc island was the fist stop in Vietnam and the fist place where we have realized - WE NEED A DICTIONARY (and we bought one, English - Vietnamese :-D