Having already visited Sol Beach House Phu Quoc once, I couldn’t wait to get back.

The sun, sand and chilled out, welcoming vibe of the resort called to me from my stuffy city-centre desk.

Without a moment of hesitation, I booked the one-hour 3:45pm flight out of Ho Chi Minh City to Phu Quoc, excited to see the team I’d gotten to know during my previous stay, eat the delicious foods and see what new things the resort had to offer.

Remembering Sol Beach House Phu Quoc’s pet policy, this time, I decided to bring my Dachshund Roxie along.

Immediately welcomed by a familiar smile and crisp white Sol Beach House Phu Quoc tee-shirt, we drove the short 15-minute drive from the airport to the resort.

I was ecstatic to have made it just in time to drop my bags off in my ‘beach house’ room, get Roxie a treat in a specialised dog bowl and catch the sunset and weekly Market Street Food offer down on the beach. Savory, melt-in-your-mouth tapas-sized bites of chargrilled meat and veg were exactly what I’d been craving.

Sated and ready to let loose and leave the week behind, I took Roxie back to our room for her evening snooze on the provided dog bed – Roxie was as welcomed a guest as I was – before I headed back down to the well-lit infinity pool where the in-house DJ played groovy, danceable tunes. I met a few other couples and solo-travelers my age, enjoyed the warm glow of a couple of classic margaritas and resigned myself to a great weekend ahead.

Awoken by first light after a cozy night’s sleep, I slipped down to the beach for a little meditation and yoga. Calmed by the ebb and flow of the ocean, I only realized the time when my stomach started growling. Enjoying a quick and healthy fruit, yogurt and muesli, I decided to save my appetite for The Kitchen’s ‘Wok Mania’. Wok-fried anything gives my taste buds a thrill.

In the meantime, to carry on my zen and relaxation, I hit Body & Sol Spa for a 180-minute Relaxing Haven session, including a sloughing body scrub, restorative body wrap, soothing aromatherapy and a positively glowing facial. Three hours later, I walked out feeling like a new person – fresh, supple, renewed and hungry!

Body & Sol Spa is the perfect place to indulge yourself

I realized all I seemed to do at Sol Beach House Phu Quoc was dance, relax and eat, but sometimes it’s what you need to realign with yourself and nature. ‘Wok Mania’ did not disappoint; with plenty of Asian delights to hit all the taste bud zones: salty, spicy, sour and sweet, I felt a twinge of regret that I couldn’t eat like this every day.

During my last visit I took an exciting and informative paddle boarding lesson and, so, decided to get some more practice; I booked some time the following day on the waves to make sure I would be able to maintain and improve my already waning skill.

It would be a full morning of paddling before rushing off to the airport, so I took Roxie down to The Shack with me for a bit of dinner and to listen to the in-house Cuban band – the only one in Vietnam! Passion was certainly in the air, with rich percussion sounds giving even the least musical person a bit of extra rhythm.

Looking to try something new and unique to Phu Quoc, I ordered the Ca Trich: raw herring salad with coconut, fresh herbs wrapped in rice paper dipped in Phu Quoc fish sauce. Fresh and not fishy, with the cleansing taste of coconut, the more of this delightful dish I ate, the more I wanted!

Food and friends on the beach make for a perfect city escape

On my final morning, Roxie stayed behind after another quick breakfast and I hit the waves. Still no expert with a board, I grew more confident with each hour spent on the waves. I knew next time I’d be even more skilled and confident, maybe enough to bring a friend along and show off! My instructor stuck it out with me for two hours and taught me some secret tips to control the board – I would be an expert in no time.

Like all good things, this weekend had to come to an end. Roxie and I gathered up our things and said goodbye to staff turned friends, both new and old, and promised to come back as soon as we could. While waiting for my plane to board I wondered how I could convince my boss to let me work remotely from Sol Beach House Phu Quoc’s poolside. A girl can dream.

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