A tranquil, alluring island in central Vietnam, which has seen notable transformations in recent years, has emerged as a new tourist attraction.

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Phu Quy island district in the south-central province of Binh Thuan has seen remarkable changes for the better since locals gained full access to electricity in July last year.

Residents were allowed access to electricity from 7.30am to 11.30pm every day starting in 1999. However, the insufficient electricity supply and exorbitant electricity prices plunged local residents and businesses in immense difficulty.

Since June last year, the island’s electricity prices are the same as those on the mainland.

Though the island, which occupies roughly 18 square kilometers in area, is more modern-looking now, it still retains its pristine charms and tranquility and its residents are just as hospitable and caring as ever.

A local is seen watering her vegetables field in Phu Quy Island. Photo: Tuoi Tre.

A place to go to and remember

The island received 6,500 tourist visits last year, which is a sharp rise compared to previous years, according to the local People’s Committee.

Vo Van Kiet street, the island’s largest, is lined with four or five modern-looking hotels.

“The drop in electricity prices helps cut our costs. We thus offer better services and our hotel is more comfy,” a hotel owner there observed.

Two American tourists, Michael Houston, 37, and his wife, Linda, were prepping for a fun-packed surfing experience on a beach near Long Vi Hotel-Restaurant in Long Hai Commune.

“We have been spending our time here every year in the past three years and done a lot of surfing. The beaches here are really awesome,” Houston shared.

Meanwhile, Linda showed off her sun-tanned complexion, adding she always feels great here thanks to the fresh air and cozy atmosphere.

The couple first learned about Vietnam after Linda watched a film which mentioned the Southeast Asian country.

They then decided to give it a try in Phu Quy Island and consider their experiences here really worthwhile.

The couple share they generally take leisurely strolls along the sea dykes in the morning and take snapshots of fishermen’s and locals’ daily activities.

After pampering themselves with surfing experiences in the afternoon, Houston and his wife do some jogging in the neighborhood.

“We find it really hard to leave the island as our trips draw to an end. Life here is so peaceful and serene and time seemingly stands still. Locals are really nice to us though they speak fragmented English,” Houston noted.

The man added he is particularly impressed by the bamboo papooses which local women, including elderly ones, wear on their back on their way to the paddy fields every day.

“The tranquil fishing villages, lush vegetables fields and exotic delicacies also hold a special appeal to us,” he added.

Part of a bustling dock in Phu Quy is pictured during the first month of 2015. Photo: Tuoi Tre.

Huynh Van Hung, chair of the district’s People’s Committee, whose family have settled on the island for several generations, noted the island’s main draws also lie in its time-honored culture and history, pagodas and festivals, as well as its residents’ cultured manners and peaceful, harmonious lifestyle.

Bui Thi Kim Hue, a local culture official, shared she and others are working to improve locals’ cultural, spiritual life and enhance the island’s tourist appeal by launching UNESCO-recognized “don ca tai tu” (southern traditional music) programs, boat races, and fishing festivals.

Significant changes

Streets in Phu Quy Island are now lined with electronic appliance shops and grocery stores.

Tu Chinh, owner of a shop in Tam Thanh Commune, said since the district gained full access to electricity in mid last year, he has sold more electronic appliances such as washing machines, fridges and magnetic stoves to locals.

His sale has seen a 30% rise recently.

“Locals used to cook food on firewood, as gas prices are high. Full access to electricity has made astonishing changes. They now cook food in electric cookers and on magnetic stoves,” he explained.

Cafes, eateries and restaurants are also found along the streets, which are well illuminated at night.

According to a book complied by the island district’s Party committee in 2007, the local population is constituted from Kinh (principal Vietnamese race) people, and those of Chinese and Cham origin, whose ancestors drifted to and settled on the island after fishing trips.

Apart from fishing and aquatic farming, locals generally work on paddy fields, tend to their orchards and raise cattle.

In recent years, several have also taken up raising salamanders, and growing vegetables in netted houses.

Many from other provinces in the north have also made their way to the island, where they consider their second hometown.

Le Thi Hong Cu, 41, left her hometown of Thanh Hoa in the north and settled in the island with her husband and two daughters in 2003.   

The couple managed to buy a house after years of hard work. One of their daughters now works as a teacher on the island.

“We initially found it quite difficult to get used to locals’ culinary tastes and lifestyle, but now we are firmly rooted here and really appreciate neighbors’ care and assistance for one another. Sometimes I think we would make a better living elsewhere, but we would never find such  peace of mind and harmony as that on the island,” Cu shared.