The Book of Jones

Wow. So, if you've ever read / watched The Beach, you're probably familiar with the notion of finding the last undiscovered / unspoiled beach in se asia. I've spoken to a lot of backpackers who've been in se asia for the last 20 years or so, and they rave about how thailand was "before all the fucking tourists." They all spend time on the beaches of cambodia (but "not that tourist hive sihanoukville" - although it is supposed to be nice, just not up to the avant-backpacker level), but a few have mentioned phu quoc.

And, oh man, phu quoc is amazing. Its like what hawaii might have been 60 years ago - white sandy beaches, reefs 20 feet off the beach, cheap as fuck bungalows everywhere (right on the water). Next winter I'm seriously considering just spending it here - getting dive certified sometime this spring / summer, then getting a moto & a bungalow for a month. It would probably cost around $20-$30 a day ($12 for the bungalow, $4 for the moto, the rest for food & drinks). Seriously - I'm glad I didn't come here in the beginning as I was originally planning - I wouldn't have left.