• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to footer
A Pair of Travel Pants - Logo

A Pair of Travel Pants

# a pair of travel pants

  • Blog
  • Where We’ve Been
    • Asia
      • Cambodia
      • Hong Kong
      • Japan
      • Singapore
      • Sri Lanka
      • Thailand
      • Vietnam
    • Oceania
      • Australia
      • Fiji
      • New Zealand
    • North America
      • USA
        • New Mexico
        • New York City
        • New York State
    • Europe
      • Croatia
      • Czech Republic
      • France
      • Germany
      • Hungary
      • Poland
      • Portugal
      • Scotland
      • Spain
      • The Netherlands
    • Africa
      • Botswana
      • Namibia
      • South Africa
      • Zimbabwe
      • Morocco
    • The Caribbean
      • Saint Martin – Sint Maarten
  • Essentials
    • Travel Insurance
    • Renting a Car
    • Staying in Touch Overseas
    • Travel Resources
  • Our Gear
    • Backpacks
    • Men’s Clothes
    • Women’s Clothes
    • Toiletries / Medical
    • Gadgets
    • Misc
  • Contact Us
Home / Blog / Travel Mishaps / Vietnam: Phu Quoc

Vietnam: Phu Quoc

  • Travel Mishaps
  • Vietnam
March 22, 2017 by Natalie Leave a Comment

  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  

This island off the coast of Cambodia was a perfect introduction to Vietnam for us. The small town of Duong Dong had a lively night market, tons of great places to eat and great Vietnamese coffee!

Walking toward the night market.

A moment, if you please, for me to indulge you in the rapturous mana that is Vietnamese coffee. It is velvety, thick, with chocolate undertones and a sweet aftertaste; this drink is strong and can be served hot or cold. If made correctly on a hot day, there will be a ton of ice allowing the drinker quite a while of sipping on the mixture, each taste not being diluted with water, but enriched by its presence. This is a drink one can experience in expensive coffee houses, a mother’s kitchen or at a tarped food stall- regardless, it is luscious.

Ok, so back to Phu Quoc…

The beaches, or the western coastline, were crowded with tourists and hotels. The sand was smooth and golden, and there were palm trees and blue skies, but we weren’t too blown away. We’re spoiled. Fiji ruined us.

Coming out of the water.

It was nice to sit under the shade of a palm tree and read. The days did get very hot, however, and at around 35C (95F) being on the sand felt unbearable. We’d amble back to our room and vegetate in the A/C, totally aware of our beautiful, luxurious surroundings and giving no fucks.

Tourradar

One afternoon, after a particularly hot sunning, Jackson and I decided to get a Bahn Mi before getting back to the hotel.

Then all hell broke loose.

I was the sickest I have ever been. It felt like every orifice of my body was bailing fluid. For hours I was wracked with cramps, stabbing pain in my belly culminating in multiple trips to the toilet. You know that feeling when you hug a toilet bowl like it’s your mother? That was me.

I was a wreck. Jackson was patient and sweet, even leaving the room to eat a hamburger. The lucky bastard didn’t get so much as a bad burp from the lunch we’d had. We ate the same thing!

To comfort myself, I’d go on facebook and instagram and imagine myself as someone else, until I saw a picture of someone’s food online. Noooo! I don’t want to see a picture of your steak and fries! I’m going to puke again!

I was out of commission for a good two days. Ugh. Our loose dreams of maybe renting a motorbike to see another part of the island evaporated like the cold sweat off my forehead. Oh, Phu Quoc: why?

Sleeping: it was all I could do.

Getting food poisoning is a sure bet with me. Whenever I have traveled some form of gut rot has reared its ugly head. To not get some type of bad-food experience in Asia is to be lucky, indeed.  I knew it was only a matter of time.

The great thing about terrible poisoning is that it makes for great stories later. Sitting around a low, plastic table lit by a naked light bulb on a warm, humid night in some foreign town makes a perfect setting for swapping funny shit-your-pants stories among seasoned travelers. A few beers deep and the belly laughs really begin as knowing nods abound.

So, yeah. I got really sick. But it was time for Ho Chi Minh and new adventures. Would I recommend a trip to Phu Quoc? Eh. It was alright. You’ll find better beaches in Thailand.

Feeling a little better. This is me putting on a very good show (I was weak as a kitten) leaving for the mainland!

 

  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  

  • bad food
  • beach
  • Island
  • sick

Related Posts

  • Vietnam Camera Roll – Part 2
  • Vietnam Camera Roll – Part 1
  • Vietnam: Hanoi
  • Vietnam: Nha Trang
  • Dalat Vietnam from the Crazy House
    How to Spend 3 Days in Dalat, Vietnam
  • The hike to the campsite at Phu Kradueng
    Hiking Phu Kradueng

Hi, we’re Natalie and Jackson: a trans-continental couple who met in New York City in 2013 and haven’t been apart since. We got married in June 2015 and have been traveling around the world together.

Reader Interactions

Leave a comment Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Footer

This page may contain affiliate links. This means that if you buy/book anything we recommend through A Pair of Travel Pants, we receive a small commision, at no extra cost to you! It’s a small way of helping us fund our travels. Thank you for your support!

  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us

Copyright 2023 Natalie & Jackson


  • Skinny Jeans icon designed by Dorian Dawance
  • Pants icon designed by Oliviu Stoian
  • Backpack icon designed by Jonathan Collie
  • Backpack icon designed by Jonathan Collie

‹›x