A thousand stars

The changing sands of Phu Quoc

We are nestled in a yellow wicker loveseat which sits on an un-manicured lawn surrounded by palm trees and white hammocks. We savour the last morsels of what I can say is one the tastiest meals I have ever had: squid in five spices and a tomato salad with an exquisite balsamic dressing. We sit back and stare at the water noting the gentle surf and endless horizon — we are taking in the Gulf of Thailand. It is so quiet here at the Bo Resort. I am in paradise. At night the geckos and cicadas compete for airtime. Apart from two very short stretches all the roads are dry red dirt. In winter the temperature hovers at 30 C and the water itself is body temperature. “So how many stars is your resort?” I ask our French host Regis. He answers in his Parisian accent “A thousand stars.” I smile dreamily.

These extraordinary “thousand-star” resorts which do little to disrupt the natural beauty and surroundings are soon to become a thing of the past here on Phu Quoc. As of 2007 the government will now only issue permits for the building of five-star resorts designed to appeal to an influx of Chinese tourists. This population wants package tours golf courses casinos and karaoke. They also want concrete walls air conditioning chlorinated swimming pools and paved roads. The prediction is that in five years 20 million Chinese will be travelling and Vietnam is their Mexico.

The wildlife of Phu Quoc is so rare varied and delicate some of it confined to very small ranges on the island. The Phu Quoc leopard cat for instance is extremely shy and can’t tolerate loss of habitat. We were visited every night by the Thang Loi gecko named after our resort and amazingly only found in our small stretch of jungle.

My soul aches at the thought of this impending change and what it will do to the delicate ecosystem and natural beauty of the island. Evidence of this new development can already be seen in the main town of Duong Dong and along other beaches on the island. I wonder how it can possibly sustain the government’s plan for development. Already the fishermen note the decline in fish stocks. The locals have been over-fishing due to demand.

Preparations are being made for the construction of a golf course next to the Bo Resort. Regis says at least it’s better than a casino the government’s original plan. He tells us it takes 5000 litres of water per day to maintain the golf course. His resort only uses 200 litres per day. Regis tells us that the river down the beach used to have crocodiles. It is now used to dispose of sewage and trash. With a limited amount of fresh water available on the island how can all this development sustain itself?

A law passed by the government in 2000 obligated owners of beachfront property on Phu Quoc to build a resort. Saigon Tourist the company building the golf course is government-owned.

We read tan swim and lay around in hammocks drinking Caipirihnas and having interesting discussions with fellow Canadian travellers. On the beach we might see no more than a single other person in an hour-long walk.

Amongst ourselves we discuss how much money backpackers bring to tourist-driven economies. Australia’s tourist bureau was astonished to discover the significant economic impact of backpacking tourism. In response to these studies the bureau has decided to cater more heavily to backpackers. On Phu Quoc we debate what would happen to the five-star resorts if the Asian economy were to collapse as it has done before. For the alternative Lonely Planet traveller these Five Star resorts are an anathema.

At night in our enchanting little village on the water all we see are the lights of the squid boats. We are surprised to find a spider the size of my hand in our bungalow. My husband captures it in a jar and gives it to the owner’s nine-year-old son for his birthday. The odd bat careens through our cabin. We are serenaded to sleep by the lapping of the ocean and the songs of geckos and cicadas. I ask myself why I would want five stars when I have a thousand.