Phu Quoc Island – Vietnam’s Lost Paradise

Phu Quoc Island – Vietnam’s Lost Paradise

Phu Quoc Islands, Vietnam’s so-called tropical paradise. But after just 3 days here, I learned the truth. This beautiful island is turning into
Southeast Asia’s biggest tourist trap. If you’re dreaming of a perfect vacation here, watch this videobefore you book that flight. The trap starts the moment you land. I tried to book a grab for 88,000 dong, but after 20 minutes, nobody accepted. Some drivers accepted then cancelled. Finally, one driver came up to me outside the app offering the same ride for 100,000 dong. I agreed. Short trips are rarely accepted on the app, and drivers prefer taking tourists to places
where they can earn commissions. So instead of driving me straight to my hotel,
he pushed for a stop at Ngoc Hien Pearl Farm. He also said I could exchange money there. When I arrived, staff followed me closely,
making me feel pressured to buy. And at the cashier, the exchange rate was
much worse than the market. I refused! Here’s the truth. Every driver gets a cash kickback of about 100,000 dong per car for dropping tourists here. Pearl prices are two or three times
higher than in Ho Chi Minh City. The sales pitch is relentless. Welcome to Phu Quoc island! The Phu Quoc’s Knight Market
is advertised as a foodies dream. But the first red flag, as you can see,
there isn’t a single tourist around. no prices on the menus. anywhere! Seafood dishes cost three to four times
more than in other Vietnamese cities. A simple coconut water over $3
for something that usually costs 50. Most tourists leave the night market
feeling ripped off and disappointed. This isn’t the authentic Vietnam you see in travelads. If a menu doesn’t show prices,
you know you’re about to get scammed. Nothing that’s exactly what happened. This little cake was the only thing I found at a fair price. This is palm sugar cake. The night market left me unsatisfied, as if I had fallen into a tourist trap with nothing real to offer. And sadly, the same pattern continued
the next day at Phu Quoc’s grandest attractions. Welcome to Sunworld of Phu Quoc!
The mega project in the north of the island. Built by one of Vietnam’s biggest corporations. It comes with a golf course, luxury resorts, and rows of colorful buildings that create a spectacular view. But the moment you step through the gates, what strikes you isn’t the grandeur, it’s the shocking emptiness. Let me take you on a full tour of this place
so you can see what it’s really like. This place should have been packed with people.
But as you can see, it’s not! There’s literally no one here. It’s 8:00Pm right now, but as you can see,
there’s still no one here. Behind me is the street that was once filled with famous spas. This is the price just to watch
a simple cultural show. Unbelievable! And finally, I arrived at what seems to be
the busiest spot on this beautiful island. Every night at 9:30Pm, there’s a cultural performance with music, dance, and a grand water show. It’s advertised as the most spectacular
water show in all of Vietnam. But as you can see, the number
of tourists here is surprisingly small. leaving this place, I had so many questions
running through my mind. A quick search on Google revealed countless
posts on travel forums, where both domestic and international tourists were calling for a boycott of Phu Quoc. because of overcharging, poor service,
and disappointing experiences. That explains why this island saw surge
of visitors just 2 years ago. But this year it’s a completely different story. The next day, I traveled south wondering if tourists preferred this area instead. But once again, the same emptiness, abandoned houses with for rent and for sale signs. Only a handful of shops open, and the few people walking around were engineers and construction workers. At this point, I felt like the soul of the island had been lost. And yet, amid the ghost towns and overpriced traps. there are still places that remind me why I love Vietnam. ‘Truc Lam” Monastery perched above the ocean quiet and serene offers real beauty and peace if you know where to look. And the locals working hard to build bamboo rafts. Show the side of Vietnam that is simple, honest, and genuine. These are the moments that remind me why I love this country. Not the overpriced tourist traps,
but the real culture and the real people. “Phu Quoc” is losing its soul to tourist traps and greed.
But if enough people speak up, maybe things can change. you’ve been scammed or disappointed here,
share your story in the comments. because the truth matters. Don’t forget to subscribe and hit the bell for more real stories from Vietnam. The truth is always worth sharing.
Thanks for watching this video!

Is Phu Quoc Island really worth visiting — or is it becoming a tourist trap?
After spending three days on Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam, I documented overpricing, commission-driven stops, empty resorts, and what many tourists only realize after it’s too late.

Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam, is often marketed as a tropical paradise. But behind the glossy brochures and social media hype, a very different reality is quietly unfolding.

In this travel documentary, I share what I personally experienced on the island — from unlisted restaurant prices and overcharging at night markets, to taxi drivers pushing commission-based stops like pearl farms, and massive luxury developments sitting almost completely empty.

The warning signs appeared the moment I landed. Grab rides were rejected or canceled. Drivers approached outside the app offering higher prices, then insisted on stopping at a pearl farm where prices were inflated and currency exchange rates were far worse than the market. Later, I learned that drivers receive cash kickbacks for bringing tourists there.

At Phu Quoc’s famous night market, menus had no prices, seafood cost three to four times more than in other Vietnamese cities, and many tourists left feeling disappointed. Yet even there, one honest local vendor reminded me that real Vietnam still exists beneath the surface.

The next day, I explored Phu Quoc’s mega tourism projects — luxury resorts, European-style streets, golf courses, and theme parks. What shocked me wasn’t the scale, but the emptiness. Ghost towns, “for rent” signs, and silence where crowds were promised.

And still, beneath the overdevelopment and tourist traps, there are moments of peace — Truc Lam Monastery, local workers building bamboo rafts by hand, and glimpses of the Vietnam I fell in love with.

This video is not about blaming tourists.
It’s about asking an uncomfortable but necessary question: What happens when paradise becomes a business?

📍 Location: Phu Quoc Island, Kien Giang Province, Vietnam

💬 Have you visited Phu Quoc?
Were you surprised, overcharged, or disappointed — or did you have a different experience? Share your story in the comments.

🎥 About TinTin’s Lens
TinTin’s Lens is a cinematic travel documentary channel exploring the real Vietnam — beyond the brochures, beyond the hype. No sponsors. No scripts. Just honest stories.

🎬 Watch more honest Vietnam travel documentaries:

#PhuQuocIsland
#TouristTrap
#VietnamTravelDocumentary
#HonestTravel
#TinTinLens