I was very happy when I found this tour on tripadvisor, because we don't like to stay in the hotel and prefer outdoor activities. Before that, I had never been to the rainforest and did not regret that I decided to go on a tour. Si is a great guide. He picked us up from the hotel in a very comfortable car with a driver and took us to the mountain along with another couple. Si has a great sense of humor and his English is very good. Communication turned out to be interesting and easy, we learned a lot about Vietnam, its inhabitants, culinary traditions (spoiler: they eat almost everything that moves here). Si had a camera with him and took great pictures.
During the ascent, we made frequent stops to take pictures or listen to Si’s talk about the flora and fauna of the rainforest on the island. He knows these places very well and loves them with all his heart. The ascent was quite easy, I did not feel tired. Si adapted the pace to suit our abilities. From the top of the mountain there is a beautiful view of the island. At the highest point we were able to relax in hammocks, which Si specially brought with him. The route itself amazed me, I was in the rainforest for the first time, and I was impressed by lianas, huge boulders, giant trees. I felt a little bit like Lara Croft. Si gave us a special tropical fruit to try, a star apple fruit, which he thoughtfully took with him. The descent from the mountain seemed to me a little more difficult than the ascent, but just right for a little adventure.
After the descent, we had a wonderful lunch at a local cafe, this is a unique opportunity to try real Vietnamese cuisine, not a tourist option. We were very pleased with the dishes. The waterfall was not very big in the dry season, but it is a calm place where you can enjoy the silence and watch the fish. Si prepared everything we needed for the tour: small backpacks for everyone, water, repellent, hammocks, treated us to freshly squeezed juice after the descent and made everything fun. An excellent tour to get to know the nature and culture of the island.
At the end, we asked S to make another tour for us to the beach with starfish. It was such a great idea. We spent the day in a beautiful place where there were very few people. Si, as always, was perfectly prepared: he picked us up in a comfortable car with a driver (who is also a good guy), took new snorkeling equipment for us, and gave us instructions. It was my first snorkeling experience and everything turned out great. The place is amazingly beautiful, with blue water and a huge number of starfish already at a shallow depth.
After swimming we had a barbecue on the beach. Si put his heart and soul into our lunch. He got up early in the morning to buy the freshest seafood. It was a delicious and satisfying lunch with a beautiful view. We tried fruits with salt and pepper, the way the Vietnamese eat. Of course, Si took hammocks with him to relax with a view.
It is sad that in such beatiful places we saw a large amount of garbage. But what makes me happy is that Si takes care of nature, collects garbage even after other people in the forest.
If you go to this tour, I would recommend to put on a swimsuit with closed back and long sleeves. I was wearing a regular bikini and ended up getting burned on my back while snorkeling.
Die Tour war für uns perfekt. Bei den Temperaturen war es schon eine sportliche Herausforderung für uns, die wir dabei aber sehr genießen konnten. Insgesamt sind wir ca. 4 km (2 rauf und 2 runter) am Berg und 4km im Flachland unterwegs gewesen. Eine Grundkondition sollte schon vorhanden sein. Feste Schuhe und min. 1 Liter Wasser pro Person ist aus unserer Sicht schon erforderlich, ggf. mehr.
Der Guide hat sehr gutes Englisch gesprochen und kannte sich sehr gut mit Flora und Fauna aus. Wir haben viel über phu quoc und Vietnam erfahren und uns sehr offen und humorvoll unterhalten.
Die Aussicht von der Hügelspitze aus den Hängematten war traumhaft und der Snack am Mittag mit lokalem Essen wirklich toll.
Wir hatten bei der Wanderung viele interessante und auch witzige Momente und können diese Tour wirklich sehr empfehlen.
Vielen Dank für einen großartigen Tag, Si!
Coastal316304
30 Mar 2023
I am so pleased I booked this tour. Si was an incredible tour guide who shared knowledge about Phu Quoc and Vietnam. The hike was about an hour and a half up and the views were amazing. Si was very patient during the hike as parts of the climb up/down were steep, especially climbing the 200 year old banyan tree. Lunch was yummy and the local vendor was so welcoming. Si is also a great photographer and made sure I had lots of great snaps to always remember this trip.