The mountainous island of Phu Quoc has some of Vietnam’s most impressive beaches and is a popular holiday destination for those wanting to escape the hustle of nearby Saigon. There is also the best seafood in the country to sample and some interesting cultural sites to take in as well.

Phu Quoc was used as home for French missionaries during the 18th century and during the Vietnam war there was a POW camp for Viet Cong soldiers here. But today the island has a much more laigback feel and the 80,000 people that live here make their living from fishing and tourism.

Another claim to fame for Phu Quoc is its famous fish sauce (nuoc mam), commonly regarded as the finest in the world. It also produces very high quality pepper although, unique for the Mekong Delta region, doesn’t grow much rice and staple crops due to rugged terraine and poor soil quality.

In 2008 ABC News voted the island as having “the cleanest and most beautiful beach in the world” and many tourists have contined to flock here, with many thinking considering it an unspoilt version of Thailand’s Phuket. Hiring a motorbike is the best way to explore the island, and there is great snorkelling just offshore as well.

There are hydrofoils and ferries between Phu Quoc and the maintain ports of Ha Tien, Rach Gia and Hon Chong. Although disreputable tour agents may claim that fast services are full, you may be able to buy tickets on the street directly at the dockside.

Most visitors come to Vietnam somewhat aware of the country’s turbulent history of colonisation, communist rebellion and war. The tenacious Viets have been occupied by China four times but more often than not come out victorious when attacked by seemingly more powerful forces.

The Nguyễn Dynasty were the last clan of emperors to rule Vietnam and made Hue their capital from 1802 to 1945. However, the French moved in to exploit a crisis of succession after the demise of Tự Đức to make Vietnam effectively a colony from 1884. Both the French and Chinese occupation have been massive influences on Vietnamese culture, with European architecture and cuisine plus the teachings of Confucius extremely prominent.

During the Second World War Japanese forces occupied Vietnam for a short time, and in 1945 the Viet Minh communists based in the the north organised an uprising against the French under the leadership of the charismatic Hồ Chí Minh. The French fought on for nine years until their ultimate defeat in 1954 at Dien Bien Phu. At this point the country was partitioned along the 17th parallel, with Ngo Dinh Diem acting as president of southern Vietnamese Republic.

After years of aid to the Republic of Vietnam in a bid to stave off communist influence from the north, in 1966 the Vietnam War begun and half-a-million US troops arrived to fight communism in Asia. Over the next nine years around three million Vietnamese and more than 55,000 American soldiers (many conscripts) perished in the resulting military quagmire.

Despite the 1966 to 1975 war being the most brutal in the country’s history, and more than two-thirds of the current population born after this time, visitors from the USA still receive a warm and hospitable welcome and many young Viets follow American culture.