After a long closure because of the COVID-19 pandemic, on March 15, 2022, Vietnam announced a full reopening under “new normal” conditions, aiming to become an attractive and safe destination for international travelers. On Phu Quoc island, the super complex of resort and entertainment United Center is more than ready to welcome foreign visitors for a safe and luxurious stay on one of the most beautiful islands on the planet.
After a long closure because of the COVID-19 pandemic, on March 15, 2022, Vietnam announced a full reopening under “new normal” conditions, aiming to become an attractive and safe destination for international travelers. On Phu Quoc island, the super complex of resort and entertainment United Center is more than ready to welcome foreign visitors for a safe and luxurious stay on one of the most beautiful islands on the planet.
A super resort complex by the sea
Soon after Vietnam announced the reopening, we booked a tour to Phu Quoc, eager to feel the ocean’s breeze after many days of COVID-19 confinement. Also, we were curious and couldn’t wait to explore Phu Quoc United Center - a super complex of resort and entertainment which had been described as a beach paradise comparable with the Maldives, Dubai or Hawaii.
From Phu Quoc international airport, we were picked up by the staff of Vinpearl Resort & Golf Phu Quoc and taken directly to Phu Quoc United Center. Located on the northern side of the island, the center was a super complex of resorts and entertainment in an area of more than 1,000 hectares. It was a huge project managed and operated by Vinpearl (Vingroup), a leading name in resort-entertainment tourism in Vietnam, with a total capital of about 66 trillion dong (more than 2.5 billion US dollar). It was opened in April 2021.
Phu Quoc United Center is the first “city that doesn’t sleep” in Vietnam, a new “must-visit place” on the tourist map of Vietnam as well as the world. It was designed to compete with attractive destinations such as Jeju (South Korea), Clarke Quay (Singapore) and Las Vegas (USA).
We had done some research about Phu Quoc United Center before the trip, but seeing it in person is the only way we could fully appreciate the scale and class of this great project. Phu Quoc United Center was built as a “one-stop-destination” that provides full services of entertainment, resort, shopping and dining that is active 24/7. This first “sleepless city” model marked a new beginning in the tourism strategy of Vietnam. The development of a night economy was expected to promote the country as an even more attractive tourism destination, at a time when countries all around the world were kick-starting tourism recovery post-COVID-19.
Calling Phu Quoc United Center a paradise of entertainment was not mere boasting. Visitors coming here had the chance to experience hundreds of the most unique and diverse entertainments in Asia. These include sports, music festivals, shopping, cuisine events and discovery games. It also provides dazzling performances from three million-dollar entertainment shows including "The Essence of Vietnam", "Colors of Venice" and "Once" that take place around the clock.
Phu Quoc United Center has more than 12,000 hotel rooms and luxury villas up to international standards. Along with that is a system of more than 1,000 bustling shopping stalls, dozens of restaurants, bars, golf courses and casinos operating day and night.
However, what truly makes Phu Quoc United Center a unique destination for tourists, especially in the midst of a pandemic, is its prime location. Phu Quoc, an island city separated from the mainland has, aside from having beautiful natural scenery and fresh air all year round, the advantage of being less affected by a negative climate and diseases.
Getting lost in the land that caters to all needs
Amidst the pandemic, one of the top concerns for travelers naturally was safety. Understanding that, Phu Quoc United Center maintained strict 24/7 pandemic prevention to ensure maximum health safety for its customers. Accordingly, all the staff of Phu Quoc United Center were specially trained to be able to guide and serve guests in the safest way.
According to a representative of Vinpearl, in order to prepare for the return of international guests under new normal conditions, Vinpearl has been improving its infrastructure and services. Additionally, Vinpearl coordinated with airlines including Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air and Bamboo Airways, to create an “alliance” of resort - aviation - service - tourism, serving charter flights, international and domestic commercial flights to bring tourists to beautiful destinations in Vietnam, using a high-class service chain that ensured safety and a luxury experience. Vinpearl also regularly offered vacation packages including air tickets-resort-entertainment, maximized safety and comfort.
Visitors take a bus to visit rhinos at Vinpearl Safari Phu Quoc. Photo: Vinpearl
After checking in and a few hours rest, we began to experience the super complex, starting with a trip to Vinpearl Safari Phu Quoc. According to the animal caretakers, since 2019, 7 baby rhinos were born at Vinpearl Safari Phu Quoc. For the last 2 years, Vinpearl Safari Phu Quoc had become a “green paradise” for animals. About 500 “babies” of different species, such as African lions, Bengal tigers, giraffes and rhinoceros were born here.
As one of the first semi-wildlife conservation parks in Vietnam (opened in 2015), Vinpearl Safari Phu Quoc has an area of 380 hectares, including a zoo and a safari. This place is home to more than 4,500 animals of 200 species, including more than 40 endangered and rare species, and a diverse ecosystem of about 1,200 plant species. Visitors going to Vinpearl Safari Phu Quoc have the chance to explore 10 habitats and experience the excitement of seeing animals roaming free for the first time in Vietnam.
After an entire afternoon of watching wild animals that most of us had only seen on TV before, our group continued our journey to the most anticipated destination, which was Grand World the heart of Phu Quoc United Center. Here, everyone can experience 24-hours a day entertainment, from boat trips on the river, seeing an ancient citadel which is vividly recreated day and night. There is also the "Essence of Vietnam", walking through the city at night, enjoying super shows like the “Colors of Venice” that recreated a dazzling and romantic miniature of Venice, dinners at Phu Quoc night market, and enjoying music that played throughout the days and nights.
In the near future, Vinpearl has plans to launch many new and remarkable tourism and entertainment experiences. One of them is Neptune Palace, one of the largest aquariums in the world expected to be launched this summer at VinWonders Phu Quoc theme park. It would be home to and preserve more than 300 species of marine life with nearly 255,000 types of aquatic life.
With its high-class infrastructure and services, Vinpearl is ready to welcome international guests to Phu Quoc United Center for safe, luxurious and private holidays on one of the most beautiful islands in the region.
- Story: Son Hai & Hong Hanh
- Photos: Bao Uyen, Hoang Ha, Le Minh & Vinpearl