Vietnam/Phu Quoc: Sunset Town
The pictures of this faux town should be in the dictionary under the definition of “ultimate kitsch”. In an attempt to draw mostly Chinese tourists, the Vietnamese SunGroup built this completely Vegas-like over-the-top “should feel like Italy but rather feels like Disneyland” town. It’s a bit of a hodge-podge of everything, smothered with extra glitz – and seems to hit the spot with the Chinese – why fly to Europe or Vegas when you can see the fake Venice here. Names like Shell Square, Trevi Fountain, Obelisk Tower, Eden Garden, Dragon Ladder, Amalfi Warerfall, Isola Bella island, Pompeii Ruins, Arc de Triomphe Gavi, Spanish Steps, etc. are everywhere. Add the bright colors that are supposed to look like the Italian Cinco Terre coast. And then throw in some murals depicting Marvel superheroes climbing coconut trees. Fantastic? Maybe it was the rain, but the town seemed almost a ghost town – supposedly no locals are supposed to live here and the real estate are mostly condos for sale.
