This stunning island has been likened to Phuket or Koh Samui before they exploded with tourism and has been dubbed the country’s “last paradise”.
Sunset Town is located at the south end of Phu Quoc island in Vietnam, some 5,875 miles away from the beauty of Italy. Yet it goes by another name – the “Mediterranean Town” of the island.
It was dubbed “the Most Instagrammable Town” by James Booth from escape.com. It can be found near the Hon Thom cable car and the An Thới fishing village, and has received mixed, often sceptical reviews.
Located in the Gulf of Thailand, Phu Quoc island in Vietnam has been likened to Phuket or Koh Samui before they became inundated with tourists. It was even once dubbed Vietnam’s “last paradise”.
The best way to describe Sunset Town is a “fake” Italian village. The complex is an area that recreates famous landmarks, including the ruins of Pompeii and the Colosseum. Some argue that once standing in the middle of the town, it’s difficult to distinguish the difference from the original.
Like the famous Italian villages of Positano, Sunset Town’s colourful houses and shops are on hillsides sloping to the turquoise sea, with small winding streets and balconies and windows framed by flowers.
The town is inspired by Mediterranean architecture, with Taormina-style townhouses and a bell tower reminiscent of St Mark Campanile in Venice. Even its street names are named after places in Italy, including Venice Street and Positano Street.
However, several have described it as a “ghost town” or zoo, “where people walk around and observe what it would be like to go on holiday in Italy, without actually using any of the amenities…” as Booth argued. During his visit, he said that no one was using the sunbeds or eating in the cafes or restaurants.
Booth was concerned that the town was a “terrible waste”, and that it was “detracting from what attracts tourists to Phu Quoc in the first place”, including local culture. The town, however, was not built for foreign tourists. According to Business Insider, development on the island has been done in large part for the growing Vietnamese middle class.
The Vietnamese company Sun Group – dedicated to making Vietnam a prosperous nation – built the first project in 2015, and started multiple simultaneous complexes in 2018, including the clock tower and the Sun Signature Show stage, which puts on the “Kiss the Sea” show using water, fire, light and dance. However, after the pandemic, only a small rich Vietnamese population visited.
Sunset Town is, however, still considered the most beautiful sunset viewing spot in Vietnam, hence its name and its reputation on Instagram. It is also home to the “Kiss Bridge”, where the two sides are not connected, making it an iconic photo spot for couples and families.
Reviews on Tripadvisor, however, are mixed. One said: “The view of the sunset from here is beautiful, the Kiss Bridge is fantastic. But this structure is completely empty, they have badly copied some Italian attractions and inserted hotels and restaurants but the people who visit it are very few”. Meanwhile, another added that “this place has been made to look like Italy without the character.”
Similarly, one on Google Maps said that it was of a “slightly surreal southern Italian style but very nicely done.”
If, however, a piece of quiet Italian culture is what you desire when on the other side of the world, then this paradise island may be exactly what you are looking for.