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One of several excellent mid-range resorts spread along Ong Lang beach on Phu Quoc Island’s west coast, Camia is a lush, tasteful property with a narrow but beautiful beachfront and two elegant infinity pools. At the moment, ‘pandemic rates’ at Camia Resort are extremely good value for money: large, beachfront bungalows with sea views are as low as $50-$70 per night, including breakfast (half what they were pre-Covid). Camia is one of the stand-out resorts on the lovely stretch of Ong Lang beach, a series of sandy bays and coves studded with long slabs of black volcanic rock. The resort is very well organized and maintained, thoughtfully planned and unpretentious yet classy and attractive. Whenever I’ve stayed at Camia, I’ve felt very comfortable, relaxed and at ease: something about the place puts me in a good frame of mind. Camia is excellent for a few days on the island for anyone with a mid-range budget. Couples, families or solo travellers will be happy here: either for a period of rest and relaxation or as a base to explore the wider island.

*[To check rates, availability & make a reservation for Camia Resort please BOOK HERE]

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REVIEW: CAMIA RESORT PHU QUOC

Address: Lot 3, Ong Lang Hamlet, Cua Duong Ward, Phu Quoc Island, Kien Giang Province [MAP]

Average Rates: $50-$100 | Email: sales@camiaresort.com

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MAP:

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The Location: Camia is one of the most northerly of a string of very good low-rise resorts spreading along Ong Lang beach, on the island’s west coast. Accessed via a paved lane off the main road and then a very steep and narrow concrete path to the resort’s gates, Camia is particularly green and quiet because the land next to it has yet to be developed: it’s currently just a plot of land covered in coconut palms and other fruit trees. There’s an ‘atmosphere’ at Camia: the light is sharp, the colours bright, the trees and plants sing with cicadas, and the sea is lovely. In general, Ong Lang is one of the most attractive and best-situated beaches to stay on Phu Quoc. It’s very quiet and peaceful but only 10 minutes from the main town of Duong Dong if you want some local life, and well-placed for exploring other parts of the island. The network of narrow lanes behind Ong Lang beach has become an enclave of cafes, restaurants, shops and bars (although currently, due to the pandemic, many are temporarily closed).

Resort Grounds & Layout Although Camia is quite a large property, it’s very well-planned and spread out. Rooms are essentially arranged either side of a central ‘corridor’ of greenery and gardens. Camia is constructed on a steep slope leading down to the beach. This means that even rooms far back inland have good sea and garden views (rooms in the middle of the resort only have garden views but have easier access to the beach and pools, and beachfront villas have direct access to the ocean). Small paved lanes curl through the resort’s grounds and electric buggies ferry guests around. However, walking is a better option as this is a good way to experience the extensive tropical gardens with all their exotic perfumes and colourful flowers. All structures are either one or two-storeys and nothing is an eyesore (with the exception of the kitsch bathroom blinds in the garden-view rooms at the back of the resort). The layout doesn’t feel too formal and rigid but it’s also quite easy to find your way around. Camia doesn’t feel crowded – like they’ve tried to cram as many guest rooms as possible into the available space. Rather, it feels relaxed and open, as if the gardens were the priority, and guest rooms second.

Beach, Pools & Activities: Camia is a large property with a lot of land, but it is far deeper than it is wide: the beachfront is perhaps only 100 metres across, whereas the resort grounds stretch back from the sea for several hundred metres. Despite not having a long seafront, Camia’s beach is very attractive and nicely landscaped. A grassy, palm-studded lawn leads onto a spit of sand on which wooden deck chairs are arranged beneath large Malabar almonds, casuarina trees and coconut palms. The sand is marked by slabs of black volcanic rock which form a protective ring around Camia’s beachfront. The rocks aren’t sharp or particularly slippery so accessing the ocean isn’t difficult, and once you’re beyond five metres of the beach, the open water is calm and safe. I personally enjoyed the swimming at Camia a lot: somehow having rocks beneath you (and some fish and seaweed) makes sea swimming more interesting than when it’s just a gentle shelf of undisturbed sand.

However, if you’re not particularly comfortable with sea bathing or swimming, the rocks might put you off. In which case, Camia’s oceanside infinity pool is the place to swim. A very fine and photogenic pool, this is where you can enjoy the sights and sounds of the ocean without actually being in it. The resort’s second (and equally pretty) infinity pool is at the centre of the property flanked by two enormous old-growth tropical trees with the terrace restaurant rising up one side of it. A small gym, children’s play area, kayaks, bicycles and well-maintained automatic motorbikes are all available for guests. Tours for fishing, sightseeing, snorkeling and more can easily be arranged through the resort reception.

Guest Rooms & Decor: In general, the further from the beach the room, the lower the rate. There are two basic room types: ‘rooms’ and ‘villas’. There’s not that much to choose between them, as they are all quite spacious, comfortable, cosy, well-maintained, tastefully designed with balconies or terraces, and all have bathtubs (although ‘villas’ have larger, open plan, semi-outdoor shower and bathtub). All room choices are good and represent decent value for money. But, if you can, try to get a ‘villa’, preferably a beachfront or sea-view one. These have tiled roofs, white walls and wooden supporting beams. The terraces have wooden furniture and good views over the tropical gardens or the beach and ocean. Inside, the rooms are partitioned by a desk between a living area with sofa, TV and work desk, and the bedroom. Two large windows fill the villas with light and breezes during the day. Bathrooms are divided between wash basin and a semi-outdoor bathtub and shower with an attractive tiled floor and green plants. The colour scheme is soft and muted – mostly white, blue and earthy tones. Nothing is showy or ostentatious. It’s all very pleasant and understated. Furniture and decor are similarly low-key and restrained. The only issues I had with the rooms were that some of the electrical fittings were loose and unstable, such as the bedside lamps, and Camia has made the common mistake of confusing softness with comfort: the beds are far too soft and squishy, especially for a tropical climate.

Breakfast, Dining & Drinking: The wonderfully positioned restaurant is an open-sided terrace above the central swimming pool looking out over the entire resort grounds and the sea. The menu includes a variety of Vietnamese and Western dishes. Quality and prices are fine but nothing to write home about. Likewise, the breakfast buffet, included in the room price, is fair but not memorable. However, it ticks all the necessary boxes and will fill you up after a morning swim. What’s more, the dining position – on the open terrace, catching the morning breeze – is excellent and the tropical colours and views more than make up for the lack of colour in the food. (There are plenty of restaurants, bars and cafes in the backstreets behind Camia and Ong Lang beach, so guests can easily walk or ride to alternative dining options.) The understated beach bar is a gem: a simple wooden deck platform constructed on rocks protruding over the waves with a short sunset pier and tables and chairs arranged on the terrace. The bar is housed in a hut under trees serving good cocktails (try the Negronis), fresh-made pizza and other bar food. From 5.00pm it’s perfect for a sunset drink and a snack (although they could do with a daily happy hour, instead of just weekends).

Summary: Especially when taking into account the relatively low prices during the pandemic, Camia Resort is good value for money, very comfortable, well maintained and equipped, beautifully located, and an all-around solid mid-range place to stay on Phu Quoc Island. But, more than that, I feel at ease at Camia. It’s difficult to say exactly why this is: perhaps because the staff were warm to me, perhaps because the weather was good, the prices low, or because the resort has been fairly empty, peaceful and quiet when I’ve stayed there. I can’t be certain. But I liked it a lot. The infinity pools, the beach, the rooms, the resort layout and the beach bar are all excellent. The breakfast isn’t amazing, but it’s adequate. The only aspect that irritated me was the mind-numbing, saccharine pop music played in all public spaces (reception, restaurant, bar), but even that was at a reasonably low volume.

*[To check rates, availability & make a reservation for Camia Resort please BOOK HERE]

Disclosure: I never receive payment for anything I write: my content is always free & independent. I’ve written this review because I want to: I like this resort & I want my readers to know about it. For more details, see my Disclosure & Disclaimer statements here

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