There are few places I enjoy more than a musty dusty old museum! One of the joys of Vietnam is that every reasonably sized city seems to have one. They invariably feature prehistoric artifacts, local fauna preserved in formaldehyde, antique porcelain, some wartime paraphernalia, a gallery of portraits of the local Communist Party chairmen over the past 20+ years, and a display on local industries.

Phú Quốc’s “local museum” seems to be owned/run by the owner of the hotel next door, and has obviously been invested with so much care from the community. It is incredibly thorough, with jars of sand from every beach on the island, slices of wood from every type of tree in the forest, skeletons and skulls of rare and extinct local species, etc.

The artful displays and layouts wind you upstairs chronologically, from the natural history and wonders of Phú Quốc on the first floor, to Stone Age tools and artifacts, a thousand years of ceramic examples, and the history of local rule and religion during the various dynasties on the second floor, to community displays on locally prominent families, current commercial specialties and government leadership on the third floor. Tucked away in a corner case are the traditional procession costumes used for the holidays.

The big, airy, quiet building provides respite from the heat and sun; the entry ticket is less than $1. There’s also an extensive gift shop of handmade local products. It’s a wonderful place to spend an hour or so!