Vietnam's Vingroup has unveiled the Phu Quoc United Center, an entertainment and resort complex – with multiple hotels, a golf course, a theme park and always-open shopping malls – said to rival Las Vegas.

In and around the Mekong Delta. Photos by Judy Barford

Vietnam is a popular destination for Australians. With a flight time between Sydney and Ho Chi Minh City of less than nine hours, we regard South-East Asia as "local" compared with the much longer journey times to other continents.

Phu Quoc is a Vietnamese island that lies just off the Cambodian coast in the Gulf of Thailand. The easiest way to get to Phu Quoc is to fly from Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), but if your trip includes a tour of southern Vietnam and Cambodia (pictured in thumbnails), you can also arrive by ferry from Ha Tien or Rach Gia.

phuquocislandguide.com/phu-quoc-island-ferry-schedules-fares/#fastferry

The sleepless city

Grand World, which has been named "the sleepless city", is situated at the centre of the new super complex, and features impressive architecture with lively shopping streets, diverse entertainment centres and night markets. All services and activities at Grand World operate 24/7 on 365 days a year, offering endless celebrations and festivities for visitors. 

Highlights at Grand World include a world-class multimedia show, Vietnam's largest Bamboo Legend structure, a teddy bear museum, a Venice-inspired canal, a massive Marine Square and a contemporary art show at Urban Park.

Culture-seekers will enjoy watching many of Vietnam's traditional festivals replicated at Grand World, such as the Whale Worship, Nguyen Trung Truc and Boat Racing festivals.

Connected to the sleepless city is VinWonders, South-East Asia's largest theme park where visitors can try out more than 100 rides and see a diverse range of performances.

Bamboo and bears

Vietnam's largest bamboo construction - Bamboo Legend - was built from more than 32,000 bamboo trunks. Its dome patterns reflect the communal house in Vietnamese villages - a unique, recognizable national trait. Right next door is the 1,500-square-metre Teddy Bear Museum, the eighth version of its kind in the world and the very first in Vietnam. 

Catering to a diverse clientele, Phu Quoc United Center provides more than 10,000 rooms between its hotels. The super complex also houses five-star MICE facilities at Vinpearl Convention Center, and an 18-hole golf course at Vinpearl Golf. 

If the glitz and glamour don't appeal to you, Phu Quoc has a lot more to offer including gorgeous white-sand beaches and resorts all along the palm-lined south-west coast. A large chunk of the island to the north-east is a national park with mountains, dense tropical jungle, hiking trails and wildlife. Bustling Duong Dong is the largest town.

Useful links

​vietnam-guide.com/phu-quoc-island