Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam

My wife and I discovered a new beach paradise during our trip to Vietnam in January and February 2014. The temperature was 87°F every day, with a low of 70°F at night. Long Beach is a great beach, and during our visit it had hardly any waves. The water was so calm, we saw parents floating their babies on inflatables.

We stayed at La Veranda Resort Phu Quoc (Tran Hung Dao St., Duong Dong Beach, Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam; phone +84 [0] 77 3982 988), which is, in my opinion, the best beach hotel in the world. We paid $504 for a beachfront suite — the best they had. However, hotels nearby were as low as $40 a night and were very nice.

Remember that Vietnam is very popular now, so you must either book very early or use a local agent who has connections. For many years, we’ve used Tony at Ann Tours (58 Ton That Tung, Ben Thanh, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; phone +84 8 3925 3636).

Upon our arrival at the resort, we were presented with a large flower arrangement, a cell phone to call home and a good bottle of booze.

Tony kept close track of us. We highly recommend him — and Vietnam — for travel. We felt super safe through the entire trip.

GEORGE DOTTL

Rogers, AR