An aerial view of Phu Quoc Island in southern Vietnam.
Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Thanh. 

Irish publisher International Living named Phu Quoc Island among the world's 15 best islands to retire this year thanks to its beaches, low cost of living and rich culture.  

Phu Quoc off the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang was one of four Asian islands to break into the global list released by the publishing company that focuses on overseas retirement.

The three other Asian islands were Malaysia's Penang, Indonesia's Bali and Thailand's Koh Samui.

Phu Quoc, Vietnam's largest island, is much loved by retirees thanks to its "low cost of living, rich culture and history, and variety of urban to rural areas to live."

"It’s appealing to retirees for its many beaches and opportunities to enjoy the outdoors in tropical weather," the company said.

Phu Quoc night market, January 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Thanh.

Phu Quoc, dubbed ‘pearl island’, has become a top tourist destination after it built an international airport in 2012 and the government rolled out a 30-day visa-free policy for foreigners in 2014. The island received over five million visitors in 2019, up 30 percent from 2018, including 541,600 foreigners.

The government has suspended international flights since March 25 and banned entry of foreign nationals except special categories since March 22 but it is considering "Covid-19 vaccine passports" to allow vaccinated foreign tourists back to the country.