A trip to Phu Quoc may not be on the first-time Vietnam visitor’s itinerary, but there are a number of fun things to do in Phu Quoc.
Phu Quoc is a large island in the Gulf of Thailand, physically closer to Cambodia than to Vietnam.
Getting to Phu Quoc Island
It’s only a 40-minute flight from Saigon to Phu Quoc, which is the way I would highly recommend that you go. If you are truly feeling adventurous, there is a bus from Saigon to Rach Gia, a city on the west coast of Vietnam, and then a ferry from Rach Gia to Phu Quoc.
The total journey is about 12 hours. It is a bit cheaper than flying, but I’m confident in saying the savings would not begin to make up for the challenges of bussing / ferrying to Phu Quoc.
Our flight was easy enough. After the 40-minute flight, we arrived at the airport in the heart of the island and took a taxi to our hotel for about 210,000 VND (about US$10). Phu Quoc is not as inexpensive as mainland Vietnam, but not outrageously expensive either. That same-length taxi ride in Saigon would have cost about 180,000 VND (US$8.75).
Some accommodations offer airport pickups, but they can be more expensive, or less so, than the airport taxi service. It’s important to contact your hotel reception to ask about pricing before you arrive at the airport in Phu Quoc.
Where to Stay in Phu Quoc
When arranging accommodations on Phu Quoc, it is essential to know on which part of the island to stay. There are hundreds of hotels, bungalows, and guest houses on the island. But only a fraction of them are what I would call good locations to stay. It’s not that the hotel itself would be bad, just the area where the hotel is. Some are way out in the middle of nowhere.
If it’s your first time visiting Phu Quoc, I would highly recommend that you stay on Long Beach, which is a nice peaceful and very clean beach, specifically somewhere on Tran Hung Dao Street, the main stretch on the island.
We stayed at a peaceful, well kept place called Sunlight Bungalows, which we found on Agoda, a hotel booking service we have used for many years. You can almost always find prices notably lower than the usual rate the hotel charges.
Hung and I both really liked Sunlight Bungalows. It was less than 15 minutes from the airport. As the name suggests, you stay in your own bungalow, with some separation between you and guests next door.
I far preferred this to a large hotel. Also, the family who owned the place treated us like part of their family. They were extremely friendly and went way out of their way to make us feel welcomed and appreciated.
Breakfast was simple but well done, and included both Vietnamese and Western selections, such as omelets or bread with ham. You can have your laundry done and they also rent motorbikes. Our bungalow was only $29 per night and was well worth it!
If you do decide to stay at Sunlight, you can find them on Agoda.
So What Are the Best Things to Do in Phu Quoc?
After you have arrived on the island and checked in to your accommodations, the next question is, “What are the best things to do in Phu Quoc?”
Enjoy the Great Beaches in Phu Quoc
Phu Quoc is an island, so naturally one of the best things to do is to enjoy the nice warm, breezy beaches that are to be found there. If your hotel is directly on the beach, as some are, you’re all set. You will automatically have easy access to the beach.
But even if you’re located off the beach, you can easily find public access points. Just ask your hotel’s reception or information staff member the easiest way to get to the beach. We were only a 3-minute walk to the beach from our Bungalow.
Take a Day Tour of the Island
After you’ve gotten your fill of beach lounging, which mind you could take a few days if you’re a beach lover, as I am, I recommend you take a day tour of Phu Quoc. Almost all hotels should offer plenty of options for you, so check with your reception staff to see what they have on hand. Often, you can get a discount if you book through your hotel.
You can also take a look at what a day-tour operator has to offer. One of the largest and most popular is John’s Tours, which offers a huge set of options for almost every interest. We used them for an evening boat tour that included fishing for squid. Dinner was included, even though we didn’t catch any squid.
We were happy with the tour and the tour guide spoke English well enough. John’s Tours offers both group and private tours both on land and by boat.
I only mention John’s Tours because we used them personally and were happy with them. There are other tour companies on the island in addition to John’s.
Going It Alone
Tours can be great, especially it it’s the first time visiting a place, but if you’re like me, sometimes you just want to venture out on your own.
If this is the case, I can recommend four places worth checking out, the Ngoc Hien Pearl Farm, the Suoi Tranh Waterfalls, the Phu Quoc Night Market, and Rory’s Beach Bar.
Ngoc Hien Pearl Farm
OK, we did visit here as part of our tour, but you can enter here on your own, even without being part of a tour, for no charge. They do have English-speaking staff who will guide you through the educational exhibits and pearl producing facilities.
Much of the venue is a museum housing artifacts found on the sea floor where the oysters are farmed for pearl production, which was interesting.
If you happen to be looking to buy pearl jewelry, you probably couldn’t find a more extensive selection anywhere other than Ngoc Hien. This place seemed to be one of the main attractions on the island.
Suoi Tranh Nature Park
The Suoi Tranh Nature Park is worth a visit.
If you are looking for a peaceful getaway into nature, a trip to the Suoi Tranh nature park near Long Beach could be just the thing. If you can look past the plastic tigers and elephants situated around the part, the natural beauty if quite impressive.</p?
The waterfalls themselves are not large or very tall, but the natural scenery at the park is peaceful and photogenic. Wear a good pair of walking shoes; though the short hike to the best part of the park is hardly challenging, it was a bit hard to do in a pair of flip-flops.
The higher up the trail you go, the fewer people you will encounter. It was nice indeed to take in some natural surroundings for a bit.
The Phu Quoc Night Market
The island’s main night market, located at the northern end of Tran Hung Dao Street, is quite interesting and certainly worth a visit. As the name suggests, the market does not come alive until after dark.
Rory’s Beach Bar
Rory’s Beach Bar is a bit of a journey to get to, unless you happen to be staying on the east coast of the island. Even then, it is a bit secluded.
But if the impression as you read this is of a cramped, loud, smoke filled bar, you will be amazed at what you will encounter at Rory’s. We took the 30-minute motorbike ride to get there from our hotel to meet some friends who live on the island. It blew away our every expectation!
The views alone were worth the trip. The image I had in my head of what to except upon arrival didn’t come within a country mile what the reality was. I won’t bother to try to describe it in words. The photos below should sum it up much much better than I could ever describe.
A great view from Rory’s Beach Bar in Phu Quoc
The patio at Rory’s Beach Bar in Phu Quoc
Wes is originally from Florida, but has been living and working in Vietnam since 2008. He has traveled extensively throughout Southeast Asia and enjoys taking photographs and writing about his experiences in order to share with others. See his story or feel free to contact him.
