Phu Quoc

              Phu Quoc is considered the top beach destination in Vietnam and it is no wonder why.  Wrapped in white sandy beaches, you can easily find a spot to take in the sun and views.  The popular spots, like Long Beach lined with beach bars and Sao Beach with its resorts, see most of the islands tourists, but one can easily get away from it all by exploring outside of these two areas. 

What to Do

Beach Days

A beach south of Long Beach

              Phu Quoc is known for its beaches and it has some of the best ones in the country.  You really can’t go wrong with whatever beach you choose from.  One of the most popular beaches to visit is Sao Beach, located about 45 minutes southeast of Duong Dong town.  Whether you want to take in some rays, splash away in the water, or just waste the day away lounging on the beach, you will find yourself at home on any of Phu Quoc’s watery edges. 

Phu Quoc at Sun Set

Some beers and sunset at Rory's Beach Bar.

              Sticking with the beach theme, you absolutely shouldn’t miss the sunset from the beach.  Anywhere along the western coast of Phu Quoc will give you a great view of the sunset.  Rory’s Beach Bar, on Long Beach (just south of Duong Dong town) is a popular spot for this.  It also happens to be one of the most popular beach bars in Phu Quoc.  So, grab a cold one and a seat and take in the view!

Night Market

Strawberry Chop-Chop Ice Cream.

              The night market in Phu Quoc is the place to be when the sun has set.  I suggest having dinner here by trying a few of the Vietnamese dishes at the food carts.  You can pick any of the dishes or seafood and they will cook it there on the spot.  I also suggest trying some of the chop-chop ice cream as a dessert.

Explore Phu Quoc by Motorcycle

Live seafood selection at one of the seafood stalls.

              Phu Qouc is a beautiful place and there is no better way to see it all than by motorcycle.  You can rent one from either your hotel or one of the many rental places around town.  Some great places to visit are the Pepper Plantations, Phu Quoc National Park, Fish Sauce Factory, and Phu Quoc Prison. 

How to Get There

              Getting to Phu Quoc is easy and you have two low cost options available to you.  To get there you can either take the sleeper bus/ferry combo or fly, depending on where in the country you are located. 

              The cheapest option is of course the bus/ferry option.  Whether you are in Ho Chi Minh City or anywhere else in southern Vietnam, you will need to take a bus to Ha Tien.  I recommend Futa Bus for this part of the trip.  They are not only the cheapest ($10), but they also have nice buses and offer two departure times (from HCMC).  I suggest using 12Go if you would like to buy your bus tickets online beforehand. If you take the day bus (8:15am – 4:15pm) you will need to get a hotel in town for the night. The night bus (10:30pm – 6:30am), on the other hand, will put you in Ha Tien in time to catch the ferry.  The ferries leave at 6am, 7:15am, 10am, and 2pm, costs 250,000 VND/11.36 USD one way and takes 2 hours.  They return at 8am, 12pm, and 4pm.  Once in Phu Quoc you will need to take a taxi to your hotel.  

If you are traveling there from Ho Chi Minh City and crunched for time, then flying may be the option for you.  The flight only takes an hour and if you buy tickets ahead of time you can get them for as low as $80 roundtrip.  You will also need to pay for a taxi to the airport in HCMC and to your hotel in Phu Quoc.  I recommend using the Skyscanner search box below to find the cheapest possible tickets. 

Where to Stay

Hoa Nhat Lan Bungalow

              Phu Quoc has an array of accommodations from low cost hostels to expensive resorts spread across the western side of the island, though most of them are located along the stretch of beach south of Duong Dong town.  We stayed at Hoa Nhat Lan Bungalows, a great place made up of nice bungalows around a pool.  It was located about 3 km south of town, but there were restaurants and bars located along the whole walk between the two locations so you would not have to go into town to eat if you didn’t want to.  It is also only a 6-minute walk from the beach! 

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