Phu Quoc is Vietnam’s largest island and located in the Gulf of Thailand. If you look at the map Phu Quoc is located closer to Cambodia than Vietnam! Phu Quoc is a tropical paradise that attracts many tourists nowadays, that can enjoy the pristine beaches, blue waters, vibrant markets, great food, nice accommodation and has an impressive history. The island is getting very popular and impressive projects and buildings in the north and south are a negative side effect in my opinion. You see this in the rest of Vietnam as well, but here are my tips to escape that part of Phu Quoc and enjoy this lovely tropical island!!
I got good tips and recommendations on the island from a local friend who has been living here for a couple of years now. That is also the reason that I went to this island next to the fact that I wanted a holiday within my travel at the end of my trip! Always need a bit of relaxation after an intense travel through Vietnam. Check below my tips and inspirations with the help of a local!
How to Travel to Phu Quoc?
In my blog on the Mekong Delta I explained that I ended the Mekong Delta Tour in Can Tho instead of Ho Chi Minh City. From Can Tho I flew directly to Phu Quoc with Vietnam Airways operated by Vasco. An 70-minute flight in a smaller plane, departing Can Tho on a daily basis at 11:25. I paid around 60 USD for an one-way ticket. If you fly from Ho Chi Minh City, there are probably a lot more flights to choose from.
Another option to travel to Phu Quoc is overland and water. That route will take a lot longer but is of course a lot cheaper as well. Check here 12GoAsia for tickets from Can Tho to Phu Quoc or from Ho Chi Minh City to Phu Quoc with the bus and ferry. You can travel from Can Tho to Rach Gia by shuttle bus (3 hours), then take the high-speed ferry to Phu Quoc (3 hours). The bus from Ho Chi Minh City to Ha Tien is about 8 hours and then a ferry of only 1.5 hours. The flight is only 1 hour.
Consider to go directly from Can Tho to Phu Quoc instead of going back to Ho Chi Minh City!
Where to Stay in Phu Quoc?
My friend recommended me to stay at Mango Bay Resort. Mango Bay is an eco-friendly luxury resort that made my stay one of the highlights of my trip! The accommodation offers a blend of jungle that meets the ocean, with comfort luxury in the middle of nature! It is located in the quieter part of the Phu Quoc island Ong Lang and covers 20 hectares of private gardens and almost private beaches. The resort built the most stunning and elegant bungalows, all constructed with local materials. My bungalow was just steps away from the beach and the sunset from my balcony was amazing!
Check the sunbeds at the beach with the free beach towels and a cocktail in your hand!
I love the vibe at Mango Bay! Their commitment to sustainability and the service is perfection; for example my bed with mosquito net was styled twice a day. The food is amazing, the breakfast options and buffet are top notch! It is worth every $ in my opinion, of course it is not as cheap as my last accommodations, but the location, style and service is beyond. Mango Bay has two dining locations, at the deck and at the beach, both an excellent option to dine at sunset with live music in the background. Be fast with booking here, guess they will sell out fast.
Eight Things to Do on Phu Quoc?
In total I booked four nights in Mango Bay Resort and discovered Phu Quoc from here. See here the things you can do on the island.
1. Go on a Snorkeling Tour!
Phu Quoc’s underwater world is beautiful! I booked online a snorkeling tour with OnBird. OnBird is a company known for its commitment to sustainable tourism. I love the water and to snorkel; by joining a tour I was able to explore the beautiful coral reefs and spot the marine life South of Phu Quoc.
The tour offers two departure times 7:30 and 12:30, I joined the afternoon session in order not to skip my amazing breakfast at Mango Bay! There was very intense contact via WhatsApp with the reception of the OnBird company. Unfortunately, there is no free pick up at Ong Lang area. I had to be at the Salinda Hotel at 12:30 in order to let the tour bus pick me up for the tour. Via the app I already paid up front the first half of the 1.2m VND and the rest I had to pay cash to the guides on the spot. The instructions are very clear and the guides are very cautious. They even asked if I wanted a mask for nearsightedness! Never had that question before, what a service again here.
After picking up the other tourist, it is nice to see the different parts of the island too this way. Glad with my choose to book an accommodation in Ong Lang and not in the new part at the south of the island. After a while we boarded our speedboat, received some water and got ready for our adventure!
We stopped for the first time to evaluate and practice the group to use the masked and flippers. All good ready to the real snorkeling stop. Loved it!! Great colorful corals and so many different fish including the Asian clown fish. The guides are very helpful to get in and out of the boat and helped in the water to see the best parts of the coral. The timing with the lighting was perfect too. In the boat we got an explanation on the underwater world via print outs and verbal elaboration. In total we had two real snorkeling stops around the waters the around Hon Thom and Turtle Island.
The last stop was at Hon Vong Island, here we got fresh fruits and a drink before heading back to the main island Phu Quoc. Great afternoon with OnBird; the guides are knowledgeable and passionate about marine conservation, ensuring you not only enjoy the experience but also understand the importance of protecting these fragile ecosystems.
3. Get a Massage
I already had a lot of massages in this Vietnam travel! Big fan of massages and for a good price and the service is high. I prefer to have a massage in the evening, before going to bed. The coconut oil is a good after a full day in the sun and the to relax after a full day of impressions. In Ong Lang you have several massage salons, choose what feels good or book one at Mango Bay!
3. Visit the Duong Dong Fish and Night Markets
The Duong Dong Fish Market is easy to find under the bridge on Tran Phu Street. The market is located at the river close to the sea to bring all the fresh fish directly from the ocean to the market. Next to the freshly caught seafood you can also find all the other fresh fruits, vegetables and meat. In the evening you see the blue and turquoise boats with lights on the water to catch the squid, the next morning you see the same boats in the river selling the merchandise. At the Duong Dong fish Market you can buy squid, even sea sharks, spiky sea urchins, catfish, whole barracudas, octopus and a lot of different shells and dried seafood as well. Love to see the locals buying their food here!!
The Night Market is more a Street Food Market and for souvenir shopping like handmade jewelry or local crafts. The Night Market is more tailored for travelers instead of the locals in my opinion. Located at Bach Dang Street in the heart of Duong Dong Town and is open from 17:00 to 23:30 PM. You will see a lot of vendors which offer a variety of street food prepared in different ways; deep-fried, steamed and BBQed. The fish at display are beautiful too see. The vibe is hectic, busy and buzzing! Great to see and enjoy this famous Night Market.
Be careful what you eat, it is still street food in Asia!
4. Rent a Motorbike and Drive the Island
Renting a motorbike is budget-friendly (150k VND per day) but also gives you freedom to explore the island at your own pace. The roads are well maintained and wide, felt safe to drive here, not too busy too. I drove up north from Ong Lang. My friend recommended a couple of nice places to visit and chill, so headed up there; passing green jungle mountains, fishing villages and drove along stunning coastal beaches.
First stop was at a remote beach with a stunning beach club called 40Six Beach Haus Restaurant & Beach Bar at Ganh Dau Beach. Stunning white sands and amazing turquoise clear waters! The club looks modern and trendy; perfect for chilling and cooling after the ride. Enjoy your chill time here!!
Can you spot Cambodia from here as well; only 20 km away?!
Another recommendation is the stop at Phu Quoc Ecolodge, this is a unique place located on a lagoon with stunning views. The accommodation and restaurant is made of old wood parts, looks really eco and has a great vibe. The rooms of the accommodation looked nice too.
You can rent a Stand-Up Paddle here as well to discover the lagoon, great activity!
On my way back to my accommodation, I fueled up my motorbike for 100k VND, next to the road where they sell bottles of gasoline. Support the locals!!
5. Be Amazed by the New Builds on the Island
In recent years, Phu Quoc has witnessed significant development, transforming parts of the island into modern tourist destinations. I was told that two major players are leading this transformation. I witnessed both the developments in the North and South. Vinpearl is building mainly in the North of Phu Quoc; like a luxury resort, a golf course and VinWonders, the largest theme park in Vietnam. I drove by with my scooter on my first day but the complex is huge!! I saw slides and an huge entrance with kilometers of new home and business builds. They even try to rebuild Venice! What do you think?
Most of the new home and business buildings are empty, too expensive for the local people
The development aims to provide a entertainment experience mainly for the Chinese tourist, that love these theme parks and Zoos. But not for me, these buildings are fake to me and the vibe in these called ghost towns are not good.
Sun World controls the buildings in the South of Phu Quoc. They created the world’s longest sea-crossing cable car to the Hon Thom Nature Park, located in the south. They even built a replica of the Colosseum in Rome here in Phu Quoc!! I was amazed by the constructions on my snorkeling tour, what a shame to see this all. The cable car, empty streets with Italian names like, Taormina Street. I preferred my stay in Ong Lang where there are no new builds and no ghost towns.
Check where you book your accommodation on Phu Quoc, what is your preference!?
Sun Group says to integrate the natural beauty of the south with modern attractions, balancing entertainment with ecological preservation, but that was not the case for me. Shame to see the beautiful beaches ruined by a cable car and attraction parks, but I’m part of the problem too…
6. Visit the Historical Coconut Prison
Probably the most historical site on Phu Quoc is the Coconut Prison. The Coconut Tree Prison is located in An Thoi and was built and used by the French and later by the Americans. More than 40,000 Vietnamese soldiers were beaten and tortured here, during the American-Vietnam war. Nowadays, the prison is a historical site and museum; recognizing a special national heritage in Vietnam. The entrance is free. I already had a preview of the torture in the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City and this was enough for me. Phu Quoc for me was about enjoying the island life.
7. Beach Day at Starfish Beach!
Star Beach is my friend’s favorite beach, so was tempted to see it by myself!! We arranged transport to this “Most beautiful beach of Vietnam”. We drove to the north coast of Phu Quoc about 20km from where we stopped at the parking lot. There are several restaurants further up in the sea with wooden bridges to get there. Nice view and chill to sit here arranging our boat ride to this famous Rach Vem Beach or Star Beach.
Don’t mistake this beach with the Sao Beach or Starfish beach in the South of Phu Quoc
The boat brings you further up north the coast where you can’t come by car. It’s nice to be at the boat and enjoy the wind and stunning view with clear waters. After 15 minutes in the boat we arrived at a white sand stretches beach with turquoise waters and soooo many orange starfish!! Loved it!
Warning: There could be sand flies, so take a sun chair instead of sitting directly in the sand
We spent the day lounging under the shade of coconut palms, walked up north to the more secluded part of this beach and we occasionally dipped in the inviting sea. The beach is named for the starfish that can be found in the shallow waters during certain times of the year. During my stay in February there were plenty of stunning starfish in the clear water!
Please don’t touch the starfish, people picked up the starfish and took pictures with them. This action will damage the fish!!
I loved this part day! Stunning nature, lovely weather, great company, so don’t hesitate to book a tour to this amazing beach!
8. Enjoy the Sunset
No holiday goes by without a nice drink in your hand and watching the sunset! Realizing how good life is and thankful for everything. Enjoy the nature, my freedom and the pina colada helps a lot too. I enjoyed my stay at Mango Bay, where the sun beds were free and almost a private beach in front of my cabin. Perfect to chill and spent my last evening on the island with an amazing sunset!
For my next visit to Phu Quoc I would like to go to a pepper plantation and a fish sauce factory, so there are plenty of things to do on this diverse island!
Where to Eat in Phu Quoc?
Mango Bay Resort: The best fusion food in the area. The atmosphere and vibes top notch next to the delicious food as well. Ok, it is not cheap as many other restaurants but this is really good food with a lot of western options as well. Great plater with mezes and hummus! Nice variety after a long trip of real Vietnamese food. I was lucky to stay in the resort and the breakfast is also to die for. So check out Mango Bay to treat yourself!
BBQ Ong Lang: There are several BBQ places in Ong Lang but I went to Noname BBQ place, a family run restaurant. Nothing fancy just fresh seafood from the BBQ. I had the squid with was very tasteful. I like to change, then something fancier like Mango and then back to basics.
Starfish Beach “Floating Restaurants”: Great location on a deck on the water near Starfish Beach. The fresh seafood is swimming in reservoirs next to the restaurant. Great experience and the food was delicious. Perfect lunch place after a morning at the beach.
Night Market: Real Street Food experience are the food stands at the Night Market. I went for an official restaurant in the neighborhood called Blue Seafood Restaurant. Was brand new and busy with good google ratings. Save option for me!
This is the Coffee Shop: Great stop to have a delicious coconut coffee! Lovely little local business which was recommended by my friend that lives on the island and must admit really nice!
My Takeaways on Phu Quoc
Love to have a bit of beach time at the end of my holiday. Phu Quoc is perfect for that, great snorkeling, stunning beaches and easy to rent a scooter to discover the island. Great to see my friend there and liked my accommodation the best! Mango Bay is a gem on the island and Ong Lang is still an undeveloped part of the island and hope it will keep that way! Now getting to the airport to fly back to Ho Chi Minh City and back to Amsterdam.
