Phu Quoc, situated in South Vietnam, stands out as the largest island in the country, nestled in the Gulf of Thailand. This remarkable island, along with the captivating Tho Chu Archipelago and a collection of charming neighboring islands, forms an exceptional cluster of tourist destinations within Kien Giang Province.
The pearl island possesses a variety of beautiful beaches stretching from the North to the South. Ninety nine mountains, majestic hills and primeval forests with diverse flora and fauna feature the unique beauty of Phu Quoc Island.
Setting foot in the North of this island, you can have a chance to explore some famous destinations such as Rach Vem Fishing Village, Hon Mot Island, Long Beach, VinWonders Phu Quoc, Vinpearl Safari Phu Quoc,... Meanwhile, in the South, the 12 islands of various sizes located in An Thoi Archipelago will be an ideal stopover for nature exploration activities.
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15 best things to do
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Most things to do in Phu Quoc revolve around the beautiful beaches. If you don’t feel like a beach holiday or to end your tour here, you better skip the island. If you like this, you will be treated to the most beautiful beaches in Vietnam, with typical beach activities to choose from.
1. Enjoy the beaches
The best thing to do in Phu Quoc is enjoy the beach. This is also the main reason for most travelers to travel to the island. And not without reason, because here you will find the best beaches in Vietnam.
Sao Beach is seen by most people as the most beautiful beach in Phu Quoc. There are plenty of places where you can sit on a lounge chair with a parasol and enjoy the calm water.
Long Beach is the most popular beach, as it runs along Duong Duong, the largest city on the island. Here you will find many restaurants and resorts right on the beach.
Read the full list of the best beaches in Phu Quoc here.
2. Island hopping
The third best thing to do in Phu Quoc has to do with the beaches again. Off the coast of the main island are many smaller islands with more beautiful beaches that you can visit by boat trip.
There are several boat trips that are organized. This way you can quickly visit various islands with a speedboat. The larger boats are slow, but have a place to enjoy a drink, have a BBQ and jump off the boat.
The most beautiful islands of Phu Quoc are the An Thoi island group, at the southernmost point. A perfect place for snorkeling, swimming and fishing.
3. Phu Quoc Prison
The Phu Quoc prison is also called the coconut prison. It was built in 1949 during the French colonial era and used to imprison political dissidents. Later it was used by South Vietnam during the Vietnam War to detain and sometimes even torture North Vietnamese soldiers.
Today the prison is a museum that you can visit and where you can see how the prisoners lived at the time.
4. Visit local fishing villages
To get a taste of the Vietnamese culture, you can visit the fishing villages along the coast. See how boats are repaired on land, the houses the fishermen live in and the basket boats that lie on the beach to paddle to the fishing boats that lie off the coast. It is an authentic experience and an interesting change from the beautiful beach life. Ham Ninh village and Ganh Dau are two fishing villages that are well worth a visit.
5. Suoi Tranh waterfall
If you have had enough of all the beaches, you can also explore the interior of the island. The Suoi Tranh waterfall is therefore a good option. At 4 meters high it is not a very special or impressive waterfall, but the natural pools and the location between the lush rain forest makes it worth a visit.
6. Diving & snorkeling
This island may not be the best place to dive in Vietnam, but it is one of the most popular things to do in Phu Quoc. There are several options for diving in Phu Quoc, for both beginners and experienced divers.
Snorkeling is possible during day tours. You can do a boat tour to May Rut Island Finger Island and Dam Ngang Island, where you can snorkel among the fish and coral.
7. Enjoy the sunset
What could be better than relaxing on the beach at the end of the day with a great view of the sunset. For example, you can choose to sit at a beach bar with a delicious cocktail or what is certainly recommended is a sunset bbq on the beach.
8. Visit local plantations and factories
For Vietnamese, Phu Quoc, beyond its beautiful beaches, is also known for its pepper and famous fish sauce that is used in almost every dish. Scattered across the island you will find pepper plantations and fish sauce factories. You can visit these without any problem to see how they work here. Of course you can also buy some souvenirs here to take home.
9. Phu Quoc night market
Phu Quoc night market, officially Dinh Cau nigh market, is an open-air market in Duong Dong town. Every evening from 5am, the streets here are closed to vehicles and more than 100 different street stalls emerge. Here they sell everything, such as seafood, souvenirs, ice cream, banana pancakes and drinks.
There are also several restaurants around the market if you’d rather eat somewhere where you can sit.
10. The Phu Quoc cable car
The Phu Quoc cable car is a cable car that starts on the most south-westerly part of the island and then goes across the sea to An Thoi island. This 15 minute tour is the longest and continuous 3 cable aerial car system in the world.
Along the way you can enjoy a panoramic view of the An Thoi island group, fishing villages and ocean.
Ferry to Phu Quoc
When weather permits, ferries travel at least once a day from Ha Tien (1.5 hours) and Rach Gia (2.5 hours) to Phu Quoc and vice versa. The vast majority of travelers take the Superdong fast ferry, which is efficient, orderly, air-conditioned and comfortable.
Phu Quoc International Airport (PQC) is located on the south side of Long Beach, approximately nine kilometers from the city of Duong Dong. There are several flights a day from Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. From the airport to Long Beach the taxi costs me around 100,000 – 150,000 VND. Jetstar runs a shuttle bus to Duong Dong for 50,000d.
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Taxis are available outside of Phu Quoc International Airport, as well as prominent resorts and places of interest on the island. It is also possible to rent a car with driver for a day that takes you around the island.
Bicycle rental is offered by most hotels and resorts on the island of Phu Quoc for around US $ 1 per day. Ideal for short trips within Duong Dong and Long Beach.
Motorcycles and scooters are ideal if you want to explore Phu Quoc at your own pace. The traffic in the center of Duong Dong is less bad compared to other cities in Vietnam, but the roads that lead to the countryside and Phu Quoc National Park are quite winding and bumpy. Motorbike rental shops can be found in Duong Dong, with daily rates between VND 120,000 and VND 250,000. Most resorts also offer motorbike rentals. Always check the quality of the engine before you start driving, especially the brakes.
