10 BEST THINGS TO DO IN PHU QUOC ISLAND, KIEN GIANG
Phu Quoc is an island in southern Vietphái mạnh (well, technically it’s off the coast of Cambodia) in the Gulf of Vương Quốc Của Những Nụ cười where tourists và locals alượt thích go to relax. Not only will you find luxurious resorts, trắng s& beaches, and friendly locals on Phu Quoc, but there are actually plenty of adventurous excursions khổng lồ keep you busy during your tropical isl& vacation.
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Cheông chồng out our menu of the 18 top things to lớn vì on Phu Quoc Isl& & enjoy your trip!
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Phu Quoc Isl& is just a short, 45-minute plane ride from Saigon (Ho Chi Minc City) and there are regular direct flights. You can get a flight for under $50 each way on VietJet or Jetstar, Vietnam’s low-cost carriers, but keep in mind that they have strict baggage rules and rarely depart on time.
Cheông chồng Flight Prices on Skyscanner
Fast ferries also depart from the mainlvà to lớn Phu Quoc from Ha Tien or Rach Gia towns. You can check ferry schedules và prices on Bookaway.com.
We always prefer khổng lồ book our Vietnam bus and ferry tickets on Bookaway rather than dealing with a local travel agent. You’ll get the same price (or cheaper), it’s considerably less hassle, và, if something happens before your trip, it’s easy lớn modify your ticket or get a refund.
Cheông chồng Ferry Schedules for Phu Quoc
Visa for Phu Quoc
You may already know that you’ll need lớn apply in advance for a visa to lớn visit Vietnam giới (the process is a bit confusing but we go inlớn detail about it on our Things khổng lồ Know Before Visiting Vietphái nam post). But the district of Phu Quoc is considered to be a “Special Economic Zone” meaning that visitors are eligible for a 30-day exemption if they are only planning on visiting Phu Quoc và no other areas of Vietphái mạnh.
So if you’re looking for a tropical beach vacation without the hassle of arranging a visa, Phu Quoc is a perfect choice!
The best way lớn get around the isl& of Phu Quoc is via motorxe đạp. You can rent one from most hotels on the islvà or from the many small rental shops around town. Prices range from 100,000 – 150,000 per day and the price of gas is nominal. Be sure khổng lồ wear a helmet as the laws in Vietphái nam are strict, và stay under the speed limit lớn avoid paying a cash fine khổng lồ the police.
Also, if you don’t already have sầu a Vietnamese SIM card you should consider purchasing one before you leave sầu the airport. Having Google Maps on your phone is definitely helpful in navigating around Phu Quoc.
From the airport, you can take a taxi khổng lồ your hotel or arrange a transfer in advance either through your hotel or a private car service.
Book an Airport Transfer
Where lớn Stay on Phu Quoc
One of the great things about vacationing in Vietnam giới is that it is incredibly cheap! So if you’re visiting from the US, Europe or Australia where you’re used khổng lồ paying exorbitant prices lớn stay in lavish hotels, you’ll be impressed by how much more you get for your money here.
And Phu Quoc Islvà has no shortage of fancy beachfront resorts with pristine swimming pools, state-of-the-art spa làm đẹp facilities, and gourmet restaurants. It’s worth splurging a bit so you’ll be pampered during your vacation and leave sầu feeling relaxed & rejuvenated.
If you’re looking for high-kết thúc luxury, then you’ll love the JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay Resort & Spa! Our favorite option for a mid-range khách sạn is the Green Bay Phu Quoc Resort & Spage authority. And if you’re traveling on a budget, be sure to lớn kiểm tra out Cottage Village where you get a lot for a very reasonable price! Be sure khổng lồ kiểm tra out our post about our trang đầu favorite resorts on Phu Quoc Island!
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18 Things to Do on The Islvà of Phu Quoc, Vietnam
1. Cheông xã out Phu Quoc’s Beaches
The best thing to lớn bởi vì in Phu Quoc is, of course, lounge on the beach. You’ll likely hear many different responses when you inquire about the most beautiful beach in Phu Quoc. And that’s because there are so many to choose from, you really can’t go wrong!
Sao Beach is arguably the most picturesque on the island with powdery white s& & crystal clear water. There are plenty of umbrellas and lounge chairs that you can rent khổng lồ spkết thúc the afternoon enjoying the beautiful calm water. Sao Beach is eastern facing so unfortunately, you won’t get the best sunphối here. But you can always head khổng lồ the west side of the Phu Quoc in the afternoon lớn catch sunphối.
Long Beach (also called Truong Beach or Bãi Trướng) is the most popular beach on the west side of Phu Quoc islvà. True to its name, the beach is incredibly long with over 12 miles of golden s&. Long beach is broken into lớn two sections – North Long Beach & South Long Beach.
North Long Beach stretches for ~3 miles from the Trang An Phu Quoc Beach Resort on its northern over to lớn the Song Tnhãi ranh Canal at its southern end. This part of long beach sits closer to lớn the town of Duong Dong (Dương Đông) which is the main town on the isl& of Phu Quoc. It’s also more built up with a variety of bars, restaurants, & hotels lining North Long Beach.
South Long Beach is about 9 miles in length & is home page to lớn newly developed upscale resorts. It is separated from the north over by the Sông Tnhóc estuary. Most of the beaches are owned by the luxury resorts here but you can still find pockets of public beach access.
We loved watching sunmix a bit further north on the islvà, at Bai Ong Lang Beach. There are plenty of trees khổng lồ provide shade và the beach has easily accessible public access. Plus the bar at the Coteo Palm Beach Resort often has live music in the evenings!
Just around the corner from Bai Ong Lang Beach is Mango Bay which is technically a private beach and only accessible through Mango Bay Resort. We walked along the beach with no trouble and it appeared that many of the beachgoers were not actual khách sạn guests.
There are fewer nice beaches on the Northern half of Phu Quoc. The coastline is rockier with small sandy bay’s tucked here & there. These small beaches are more remote & you’ll likely have sầu them khổng lồ yourself but they are not as nice or well maintained as the beaches in the south. The exception is Bai Dai Beach in front of the Vinpearl Resort which, unfortunately, is next lớn impossible khổng lồ visit unless you are staying at the resort.
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2. Cruise Around Phu Quoc on a Motorbike
Most of the roads around Phu Quoc are well maintained, in fact, there is a brand new road on the northeastern side of the islvà that is rarely trafficked. The only rough road that we encountered was on the far northern kết thúc of the island which we took to lớn visit the Ganh Dau Trail (“Forest Walk” on Google Maps) & Starfish Beach.
You can rent a motorxe đạp on Phu Quoc for around 150,000 VND/day (~$6.50 USD) và it’s just about $2 USD to lớn fill up the tank with gas. Vietphái mạnh has some pretty strict helmet laws that you’ll need to lớn abide by & there is one police speed trap right outside of the town of Phu Quoc. If you get caught going more than 40 kilometers per hour you’ll have to pay a small fine lớn the police on the spot.
Renting a motorbike will allow you khổng lồ explore the island and visit various beautiful beaches without having lớn worry about hiring a driver. Most hotels in Phu Quoc have bikes available to lớn rent or there are plenty of small rental shops on every corner.
3. Visit Phu Quoc Prison
Phu Quoc Prison (also known as Coconut Tree Prison) was built in 1949 by French colonists. There were as many as 40,000 Vietnamese soldiers and political figures who were imprisoned & tortured here during the American War (often called the “Vietnam giới War” when we refer to lớn it in the USA).
The prison was declared a national historical site in 1995 & opened lớn the public lớn visit. For a small entrance fee you can see exhibitions that depict the various types of torture that were endured here including electrocution, crucifixion, và food deprivation.
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If you are interested in Vietnam War history và intrigued by torture methods, this museum is one of the most interesting things lớn bởi vì on Phu Quoc island!
4. Eat Dinner at the Phu Quoc Night Market
The Phu Quoc Night Market is a bustling open-air street market in Duong Dong that runs in the evenings from 5:00pm until midnight. Here you’ll find more than 100 different stalls selling seafood, ice cream, banana pancakes, drinks, and traditional souvenirs. After a long day of lounging at the beach, the best thing khổng lồ vày in Phu Quoc in the evenings is lớn explore the night market.
You can stop at one of the many seafood restaurants lining the streets of the night market for dinner or you can simply graze your way through all of the food stalls while eating a little bit of whatever catches your eye!
Address: Vo Thi Sau Street, Duong Dong, Phu Quoc island
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5. Take the Phu Quoc Cable Car
The Phu Quoc Cable Car is an oversea cable oto và is the longest and continuous 3 cable aerial car system in the world. It’s located on the southwestern tip of the islvà. Your journey will begin on Phu Quoc island at An Thoi and your ride will last for about 15 minutes, ending at Hon Thom Islvà (also known as “Pinehãng apple Island”).
During your cable oto ride you’ll enjoy 360° views of the An Thoi Archipelago filled with tiny islands & vibrant turquoise water. Just make sure you go on a day when the weather is clear so you get the best views from your seat!
Adults over 1.3 meters will pay 500,000 VND/person, children 1-1.3 meters will pay 350,000 VND, và children under 1 meter ride free.
Starfish Beach is on the northern end of Phu Quoc Isl& & it’s known for the starfish that gather on the sandbar just offshore. If you wade out in the water a bit it’s easy lớn spot them laying on the ocean floor. It’s not a good idea to lớn disturb the starfish, but unfortunately, you’ll see countless people around you picking them up and posing for selfies.
Regardless of whether or not you spot any starfish, this is still an ideal beach for lounging. You can rent chairs for ~50,000 VND per person and the water is igiảm giá for swimming. There are also several restaurants that are perched on pillars out over the ocean where you can get super fresh seafood và other classic Vietnamese dishes.
7. Go Scubố Diving or Snorkeling
Snorkeling is a very popular activity on Phu Quoc Island because the sea is calm & quite warm. You can book a full-day snorkeling tour that will take you to Finger Isl&, Dam Ngang Islvà, and May Rut Isl& where you can spot colorful coral and some diverse marine life.
Book a Full-Day Snorkeling Tour!
Scucha diving trips are available but less popular as the areas around Phu Quoc are overfished & there are no marine protected zones. That being said, it’s a fairly relaxed diving experience so if you’ve never tried it before and have always wanted khổng lồ, this is a good place khổng lồ dip your toes in the water!
Book a Scutía Diving Tour!
The Ham Ninc Fishing Village is a bustling little pier on the east side of the isl& where you’ll find several local restaurants perched right above sầu the sea. They are serving the freshest fish out of large bins that were obviously caught earlier that morning. It’s a great place to lớn sample the seafood while getting to lớn witness daily life in a small islvà fishing village.
Fishing is an important part of daily life on Phu Quoc Isl& & you’ll see small, colorful fishing boats all along the coastline. You’ll see the fresh catches from earlier that day at the restaurants on Starfish Beach & Ham Ninch Fishing Village and at the night market.
If you’d rather try your h& at catching your own delicious seafood dinner during your trip, there are a few ways to lớn go about it. You can find a local fisherman và negotiate a price lớn take you out khổng lồ sea, preferably early the next morning as many of the fishing boats offer very little shade. It’s pretty unlikely that you’ll find someone who speaks English fluently but you’re bound to have sầu a hilarious adventure!
If that sounds lượt thích too much trouble, you can simply book a fishing tour with an established tour company where you know you’ll be provided with the gear that you’ll need as well as knowledgable guides to help you along the way. A sunset squid fishing tour is a fun và informative sầu way to learn about local life on the isl&. Plus they’ll prepare your catch for dinner!
Book a Squid Fishing Tour
10. Hike to lớn Suoi Tnhãi nhép Waterfall
Suoi Trỡ Waterfall is the perfect place lớn relax và breathe in fresh air while enjoying the surrounding nature. Just a short drive sầu from Duong Dong, Suoi Tranh Waterfall is a popular place for locals and tourists alike as there are plenty of shady walking tours lớn explore và the waterfall is igiảm giá for swimming.
The main attraction, Suoi Tnhóc con Waterfall, is just a 20-minute walk from the entrance lớn the park. But you’ll find that the area also has several caves, roông chồng pools, and streams to lớn enjoy. There is a small entrance fee & keep in mind that the area gets crowded, especially on weekends.
Mango Bay is an eco-lodge near Bai Ong Lang beach on the west side of Phu Quoc. It’s a lovely place lớn stay if you want a more rustic experience. But even if you don’t actually book a stay at Mango Bay, it’s worth visiting their restaurant or bar to lớn soak in the sunset.
12. Wander Around the Coi Nguon Museum
If you’re interested in learning more about the history & culture of Phu Quoc Isl&, you’ll definitely want to lớn check out the Coi Nguon Museum, just south of Duong Dong. The museum was established in 2009 by Huynh Phuoc Hue và it features his private collection of artifacts that he collected over 15 years.
His collection includes over 2,500 antiques from the 15th – 20th centuries and around 100 traditional paintings. You’ll have an opportunity to learn more about daily life & the people who have sầu inhabited the islvà for hundreds of years.
The museum is open daily from 7:00am until 5:00pm. The entrance fee is 20,000 VND per person.
13. Try the Fish & Chips at Rory’s
Prior lớn visiting, we did a lot of retìm kiếm about the best things to lớn vày on Phu Quoc & one activity that kept popping up was to lớn “watch the sunphối at Rory’s”. We couldn’t for the life of us figure out why anyone would want khổng lồ watch sunset at a bar on the eastern side of the island!
As it turns out, Rory’s had a prominent western-facing location for 7 years and was the most popular bar on Phu Quoc for sunphối. But they moved about a year ago, khổng lồ the east side of the island, as a new road has just been built. Their new eastside location is much more spacious with a natural saltwater swimming pool, huge outdoor deck, and bungalows so guests can spover the night.
Run by two friendly Aussie expats, Rory’s has a fun, relaxed atmosphere, và at the time of our visit they were just building a miniature golf course! It’s a great place khổng lồ grab lunch if you’re exploring the eastern side of Phu Quoc as they have the best fish and chips on the isl& (just don’t count on catching the sunmix here).
14. Swyên in Da Ban Spring
Da Ban Spring (known as “Excoriation” on Google Maps) is a lovely place khổng lồ enjoy an afternoon picnic và swyên ổn while surrounded by nature. It is a popular place for locals who unfortunately often bring their karaoke machines và leave behind their garbage. It’s worth checking out if you have sầu some extra time on Phu Quoc, but don’t make it a priority.
15. Tour a Pepper Farm
As you cruise around Phu Quoc on your motorxe đạp you’ll see lots of pepper plantations throughout the island. And it’s definitely worth a stop khổng lồ purchase a bag or two of peppercorns khổng lồ take home with you since some people say that Phu Quoc pepper is the best variety in all of Asia! You can stop at virtually any of the pepper plantations on the islvà to check out the vines (they don’t vì guided tours per se) and pichồng up a few souvenirs.
If you don’t have sầu time to lớn stop at a pepper plantation but want khổng lồ sample the goods, don’t worry, you can pick up a bag at the airport on your way trang chính.
16. Sample Wine at the Syên ổn Wine Factory
Slặng Wine (or Ruou Slặng in Vietnamese) is made from local fruit from the Rose Myrtle tree which grows wild in the forests of Phu Quoc Island. This doesn’t taste lượt thích any wine that you’re used lớn – it’s made from rice wine, sugar, & fruit & is quite sweet. The best place to sample this local delicacy is Syên Son Phu Quoc which also has a nice gift siêu thị so you can take your favorite Slặng products trang chính with you!
Ho Quoc Pagoda is the largest Buddhist temple in Phu Quoc and is located on the eastern side of the isl&, right on the coast. This beautiful complex that is part Buddhist temple and part monastery was only just built in 2012 & is constantly being upgraded và renovated.
It is quite a peaceful and serene area where you can enjoy stunning views of the ocean. But there is limited shade so be sure và bring an umbrella và sunscreen to shield you from the unrelenting sun. Entrance is không tính phí and it’s rarely crowded unless you visit on the weekend.
18. Tour a Fish Sauce Factory
It would be virtually impossible to visit Vietnam giới without trying their beloved national cuisine – fish sauce (“nước mắm” in Vietnamese). Most Vietnamese dishes include fish sauce in some way – whether it’s on the side for dipping, used in a sauce or marinade, or added at the over for a little extra salty flavor.
There are two regions in Vietphái nam that are famous for fish sauce – one of those is Phu Quoc. The fish sauce that is produced on the island is exported worldwide and you’ll be lucky enough khổng lồ take a tour of one of the factories here lớn see exactly how it’s made, fermented, and bottled. Knhì Hoan, Phung Hung, and Hung Thanh khô are 3 popular factories on the island lớn tour.
