Phu Quoc, or rather Phú Quốc, is the largest Vietnamese island in the Gulf of Thailand, just off the coast of Cambodia. From Ho Chi Minh, it’s a short 45 minute flight. You can also opt to take a bus and then a ferry for a not-so-short total of 10.5 hours. There’s also direct flights from Hanoi to Phu Quoc, which take about two hours.
The island is famous for its picturesque white, sandy beaches and glimmering azure waters. Half of the island is covered in lush, tropical gardens, as well as mountains. The entire island is a scene straight out of a dream, but it’s also super popular among tourists. Besides the incredible beaches, Phu Quoc also has tons of beautiful hotels and resorts, lively night markets, and some of the best food in the world, so you’ll never be bored. Here’s what we recommend doing in Phu Quoc, including some unusual things that you won’t expect to do on a beach vacation.
Things to Do in Phu Quoc
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1. Chill at one of the beaches
The island definitely has incredible beach vibes, but Phu Quoc actually has more than a few beaches. Tourist season at Phu Quoc is between October through to April, so during this time the beaches will all probably full of people. However, it’s big enough so there’s definitely still some space to chill. The big question is, which beach should you go to? Well, they’re all gorgeous and idyllic so we think they’re all worth a visit, but the main beach is Bai Truong, also known as Long Beach. Bai Truong is also the most touristy part of the island, so there’s lots of hotels and restaurants in the area. The sand is super fine and soft here, and the water is safe for swimming. It’s also an ideal spot to watch the sunset, or you can watch the sun disappear into the horizon from one of the beach bars with a drink in your hand. The beach bars really come alive at night, so you’ll have a chance at experiencing Vietnamese nightlife. If that doesn’t sound amazing, we don’t know what does.
2. Splash in Suoi Tranh waterfall
Located in the centre of the island, lies the beautiful Suoi Tranh waterfall. It’s only four meters tall, so it’s not super impressive, but what it lacks in height is definitely made up by its stunning beauty. Suoi Tranh is a wonderful place to soak in the incredibly soothing sounds and feel of nature. It’s only about 20 minutes from Duong Duong Town by car, and there will be a clear sign just off the main road. The waterfall itself is actually located within Suoi Tranh Eco Park, and there’s a fee of 30,000 VND for adults, and 20,000 VND for children. There’s a bit of a hike to get there, so be sure to wear proper shoes. But, the fee is for the entire Eco Park, so you can explore all the trails and take lots of pictures of all the statues and sculptures that are scattered around the park. As waterfalls require water for the water to fall, the best time to go is during rainy season, which is around May to November.
| Address: | 52H7+F8H, TL47, Dương Tơ, Phú Quốc, Kiên Giang, Vietnam |
| Operating hours: | – |
| Contact details: | – |
3. Visit Dinh Cau night market
Vietnam is home to some of the best food in the world like pho and banh mi, but Vietnamese food is so much more than that. If you’re looking for things to do in Phu Quoc at night, explore the local cuisine at one of the night markets, where the stalls seems to go on forever and the food options are endless. From 5pm onwards, head on over to the most popular night market at 6 Bach Dang Street, but the nightlife will start to get really lit at around 8pm. There’s every kind of food available here, from ultra refreshing drinks to beat the tropical heat, to grilled seafood that was freshly caught that day. You can even find more exotic options like urchin and horn scallops. Not only that, there are also souvenir stalls that sell handicrafts and pearls.
| Address: | 6X85+XHQ, TT. Dương Đông, Phú Quốc, Kiên Giang, Vietnam |
| Operating hours: | 5pm onwards |
| Contact details: | – |
4. Ride the Phu Quoc Cable Car
Phu Quoc actually holds the record for the longest and most continuous three-cable aerial car system in the world. The cable car itself is part of Sun World, which is a huge amusement and recreational park. It’s a 15 minute journey from the southwest side of the island, across the sea and to Pineapple Island (Hon Tham). The cable car ride will take you high above the glittering, turquoise ocean and give you panoramic views of the An Thoi islands, where you’ll see fishing villages. In addition to that, the highest point of the cable car is 174 meters, so you’ll get a bird’s eye view of both of the islands. Moreover, Pineapple Island itself has a beautiful nature reserve, a waterpark, as well as a quiet beach.
| Address: | 22G4+RWP Bãi Đất Đỏ, An Thới, Phú Quốc, Kiên Giang, Vietnam |
| Operating hours: | 5pm onwards |
| Contact details: | – |
5. Visit a fish sauce factory
Fish sauce is a staple in Vietnamese cuisine and in every Vietnamese kitchen. In Phu Quoc, you can actually check out how it’s made at Nuoc Mam Hung Thanh, a fish sauce factory near the night market at Duong Duong. In fact, Phu Quoc is famous for being Vietnam’s leading fish sauce producer, as the island boasts a variety of seaweed and plankton, which are major food sources for anchovy, and anchovy is the main ingredient in fish sauce. At the factory, you can watch how the fish is fermented in huge wooden barrels – the longer it ferments, the better the taste. The island itself is home to about 100 fish sauce makers, but tourists are welcome to watch how its made at Nuoc Mam Hung Thanh.
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| Address: | Tổ 4, Khu Phố 11, TT. Dương Đông, Kiên Giang 92500, Vietnam |
| Operating hours: | Mon – Saturday: 8AM – 5PM Closed on Sundays |
| Contact details: | +84 297 3847 703 |
6. Learn to fish at Ham Ninh Fishing Village
Nestled along the shores of the eastern side of Phu Quoc lies Ham Ninh Fishing Village, a sleepy town where you can do something unusual like learn to fish and cast a net like a local. It’s a 30 minute drive from Duong Duong, or you can take a train from Ha Tien to Ba Vong port, followed by a 15 minute drive to the village. Apart from taking fishing lessons from the locals, you can also relax at their gorgeous sandy beaches, take a stroll along the pier, or go coral reef diving! Phu Quoc boasts some of the most beautiful sea life, and you can see it all through your own eyes at the village. Furthermore, Han Ninh is also famous for its pearls, so be sure to check out how they harvest and process the pearls.
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