Located off the southwestern tip of Vietnam (although it’s actually closer to Cambodia), Phu Quoc is the country’s largest island and arguably its premier beach destination. Although 15 years ago it was relatively unknown, its beautiful beaches have proved irresistible to travellers and developers alike and Phu Quoc is now firmly on the map, with scores of new hotels and international flight routes attracting more tourists than ever.
To visitors that came here in the early days, this development may prove disappointing, but Phu Quoc is still as stunning as it’s ever been and its large size (46km from north to south) means that there are still plenty of quiet beaches and remote corners to be found, as long as you know where to look and are prepared to make a bit of effort. With many of the Thai islands suffering from overdevelopment, and some even closing to tourists, Phu Quoc is (for now at least) a far more enjoyable, grown-up alternative.
Best Beaches
Phu Quoc is primarily a beach destination and although there are some great diving spots, the vast majority of visitors come to do nothing more than relax and soak up the sunshine. Most of the island’s accommodation is along the west coast between the airport and Duong Dong, Phu Quoc’s main town, and this is where the busiest stretch of beach is. Hop on a moped however (most hotels can arrange rentals) and Phu Quoc really begins to open up and you can find yourself on a deserted beach in minutes.
Vang Bau: still on the west coast but much further north than Duong Dong, Vang Bau is one of the prettiest beaches on Phu Quoc, a curved long stretch of sand in a calm bay. With a couple of new hotels here (see Where to Stay) it’s perhaps not quite as remote as it once was but even during high-season you’re unlikely to see more than a handful of people along the whole beach.
Ganh Dau: ride all the way up to the northwestern tip of the island and you could not feel further from the crowds down south. There’s a small fishing village here and a couple of beach shack-style hotels but other than that its white sand, blue water, palm trees and not a whole lot else – bliss.
East Coast Beaches: the east coast is one of the least developed part of the island and it offers a glimpse of what Phu Quoc was like 15 years ago. With just a handful of hotels along a 30km stretch, it’s very quiet and sparsely populated with incredible beaches and calm, shallow seas.
Where to Stay
The biggest decision to make when choosing a hotel on Phu Quoc is if you want to stay closer to town or sacrifice some of the convenience by staying somewhere more remote. Both options have pros and cons, so a good solution is to stay in a couple of different areas.
Salinda Resort is located just north of the airport and is one of the most luxurious hotels on the island. It has an excellent patch of beach, comfy sun loungers shaded by tall palm trees, and top-notch service – just think about adjusting your sun umbrella and three guys will instantly appear from nowhere to help you. Just back from the beach there’s a big infinity pool, a bar and two restaurants, a gym, and pool tables. The breakfast buffet is one of the most lavish we’ve witnessed with everything from cakes and tarts to pizza and savoury pies to choose from alongside the usual eggs and fruit.
Salinda, like many of the new hotels on Phu Quoc, has been built as eco-friendly as possible which is a good sign for the island’s future sustainability. Accoya wood, the world’s most sustainable and durable wood, has been used for a lot of the outdoor architecture and the gardens have been landscaped with 100 types of trees and flowers. The pool uses salt filtration instead of chlorine and even the air conditioners and water mixers in the rooms are the most energy-efficient available.
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Nam Nghi is one of Phu Quoc’s newest hotels, located on the remote northernmost point of Vang Bau beach. The setting, on a rocky peninsula jutting out into the ocean, is pretty incredible and the hotel’s private beach has a feeling of relative isolation. If your budget allows, the ocean front villas are worth a splurge, with outdoor decks built right over the water. The hotel even has its own island bar, the Rock Club, accessible via a short boat trip. Breakfast is another highlight, with a great selection of Vietnamese specialities as well as traditional Western fare.
Where to Eat and Drink
Duong Dong is where most of Phu Quoc’s restaurants and bars can be found, with seafood being the star of the show. A walk along the town’s lively night market reveals rows of outdoor fish restaurants displaying the catch of the day ready to be cooked on the BBQ. Look out for the herring salad too, which is a speciality of Phu Quoc, and there’s also snails and sea snakes if you’re feeling more adventurous.
Kien Xay is a restaurant very popular with locals that specialises in vermicelli noodle fish soup. It costs about £1 and the best part is the chilli lime sauce that you make yourself from the little sauce station (a local can help you if you’re lost!).
If seafood isn’t your thing, there’s plenty of other Vietnamese dishes to be found around town including excellent Nem Nuong (pork skewers) at Quan Oc Bay Teo and a couple of amazing street carts selling Banh Mi along street 30/4, just before the entrance to the night market.
Outside of town, many of the more remote hotels have excellent restaurants, perfect for a pit stop if you’re exploring the island. Peppercorn Resort on Ganh Dau beach and Bamboo Cottages on Vang Bau beach are especially good.
What to Instagram
Set yourself up anywhere along the west coast at around 5:30pm and you’ll be able to witness an incredible sunset, with the sun dipping right into the ocean on the horizon.
How to get there
You can fly to Phu Quoc from Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Bangkok and many other places around Asia. Or you can get a ferry from Ha Tien on the Vietnamese mainland, which is a good option if you want to explore the Mekong Delta before arriving on Phu Quoc.