...your dream vacation

Sitting back in a hammock, looking out over the quiet surf, you may wonder why more people don’t know about Phu Quoc Island. It gets almost none of the press of those islands over in Thailand - and yet with its rugged jungle, squeaking white sands and sparkling cobalt waters, it can more than match them. And though an unbroken beach stretches for almost the entire length of the islands west coast, only a small path of it has been developed.

We’ve seen many an island in Southeast Asia, and we’ve never stumbled across somewhere quite like here. The mix of isolated and deserted beaches, and a few thriving yet unadulterated Vietnamese towns, make Phu Quoc a rare find indeed.

Given its ease of access (a 21-minute flight from Rach Gia or an hour flight from Saigon) it is amazing the island isn’t far more developed, and while the Vietnamese government has huge plans they remain totally unrealised, and hopefully will remain just on paper for the forseeable future.

The island has something for everyone - really! Ringed by over a dozen bays and beaches, some yellow sand, others brilliant strips of white, with an archipelago of islets off its south coast, a jungle-covered interior and a handful of fishing villages, there is enough to do for a longer stay than you may be planning. Hoteliers report that some guests do nothing more than the daily bungalow-beach-restaurant-beach-bungalow circuit for days on end - for couples in particular, Phu Quoc is a favourite. But with a motorbike and a map, theres loads of exploring you could do here and while some of the beaches are under military control, the majority are open to the public.

Many leave Phu Quoc as their final stop in Vietnam before leaving, only to find that a couple of nights just isn’t enough. As a result, flights are changed and itineraries are revised - so take it from us, revise your itinerary upfront and be sure to allow yourself enough time on Phu Quoc.

Orientation

Teardrop - shaped Phu Quoc has its capital at the town of Duong Dong, midway down the west coast of the island. The airport is right by Duong Dong and the vast majority of lodgings are within a 5- to thirty-minute motorcycle ride of there. In the past, ferries from the mainland arrived in An Thoi, on the far southern tip of the island. They now land in Ham Ninh, on the east coast. This doesn’t change much, though - it is still too inconvenient to walk so you’ll have to catch a lift to get to any of the beaches.