Phu Quoc is a beautiful island with crystal clear waters, incredible sunsets, lush tropical landscapes, perfect sandy beaches and welcoming locals. It is the largest island in Vietnam, the size of Phuket in Thailand. The northern part of the island is relatively unaffected by its status as a UNESCO-protected national park, but there are numerous luxury resorts, funky bars and cafes along the southern coastline.

Best time to visit

• High season – November to March: the weather is exceptionally pleasant with an average temperature of 30 degrees and a clear sky.
• Shoulder season – April to June: the hottest months of the island. The chance of good weather is fifty-fifty.
• Low season – July to September: a lot of rain.

10 best things to do in Phu Quoc

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 to enjoy the beach. This is also the main reason for most travellers 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 snorkelling, 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 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 rainforest makes it worth a visit.

6. Diving & snorkelling

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

Snorkelling 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 night market, is an open-air market in Duong Dong town. Every evening from 5 am, 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 most 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 the ocean.

Where to stay

Duong Dong – The heart of the island, centrally located to everything. The most important place for entertainment, shopping, dining and sightseeing. You can find most famous restaurants here and it is full of bars and coffee shops. A city literally for those who cannot live without comfort. With a beautiful beach and 10 minutes from the airport.

Other locations where you can find accommodation are Ong Lang, Cua Can, Vung Bau, Ganh Dau and An Thoi.

Food & Drinking

Restaurants

There are quite a few restaurants of varying quality along the way along Long Beach. There are also some simple seafood restaurants at the end of Long Beach. If you stay at Ong Lang Beach, you are more likely to eat at the resort most of your time. You will find lots of fresh fish at the night market in Duong Dong.

5 reasons to visit Phu Quoc

1. Enjoy a wonderful beach vacation
2. Take a boat trip to the An Thoi Islands
3. Explore the island and local life with the engine
4. Explore the underwater world by diving or snorkelling
5. Watch the sunset on the beach with a few cocktails or BBQ

Some Phu Quoc Island tours of Amara Tours:

• Tour Phu Quoc – An Thoi Cable – VinWonder  3D2N

Summer is coming very close and this is the most suitable time for you to pack your backpack and go, change the wind to strange and new lands. If you are still wondering what to eat and where to play in Tra Vinh, then immediately refer to Amara's Tra Vinh Travel Experience.