Phu Quoc is one of the most popular beach destinations in Vietnam. It is an island in South Vietnam located 1 hour flight from Ho Chi Minh City. In this ultimate travel guide about Phu Quoc for first timers, I will show you how to get to Phu Quoc, best things to do, and best places to stay for your first visit.
The easiest and most convenient way to get to Phu Quoc island from Ho Chi Minh City is to take a flight. It is only a 45 to 60 minute ride and it cost me like 150aud for a return ticket of Vietjet with 20kg checked baggage each way. You can consider Vietnam airlines which offer more comfortable facilities.
Getting from Phu Quoc airport to your hotel and getting around
From the airport to your accommodation, you can easily use Grab taxis. Grab taxis have been available in Phu Quoc since 2021. Many people mentioned that it has only a few grab drivers on the island but it was easy for me to get one from the airport. It cost me 100,000vnd to get from the airport to the Sea Star resort in Duong Dong.
Once you’re on the island, you can get around by using guided tours, taking Grab, having a private driver, or renting a motorbike to explore the island at your own pace. The motorbike rental is around 100,000 to 150,000VND.
If you are not very confident with driving a motorbike, taking a guided tour is a much easier option. The tour operator will provide an air con bus with a driver (which is good as weather in Phu Quoc is very hot and humid) and a guided tour guide. They will take you to all popular places on the island.
You can take 1 day to explore the North, 1 day explore the South, or 1 day explore both north and south. One day to do island hopping and take a cable car trip.
I took a Grab bike to get from Dusit Hotel to An Thoi cable car station in Sunset Town, which cost me 200,000VND two ways. I didn’t take Grab Car because it was too expensive, like 250,000 VND for 1 way. If you don’t have luggage, taking a Grab bike is a cheaper option, if you travel with a group of friends/family, taking a Grab car is a wiser option.
Where to stay in Phu Quoc for the first time?
The best place to stay in Phu Quoc for the first visit is generally in the island’s central west coast that includes Duong Dong Town and Bai Truong. Duong Dong is the main town of the island and is a convenient base to explore the north and the South of Phu Quoc.
Both Duong Dong and Bai Truong contain sections of Tran Hung Dao street, which is the main road of Phu Quoc where you can find many restaurants, bars, shops, cafes, and super markets. It has a wide range of accommodations for all budgets.
If you are looking for good budget-friendly beachfront accommodations in Duong Dong Town that are peaceful and have easy access to all tourist amenities, Sea Star Resort is a good choice. I stayed here for my first night in Phu Quoc, and it has incredible sunset views.
Sea Star’s beach has plenty of beach bed chairs and sun loungers to relax either under the shade of the coconut trees or under the sun. You can buy fruit from a food vendor at an affordable price.
You can choose to stay in garden view bungalows or Seaview bungalows at Sea Star. I stayed at room number 30. It had a garden view and a front deck with bed chairs and a table. Rooms are basic but it is a good choice if you are on a budget and want a beautiful beach for relaxing and chill.
There are plenty of restaurants within walking distance nearby on Tran Hung Dao street. The popular King Kong mart is only 20 mins away and is a great place to buy local souvenirs. It’s close to OCSEN Bar which is known for its breathtaking fire show and sunset views.
For mid-range and luxury options, you can consider staying in Dusit Princess Moonrise Beach Resort or Seashells Phu Quoc. These are both in a central location on the west coast of the island, running parallel with Tran Hung Street that is packed with resorts, restaurants, hotels, and tourist facilities.
I stayed in a deluxe room with a pool view at Dusit Resort. They have comfortable rooms, a huge pool with ocean view, as well as two restaurants, the Palm and a Thai restaurant. The buffet breakfast was average for me, they had lots of food options, fruits, and drinks.
Dusit has a stunning sunset view and a clean beach for swimming. The famous Sunset Sanato Beach Club is a short Grab ride away.
I also stayed at Seashells for two nights because I wanted to stay in the city center of Duong Dong, close to night market, as well as many shops, restaurants, and a busy harbor with colorful boats.
Seashells has a nice swimming pool overlooking the ocean, the breakfast was varied and different each day. They have a nice Huong Bien restaurant serving local cuisine and seafood. There was a band playing live music during my stay.
The beach here wasn’t as nice as the one in Sea Star resort and Dusit, but overall a good place for swimming. Lots of Korean, Chinese, and Vietnamese guests are staying here. I personally think Seashells is a good base for exploring the island, being in the center of town and close to the night market. If you want nice beaches, I recommend staying in Sea Star resort or Dusit Resort.
Top 13 Best things to do in Phu Quoc:
You can watch my video here about the top things to do and see in Phu Quoc island:
1. Relax and unwind
Phu Quoc is a perfect holiday destination for relaxing and unwind. There are many hotels and resorts along the coast that provide you all the facilities that you need for your stay. They have a beautiful private beach where you can swim, sunbathe, chill, or read books.
I stayed at 3 beachfront hotels on the west coast and they all have stunning sunset views, restaurants, an outdoor swimming pool overlooking the ocean, a private beach, and a buffet breakfast. Higher end resorts like Dusit or Seashells have fitness centers and free yoga sessions. Everything you would need for a comfortable stay without stepping out of the hotel.
2. Enjoy the beautiful sunset of Phu Quoc
The west coast of Phu Quoc is known for its stunning sunset and the east coast is a place to go for sunrise. As the majority of hotels and resorts on the island are concentrated on the west coast, it is easy to enjoy the sunset from your accommodations.
You can grab a drink or a meal at your beachfront resort and enjoy a peaceful sunset view. There are also many beach bars and clubs for watching sunset like OCSEN Beach Bar with a fire show or Sunset Sanato Beach Club with beautiful settings for Instagram photos.
You can consider taking a boat tour for sunset and squid fishing from afternoon to night. The Chef can help to cook your own catches on the boat.
3. Sao Beach
Sao Beach is one of the most famous beaches on Phu Quoc, located on the eastern side of Perl island. The beach is clean with white sandy beaches, plenty of shades and sun beds for rent along the coast. You can try Watersport activities like jet skiing which I found very affordable and fun to try.
I visited Sao Beach during April, which is the hottest month of the year and low season, so there were just a few people which were perfect to chill and enjoy water activities without crowds.
4. Phu Quoc Cable car
In my opinion, taking a ride on the Phu Quoc cable car is a must when visiting the island. It is known as the world’s longest three wire cable car, starting from An Thoi Station to Hon Thom Station.
You can enjoy stunning views of the ocean and Sunset Town from the cable car. The ride is 15 minutes each way, and the return ticket is 650,000VND two ways including free some activities in the water park. Remember to keep your ticket as it also includes a free ticket to Kiss Bridge Admission on the same day.
5. Ho Quoc Pagoda
Ho Quoc Pagoda is one of the top attractions in Phu Quoc. It is the largest Buddhist Temple on Phu Quoc island, located on the east coast of the island 10 km north of Sao Beach. Even if you are not religious, you can admire its architecture with a huge Buddhist Statue overlooking the sea.
6. Coconut Tree Prison
Coconut Tree Prison, also known as Phu Quoc prison is a must-see attraction in Phu Quoc where you can learn a bit of the history of the island. It was used to detain and torture political prisoners during the French colonial period and the Vietnam War.
During the Vietnam-American war, 4000 prisoners were killed here. You can see many torture method through the models in different rooms.
7. Phu Quoc night market
Phu Quoc night market is a popular tourist attraction on Phu Quoc island, located in Duong Dong Town. It is open from 5pm till midnight each day. You can find almost everything here from delicious local seafood and dishes, to jewelries, souvenirs, and massage shops.
I found out that the shops at the end of the street have cheaper prices compared to the shops at the beginning of the street, so go all the way to the end of the market to check where you want to buy stuff. If you don’t plan to buy or eat anything here, at least take a look when you are in town.
8. Pearl Farm
Phu Quoc is known for its Perl Industrial, you can learn how people cultivate pearls and the process of extracting pearls from oysters by visiting one of the pearl farms on the island.
Several Pearl farms provide guided tours where you can watch craftsmen transform pearls and fossilized clam shells into artworks. They also have onsite shops that sell Pearl products where you can buy them as souvenirs. I bought a Pearl face mask and Pearl sun cream which I’m quite happy with it.
9. Sunset Town
Sunset Town, or Mediterranean Town, is a great place to take photos and enjoy the sunset. You can visit beautiful Clock Towers, and stop at the Kiss Bridge for a panoramic sea view. Sunset Town is also home to the cable car station, where you can take a cable car ride along the ocean to Hon Thom island.
10. Fish Sauce factory/ Pepper Farm/ Sim Wine Farm/ Bee Farm
Phu Quoc is known for its fish sauce, pepper, local sim wine, and honey. If you are interested in these things, you can consider visiting these farms to learn about the process of making each product. These farms often have an onsite shop where you can purchase it as souvenirs.
11. Starfish Beach/ Ham Rong Beach
Starfish Beach is a great beach located close to Rach Vem Fishing Village. Here you can spot starfish, enjoy swimming, sunbathing, or dining at one of the many floating seafood restaurants.
You can also consider taking a boat ride from local fishermen to the Ham Rong Cape where you can have more chances to spot more starfish. It is about a 15 mins boat ride and costs around 200,000VND for a two way ticket. This area is part of Phu Quoc national park, so you can spot some wild monkeys from here too.
12. Kayaking along Cua Can River
Cua Can River is one of the two rivers on Phu Quoc island. It is surrounded by green lush trees on its two banks. You can consider renting a kayak from the shop along the river and explore surrounding nature and local life.
13. Ganh Dau Beach and Viewpoint
Ganh Dau is a quaint fishing village located in the northern part of Phu Quoc home to a nice beach, forest and mountains. From Ganh Dau viewpoint, you can spot Cambodia.
See more:
- 10 Best Family Hotels in Phu Quoc
- 3 to 4 days in Phu Quoc Leisure Itinerary
- Best Month to Visit Phu Quoc.
There you have it, my complete travel guide on Phu Quoc island for first-timers. I hope you have some ideas for how to get to Phu Quoc, how to get around, which area to stay, and some top things to do during your first visit to Vietnam’s largest island.
If you have any questions and just want to share your thoughts, feel free to comment down below. I will try my best to help and answer it. Have a good trip to Phu Quoc.