Trips and Vacation on Phu Quoc Island in Southern Vietnam
Introduction
Phu Quoc Island, located in southern Vietnam, a short and cheap flight away from Saigon (see our article on Saigon Trip), is a resort and entertainment island with luxurious hotels on sandy, palm-fringed beaches with calm and warm waters. The island features the best and most successful beaches in southern Vietnam.
After a trip to all the diverse attractions Vietnam has to offer, it is recommended to also combine a bit of vacation, relaxation, and entertainment in pampering hotels with beautiful sandy beaches and sea swimming, and Phu Quoc Island provides just that.
In recent years, the island has experienced massive development momentum as numerous luxurious hotels and resorts have popped up like mushrooms along its shores, and even today many hotels can be seen under construction. Golf courses have been built on the island, and a large casino is expected to open soon. Most of the hotels and resorts on the island are located in its western part along dozens of kilometers of sandy beaches.
Until a few years ago, most of the roads on the island were dirt paths, there was not even electricity on the island, and infrastructure was very limited. But today, good roads have been paved, transportation means have greatly improved, and even a modern and giant cable car has been built between the main island and another small adjacent island. Who would have believed that during the Vietnam War (which ended in 1975), the island was crawling with crocodiles and served as the home of a large and cruel prison.
Despite the development and renewal, one can still find fishing villages on the island with authentic local stilt restaurants, markets (including a vibrant night market), and a large selection of cheap local restaurants. The place is still much less commercialized than most islands in Thailand. It is recommended to hurry and get there before it loses its charm and becomes too commercialized.
Thanks to Bangkok Airways' new direct flight route from Bangkok to the island, Phu Quoc can blend wonderfully with a trip to Thailand. Here too, just like in Thailand, you will find massage stalls on the beaches, tropical fruit and coconut juice vendors, and of course beautiful sunsets.
♦ Recommended trips on Phu Quoc Island (to book via Viator):
♦ Recommended Hotels on Phu Quoc Island
There are hotels of all grades and levels on the island. In my recommendations, I focused only on the highest quality hotels, at a five-star level located on sandy beaches.
La Veranda Resort Phu Quoc - MGallery by Sofitel
A quality hotel on a wonderful beach completely immersed in rich tropical vegetation and spread over a spacious area in the west of the island, a short drive from the airport, close to a huge selection of restaurants. Amazing and pampering personal service. The hotel features a swimming pool, a gym, and two restaurants, one of them a chef restaurant considered one of the best on the island. The hotel offers its guests free bicycle and kayak rentals and free internet.
Salinda Resort Phu Quoc Island
An extremely high-quality hotel located in the west of the island near the airport. The hotel features a private beach, kids' club, pool, gym, and spa. Free bicycle rental, free internet, and free airport shuttle service.
JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay Resort & Spa
The most luxurious hotel on the island, defined as the only "6-star" resort located so far on the southeastern side of the island. The hotel features a private beach, pools, a well-equipped gym, kids' club, and spa. The hotel offers its guests free shuttle service and bicycle rentals. Free internet.
Vinpearl Phu Quoc Resort
A modern hotel in the northwest of the island near the amusement park and safari, offering free shuttles to guests to these parks. The hotel features a private beach, pools, playgrounds, spa, and gym, and is especially suitable for families. It has a large selection of rooms and villas, ranging from double rooms to 3-bedroom villas. The hotel has three restaurants and an option for full-board accommodation. Free internet and parking.
Short video about beachfront hotels in Phu Quoc:
Arrival
The island can be reached by flight. The island has a new airport opened in 2012 with domestic flights to and from Saigon and Hanoi, as well as international flights to several destinations such as Bangkok in Thailand, Seoul in Korea, and several destinations in China. There are also seasonal flights and charters from Europe including London, several destinations in Scandinavia, and several destinations in Russia.
The island can also be reached by ferry from southwestern Vietnam (from the tip of the Mekong Delta) from the port of Ha Tien (about an hour and a quarter cruise) or from the port of Rach Gia (about a three-hour cruise).
When to Visit
The successful period to visit the island and southern Vietnam in general is during the dry season between December and March, when temperatures range between 21-34 degrees Celsius. Note that the Vietnamese celebrate the New Year similarly to the Chinese from late January to early February (the date changes every year) and therefore accommodation prices during this period are higher and crowding increases significantly, and of course between Christmas and the civil New Year, like anywhere else in the world - the highest crowding and prices accordingly.
Attractions on Phu Quoc Island:
Amusement Park and Water Park
In the northwest of the island, a large, new amusement park including a water park named Vinpearl Land has been built. This is a large, designed, and modern amusement park featuring a giant castle (in the style of Cinderella's castle at Disney) with rides for all ages, including a roller coaster and an alpine slide for the daring, alongside carousels designed in the shape of elephants or teacups for toddlers. The park covers an area of 170,000 square meters. The park also hosts various shows including water shows in an impressive stadium. This park is adjacent to a large resort of the same name Vinpearl Phu Quoc Resort.
Safari
A large, modern safari named Vinpearl Safari was established on the island near the aforementioned amusement park and belongs to the same owners. In the park, which is divided into two compounds, there are over 3,000 animals from 150 species, as well as various shops and restaurants, and various shows are held there.
Cable Car to Hon Thom Island
A new attraction whose construction was recently completed and opened in February 2018 is the longest cable car of its kind in the world (included in the Guinness Book of World Records) with a length of 7.9 km, departing from southern Phu Quoc Island and arriving at another smaller island (the second largest island in the island archipelago) named Hon Thom (known as Pineapple Island) where beaches and a water park await visitors. The cable car ride takes about a quarter of an hour over a view of the sea, islands, coral reef, boats, and fishing villages.
The cable car between the islands:
Cruise and Snorkeling Trip to the Islands South of the Island
A variety of companies offer several-hour cruise trips with snorkeling or diving to the smaller islands south of Phu Quoc Island. You can take a cheap group cruise or a more expensive private cruise. Snorkeling and diving equipment is provided by the organizers. On this cruise, you pass along the island's shores and see the hotels along it from the sea, as well as many fishing boats, some anchored in front of a large fishing village and some engaged in fishing. You stop at the small islands where you can snorkel or swim on one of their sandy beaches. You can also go on sailing trips including fishing, including squid (calamari) fishing.
Beach on one of the small islands:
Snorkeling site near the islands:
Beach on one of the small islands near Phu Quoc:
Pearl Farming and Sales Farm
Phu Quoc Island is known for its pearl industry. In front of the large factory store adjacent to the oyster farming farm, you can witness a local worker opening a live oyster and extracting a pearl from it. In the factory store itself, there is a very large selection of beautiful pearl-decorated jewelry with many saleswomen to help you choose your jewelry.
Oyster with a pearl:
Fish Oil Production Factory
Fish oil is very popular in local cooking and seasoning. The oil is produced in large barrels into which a mixture of small fish and salt is placed for many months. At the bottom of the barrel is an opening from which the oil is collected into a collection tank. Because the oil has been soaked in salt, it resists without refrigeration for many months. Refrigeration actually harms its durability. You can experience an authentic local factory (for those not sensitive to smells...)
|
Did you know? On Phu Quoc Island, a rare breed of dogs called Phu Quoc Ridgeback is raised, considered particularly smart dogs. They are easy to train and even manage to climb trees. The dogs are medium-sized, friendly to people, and very quiet; they are considered excellent swimmers and fast runners. Their hallmark is a strip of bristly hair on the back (growing in the opposite direction to the rest of the fur). You can see the dogs almost everywhere on the island and its adjacent islets.
|
Black Pepper Cultivation Farm
Here you can see in the field where the spice so popular in every kitchen, Black pepper seeds, comes from. Pepper seedlings are supported by poles and their spicy fruit is in the form of elongated clusters that are green at first and then red when ripe. After drying, the black grains are separated from them. In the place, there is a shop where you can buy this spice and also other spice blends.
This is the time to plan a trip to Vietnam while it is still authentic and prices are relatively cheap.
Short video about the beaches on Phu Quoc Island: