Top 10 places to visit in Phu Quoc Island

As one of the most famous tourist destinations in South Vietnam, Phu Quoc will never disappoint travelers when traveling there.

The pearl island is home to numerous breathtaking scenery that can make your trip here unforgettable.

In this post, we would like to introduce to you the most famous spots here. Let’s see.

Top places to visit in Phu Quoc

Fishing villages

Fishing villages are one of the unique features of Phu Quoc Island in which tourists can understand more about the life of fishers here. One of the most well-known fishing villages here is Ham Ninh fishing village. 

The fishing village still retains its simplicity and pristine condition, which has not been affected much by tourism activities.

People here mainly live on sea fishing, crab and shrimp catching, and nudibranchs and pearl catching. 

Nobody knows when this village has been there. A long time ago, residents came here to exploit seafood, then set up a village when Phu Quoc island was still deserted. Coming to Ham Ninh, you can also visit Bai Vong wharf or swim at Ham Ninh beach. 

The best moment to enjoy the beauty of Ham Ninh fishing village is in the early morning, the sunset or moonlit nights. Moreover, tourists can see Hai Tac archipelago in the southeast, Nghe Islet looming over the water or Ong Doi Cape - the last point of Phu Quoc island when standing from the Ham Ninh.

Ham Ninh Fishing Village

Hon Thom, Cua Can, Ganh Dau or Rach Tram fishing village are also famous ones in the pearl island. 

Thom Island

Thom Island is a large island belonging to the An Thoi archipelago - Hon Thom commune. It  is home to the clear sea water, beautiful beaches filled with smooth white sand, natural rocks and mysterious old wild forests. 

Coming to Thom island, visitors will be fascinated by colorful coral reefs, fine white sandy beaches, the shadow of coconut trees stretching over the sand, clear and fresh sea. This is also an ideal place for visitors to participate in activities such as swimming, fishing, snorkeling, visiting pearl culture areas.

Thom Island has a colorful coral reef. Here, tourists who want to save a wonderful Phu Quoc tour can dive into the sea and see the beauty of multicolored coral reefs. But do not touch them because they are very vulnerable and take a long time to recover.

Cable car to Thom Island

Many of the islands in the Thom island group are home to cultured pearls that bring great economic benefits to Phu Quoc island district. Traveling to Thom island, Phu Quoc, tourists definitely have to buy for themselves the very sophisticated pearl jewelry or buy it as a gift for relatives.

Long Beach

Bai Truong beach or Long beach is located in the southwest of Phu Quoc island and has a coastline of about 20 km long, the starting point of the beach is from Dinh Cau port and stretching to Bac An.

Running along Long beach is the beautiful tree line. There are many small lawns and small rocky rapids on the beach. Thanks to its pure beauty, Bai Truong beach becomes very famous and crowded. Phu Quoc beach is now the largest and most crowded beach among the beaches in Phu Quoc. If you are an extrovert person, this is a lively space that blends with nature which is a very suitable destination for you to mix yourself into the crowd. Along the Tran Hung Dao street near the beach, there are many restaurants, motels, resorts, entertaining zones for you to rest and relax.

If you want to relax the body, there are also many massage services along the beach which are very popular. In addition, you can rest under the coconut shady to feel the lightly cool sea breeze blowing. Of course, swimming is an indispensable activity when coming to the beach. The Bai Truong beach is a shallow sea zone, the seawater is cool and tranquil. The best time to swim is in the afternoon. The sunset on the beach is also gorgeous.

Long Beach, Phu Quoc

Phu Quoc Prison

Phu Quoc Prison is a place jailing political criminals and communists during the French colony and the Vietnam war. It is located in An Thoi town in the south of Phu Quoc island. In the period of the Vietnam war, this prison was known as the Coconut Tree prison.

Along with Con Dao prison, Phu Quoc prison is one of two terrible hell-on-earth places where over 40,000 prisoners were confined during the period of the Republic of Vietnam, whereas most of them are political prisoners. During the periods of the French colony and the Vietnam war, thousands of prisoners were jailed and tortured to death by many non-humanity methods.

Nowadays, this is considered a historical museum to remind the young generations about the guilties of the South Vietnam government and their allies as well as teach them the contributions and sacrifices of Vietnamese people against the invaders who aim to separate the solidarity of Vietnamese people.

Tranh Stream

Tranh Stream is a marvelous spot that visitors should not miss. Just taking 15 minutes to drive a motorbike from Duong Dong town, you will reach Tranh Stream. From the main entrance to Tranh stream, tourists can slowly walk on the road with moss rocks on both sides and enjoy the refreshing feeling under the evergreen canopy as well as the cool breeze.

Tranh stream looks like a beautiful painting that is given to the Pearl island by Mother Nature. It is not large and rapid is not steep, high or pounding. The stream drizzle onto the stone blocks, sometimes sluggish, sometimes murmuring. Some parts of the stream flow through the rapids, creating a slight white waterfall in the evergreen floral background. It's a good idea to immerse yourself in the cool water of a tiny lake, where Tranh stream runs through the high rapids before pouring down.

Tranh Stream

The stone blocks along the streambank which are covered with green moss have a charmingly wild beauty but it's a bit challenging to pass them since they are fairly slippery. Therefore, visitors must take caution and follow the instruction of tour guides before they like to try climbing on them.

Sao Beach

Bai Sao beach is nestled on the coast of An Thoi town, which is about 25 km from the center of Duong Dong town, Phu Quoc island district, Kien Giang province in the southwestern region of Vietnam. This is one of the most worth-visit beaches in Phu Quoc with the smooth sandy shore and blue clear sea water. Setting foot on Bai Sao beach, you will be amazed by the unspoiled beauty of the beach and the gorgeous landscape around. 

The beach stretches over 7 km with white smooth sandy shore where it is defined as the whitest and cleanest sand on the island. But because of its reputation in recent years, there is a lot of trash in the southern part of the beach. The sea water is calm, warm and extremely blue, the further you go, the bluer the ocean becomes. 

Coming to the beach, you can wander around the beach on the white smooth sandy shore and look for the crabs, snails and other crustaceans. In the northern and southern tip of the beach, there are some small trails that are created by the local people to get into the pristine forests. It is not a bad idea to explore the tropical jungle to admire the huge trees and listen to the songs of many kinds of wild birds. If you want to snorkel or dive, you can go to the sea area near the rocks in the Long Beach resort, it is the best place to see the heart of the ocean where the reef is very flourished, and also home to many fish and shellfish. If you are having a day trip to Sao beach, you can relax on one of the many beach chairs and high-quality loungers which are available at the Parasido Restaurant, ordering a cup of soft drink or wine and viewing the seascape is such a fancy moment Sao beach brings to you.

Sao beach

Dinh Cau Temple

Dinh Cau temple, which was built in the 17th century, owns a unique location of a majestic rock edge overlooking the ocean where the great waves lap, creating a spectacular view. The rooftop terrace is the spot where visitors can contemplate numerous large rock blocks in monstrous shapes that can make the human imagination run wild.

Going along Duong Dong beach, travelers will climb up stone steps to reach Cau temple and enjoy the stunning sea view. The inner part of the temple is a masterpiece of ancient sophisticated and intricate architecture. The front zone looks over the wide sea. The left is a boundless soft white sandy beach, dotted with lines of oblique coconuts while the right is the harbor of densely moored boats. Especially, from the position of the stone slab, visitors can sightsee the sunset on Duong Dong beach – a wonderful painting that can't be mostly seen from beaches in the land when the dark yellow color of the sunlight on the late daytime embellishes silver high waves.

An Thoi Archipelago

An Thoi archipelago is located approximately 30 minutes from An Thoi town including 15 small islands and islets floating on the sea surface of Thailand Gulf. There are many beautiful beaches on the islands that are very suitable for sea lovers. From the mainland of Rach Gia, you can catch a boat in the ferry port to visit An Thoi islands.

Tourists will easily be overwhelmed by the mysterious charm of An Thoi - the beautiful islands of Phu Quoc island district. It consists of 15 small islands but only 5 islands of An Thoi that have residents. Therefore, nature here is very intact and still retains the pristine wilderness because it is not affected much by people or tourism development activities.

An Thoi town is located on the south-east coast of Phu Quoc, this is the second largest town in Phu Quoc island district after Duong Dong town. This destination is very famous for divers because of its numerous gorgeous coral reefs and mesmerizing tropical fish. Tourists coming here are eager to go fishing and boating. 

An Thoi Archipelago

In the past, An Thoi used to be a hell on earth where many people were caged and tortured in Coconut Tree prison. This prison was built by the French when they successfully invaded the Indochina peninsula. Then it continuously was used for the political criminals during the Vietnam War.

Ong Lang Beach

Ong Lang beach is a beautiful and pristine beach on Phu Quoc island, it is located between Duong Dong town and Ganh Dau sea. It is such an ideal place to admire the beauty of the sea and see the sea fishing boats as well as beautiful and glorious sunset.

Unlike other beaches in Phu Quoc, Ong Lang beach is still a primitive, untouched beach. It is not crowded like Sao beach, or Ganh Dau beach. Located in the west of Phu Quoc island which is only 6 km from Duong Dong town. The sand of the beach is also not smooth like other typical beaches, it is a mixture of stones and sand, but that creates the twinkling beauty of the beach when the sun illuminates in the white stones and reflect it back, the stones are as shining as diamonds. 

Ong Lang beach has its own beauty that has enough seductive to hold the foot of tourists. The water is crystal clear which you can see the bottom, so sometimes people compare it as the Maldives. This beach is one of the most ideal places on the island to contemplate the stunning sunset, especially the area that close to Mango Bay resort. The best time to enjoy all the tastes of the sea is from November to April next year.

FAQs about Phu Quoc

Is Phu Quoc safe?

The crime rate is very low in Phu Quoc, a generally safe island for tourists and locals alike. Still, crimes of opportunity typically increase with tourism, so tourists should never leave valuables unattended. 

Do I need a visa for Phu Quoc Island?

All nationalities traveling directly to Phu Quoc Island can visit the island for 30 days visa-free. To do this you will need to show an outbound ticket on arrival in Vietnam.

Is Phu Quoc expensive?

Phu Quoc is the kind of place where you could get stuck for weeks just chilling out in a hammock. ... Phu Quoc is slightly more expensive than mainland Vietnam, given that everything needs to be flown or shipped into the island. But there are still budget food and accommodation options available if you look hard enough.