Phu Quoc Island

Phu Quoc Island reviews

Backchat from the Travelfish community

• three nights in Phu Quoc

  We splashed out and stayed at Mai House Resort.
  
  This place is on LONG BEACH, which is a good place to be based. it's a quiet place and Long Beach has a fair few bars, but is still pretty quiet. I don't think Phu Quoc is a party island, really.
  
  Mai House is expensive and not at all traveller-y, but nice for a bit of luxury! [not a place to meet people or find a one night stand though!]
  
  Hired mopeds and got maps from Amigos bar, which has awful mojitos but friendly staff.
  
  First day we headed east via a waterfall [forget the name]. The entrance looks like the entrance to Jurassic park, and is a nice cool hike up to a waterfall [you pay around 3,000 dong]. Then headed south to Sao Beach. This place is gorgeous. Fine white sand, calm waters, gorgeous. It was deserted, which was a bit weird because all of the restaurants are massive and cater for hundreds of people. However it's a LONG way from Long Beach [only 30km, but the roads are pretty BAD] We returned to Long Beach on the west coast road, which follows the coastline, that road is even worse [it had been raining though]. That road goes on forever!!!
  
  Second day was even better. Thanks to advice from Amigos, we went to the 'city' [forget its name, but it's called DD] there is a floating bridge there and you can cross along with hundreds of others. so cool! I filmed it all from the back of the bike. Then on the other side of the bridge is a FABULOUS day market. Really worth going. Park the bikes and then wander around with your camera, it is wonderful. From there we head north a bit, east a bit, then north again to MANGO BAY RESORT. This place is really remote, there is nothing around except this place, but it has a beach and sun umbrellas and a bar. We spent the morning there and then went for lunch at SAKURA which is very nearby. Tripadvisor rates this the best food on the island. It's cheap and rustic and the owners are super lovely and food IS good. This was a great day with not too much moped-ing around, great food and relaxed beach time. That is what this island seems to be all about!

  • Sights & activities
  • History & culture
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  • Traveller's scene
  • Romance
  • Value for money
  • I'll be back (or not)

  By lynnebateman (dabbler)
  Written on 4th September, 2012 after a visit to Phu Quoc Island in September, 2012

  
  

• The Romantic Beach & Fun 'Treehouse' - Give yourself time to relax here.

  Loved the place - even during quiet Tet, it was a perfect place for my girlfriend and I to get away to and escape the madness of Shanghai during Spring Festival. Stayed at Thang Loi on super secluded Ong Lang beach. The place had great food (especially the fresh squid) and an almost tree-house feel. Now, not a real tree house, but nicely situated at the crest of a gently slopping hill looking through a coconut grove to the ocean. Just a few minutes walk and you pass Bo Resort, suddenly you've got 5km of empty beach in front of you. I mean empty, no bungalows, and often no people.
  
  We just camped at Thang Loi for 6 days, reading books, swimming, chatting with the guests and owner. The perfect time - went into the city once for ice-cream and then ran back to our retreat. Took the swimming trip to give some relevance to the passing of days and found it really enjoyable and not overpriced - saw a few more islands, jumped off some boats, looked at some coral. They can tell you everything you want to know if you stay at Thang Loi - - we didn't even bother hiring a moto to get away.
  
  I almost never go back to where I've been - but I already feel the pull.

  • Sights & activities
  • History & culture
  • Scenery & environment
  • Eat & drink
  • Traveller's scene
  • Romance
  • Value for money
  • I'll be back (or not)

  By caseyprich (dabbler)
  Written on 3rd March, 2010 after a visit to Phu Quoc Island in February, 2010

  Also reviewed by caseyprich: Battambang, Can Tho, Champasak, China Beach, Da Nang, Don Dhet, Gili Meno, Hoi An, Hue, Kampot,

• You'll love it here

  I spent two weeks on Phu Quoc in early October and loved it. If you're already familiar with Thailand's islands, you'll find Phu Quoc to be a refreshing change. The sand is coarser (at least on the Long Beach side), similar to what you might see on far northern Phuket, but what makes Phu Quoc stand out is the sheer volume of totally undeveloped beach.
  
  Every day I'd go for a ride along Long Beach and I tell you, the empty beach just goes and goes and goes. I'd keep looking to my right and it was always, yup, more empty beach! The downside of no development is that the empty beach can get a bit messy with refuse from the sea -- but it's typical flotsam -- wood and weed and a good number of plastic bottles -- use glass people -- but you'll find the water to be warm and calm. I pulled up the bike one morning when the waters were especially calm, jumped in and floated there, by myself, for almost an hour. I could hear the water slowly lapping at the beach and could just see the palms out of the corner of my eye -- it was D I V I N E!
  
  Also unlike Thailand, the accommodation is of a different standard. There's little in the way of thatch bungalows, instead it is mostly cement chalets and the like. I'd heard a lot of reports of people having difficulty getting a room, but in October at least, I had no problems. I stayed at Beach Club a few nights (Travelfish's write up is spot on) but then moved a bit closer to the restaurants and stuff in some forgettable Vietnamese place - it was cheap tho!
  
  It's really easy to hire a motorbike (with or without driver) and I highly recommend it. Most days I'd just pack some water, a towel and a book and buzz off -- loads of beaches to try out and also some islands off the southern tip. I didn't venture down to them, but a guy at one of the dive shops on Phu Quoc said they are brill -- next time.
  
  Also unlike islands in Thailand, there isn't an oversupply of bars and clubs. I found a few places for a beer at night, but really, I wasn't there to party.
  
  Lastly, you can get boats there from both Rach Gia and Hon Chong.

  • Sights & activities
  • History & culture
  • Scenery & environment
  • Eat & drink
  • Traveller's scene
  • Romance
  • Value for money
  • I'll be back (or not)

  By beachgirl (dabbler)
  Written on 29th October, 2009 after a visit to Phu Quoc Island in October, 2009

  Also reviewed by beachgirl: Ayutthaya, Kanchanaburi, Sukhothai,

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