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Region: Mekong Delta> Province: Kien Giang>Location: Phu Quoc Island

Phu Quoc Island sights and attractions

Phu Quoc general activities - Some minor reasons to peel yourself off the beach

Description
Aside from its beaches, Phu Quoc is known for two things -- its fish sauce factories (dotted through Duong Dong town) and Suoi Tranh waterfall (10km southeast of Duong Dong in the centre of the island), and more of a river over rocks than a waterfall. Neither are worth losing sleep over if you're not going to have time to see them, but if you're on the island for more than a week, what the hell -- live a little.

Another minor attraction is the Pearl Farm, which sits about a third of the way down the length of Long Beach. Again a bit of a filler for a very slow or rainy day, the farm includes a small educational display about pearls along with the opportunity to spend a motza on a few sets of earrings. We heard that the pearls sold in the stalls in Ham Ninh were a fraction of the price yet of equal quality -- albeit perhaps not farmed in a particularly sustainable manner -- serious pearl buyers (which precludes us) should scoot through both Ham Ninh and the Pearl Farm before making an informed purchase.

Phu Quoc's beaches - Top standard stuff

Description
Bai Truong Beach
Phu Quoc's longest beach is Bai Truong (far better known as Long Beach). A very long (in excess of 20km long) north to south running beach, Long Beach runs down Phu Quoc's west coast and has a grainy yellow sand and aside from the very occasional fishing hamlet is utterly deserted. Utterly deserted that is except for the 20+ resorts and guesthouses that are plugged into the northern end of the beach.

The downside of the 20km long beach being totally deserted is that the vast majority of the beach is covered in refuse -- not garbage so much (except for plastic water bottle) as flotsam -- coconut husks, driftwood and so on. In high season the resorts mostly clean the beach in front of their plot, but the vast majority of the beach is left as it is. It's not a huge deal, but does take away a little from the attractiveness of the beach.

The Vietnamese Government has huge plans for the beach -- plans including all manner of mega-hotels, resorts and what not. Thankfully the only evidence of any of these plans are a bunch of billboards declaring the existence of such plans -- don't hold your breath.

Bai Truong is lined for almost it's entire length by a grassy stretch and coconut palms, meaning it's easy to ride down as far as you want, pull over and go for a swim. It has great potential for picnics.

Bai Sao Beach
Over on the east coast, towards the southern tip of Phu Quoc sits stunning Bai Sao Beach. Glistening, squeaky white sand, turquoise water and a semi abandoned feel make this one of the top spots on Phu Quoc. There's a couple of basic places to stay towards the centre of the beach (along with two seafood eateries), but the best part of the beach is towards its southern tip, near the boulders, around which you can clamber to an even better beach, Bai Khem Beach.

Bai Khem Beach
Just over the boulders from Bai Sao Beach, Bai Khem is breathtaking in its beauty -- but there's a catch -- it's a military zone, and tourists (that's you) are not permitted onto the beach. If you try and reach it from the road you can expect the military checkpoint to turn you away. By clambering over the rocks from Bai Sao you can get a glimpse of the beach and depending on how cheeky you're feeling, have a swim, but bear in mind you are breaking the law and if you're caught, you will be in trouble.

Ong Lang Beach
Set to the north of Duong Dong, Ong Lang is home to three spots to stay and has a similar grainy sand to that of Long Beach. While the beach isn't as long, it feels even more deserted than Long Beach -- if you're after a bit of serenity, you could do far worse than here.

Bai Vong Beach
Just to the south of Ham Ninh, Bai Vong is a broad and very shallow beach, with a fine pale sand. Ideal for picnics and paddling, the waters aren't great for snorkeling, but with a bit of shade and a handful of very basic places to eat at, it's a fine option for a couple of hours.

Other beaches
Phu Quoc is lined by beaches and for those with the time, there's plenty of other strips of sand worth exploring -- Bai Thom on the northeast and Bai Dai on the northwest are both fine beaches. There's also a couple of other beaches near An Thoi that may be worth exploring, though we didn't get to them ourselves.

Ride around the island - Get a bike and go!

Description
Phu Quoc is very well suited to motorcycle trips and there's three simple loops that can be done across three days. Be warned that the roads are very infrequently shaded, so if it's a sunny day, wear a hat and drink a lot of water to keep the sunstroke at bay.

Southern loop
Head south from Duong Dong till you reach the junction with the road to Ham Ninh -- take the left turn and ride onwards to Suoi Tranh waterfall. The waterfall isn't sign posted, but just keep an eye out for the massive concrete gates on your left -- that's the entrance. There's a small charge for leaving your motorbike. The waterfalls are more of a river running over rocks than anything else, but it's nevertheless a pleasant and cool environment. Once you're done there, continue on the road towards Ham Ninh, but when you reach a main right, take it, heading south to Bai Sao Beach. Along the way you'll come to a sealed left which runs down to Bai Vong Beach, so if you want to see Bai Vong as well, take that. Otherwise, continue southwards to Bai Sao. The turnoff isn't clearly marked, but it's at the top of a rise and there's a bunch of beer and cafe signs -- that's where you want to go. Follow the sometimes bumpy dirt road down to Bai Sao Beach and decamp for lunch and a good deal of frolicking. Once done, get back onto the main road and head south till you reach a sealed road running off to the right -- take the right -- if you continue straight ahead you'll end up in An Thoi. Follow the road around to the right and you'll end up running up the length of Long Beach till you hit Duong Dong. Stop as many times as possible for a swim and don't forget to swing by the pearl farm.

Western loop
This is one of the prettiest loops on the island. Head north from Duong Dong -- it's a little confusing as the sign posting isn't great, but keep bearing left and following the signs to Mango Bay -- eventually you'll end up on the right road. Following this road takes you to the turnoffs to Mango Bay, Thang Loi Resort and Bo Resort -- all of which are worth dropping by for a coffee or snack, accompanied by a swim. Continue north, along Vung Bau Beach and at the northern point you'll reach a great viewpoint looking back over the beach and down the coast. Continue north and you'll reach a seafood restaurant with good views across to Cambodia -- the frontier is a mere five kilometres from here. After lunch continue eastwards till you reach a t-junction and take the right. This road takes you back to Duong Dong through some pleasing stretches of forest.

Eastern loop
Head south from Duong Dong and take the turn east as per the Southern loop, but instead of turning south after the waterfall, continue east till you reach Ham Ninh. Ham Ninh is a small fishing village with a couple of excellent seafood restaurants. The food is outstanding -- just be sure to confirm the prices before eating anything! Once you're well fed, head north along the coastal road. Lot's of deserted scenery up here till you reach a bunch of rather scenic islets just off the coast. After that the road tends southwestward and eventually hooks up with the main road back to Duong Dong.