Asia · Beach and resort guide
A practical beach finish to a Vietnam journey, with growing resort choice.
Is it right for you?
A strong fit for
Couples, families and multi-centre beach time.
We would think twice for
Travellers expecting a castaway island, because Phu Quoc has grown fast and parts of it are now big-resort territory, and choosing the wrong stretch means cranes and coaches instead of calm.
What we would want you to know
Development and hotel location affect how much local character you feel.
Our research-led view
Phu Quoc is where the Vietnam routes we have planned for clients have come to rest after the cities. We have not stayed on the island ourselves, so our advice draws on research and on arranging those trips, and it has made us careful about which stretch of coast we choose, because the island is changing fast.
We have not been here ourselves yet and will never pretend otherwise. This advice comes from the operator, mapping, hotel and transfer research we do for real enquiries.
Map and areas
The long sweep of sand running south from Duong Dong down the west coast, lined with resorts of every size and facing the sunset. It has the best balance of beach, restaurants and access to the night market. Parts of the southern end are still being built on, and hotels across the coast road are cheaper but lose the beachfront calm.
The island's main town, spread around a river harbour crowded with fishing boats, with the night market, the Dinh Cau shrine and the best of the local restaurants. Staying here is inexpensive and handy for eating out, but the town beach is small and the streets are noisy, so most people stay on the sand and come in for the evening.
A string of small coves north of Duong Dong, backed by pepper farms and forest, where low-rise bungalow resorts sit among the palms. It is the quiet, grown-up corner of the west coast, with good sunsets. The sand is narrower and gives way to rocks in places, and there is little to walk to in the evenings.
The north-west tip of the island, given over to large integrated resorts with a theme park, a safari park, golf and a casino nearby, plus a vast new entertainment town. The beaches are clean and the resorts self-contained, which suits families who want everything on site. It feels far removed from island life, and Duong Dong is a long taxi ride away.
The fishing port of An Thoi, starting point for boat trips and the long cable car to the southern islands, with a new Mediterranean-style resort town beside it and luxury resorts on the white sand of Bai Khem. It suits snorkelling days and lavish hotels. Much of it is newly built and can feel like a film set.
Weather and seasons
Phu Quoc's weather turns on the wind. From November the north-east monsoon brings dry, settled air and a flat sea to the west coast, and January and February are usually the driest months, with highs near 31°C and the water around 28°C. March and April grow hotter and stiller. Around May the wind swings to the south-west, and until October it pushes swell, seaweed and driftwood onto the west-coast beaches; August alone averages 365mm, and some boat trips stop running. Prices fall in the wet months and the east coast stays calmer. Christmas, New Year and Tet are the island's fullest and dearest weeks.
Worth timing a trip around
Once the north-east monsoon settles in, the west coast flattens, the water clears and boats to the southern islands run almost every day. The best months for snorkelling, kayaking and dinners on the sand.
Around the full moon of the tenth lunar month, fishermen and their families gather at the Dinh Cau shrine to pray for calm seas and good catches, with offerings, boat races and folk games.
The island's busiest and dearest fortnight, when many resorts charge for compulsory gala dinners on the 24th and 31st of December. Book early, or come in the calmer weeks of January instead.
| Month | High | Low | Sea | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31°C | 23°C | 28°C | 25 mm |
| February | 31°C | 23°C | 28°C | 11 mm |
| March | 32°C | 24°C | 29°C | 65 mm |
| April | 33°C | 25°C | 30°C | 129 mm |
| May | 33°C | 26°C | 30°C | 209 mm |
| June | 32°C | 26°C | 30°C | 435 mm |
| July | 31°C | 25°C | 29°C | 462 mm |
| August | 31°C | 25°C | 29°C | 365 mm |
| September | 30°C | 25°C | 29°C | 536 mm |
| October | 31°C | 25°C | 29°C | 291 mm |
| November | 31°C | 25°C | 29°C | 179 mm |
| December | 31°C | 24°C | 28°C | 67 mm |
Temperatures are 2015 to 2024 averages from NOAA records for Phu Quoc, 1 km away at 4 m. Rainfall is from the GPCC rain-gauge analysis (Deutscher Wetterdienst) for 2010 to 2019 and shows the typical (median) month, so one freak storm does not skew it. Sea temperatures: NOAA OISST, 1991 to 2020.
Sand, shingle and swimming
Soft, golden sand sloping gradually into calm, clear water from November to April, easy for children in the mornings. In the wet months the swell rolls in, the flags go up and seaweed and debris wash ashore.
Fine white sand running into shallow turquoise water on the south-east coast, with a few beach bars renting loungers. Sheltered from the wet-season swell, it stays swimmable when the west coast is rough, but tour groups arrive around midday.
A series of small bays with patches of sand between rocky points, calm through the dry months and good for a quiet swim. Less groomed than Long Beach; pack reef shoes for the rocky stretches.
A long, clean strand in the north-west, backed by the big resorts and their beach clubs. Calm and clear from November to April, exposed to the wind once the wet season arrives, with few facilities outside the hotels.
A fishing-village beach at the northern tip, with simple seafood shacks and views across the water to the Cambodian coast. Better for a long lunch than a full beach day.
Things to do
A very long cable car from An Thoi over the fishing boats and southern islands to Hon Thom, where a water park and beach fill the day. Ride in the morning or late afternoon: the cabins are hot at midday and queues build at both ends.
Boat days from An Thoi stop at small islands such as Hon May Rut and Hon Gam Ghi to snorkel over coral and reef fish. The reefs are pleasant rather than spectacular, trips run reliably only in the dry months, and a small boat beats a party boat.
The so-called Coconut Tree Prison, where the French and later South Vietnam held thousands of prisoners. Life-size figures re-create scenes of torture, which is grim and not for children, but it tells a side of the island that beach visitors rarely see.
Pepper vines grow on small farms across the island, and the famous fish sauce ferments for months in huge wooden vats around Duong Dong. Both welcome visitors and sell their produce; check your airline's rules before packing fish sauce, which some refuse outright.
Every evening a street near the river mouth fills with seafood grills, fruit stalls and souvenir sellers. Seafood is priced by weight from the tanks, so agree the weight and the price before anything is cooked.
A small temple and lighthouse on a rock where the Duong Dong river meets the sea, where fishermen pray for calm seas before heading out. Locals gather on the rocks around it to watch the sunset.
A large modern Zen monastery on the south-east coast, its temple roofs climbing a forested slope above the sea. Peaceful early in the morning; cover shoulders and knees.
Much of the island's north is protected forest, with a few walking trails and streams that run only in the wet season. It is hot and humid under the trees, so set off early with a guide and a large bottle of water each.
Evening boat trips head beyond the harbour to fish for squid under bright lamps, then cook the catch on board. Calm dry-season nights are best; anyone prone to seasickness should take something beforehand.
Food and drink
Phu Quoc's signature salad: raw herring cured briefly in lime, tossed with grated coconut, onion and herbs, and rolled at the table in rice paper with greens and a peanut dipping sauce.
Fresh noodles pressed straight into a bowl of broth with hand-made fish and prawn cakes, stirred as they cook. You mix your own dipping sauce from salt, sugar, lime, chilli and fish sauce at a counter.
Small blue swimmer crabs from the shallows off Ham Ninh, a stilt village on the east coast, steamed and eaten with salt, pepper and lime. The long pier there is lined with places to try them.
A sweet, purple wine made from the berries of the rose myrtle that grows wild on the island's hills. Sold everywhere in bottles, and a pleasant nightcap rather than a serious wine.
Sea urchins halved and grilled in the shell with spring onion oil and crushed peanuts, a speciality of the island's seafood restaurants.
Money
Where you sit on the coast matters more to the price than the number of stars. A beachfront room facing the sunset on Long Beach or Ong Lang costs noticeably more than one across the coast road, and for the last nights of a long trip we think it is worth it. The big northern resorts sell all inclusive stays that suit families but keep you on site. Budget separately for boat days and the cable car.
Flights and transfers
Phu Quoc is a short internal flight from Ho Chi Minh City, which is exactly why it works as the final chapter of a Vietnam route. Its airport also takes some regional connections, and transfers on the island are short.
Flights from UK airports
Route check September 2026. Some routes are seasonal and schedules change, so we confirm the live options when we quote.
Practical details
7 hours ahead of the UK in winter, 6 hours in summer
Vietnamese dong (₫)
Vietnamese
Type A, C and F, 220V
On the right
Not safe to drink; resorts provide bottled or filtered water
Not traditional, but boat crews, guides and resort staff appreciate a tip
Entry for British passport holders
Visa. No visa needed for stays of up to 45 days. Check the exit date stamped on arrival, because it cannot be changed after you leave the airport.
Passport. Valid for at least 6 months after you arrive, with 2 blank pages and no damage.
Summarised from the FCDO travel advice on gov.uk, checked 29 September 2026. Rules change: read the current entry requirements and the full travel advice before you go.
Questions we get asked
For most couples and families finishing a Vietnam route, Long Beach: sunsets, easy restaurants and the night market close by. Ong Lang suits couples after peace and a smaller resort, the north suits families who want an all inclusive with a theme park, and the south suits luxury seekers and snorkellers. Duong Dong itself is better visited than slept in.
It can be, with the right expectations. Most days still bring sunny spells, prices drop and the island is green, but the west coast gets swell, seaweed and flotsam, and boat trips are often cancelled. Choose a resort with a good pool, or stay on the more sheltered east coast.
In the dry season the west coast is usually calm and shelves gently, which suits young children well. In the wet months it can turn rough, with strong currents on windy days and few lifeguards outside the resorts, so swim in front of your hotel, watch the flags, and use the pool when the sea is up.
Parts of it, yes. The north and south are dominated by huge resort complexes, theme parks and new towns, and building work continues along stretches of Long Beach. But Ong Lang, the east coast and the forested interior still feel rural, which is why we choose the stretch of coast with each client rather than taking the first offer.
Four to seven nights. Four allows three full beach days after the travel day; five or more lets the pace of the cities fall away. There is an internal flight on the way home as well, so we usually arrange a late check-out or a day room before an evening departure.
If you are already in southern Vietnam, Phu Quoc is simpler: no border, a short connection and similar sunsets for less money. The Thai islands have more variety and a longer-established hotel scene. The season matters too: in July and August, Koh Samui on the Gulf of Thailand is usually drier than Phu Quoc.
Photographs
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