Phu Quoc is one of the most famous tourist destination of Vietnam. Check out now the six things to enjoy on this beautiful island!
Related: Phu Quoc Island Travel Guide
1. Cycling
Most hotels offer bicycle rentals which start from US$5/day, which can be a great way to adventure around the local area.
If you plan on cycling further away, poor road conditions and unsealed dusty roads can make this a difficult experience. We recommend purchasing a face mask before you head off on these longer journeys and take plenty of water. The coastal strip surrounding Phu Quoc makes cycling relatively easy however the island heats up when you get move from the coast.
2. Kayaking
Phu Quoc provides ideal weather conditions and calm waters during most times of the year for kayaking and more and more resorts now provide either free (Saigon Phu Quoc Resort) or rental kayaks (My Lan at Bai Sao Beach) for visitors.
If your after exercise then kayaking on Long beach provides plenty of open space and only a little other boat traffic, whereas other areas on the island provide the additional benefit of exploring parts of the island, like other beaches and coves not generally reachable by road.
Kayaks on Bao Sao beach generally charge around US$4-5/hour.
3. Diving and Snorkeling
Phu Quoc is a real get away from the crowds and noise of mainland Vietnam. This relatively undiscovered part of the country is fast becoming a hot-spot for tourism. Best you visit soon and experience the Vietnam of 10 years ago.
Diving and snorkeling around the warm waters of Phu Quoc takes place on the the North-Western side of the island or around the small archipelago to the South. Diving is accessible all year round and the best location for diving truly depends on the prevailing conditions.
Due to the Islands proximity to the Mekong delta region peak season visibility is rarely that of the Eastern seaboard of Vietnam. However the nutritious run off from the Mekong and the constantly warm water temperatures give Phu Quoc the best hard coral growth in all of Vietnam.
4. Explore local markets
You’re in Vietnam so what could be more fun than exploring the local Duong Dong Market early in the morning, see our Local Markets section for a little more information. For a few ideas;
- Get off the main road into some of the sheds that sell fish, there’s any amazing array of seafood for sale, or
- Walk down to the other end of the market and visit places few tourists venture, there’s more to town than the main roads, or
- Checkout the variety of fruit and vegetables on offer, why not try a fruit you’ve never tried before, they could better than you think.
5. Hire your own boat
This is an island, and where there’s an island there’s fishing, and where’s there’s fishing there’s boats. So find yourself a keen fisherman and hire him and his boat for the day or a couple of hours wherever you are. Half the adventure is bargaining a price, the other half is exploring what’s out there, though no doubt the fisherman know some interesting places, otherwise, just go fishing! Here’s a few places that might do the trick.
- An Thoi Town: you can’t really go wrong here, boats leave all the time to the islands down south, however why not hire you’re own, they come in all sizes so find one that suits you. Plenty of fisherman here that would be keen to take you for a spin.
- Duong Dong: Another good place to try just because of the large number of fishing boats, its not as close to some of the small islands around Phu Quoc, so you might end up fishing, though viewing the Duong Dong river is another interesting alternative.
- Cua Can: Plenty of fishing boats, however it might be possible to find someone to take you around the scenic river around town, and there’s a couple of small islands a little further north.
- Vung Bau Beach is close to Turtle Island (Doi Moi) and you might be able to get across for a snorkel or a swim. The guy running the dive shop might be able to take you for a spin for a fee as well.
6. Motor bike riding
This may not sound like the most adventurous activity on the planet, though once you get out on those Phu Quoc red dirt roads and find those out of the way places on the island, you’ll understand why hiring a motorbike is an adventurous activity. We’re not trying to turn the island into a motor cross rally of course, it’s just probably the best and most interesting way of exploring Phu Quoc.
Of course you need to find the right places for adventure, so in the spirit of adventure it’s best to find your own. However to give you a start, some of the best off the beaten track places will be found on the up north, including:
- Riding around Bai Dai Beach and Ganh Dau headlands in the top northwest and riding back through the national park area.
- The even more remote Bai Thom Beach Area at the top of the island, with lots of sandy tracks leading to the beaches through cashew nut plantations.
- Riding around the old bridges of Cua Can Village is an interesting experience, just watch out for on coming traffic.
Fiona