Fifteen islands, and three worth stopping at
The cluster of islets off the southern tip of Phu Quoc is the reason most people book a boat day. Here is which of them matter, when the sea lets you get there, and what you will actually see under it.
At a glance
| Where | Off the southern tip of Phu Quoc, in the Gulf of Thailand |
| How many islands | Around fifteen, of which four are on the standard boat route |
| Getting there | Boat from An Thoi harbour, 15 to 40 minutes |
| Season | November to April; the southwest monsoon closes it from June to September |
| Nights | None — there is no accommodation worth booking out there |
| Water | 27 – 30 °C year round, 5 to 18 m over the reef shelves |
| Visibility | 10 – 15 m on a good dry-season day, 4 – 8 m on a poor one |
What this place actually is
The An Thoi archipelago is a scatter of granite islets running roughly south from the end of Phu Quoc. Most are uninhabited, forested to the waterline, with narrow beaches and coral shelves on their leeward sides. The largest, Hon Thom, has a resort complex and the terminus of a cable car from the mainland of the island.
It is the single most sold thing on Phu Quoc and it deserves most of its reputation, with two honest qualifications. The first is that the coral is in fair to good condition rather than spectacular condition — this is not Komodo, and anywhere claiming otherwise is selling. The second is that the experience is almost entirely determined by how many boats are on the same reef when you are. Hon Gam Ghi at 09:20 with one boat on it is a genuinely good hour. The same reef at 11:00 with six boats and 200 people is a queue.
What the archipelago has that better-known snorkelling does not: warm water you can stay in for an hour without a wetsuit, depths shallow enough that a nervous swimmer in a vest can see everything, islands with real beaches to land on, and a fifteen-minute crossing rather than a two-hour one.
The islands that matter
| Island | What it is | Worth stopping for |
|---|---|---|
| Hon Gam Ghi | A small islet with the best hard coral on the route | Yes — the main snorkelling stop, and the reason to leave early |
| Hon May Rut | Two islets, an inner and an outer, with real beaches | Yes — lunch, swimming, the best beach of the day |
| Hon Mong Tay | A sandbar island with very shallow, calm water | Yes — the stop that works for weak swimmers and children |
| Hon Dam Ngang | Deeper reef, usually clearer, fewer boats | Yes — the better second snorkel if the sea is calm |
| Hon Thom | The largest, with a resort and the cable car terminus | Only if you want the cable car — it is a separate day |
| Hon Roi, Hon Dua | Fishing anchorages, some floating farms | Rarely — usually a commission stop rather than a real one |
When to come, month by month
| Months | The sea | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| November – February | Flat most days, northeast monsoon in the lee | The best window |
| March – April | Calm and hot, visibility at its peak | Excellent, and busy at Tet |
| May | Transitional, the southwest wind starts | Workable, decide two days out |
| June – August | Swell in the An Thoi channel | Frequently cancelled |
| September | The wettest month, sea often closed | Do not plan around it |
| October | The wind swings back, improving weekly | Workable, improving |
This is not the same seasonality as the rest of the island. The north of Phu Quoc is perfectly good in July; the An Thoi channel is not. If your dates fall in the monsoon, plan around the north and treat a boat day as a bonus if the sea allows it.
Getting there and what it costs
Every boat leaves from An Thoi harbour at the southern tip, or from the marina at Sunset Town beside it. From Duong Dong that is 45 minutes by road; from the southeast beaches about 25; from Ganh Dau in the north, 90.
| How you go | Cost | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Large group boat | USD 18 – 25 per person | 35 – 45 passengers, three stops, commission lunch |
| Small group boat | USD 42 – 55 per person | 8 – 12 passengers, three stops, beach lunch |
| Private charter | USD 380 – 620 per boat | Whole hull, your route, your timings |
| Speedboat transfer only | USD 12 – 20 per person | Hon Thom and back, no snorkelling |
| Cable car to Hon Thom | Around USD 12 – 22 return | A 15-minute crossing, separate from any boat |
Our four islands day trip is the small-group version, capped at twelve, leaving 45 minutes ahead of the commercial fleet. The diving day uses the same waters at depth. Both are on the same boats we would put our own families on.
Pictures
When to skip it
- Between June and September, when the crossing is unreliable and the water is stirred up. Spend the day in the north instead — you will lose nothing you cannot get in another season.
- If nobody in your party swims. There are three water stops and a beach; a non-swimmer has a long day.
- If you have dived the Andaman, the Red Sea or eastern Indonesia and expect the same. You will spend the day comparing rather than enjoying.
- On a public holiday or during Tet, when the number of boats on each reef roughly doubles and no amount of leaving early fixes it.
Questions travellers ask most
Can you stay overnight on any of the islands?
Only on Hon Thom, which has resort accommodation attached to the cable car complex. The other islets have no accommodation and camping is not permitted. For what it is worth, we would not — the islands are better as a day and the mainland has better food.
Is the cable car worth it?
Yes, as a separate half day, especially with children. It is a long oceanic cable car crossing at around 15 minutes each way, with a genuinely striking view down onto the fishing boats and the islets.
It does not combine well with a snorkelling day — the queue in high season runs to an hour and the boat day is already full.
Are there jellyfish?
Occasionally, mostly in the transitional months, and rarely in numbers that stop a swim. Sea urchins on the rocks are a more realistic hazard: wear the fins, do not stand on the coral, and there is nothing to worry about.
How early do we really need to leave?
Boarding at 08:45 puts you on the first reef around 09:20. The commercial fleet leaves An Thoi between 09:30 and 10:00 and reaches Hon Gam Ghi about 10:15. That fifty-minute gap is the entire difference between a good day and an average one, and it is the only thing we are genuinely dogmatic about.
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